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Description

The mountain gave way to the spring. Once endless sheets of snow had been reduced to the occasional snow drift on the hillsides. The village, which lied atop the peaks, was joyous. Warmth finally was returning after months of dreariness, allowing for safety and comfort.

Yet Tanya was filled with dread.

He would be arriving any day now, that spindly wretch of a man, Dmitri Petrov. His eyes, like two dull stones, had leered at her with a pervasive want. His hands, long and thin, were much too eager for the chance of brushing against her skin. Yet Dmitri was the man she would marry, once the roads to her mountainous home had cleared. When the first snowfall fell, Tanya was elated. No more visits from her suitor, who charmed her father and mother with his supposed good nature, or as Tanya saw it, the good nature of his wealth. She would idly sit by the window, gazing down at the snow-strewn mountains around her.

Memories of her once simple childhood would soon flood back to her. It did not matter that she was the last of her family, or that they were poor. All that mattered back then was who could build the best Snow Maiden, or who could run the fastest through the snow banks with their small but determined legs.

When the dreaded spring day had finally arrived, Tanya could see the wagon come up the mountainside. As it inched closer with each passing minute, Tanya began to feel the fear suffocate her. The rest of the family chattered merrily to one another as they helped Tanya prepare. The wedding dress, once vibrant and lively as wildflowers now was dull and dismal. It made a wonderful funeral gown, the end of her freedom.

Tanya continued to glance out the window. In the distance, she could make out some lingering, hefty sheets of snow. A smile, the first one in days, had sparked across her face. She would have one last moment, a simple frolic in the snow that she had treasured since birth. Throwing the door open, she ran from her cottage, ignoring the inquisitive looks of her neighbors. Kicking her shoes off, her bare feet leapt over the cool ground. When she finally arrived, she began to laugh. Tanya twirled in the snow, the skirts of her dress spinning around wildly. Even as she felt herself lose balance, all of her strife was forgotten.

Dmitri and the family spent hours looking for the runaway bride. Throughout the entire town, they could not find her. It was only the next day, amidst the purple dawn, when they found her. She had fallen, fallen from a high snowy precipice. It had proven to be too much. Tanya had died, alongside her beloved winter. Her body was shrouded in stark white snow, soldiering on through the spring air. But on her lips, cold and still, was a youthful smile, a smile that held the joy of freedom and bliss.

Description

The mountain gave way to the spring. Once endless sheets of snow had been reduced to the occasional snow drift on the hillsides. The village, which lied atop the peaks, was joyous. Warmth finally was returning after months of dreariness, allowing for safety and comfort.

Yet Tanya was filled with dread.

He would be arriving any day now, that spindly wretch of a man, Dmitri Petrov. His eyes, like two dull stones, had leered at her with a pervasive want. His hands, long and thin, were much too eager for the chance of brushing against her skin. Yet Dmitri was the man she would marry, once the roads to her mountainous home had cleared. When the first snowfall fell, Tanya was elated. No more visits from her suitor, who charmed her father and mother with his supposed good nature, or as Tanya saw it, the good nature of his wealth. She would idly sit by the window, gazing down at the snow-strewn mountains around her.

Memories of her once simple childhood would soon flood back to her. It did not matter that she was the last of her family, or that they were poor. All that mattered back then was who could build the best Snow Maiden, or who could run the fastest through the snow banks with their small but determined legs.

When the dreaded spring day had finally arrived, Tanya could see the wagon come up the mountainside. As it inched closer with each passing minute, Tanya began to feel the fear suffocate her. The rest of the family chattered merrily to one another as they helped Tanya prepare. The wedding dress, once vibrant and lively as wildflowers now was dull and dismal. It made a wonderful funeral gown, the end of her freedom.

Tanya continued to glance out the window. In the distance, she could make out some lingering, hefty sheets of snow. A smile, the first one in days, had sparked across her face. She would have one last moment, a simple frolic in the snow that she had treasured since birth. Throwing the door open, she ran from her cottage, ignoring the inquisitive looks of her neighbors. Kicking her shoes off, her bare feet leapt over the cool ground. When she finally arrived, she began to laugh. Tanya twirled in the snow, the skirts of her dress spinning around wildly. Even as she felt herself lose balance, all of her strife was forgotten.

Dmitri and the family spent hours looking for the runaway bride. Throughout the entire town, they could not find her. It was only the next day, amidst the purple dawn, when they found her. She had fallen, fallen from a high snowy precipice. It had proven to be too much. Tanya had died, alongside her beloved winter. Her body was shrouded in stark white snow, soldiering on through the spring air. But on her lips, cold and still, was a youthful smile, a smile that held the joy of freedom and bliss.