This is the beginning of a short story I started on Christmas. I really tried writing this in a old fairytale/Narnia feel (yes I just finished all the Narnia books and am still stuck in the world.) But don't read this with the expectation that it is as good as C.S. Lewis or anything. I just wanted it to have a more classic vibe if you know what I mean...
Chapter 1. The Frozen Pond
Cold and icy wind blew fierce against the old trees, and branches swayed in its power. A small girl walked deep into the woods. She had no coat, no hat or mittens to cover her. Little silver tears streamed down her blue cheeks. Her name was Winnie.
Her aunt had sent her out to fetch firewood. She had begged her not to make her go, telling her it was dark, and there might be wolves. ‘No wolf would be out in this weather.’ Her aunt said and pushed her out the door. ‘Don’t come back without the wood!’
Cold and lost, for she did not know the woods well, Winnie did her best to wipe her tears. Through a gap in the trees she looked up at the moon. Its light quieted her fears and surprisingly the wind didn’t feel as sharp.
“Thank you moon,” She said to herself, “you are a wonderful comfort. I just wish I didn’t have to be sent out at all. And on Christmas Eve no less.”
Winnie had been looking up at the moon as she walked that she had wondered even farther into the forest. As she looked down she became aware that she was standing at the edge of a frozen pond.
“Why, if this had been summer I might have fallen in.” She remarked.
The wind seemed to stop all at once, and the mist that had covered the ground had vanished. All was still and clear. The silence was a bit unsettling, The girl didn’t know whether to scream or cry. But neither seemed possible, she had become just as still as the forest around her.
Starting as a small dot on the other side of the pond the girl spotted something move. Her first thoughts were of wolves and how her aunt must have lied to her. But as the creature moved closer she saw that it was neither a wolf, nor any other beast that could do her harm.
Standing in the middle of the frozen pond stood a tiny deer. No taller than Winnie’s own waist. It reminded her of herself. Small, frail, cold, and it must have been lost as well because no deer would be alone in such a storm.
Winnie took a cautious step onto the frozen pond. Then another and another, until she was barely an arm’s length away from the deer. Without a thought of danger she stretched out her arm and held it still next to the creature's face.
“Don’t be frightened. I’m nothing to be afraid of.” Sniffing her the deer raised it head and pressed his snout up into her hand. Winnie smiled and laughed, louder than you should when petting wild animals, but the surprising thing was the deer was not startled. Instead of jumping back or running away it gave a sort of laugh of its own. It through its head back and said “Meh-he-heh-Meh-he!”
This did however startle Winnie. She withdrew her hand and began briskly but carefully to walk off the ice.
“Please don’t go.” A soft but rich voice said from behind her. Winnie clasp her hands over her mouth as she turned to see the little deer watching her with a sad expression on its face.
Like I said on my last post this week every post will have a little extra at the end. I will be posting about the Tender Mercies i've seen each day in my life. Ok todays mercies.
1. I woke up feeling awful, but knew I had to go to work, but we texted and she said she would be ok without me today. So I got to take a sick day.
2. All the leftovers weren't eaten in the middle of the night by a certain someone, so I got to have them for lunch.
3. Its my brothers birthday today so we had ice cream and soda (I did not eat them). But me and the rest of us sugar free people in the house (Chloe and Tally) made healthy smoothies, still sweet but with no crap. They didn't taste as great as ice cream, but at least it was something.
-Anna Lynn
