A Touch of Snow

Calluna pulled the soft edge of her blue cashmere shawl closer about her cheeks as the stiff breeze gusted around her face, ruffling her hair and sending the fringe of her scarf swinging as she shuffled along to the bus stop after a long day of work at the office.

The sky was steely grey and the fat flakes falling earlier that day had given way to fine flakes that created a haze along the horizon, blurring the edges of the roadway and sidewalks. And the shushing of tires on wet pavement camouflaged other sounds as vehicles passed her by as she sifted through the light layer of snow on her way home.

Calluna sighed, exhaling the stress and tension of the go-go-go workplace, taking in a deep breath of the cold, moist air that smelt almost smoky-the odour of winter. There wasn’t a lot of accumulation just yet, but like a fine rain, the set-in snow would hang around for some time and travel tomorrow might be much slower.

The mail fell into the box with a clunk, adding to the pile in the bottom and the box closed with a bang! startling Calluna out of her thoughts and into the real world. Glancing up as if seeing her surroundings for the first time, she crossed the street and over to the main road to catch her bus home, hurrying, seeing the rush of traffic and buses from other routes passing by. It was too cold to linger and risk missing her ride.

Pulling her hood tighter over her head, to prevent it from being blown off in the breeze at the corner of the major streets, she turned her back to the wind, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face and waited patiently for the light to turn so she could cross safely in the blowing snow, the traffic lights a blur of coloured shapes and bluish shadows.

The lights turned green and the little white man appeared and Calluna took a good look around before scurrying across the street to duck into the bus shelter, the cold nipping at her nose and cheeks. The glass walls cut the power of the wind and dulled the sounds of traffic like a little oasis. It would be infinitely more comfortable to wait inside the shelter for her ride, as she looked back past the lights and over the bridge. From here she would be able to pick out the blue headlights of her route easily-if fellow travellers didn’t step into her line of sight!

But her fellow travellers preferred the relative comfort of the bus shelter too. Calluna could hear the soft conversations between coworkers from the other offices and warehouses along the streets as she blew on her hands to warm them, holding them to her nose to warm it too as she waited along with them. It would be a full bus tonight, she thought and wriggled her nose, not relishing the idea. The claustrophobic crush of people in the humid atmosphere, was suffocating and sometimes anxiety provoking. She hoped it wouldn’t be THAT packed this evening.

Finally the bus pulled up beside the curb and everyone tumbled out of the shelter to form a disorderly line, all impatient to get on the bus and all hoping they would get a seat. Stubbing her toes instead of knocking the snow off her boots as she entered, she tapped her card, meeting with a particularly annoying beep! and swept off to the back off the bus and up the twin steps to an empty seat

The red velvet on the seats caught the fabric of her coat, twisting it uncomfortably around her as she slid across the seats to sit next to the window. Tugging her coat back into the proper position, she tumbled backwards into her seat with a distinctly unladylike thump! But despite the minor inconvenience of the coat catching fabric, next to the window she could watch the snow fall in the peace of her own thoughts, enjoying the twinkle of the streetlights, headlights and colourful store signs through the lacy veil of snow. Fully absorbed in the scenes playing out before her, she didn’t even notice the buzz! of her cellphone ringing in her purse.

She took a cleansing breath, smelling the scent of stale snow-smoky, dusty and slightly musty, feeling the stresses of the day melting off her shoulders, the echoes of the gossip and general tension fading from her ears and body.

“Next stop K—-.” called out reasonably clearly across the speakers.

Calluna pulled the thick yellow wire, feeling it bite into her palm, to request her stop. Rocking gently as she stood, slipping past her seat mate, she narrowly avoided falling down the steps as the bus lurched to a stop with the screech of the brakes.

Stepping off the bus and out into the blustery snow, a voice caught her attention. It sounded like someone was calling her name. She looked around for the source of the call but was blinded by the snow and the stream of travellers exiting the doors behind her.

“Calluna!”

But when she turned to the source, the sound was whipped away from her.

The bus pulled away from the curb in a glare of red lights, throwing up some slush and noise as it departed, further confusing the senses. The orange of the streetlights suffused into an warm glow in the falling snow, brightening up the night as the sounds of traffic faded in response to a four way red light.

Someone snagged her elbow. “Over here Calluna!” It was Ryan!

She didn’t have to ask the question uppermost on her mind, her drawn eyebrows and her blue eyes, the colour of midnight, peering into his grey eyes asked it for her.

“Come, your friend Elizabeth needs you.” He pulled her along the sidewalk.

“What’s wrong. Is she okay?” Her tongue finally loosed as she stumbled to keep up. Her breaths quickening and her own fears scuttling into the background.

“I tried to call you.” Ryan’s voice was low, calm; opening the car door for her and shoving her inside, “no, no. Stay, I’ll take you to her,” and shut the door, stepping into the front passenger seat.

Calluna hugged her purse to her chest, gnawing on her lower lip, her thoughts with her friend Liz.

Their destination wasn’t far. It was on a quiet street off the major road. Calluna couldn’t tell much about the house in the darkening evening and the blowing snow which obscured the environment around her.

Hustling Calluna in through the front door and into the parlour, Ryan helped her off with her coat and settled her down next to the fire with a cup of hot chocolate. “Elizabeth will be along in a minute. Warm up there and calm down.”

Calluna sipped the creamy, warm sweetness of the chocolate in her cup, feeling the warmth of the fire on her face, thawing out from the damp weather. But her unease was growing along with a twisting sensation growing in her stomach. Where was her friend?

The parlour door opened, admitting an older man who spoke quietly and briefly to Ryan before disappearing and reappearing with her friend.

Gagged and bound at the wrists, Liz was sat down on a bench near the door, her eyes wild with fear.

Starting up from her seat, Calluna faced Ryan squarely. What was this all about? Her eyebrows down together angrily, not even noticing the splashes of hot chocolate burning her hand.

Ryan calmly got to his feet, leaned forward on his desk on his hands, replying simply, “now Calluna, let’s see if we can come to an agreement. . .”