Hi! Happy New Year! It's been so cold and snowy the last few weeks so I thought: a cold and snowy story! My friends and I have been sledging and making snowmen all week and that was the inspiration for this story. Hope you enjoy!😀
Who Dunnit?
One, two three, HEAVE! The four friends put the final head on
the fourth snowman. Panting, they gazed proudly at the motionless white
statues. Sparkling snowflakes floated through the air, to land softly in the
garden of Crawick Cottage. The cold white figures stood in a line, facing the
snow covered hedge, twig arms poking absurdly from the ball in the middle.
Laughing at an uncanny likeness, Katie pointed at one of the recently created
snowmen, “That one has a cheeky face, just like Matthew!” Matthew ran inside
and returned seconds later carrying his Harry Potter hat and scarf. He placed
them on the snowman with the mischievous grin. Amilia stared lovingly at the
the snowman with the widest smile. “This one looks pretty.” With a gloved hand
she placed her scarf around its neck. “Just like you,” said Katie rolling her
eyes at Lily. Lily picked a tall thin snowman to decorate and fashioned it with
her Sanquhar pattern hat and scarf while Katie chose a smart, sneaky looking
one with a jolly grin to wear her stripy scarf and furry hat.
Stepping back to
admire their work, it was as if they were staring into a mirror - at alternate
versions of themselves. “Oh!” said Katie “The wind makes it look like this
snowman is waving!” Everyone laughed heartily but Matthew scrunched up his face
and said seriously, “I think it did move its arm.” Lost in their own
thoughts the children started when Lily and Matthew’s mum called them in for
dinner and the group dispersed. Katie shouted back, “Meet for sledging tomorrow
if it snows again tonight in the field across from the Lawyers Brae sign!” Lily
gave her the thumbs up signal and stepped inside.
The cockerel crowed as
the sun broke through the angry sky. Matthew and Lily looked out of the window
to see a deep carpet of snow three inches deep. There had been a mini blizzard
the previous night but even the power cut couldn’t dampen their spirits. The
merciless cold stung their faces as they stepped outside. The wind was beating
a violent tattoo on Lily’s and Matthew’s jackets making them shiver. They
climbed the dry stone dyke and, over the wind, they heard what sounded like
birds squawking in the distance. Wait-that wasn’t birds… Lily looked at
Matthew, he had heard it too. They rushed along the road, slipping on the ice,
and tripping over stones blanketed in snow. Rounding a corner, Lily and Matthew
almost crashed into Katie and Amilia who were also trying to discover the
source of the noise. Together, the foursome slid to a halt. A bundle of skirts
seemed to be twisting and turning on the ground.
Wilma, our old
neighbour from down the hill, was sprawled on the ice, trying to untangle
herself. The children hurried over. “Are you hurt?!” shouted Lily, helping
Wilma sit up straight and gazing concernedly at her. Neighbours were running as
fast as they could on the icy ground towards Wilma - who seemed unharmed apart
from the embarrassment. “I’m fine! Quite fine!” said Wilma consolingly, “Now
watch this ice! It’s treacherous!” “What happened?!” someone shouted. And Wilma
said, “I think that someone is playing a rather crude joke. It seems that they stretched
a wire at the top of the hill. But really!” said Wilma “No need to fuss, I’m
fine!” Wilma was helped to her feet and led back to her house. Lily, Katie and
Amilia stared at Matthew. This sounded like something he usually found funny but…
“It wasn’t me!” he said incredulously.
Crawick was total chaos. Zach ran up the street shouting angrily.
“Right!” he scowled, storming towards them. “Who nicked my bike?” “No one!” Said
Matthew defensively. “Well, it’s gone and you’re the only person, Matthew,
that’s ever said he wished he could have my bike!” “No, I didn’t!” Matthew
yelled, pushing past Zach who glared suspiciously after him. The whole street
was madness. Zach’s big dog Ollie came bounding out, covered in pink spray
paint. Flowers that the villagers loved and cared for were upside down. Katie
and Amilia’s swings were hanging from lampposts and Lily and Matthew’s mum was
storming towards them.
“Matthew!? Lily!?” Matthew and Lily gulped. “Firstly,” she
said, and the children wouldn’t have been surprised to see sparks fly out of
her nostrils, “I want to know who stole Dad’s cans of cider from the back door.
Go on, own up!” Her glare was so ferocious that it was a wonder that Lily and
Matthew didn’t back away. No one had taken Dad’s cider and they were getting
blamed for it. “Well, if nobody’s admitting to that theft then may I ask, WHY
is our washing line stretched across the top of Miller’s Brae?” She hadn’t
heard about Wilma yet and the children were glad that she was still ignorant.
Nobody knew what to say. “Right, well I think it’s time to come home if neither
of you know anything about it.” Lily managed a wave at Katie and Amilia
before she and Matthew were marched home.
That night Lily lay in bed thinking. “Something very strange
has happened here and it wasn’t me, Matthew, Katie or Amilia because we love
the people of Crawick. Perhaps it’s someone from Sanquhar? It just didn’t make
sense to her and soon Lily was fast asleep.
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