Winter Short Story
1 min
2025 Winter Short Story Finalist
Meenakshi V. (6th)
Frosted and Confused
It all started with a squeaky floorboard and my insatiable curiosity. Beneath it, I found an old snow globe caked in grime. Naturally, I gave it a good shake. Bad idea.
The next thing I knew, I was face-planting into a snowbank while a grumpy squirrel in a tiny cape yelled at me. "You! Shaker of Realms! Do you have any idea what you've done?"
Spoiler: I did not.
Turns out, this wasn't just any snow globe—it was the Snow Globe of Chaos. (Yes, apparently that's a thing.) By shaking it, I'd unleashed a blizzard on their magical realm, Snowtopia. Their leader, King Flurry III, demanded I fix it.
"Fine," I said, brushing snow off my face, "but do you have Wi-Fi here? Maybe I can Google this."
"No!" the squirrel barked. "You must venture to the Glacier of Doom to retrieve the Snowflake of Stability!"
Armed with a coat two sizes too small and a pair of borrowed snowshoes, I set off. Along the way, I encountered sarcastic yetis, a melodramatic ice dragon with a cold ("I can't sneeze without causing avalanches!"), and a choir of penguins who wouldn't stop rapping "Ice Ice Baby."
Finally, I reached the glacier and faced the guardian: a talking polar bear knitting scarves. "To pass, you must beat me in a snowball fight," it growled.
After a tense battle and one well-aimed snowball to the snout, I won. I grabbed the Snowflake of Stability and shook the globe again. Instantly, I was back in my living room, soaked and freezing.
Now the snow globe sits on my shelf, mocking me with its eternal swirl. I'll never shake anything again—except maybe a snow cone machine.
2025 Winter Art/ Short Story Contest Finalists/Grand Prize Winners
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