Nikon, Come Back

Nikon had always been a smaller child, some sort of growth defect or something. He was weak, and had to stay cooped up a lot, so getting to play in the newly fallen Russian snow was heaven to him. Svetlana waved to her parents, assuring them everything would be fine like usual before following her five year old brother out into the cold, wrapping his wool scarf around his neck one more time for good measure. The newly turned eight girl smiled as her baby brother threw the snow around himself. He would throw it at her and then fall into a giggling fit and she would return with a tight hug, brushing the snow from her shoulders and head.
It hadn't been that long, she had only turned away for a handful of seconds, but when she turned around again Nikon was gone. In the place where he stood, his outer clothes- gloves, hat, scarf, coat- had all been shed and left in the snow. Whatever had made him do it is a mystery, just one of those urges small children have. Svetlana's eyes widened as her head whipped around to look for the toddler. "Nikon!" She yelled, but got no response. She rushed in the direction his feather light footprints left in the snow went; she ran until she heard soft laughter. His soft laughter. "Nikon!" She yelled again. She ran faster, but tripped, stumbling and falling head over heels down a large hill. She sat up when she reached the bottom, straining her ears to listen, but only to be met with silence once more.
She stood up and looked around again, becoming more and more worried by the second. Her eyes rested on a lump in the snow. A light brunette headed lump. Her heart caught in her throat as she cried out her brother's name again and again, it echoed around her softly so softly, running towards him. She dropped to her knees and pulled him into her arms. His eyes were closed and he was ice cold to the touch. Tears beginning to freeze on her cheeks, Svetlana removed her own coat, taking no heed of the cold wind hitting her body that was now only clad in a turtleneck sweater, and wrapped it around the small boy. She picked him up in her arms, not even straining, he was so light. Holding him close to her body she began to trek back towards their home.
Her feet were leaden and dragging through the high snow. She squinted through the flurry to find home. "Mama! папа!" She called out to her parents as she came to the door. It was thrown open and she rushed in, towards the crackling fire. She wouldn't let go of Nikon, even when her father tried to pry him from her arms. She already knew, but she held him by the fire anyways, begging under her breath for him to wake up. He wouldn't. The breath was already gone from his weak lungs, color already left his pale, pink cheeks, life had already left brown eyes that had closed in an eternal slumber...

Svetlana blames herself for her brother's death, and it still haunts her dreams nearly a decade later...

base TommiSawyer