Snowfalls

Snowfalls and I look out my window. What is there to see?

I saw it as I sat there in my favorite leather chair, staring out the window at the falling snow. I’d turned off the light in my bungalow’s front room. Partially to save on the light bill and partially so I could see the gentle vista. The snow was just floating down, little puffy fluffs of the stuff. It filled me with a cold happiness, and I leaned forward into the window, pressing my nose against it and forming misty valleys that the snow disappeared behind. I rubbed away the icy terrain and let my breath form more interesting shapes.

I could have played that game all night.

But just as I was getting fully into the flow of things, my neighbor Jennie’s porch light came on. She’d replaced the original burned out bulb with some new-fangled LED invention and the thing was like some sort of flood light.

That was why I saw the figure standing at the top of her steps.

He was huge and wide. He was wearing some sort of overcoat. Like the one that mobsters wear, with that belt around the waist. The collar was turned up, and the figure had a hat on. One of those small almost cowboy hats.

The figure was a man – I am not sure why I was so certain – but that’s what I firmly believed in my soul. The light had come on just as he raised his hand up in an obvious knocking movement. He froze. He hadn’t expected the light and he just stood there, stock still.

But somehow, he must have noticed that I was watching him.

And he turned around to look at my window.

And, oh my god, the face that he showed.

It was partially wrapped, and the eyes were glowing.

I pulled back from the window so quickly that I bowled over my chair and we both went crashing to the floor.

I must have accidentally slapped the light switch in my scrabbling movement and the fluorescent light in its cracked housing above me crackled then flickered on.

I scrambled again to turn it off.

That’s when I heard a soft knock and I turned slowly to my front door.

I waited.

The knock again.

My heart pounded and I had to force a breath.

Then the knock became a pounding.

I ran to the bedroom. The window there was just the right fit.