Episode 2
309 Words
A Different Kind of Winter
The first snowflake fell on December 1st. But it wasn’t a delicate crystal of ice, nor was it the soft, fluffy snow everyone loved. It was black. It floated down from the sky like ash, cold but strangely weightless, melting into an oily smear on the ground. By noon, the streets of the small mountain town of Everpine were coated in this unusual snow, its eerie shimmer turning heads and setting the townsfolk on edge.
Tessa Langley stood at her bookstore’s window, staring out at the strange phenomenon. She’d lived in Everpine her whole life and had seen her share of harsh winters. But this? This was something else. Behind her, the store’s bell jingled as a customer entered.
“Do you believe it’s safe?” asked Paul, her neighbor, shrugging off his heavy coat. He was a scientist at the small research lab on the edge of town, one of the few people Tessa trusted for answers.
Tessa gestured toward the window. “Safe or not, it’s here. What’s the lab saying?”
Paul hesitated, running a hand through his thick, greying hair. “Not much yet. Samples are being tested, but initial reports suggest it isn’t natural.”
Before Tessa could respond, the town’s emergency sirens blared. Outside, people froze, their breaths visible in the frigid air, before hurrying toward the community center where the mayor often addressed crises. Tessa grabbed her coat, and Paul followed her out the door.
The center was buzzing with anxiety when they arrived. Mayor Ruth Caldwell stood at the podium, her usual calm demeanor replaced with tight-lipped concern. Behind her, a screen displayed a map of the region, showing what appeared to be the spread of the black snow.
“This is not just an Everpine problem,” Ruth began. “Reports of similar snowfalls have
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