Down the Rabbit Hole

November 9th , Snow Day

Blogging Circle Prompt: November 9 is Chaos Never Dies Day. Write a story or poem about a character who is confronted with something that bring chaos into his/her life.

The snow had come in during the night. It had come down in big, silent flakes from an oddly cloudless early-winter sky and now covered the yard in great, white drifts. When Della had opened the front door to let the dog out, she had been startled by the bright, whiteness of the world. She stood looking through the glass of the storm door, taking in the new landscape of their urban yard. Max whined at her feet, the collie-mix loved the snow. Though she hated to break the serenity of the scene, she opened the door and the dog shot past her and out the door. He bounded into the yard, nearly disappearing into the deeper drifts. He raced about, snapping at the snow with his jaws. Max returned to the door after taking care of business. His rust-colored body was covered with snow.

Della pointed at him through the glass, "Shake!", she commanded.

The dog whined and turned in a tight circle. Della pointed at him again. Max obeyed, shaking his stocky frame from head to paws, flinging the snow off him in sheets. She let him back inside and he made a beeline for the nearest couch. He dove onto it and began rolling his damp body around, ignoring Della's admonishments.

Della rummaged in the hall closet for her rubber boots. She shucked off her slippers and tugged them on, tucking her pajama pants into the tops and throwing her winter coat over her bathrobe. She trudged outside to access her situation. There looked to be about three feet of snow, that heavy, wetter variety. Until she could get a plow out, her car wasn't going anywhere. Dismayed, she went back inside. She made a cup of tea and turned on the news. The list of cancellations scrolled across the television screen. Though it wasn't a surprise, Della still groaned audibly when she saw it there, Wilson Elementary - No School. That was it, it was official, the first snow day of the season. As if on cue, the floorboards above her head began to vibrate with the pounding of four sets of little feet.

They'd seen the snow. Her peace was about to be shattered. Max jumped up to meet the broad as they cavorted happily down the stairs. Andrew and Reggie, her eight year old twins, were the first appear downstairs. Liam, the youngest, was close on their heels. There were broad smiles on their honey-colored faces. They rushed up to her, looking for confirmation.

"No school today," she murmured. She winced as they erupted into loud hoots and cheers.

Liam, her four year old, began to dance around, pumping both of his tiny fists in the air.

Martin, still yawning, materialized at the base of the stairs. At 10, he was the oldest and the most reserved of the bunch. He smiled at her over the heads of his animated siblings.

Della gazed back at her children over the rim of her teacup, trying to keep the panic at bay for just a bit longer. The first snow day of the school year was here, unexpected and unavoidable. The knowledge that she was now trapped with four boys for the entire day began to roll over her.

Almost in perfect unison, they all began to chant, "Pancakes, Pancakes!", while Max danced and twirled excitedly around them.

Winter had come early bringing chaos in its white wake.