37i wrote this for this readers competition thing 'cause i was bored. it's quite controversial and people could find a hundred wayz to argue against it but i'm realli not in the mood to argue. haha. so if you dont agree, good on you. but plz dont flame me. cause i had a 1000 word limit, so there's onli so much i could say on the subject. -smilez- thanks for reading.
.snowman
It cascaded, fell, in a whirlpool of white and they pulled their hoods over their ears, ignoring the searing red which pricked at the base of their skin. Something was kicked and white powder shot into the air.
Laughter, then someone pushed and a heavy jolt followed by giggles.
The red head fumed, dusted herself off. "I thought we were building a snowman."
"We are building a snowman." The brunette put his hands on his hips, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Terri helped her up. The red head continued to fume. "My mommy says –"
The brunette stuck out his tongue. "Your mommy's stupid."
The red head was indignant. "Says who?"
"Says my mommy."
"Your mommy's more stupid than my mommy."
The brunette pulled the wool over his ears, and stuck out his tongue, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."
Her cheeks tinged red. "Sticks and stones won't be the only thing breaking your bones in a few moments."
The red head lurched forward. Terri caught her arms, holding her back. "Hattie!"
"I'm gonna kick his ass."
"Hattie!" The new voice cut through, silenced them. A nine-year old stepped out from the trees, pushed back a curtain of black hair and waited, arms folded.
"Dom," she breathed.
He nodded at each of them in acknowledgement. "Hattie, Jeff, Terri. What are you guys doing?"
Terri let go and Hattie stepped forward, opened her mouth to speak. Jeff cut her off. "We're building a snowman."
Dom raised his eyebrows. "Didn't look like it."
"Well, you see –"
Jeff cut her off again. "Hattie's having a hissy fit."
Her face burned. "I am not. Jeff's being a –"
"Can we just go?" It was the first time Terri had spoken. She seemed agitated.
Dom nodded and began walking down the path, his feet sinking into snow at every step. They followed complacently, hurrying down a snowy path lined with trees that were sprinkled with snow, silver and glittering with a dim, opalescent light.
-
…in disagreement with life sentence…
…demand that he be sent overseas and tried for the death penalty…
…human rights protestors in obvious disagreement with court decision and demand for a life sentence as punishment for Andrew Kutcher, murderer of five…
…argue that a life sentence is a harsher, more fitted punishment for such a crime…
Human rights protestor, Lawkin Parker, has this to say…
The bag fell, cluttered to the floor. Terri sat beside it and began to unzip the front. Jeff peered over.
"What's in there?"
Terri pulled out a carrot, a few buttons and a woolly scarf. "My mommy gave me these for the snowman."
"Good thinking, Terri." Everyone agreed and Dom nodded in approval. Terri beamed. Dom's approval was important. Dom knew more than all of them about everything and he was cleverer, cooler, more "mature." If Dom was pleased, then that meant that it must be good.
Hattie shuffled her feet. "I brought a hat for it."
"Snow men don't need hats," tossed Jeff.
Dom intervened. "Why are you always on Hattie's case?"
Silence.
They proceeded to build the snowman.
-
"To approve of the death penalty would be like legalising murder…"
"…he forfeited his human rights when he took those lives…"
"…everyone is entitled to a second chance…"
"…an eye for an eye –"
"…and the whole world goes blind."
"What if he does it again?"
"…high security prison…he won't ever get out…"
Crunch…
"Hattie, you put the scarf on the wrong way."
"Shut-up, Jeff."
He stuck out his tongue. "Ginger-Minger."
She fumed. "I wanna kick your –"
"Guys." Dom picked up some snow. "Cool it."
Crunch…crunch…
Hattie sighed and bent down to pick up some snow. Something hit her squarely on the back, then giggles. She glared. Dom stood there, arms folded, eyebrows lifted challengingly.
She picked up some snow, rolled it in her hands, then flung it back. "Snow fight!"
Crunch…crunch…crunch…
Terri ducked and tossed it back; ice-white hit her and sent a chill down her spine. Blonde hair glinted beneath white light as she jumped up, trying to dodge a pellet of snow.
Crunch…
A piercing shriek. Something swung and then she fell, dead to the floor, white-blonde hair twisting over glittering snow. Blood pooled over its surface and their eyes widened. Hattie screamed and someone grabbed her hand. They ran.
Wind lashed at their cheeks and the snow was slippery, making it hard to keep balance. She could hear Jeff's heavy panting, his hand clenched over hers. Dom wasn't far behind.
"Hurry up and call someone!" He shouted, over and over again. "Whoever gets there first just call someone."
Crunch…crunch…
Hattie looked back. "Dom –"
He stumbled, fell face forward in the snow.
Crunch…
"DOM!"
Jeff's grip tightened, his voice hoarse. "We have to hurry!"
She stopped, abruptly, turning back. In the distance she saw a figure, dark and hooded, bending over Dom's body…hacking…hacking… It looked up, black eyes meeting green, then began to walk forward.
She was trembling.
Jeff grabbed her hand, tugged. He was on the verge of hysterics. "Hattie!"
She couldn't move.
"Hattie!"
-
…high security prison…legalising murder…if we kill him, we'll be no better…
He pulled her hand and began to run, sprint across the snow. Her palm was sweaty beneath his but he had to get there, get them to the phone –to a house; they had to get out…
The figure was following them, his pace quickening so that he was only a little while away. They would never make it in time. Jeff kept running, praying, and then he saw the phone, a solitary black box in the distance. The man wouldn't have seen it by now, but if they both went –he would get to them before they could dial a number.
Jeff knew what he had to do.
He gulped, stopped abruptly, then pushed Hattie forward. She stumbled, regarded him quizzically.
Jeff wavered, gesticulated. "Quickly! Go to the phone and ring the police, ring someone. I'll keep him back!"
"But, Jeff –"
"Just go!"
He shoved her again and their gazes met for a split second. Something softened in his eyes and he offered her a light smile. "I'll be okay."
She nodded, numbly. She pivoted, about to run.
"And, Hattie…"
Crunch…crunch…
She turned again.
"I'm sorry."
She opened her mouth to reply, but the figure descended. Hattie ran, bolted, towards the box and flung open the door. She picked up the receiver, her hands trembling and didn't look back.
She dialled, her hands fumbling, her whole body shaking and then a soft ring, followed by a voice. "To reach the fire department, please press one. To reach the ambulance, please press two. To reach the police, please press three…"
The number was pressed and moments silence, then a voice on the other end. She sobbed into the receiver, distant screams echoing through her head and her whole body shaking in fear.
"There's a m-man and he killed them and they – and Dom and Terri and Jeff, and, and – Haythorn Park. All we wanted to do was build a snowman, Sir. All we wanted to do was build a snowman…"
Her whole body was racked with sobs, then a crash and glass shattered, scattering into the air. Black eyes met green.
She screamed.
-
"Andrew Kutcher, imprisoned for life three years ago for the murder of the Laygard family escaped this morning… Police are undergoing investigations…officials say…And now for the weather…"