The Hare in the Blue Snow

Chapter 1: The Sound Under the Snow

Snow fell on the cabin porch, flake landing on flake, and the whole mountain went soft and quiet under a pale blue glow.

⟨Character 1⟩: One more. There. That one landed right on the railing and it didn’t even melt yet. Aunt Kamala, look, they’re stacking up like little plates.

⟨Character 2⟩: Come on, it’s freezing out here. My hands are going numb just standing near the door.

⟨Character 4⟩: Wuff.

⟨Character 1⟩: ⟨Character 4⟩, shh. Wait. Do you hear that? Something’s going scratch, scratch, down under the drift by the pine.

⟨Character 2⟩: I don’t hear anything except the wind, and my teeth going click, click. You’re always hearing things that aren’t there.

⟨Character 4⟩: Woof woof woof.

⟨Character 2⟩: Okay. Okay, ⟨Character 4⟩, I hear it too now. Little scratchy noise. Race you to it.

⟨Character 1⟩: Rohan, wait, don’t run! There’s a hole. And inside it there’s a snow hare, all white, and its paw is stuck right in the ice. Hurry, hurry.

⟨Character 2⟩: Easy fix. I’ll just yank him out. One strong pull. Scratch that. My feet went straight out and I got snow all down my collar. Ach. Cold.

⟨Character 1⟩: Deep drifts made pitchy black snowshadow whisper crows. Ooh. Did my scribbly joke land in there with Rohan? Cold for him. Scratch got deep. Wait right here.

⟨Character 3⟩: Pine whispers, crow gossip, and leaping grandchildren. I missed the part where anyone mumbles bye bye. Eyeglasse… glasses. Feather my pesky specs above tiny footprints. Flew deep floor off. Any poof among yonder depths warm house cold pale night tells light above fallen blue drifting deep snow quite blue was deep window gold floaty birds above creeping? Hello, hop, snow wisps? Scratch wild deep holes? Cold cozy silver heart lives hush frosted short hurry low cozy warm gold snow.

Chapter 2: A Quiet Song and a Warm Thermos

The hare thrashed against the ice and ⟨Character 4⟩ howled at the drift, and Aanya clapped her hands over her ears.

⟨Character 2⟩: Come on, come on, hurry up. I can’t feel my fingers anymore. Just grab it and pull.

⟨Character 1⟩: Stop. Everyone stop. Rohan, you’re scaring it. Every time it pulls, the ice cracks more. Please. Just be quiet for one moment.

⟨Character 2⟩: Okay. Okay, I’m quiet. Look at it, its ear’s going all flat. Sorry, little one.

⟨Character 1⟩: Mmm hmmmm, mmm hmmm. There. See? It’s easing. Its shoulder’s gone soft. It’s listening.

⟨Character 2⟩: It stopped pulling. But the paw’s still in there, Aanya. The ice is thick as a plate.

⟨Character 1⟩: The thermos! Aunt Kamala, you packed the thermos with hot water. I saw you put it in your bag before we left. Please, please, hand it to me.

⟨Character 3⟩: Oh, you clever girl. Here. Here it is, and take my scarf too. I’d have stood here squinting at the wrong drift till spring. You’re better at this than I am.

⟨Character 2⟩: Good boy, stay quiet, that’s it. Nose down, chin on the snow. You’re the quietest beagle on the whole mountain.

⟨Character 4⟩: Mmf. Mmf.

Aanya dribbled the warm water slow, a thread at a time, and the ice loosened its grip until the hare pulled its paw free.

⟨Character 3⟩: It’s free! Oh, its paw’s all wet and warm and it’s nuzzling my hand, look! And off it goes. Bye! Safe winter! My glasses. My glasses are in my coat pocket. After all that squinting, they were right here.

Back inside, ⟨Character 4⟩ slept on Rohan’s feet by the fire and the blue snow whispered at the window.

⟨Character 2⟩: Snowfall on snowflake, scratch scratch, little hare free, quiet wins. Goodnight, mountains. Goodnight, hare.

⟨Character 3⟩: Mmm hmmm, mmm hmmm. Cocoa’s nearly ready. Look at our rocket drawing. There’s a little hare sitting in the cockpit.