Curtain Down

Chapter 24 - Snowflakes

Author's Note: I hope you like this chapter - I wanted to finish it last night but things didn't quite work out that way. Anyway - enjoy :)

*****

By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was go to bed. It was dark and cold, my limbs were weary and my mind in complete chaos. It could have only been around eight o’clock, but I didn’t feel as if I could do much else. In my room, I stared at the puppet, smiling sweetly from my desk. Grabbing it, I took it downstairs and threw it into the fire, the flames crackling a little. I sprinkled salt in after it but didn’t bother to check for green flames. After all, it would burn. What harm could it do? Satisfied the puppet was on its way to being ash, I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over me.

I woke up sometime later, unsure of the time, and heard a tap against my window. Then another one, like a small stone hitting the glass. I pulled back my curtain and flung open the window “what are you doing here?” I called, leaning out of the window and looking at Otto on the ground below.

“It’s snowing!” He yelled. I looked around me and realised that it was.  Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, some landing on my window sill and others carrying on their journey to the ground. There were several white patches on the ground where the snow had gathered. I held out a hand, snowflakes landing on my palm but melting as soon as they touched my skin. “Are you coming?” Said Otto.

“What time is it?”

He shrugged “about eleven I think.”

I sighed “but I’m in my night gown.”

“Get dressed then. Hurry up.” I snapped the window shut at this and began pulling on my clothes. Boots and an extra pair of socks were necessary, so was my long winter coat. I wondered whether I should bother with gloves or not when I shrugged it off, thinking there was no point since there wasn’t enough snow for snowballs yet. Otto and I always went out in the first snow, it was like a thing we’d done for years. Always out when the first few flakes of Christmas came into the city. We’d only been out in the middle of the night a few times, but I wasn’t about to miss our tradition just because I was tired.

As I crept through our living room, I paused to stare at the fire grate. A pile of ash lay there, cold and lifeless. I couldn’t see any shape of the puppet remaining and I smiled to myself. Green flames or not, it was gone. A wave of relief swept over me as I walked out onto the street and shivered at the cold air. The puppet had been annoying me and to know that it was gone...well, that was a comfort indeed.

“You took your time.” Said Otto, coming over.

“I was...checking something.” I said, and then proceeded to tell him about what Mr Vasilescu had said as we walked.

“Anna,” said Otto, worriedly, “perhaps you should have waited to see if there were any green flames.”

“But it’s gone. I looked. There’s just a pile of ash.”

“Well, if you’re sure...” He began.

“Of course I’m sure.” I said, believing my own words.

The city really was a sight to behold at night. The warm glow of the street lamps in between the houses, lit up certain details and let you see the buildings in the darkness. The snow had gotten heavier, you could see the snowflakes swirling where a street lamp’s light pooled on the street. They almost seemed to dance in the orange spotlight, the stars of the show. My breath came out in clouds, whipped away in the wind to join the falling snow. “I wonder how much snow there’ll be tomorrow.” Mused Otto, staring out into the distance like me.

“I hope there’s more than this.” I said, looking at the thin coating on the ground “I want to build a snowman.”

Otto laughed “not before we’ve had a snowball fight. I’m so going to beat you this year.”

“I don’t think so.” I said, grinning back. Then I paused “how do you win a snowball fight anyway?” We both stood in silence then, thinking about it and burst out laughing when we looked at each other. Our expressions mirror images of confusion.

“Well, if I can’t win, I’m just going to have to make sure you end up lying in the snow at least once.” Said Otto.

“You can try. Doesn’t mean you’re actually going to succeed.” A sudden idea occurred to me “hey, Otto.”

“Hm?”

“What do you say to teaming up and taking Ryba by surprise? No doubt she’ll have her new winter clothes on and will insist on not taking part in any of our so called silly games.”

“Deal. But that doesn’t get you out of it, Anna.”

“Alright, alright. You still get to have your war with me.”

“Oh, war is it?”

I sighed “I do love Christmas but...” I trailed off.

“But?” Promted Otto.

“It’s all going to be ruined because of the puppets.”

“Anna, I wish you wouldn’t worry yourself about that.” Otto put an arm around me “maybe you should listen to the magician and-“

“How can you say that?” I said “after what you’ve seen.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt, you know that don’t you?”

I nodded, “but you shouldn’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“I can’t help it.” Otto paused then and looked away. “I like you.”

“I know.” I said quietly.

There was more silence “we’ve never talked about it.”

“Do you want to?” I said, not entirely sure if I liked where the conversation was going.

To my relief Otto said “no, not really. I don’t have anything to say...not yet, anyway.”

“Well, when you know you can say whatever you want...but you know what I’m like. I...I probably won’t...” I didn’t want to say it. I just felt so...horrible.

“I don’t mind.” But he did. And if he didn’t mind now, he would. I knew it. But he’d never tell me that.

“Do  you remember when you’re mother told us that story about snowflakes?” I said, smiling at the memory.

“Yes. That they were angel kisses from heaven and that the first people out in the snow got blessed by the angels.”

“Do you think that’s why we come out every year now? I can’t remember how it started.”

Otto shrugged “I don’t know. But it’s a nice thought anyway.”

*****

Author's Note: Well, there's quite a lot of talking in this one - but I thought it came out rather sweet :) I just had to write this and the next chapter does follow on from this scene - but that's all I'm saying. Hope you enjoyed it - would love to know what you think! Thanks for reading :)