Friday, January 08, 2010

Entry #57

Snow Fort
by Roger Drouin


Two snowballs zoomed over my head, just before another two came over, nailing me in the leg and back. The one in the back stung.

Then I was down behind the wall, in position.

My sister started the volley. She threw them one after the other. I joined in. Two snowballs hit the tallest boy in the chest, and another hit the fat one as he winded up. The third boy fired one at us like a baseball pitcher. The snowball landed on her neck, and some of the snow went into her coat. She brushed the remaining snow off her coat and kept throwing.

She was trying to hide it, but I could tell how cold she was. Once the snow gets inside your coat and shirts, touching your skin, the coldness keeps spreading.

“Go inside.”

She looked at the other fort.

“I’m not leaving you out here with those punks.”

It’s nice to have a true ally on your side, especially when the sides don’t match up.

We heard the boys in the other fort talking about throwing snowballs at cars. Footsteps scurrying in the snow, the group runs off, like chickens about to be fed.

My sister heads inside. I sit down in the fort, leaning my back against the high snow wall. The noise of the morning disappears. Smoke twists from a chimney. Inside an empty, well-built snow fort can be the quietest place in the world.

A hawk flies above me, heading into the woods.


(Roger Real Drouin is a first-year MFA student in creative writing/fiction at Florida Atlantic University. His short stories have been published, or are forthcoming, in the print journals The Litchfield Review and Leaf Garden and online at Canopic Jar, Offcourse Literary Journal, and Because We Write. He was a journalist for seven years before coming to FAU in Fall 2009. His Web site is www.rogerdrouin.com.)

22 comments:

Sarah Laurenson said...

Beautiful. Takes me back. I cold feel the snow and what it's like to sit in a fort.

Bernita said...

Ah, memories...
I was entranced by the name of the journal, "Canopic Jar."

Rachel Green said...

sweet vignette

Unknown said...

I remember sitting in snow forts as a kid. Too bad the snow wasn't right so that my kids could build one today!

PJD said...

I built snow forts with my boys last year on vacation in Vermont, and we had epic battles. The sister is a good sport. This is a sweet snapshot, with nice details.

JaneyV said...

Roger this vignette is a real nostalgia trip. Snow fell so seldom in Ireland that when it came we spent every daylight hour out in it making the very best of this rare occurrence. I love the loyalty and camaraderie between the siblings too.

Nicely written.

Aimee Laine said...

Gotta love a good snowball fight! Haven't had one in quite a while! It's due time! :)

Craig said...

There is nothing quite like a snowball fight.

Kartik said...

I don't see snow in sunny India, but this sounds like fun! :)

Lena said...

Ohhh... I truly know how it feels. Great scene created.

laughingwolf said...

mem'ries...

Kurt Hendricks said...

God, I hate snow down the shirt. The sister is one tough cookie.

Aniket Thakkar said...

This seems way more enjoyable than the snowball fight Margaret and I have been having over Facebook. ;)

We don't get snow in this part of the world. But I'm glad I got to live it a bit through your words.

catvibe said...

Beautiful memories of childhood fun. Love the snow fort.

Chris Eldin said...

A thoroughly enjoyable read. I am still smiling...

kashers said...

What it is to have a sister for a hero. A lovely nostalgic piece. Reminded me of the hilarity of playing football - that's probably soccer to you - in the snow. When, anyone kicking the ball led to them falling on their arse.

Laurel said...

This is so sweet. I love the way they take defending their fort so seriously and how they look out for each other. Would that mine own could work together like that!

Really nice job. A pleasure to read.

Nothingman said...

There are few things better than finding a comrade in your sister. It is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Well captured.

N

Jean Ann Williams said...

Brings back memories of siblings, snow fights, and forts.

Nice!

Jean Ann

Deb Smythe said...

Snow forts and snow days- great memories.

james r tomlinson said...

The bird seems secondary to the action. Still, this is a fine story.

Anonymous said...

Dear Entrants #1-105,

I have read your pieces so that I can fairly participate in the Readers' Choice vote. (I read all of them through last week, before I started commenting.) I will be coming back around to offer my keep/tweak comment, but I didn't want anyone to snark.

Cheers,
Aerin (#236)

BTW, it's perfectly fine if you still want to snark, but this way you can choose a more appropriate subject, like Sarah Palin's hair or the enigmatic career of Justin Timberlake.