Snow crunched underfoot and fell in fat flakes through the artificial yellow glow of the night, melting on his jacket. He didn’t feel the cold as he made his way through the night. He was still warmed by the heat of the small gymnasium he’d left behind.
It had been hot, with the crowd pressed in against one another, leaving little room to breathe. He’d loved it, how they’d risen and reacted as one with each trip up and down the court. He’d felt a part of something larger.
The euphoria of the ‘Cats win and his dreams carried him through the snow on light feet. He hoped some day it would be him, running out on the wing on the fast break, leaping through the air to pull rebounds from the sky, releasing spinning shots that sighed through the net in the small gym bringing the crowd to its feet.
He paused to look up at the snow drifting in lazy circles down from the stars. The bare branches of the trees scratched across his view as he dreamed of life in this season of death. He felt small under the vastness of the sky.
The night’s silence was broken as a car skidded through the slush, sliding back and forth across the roadway. He stood in place as its wheels locked and the slide continued. He could see the panicked look on the driver’s face through the windshield as the car veered towards him, attempts to twist the wheel futile.
He stood, calm, as the car slid towards him and then he was moving, flying through the night air, landing hard in a snow bank. He felt nothing at first, then the cold of the snow. He thought of snow angels as he stared up at the stars.
