Let it Snow, Chapter 1

Ginger looked out her kitchen window, taking in the crisp, late autumn scenery. The irises in her flower bed, once alive and fragrant, now drooped their browning leaves toward the barren ground below. Squirrels scurried about the bare live oak branches, gathering food for the coming winter. The family mutt seemed intent on marking his territory in various locations, while checking others for their potentcy.

A small but humble yard, her husband had kept it immaculately. One of only a few pieces of privately-owned land left in the entire world, she felt lucky to enjoy the view. Just as had been predicted by scientists during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, global warming and continual pollution had all but destroyed any hint of natural vegetation. The irises were dug up from her great-grandmothers homestead property in central Oklahoma some 50 years ago, and had continued to flourish in this small plot despite all environmental odds. The live oak, which had been planted as a young sapling, was the only living specimen in the entire state.

She sighed, turning her attention away, trying not to recall the painful memories. It seemed to her that the autumn season was the worst of all seasons, as far as luck was concerned. Her parents divorced when she was only 5 years old, and the final papers were signed and entered into the court records on December 1st. A near-dibilitating bicycle accident on one September afternoon had left her 12-year-old face scarred for life. Another tragedy had happened in her past and during the fall, one that was difficult to forget. One that she did not want to forget. She had miscarried her third child in the month of November many, many years ago. Although she and her husband had wanted the new addition to the family, somehow the powers that be did not agree, taking the little one from them before either could see its little face. She had been forced to file for bankruptcy in the autumn, while in her early 30's, after losing her job as an instructor at a local community college. Her husband, with whom she had spent the majority of her life, passed away unexpectedly last October. And finally, the worst memory of all, involved the death of an old boyfriend, who killed himself when he learned that she had married someone other than himself. She grimmaced at this last memory, wishing to pretend that it never occurred. But it had, and frankly, it was her fault.

The doorbell rang, taking her away from her tormentuous walk down memory lane. She wiped the tears from her eyes, cleaned her hands on her skirt, and put on a fake smile. "Come in," she called in an almost-too-cheery voice.

"Hi Memaw!" Jenna, her granddaughter, blew in through the sliding automatic door like the south wind. An exquisitely beautiful young woman, she was never lacking for attention, or for a boyfriend.

"Hello, darling. It is so good to see you. How was your date last night?"

"Oh, I don't know. Okay, I guess. Allen was sweet, but I met two other really good looking guys and plan to teleport with them to Virtual Disney tomorrow!"

Thanks to modern technology, people rarely traveled anywhere. Rather, they utilized the teleport system, where the person sat in a 4D virtual reality chair. Their brains and critical nerve sensory systems were stimulated to maximum capacity, thereby allowing them to experience the world with remarkable clarity, complete with full sensations of touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing.

Ginger was very worried about her granddaughter's lifestyle choices. A diva of her day, Jenna seemed to have a certain power over men. With a flip of her hair and the right sideways glance, she could get anything she wanted, anytime she wanted it. Young men from many miles around desired to date her, or to at least be in her company, even for a little while. When a relationship with one boyfriend ended, Jenna needed only to call the next boy on the "list" to share the "good" news. And Jenna actually liked the attention, the power-trips, the feeling of authority. It was amuzing to her, in a way, to see the poor saps falling all over themselves on her behalf. It was this power that concerned Ginger the most, as Jenna seemed unable to control it in a responsible manner.

"Memaw, what's wrong?" Jenna asked, placing a reassuring arm around her beloved elder's shoulders. "You look so sad. Oh, I know, it's grandpa, isn't it?"

The fake smile now gone, Ginger replied, "No, no, honey. It's not that. Yes, I miss your grandfather, but something else is bothering me now." Looking into Jenna's eyes with deep concern, she said. "Honey, sit down. We need to talk."

(Chapter 2 will be released on January 11th)