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Marshmallow Snow: (5) : Fresh-fallen snow coats Destiny City. It’s pristine and crisp, and it crunches as you walk through it. It may be a few inches deep, but it doesn’t seem to go above your calves when walking. At first, it’s easy enough to walk through, but gradually you realize that it’s getting harder to move. Every step you take feels like the snow is pulling you back in, and if you get a good look you might realize that sticky white fluff is clinging to you. The more you walk, the more it pulls, until you’re almost completely stuck. Something about the snow smells oddly sweet, and the tacky, marshmallow-like snow seems like it’s suddenly become a prison. The more you try to break free, the stickier it gets, and you’d better hope you don’t fall down. The more you struggle the harder it is to escape, but if you manage to stay still for a few minutes, the marshmallow will freeze and crystallize. When you move again, the snow will turn into a powdery dust and you can break free easily. The only good thing about this is that you won’t starve if you get trapped–the snow tastes just like marshmallows.
Angus had thought nothing of having a tromp through the park while it was snowy. It was good exercise and the cold helped to clear his head when he was annoyed by co-worker and customer alike. Now, he knew he did damned fine work. And he knew that when it came to some of the nicer bikes out there, the boss would always assign him over his co-worker. Angus was proud of the fact that he was so trusted when it came to the really expensive bikes that came through the shop. But today… ye gods, today!
Between the customer trying to finagle discounts that he hadn’t deserved and acting the twit over things he clearly had no clue about and the co-worker taking it upon himself to begin delicate work on what amounted to a ******** antique and managing to damage pieces that had to be goddamned sourced specially… Yes, a walk in the snow was a welcome thing. He was so mired down in his own stormy thoughts that he didn’t notice at first that he was becoming physically mired as well. Blinking a little, he tried to take another step forward, only for the snow to cling to his legs and forbid movement. Looking down, it occurred to him that the snow looked almost too white. And oddly creamy? And why did it smell like cloying sweetness?
Dismissing these questions, he tried to move again, watching as the snow clung and stretched and refused to allow him to move. Something tickled the back of his brain. A half memory of watching Bindi and the twins making rice krispy bars one night. The longer the concoction had been stirred and folded, the stickier it had gotten and the harder it clung to the wooden spoon Bindi favored for such things. A horrible realization began to dawn and moving very carefully indeed, Angus bent down to run a finger through the snow. It felt smooth, thick. Normal snow usually felt sharp or grainy. When he withdrew his hand, a dollop of sweet smelling goop stuck there and he sniffed it carefully before sticking out his tongue ever so slightly and licking.
Had he been able at that moment, he would have stomped off in sheer disgust. He’d fought monstrous poultry, dealt with world-eating snakes and this was the point where his brain loudly demanded logic and accountability from the universe. The snow wasn’t snow. It was ******** marshmallow. He was stuck in marshmallow fluff and frankly, he was offended. It was more seasonal weirdness, which he should have been able to take in its stride. But no. No. Marshmallow fluff snow was where he drew the line. Particularly when it had him trapped and he couldn’t escape the too sweet scent.
Forcing himself to go still, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths in through his nose. He would not thrash like an idiot. He would not howl in annoyance. He would remain calm and try to think through this nonsense.
After a moment, he felt his heart rate slow. Good. That was good. As he stood there, he worked on getting the muscles through his back and shoulders to relax. As agitated as he was on the inside, that took at least a good five minutes. But he managed. And when he opened his eyes to look at the problem from a different angle he noticed that the marshmallow snow looked different. Almost powdery? No, not powder. More like sugar crystals? Well, the point was that it didn’t look so thick and sticky now. Moving cautiously, Angus lifted a foot and was beyond delighted to see that the snow had, in fact, crystalized and gone powdery and brittle. His foot moved easily enough and he took a step. Then another. The snow had released him and he was quick to hightail it back to the garage.
Once he was out of the park and back onto concrete, he brushed the sugary, snowy remnants from his legs and boots, sighed and went on with his day.
Word Count = 688
