the mountain, steering clear of hazards along the way. He dodged an evergreen, narrowly avoiding the base and instead going along the icy roots, bouncing at awkward angles and skewering his current direction, hurtling down at the same record pace, however. He ambled and bounced along the path, trying his best to not injure himself or shatter his plastic red sled, his favorite tool at the moment.
Near halfway down, he realized a barrier was there that would be difficult to overcome: a barricade of thorns, blocking his way, with only a miniscule opening. Like the Olympic sledder that he imagined he was, he hurtled down the hill, going through the opening with precision, only clipping a few thorns along the way. He was a jubilant ball of energy, while keeping his health intact as well, and he really enjoyed darting down the hill. The hill leveled out, and after a while, he stopped sliding. His first sledding adventure in his back yard was a success. He ambled up the hill, knowing the exhilaration that sledding provided for him, and he desperately wanted that thrill again. After another long trek up the hill, he sledded down that same exhilarating path, again and again, until the bright yellow ball came down to hide behind the trees. As the ball set, a slight problem arose for Garrett; he was on top of the hill, and it was pitch black. He knew he needed to get down, but he also knew that he couldn’t see. The first plan that he came up with was to shout;
“MOM”! Garrett desperately needed a solution to his predicament, and he had absolutely no way of solving it without advice from his trustworthy aid. Thankfully, his trustworthy aid was already outside, on her way to telling Garrett to come inside. With a flashlight equipped, she was able to lead Garrett away from the now monstrous and intimidating sledding trail, and was greeted inside with a warm cup of hot cocoa to drink by the fire.
“Warm your hands by the fire and drink that cocoa before it gets cold,” Garrett’s mother advised. This was what winter must be about, Garrett thought to himself. It couldn’t get any better than this.
-alex m.
A Wonderful Winter
Short Stories
27