Citizen 498 Kassandros

Kass didn’t know how old they were when they first saw snow. This was quite understandable, because they still do not know their age even now, and they could only make rough estimates based on guesses caretakers had made at their development when they had been found alone and abandoned during late spring by an orphan youth who had been wandering the woods.

Between five and ten years old was the best guess that had been provided then by the caretakers. They had been quite small then, not the giant they had grown up to be. Summer passed by as they trailed behind their perceived savior, until at last that savior had snapped at them as the leaves began to fall.

Every glimpse of the world outside had been filled with awe. They did not remember their early childhood well, before they had been left alone, but they distantly remembered a room with no windows. Perhaps a basement. Perhaps not. There was no way of knowing, since the one who had abandoned them had never been found.

Later in autumn, they had met their mother, though they had not known they would call them mother one day at the time. Back then, they were simply a healer that was kind enough to watch over Kass as they explored this new world.

During early winter, before the snow fell, they had been adopted by that kind healer. Had gained a true parent for the first time.

They still remembered witnessing the white flurries falling from the sky for the very first time. “Mom!” Kass had called out, unusual for them who spoke even more rarely as a child than as an adult, but such had been their awe at the sight that words were drawn out regardless. “Mom, flowers falling from sky!”

Their mother had dashed over at the first cry from them, a look of what Kass hadn’t realized was concern on their face, and then had laughed, a gentle sound that had washed over them like soft bells.”Those aren’t flowers, dear one,” They corrected, though there was a sad realization to their voice as they identified that Kass had never seen such an occurrence before despite their age.

Kass had glanced away from the fluttering white, so reminiscent of falling petals. Their look spoke for them this time, a brief questioning glance, before their attention was drawn back towards the flurries once more.

Little Kass had thought to themself, that perhaps even if they weren’t flowers, they could still be petals. They had seen a picture of a pink tree once in one of their mother’s illustrated scrolls, a tree full of flowers that shed petals on the ground. Maybe, above the dome there was a giant tree full of white flowers, they supposed, with childlike wonder. And that giant tree was now shedding white petals.

“That’s snow,” Their mother tried to correct, but little Kass had their mind set on this creative notion now.

Kass had thoughtfully nodded, instead of speaking, and had drawn their own conclusions. So, the giant tree above the dome was a snow tree, and it shed these petals of snow. It made perfect sense in their mind at the time.

Petals tended to be soft, and the whole ground looked to be covered by the petals, looking much like a blanket over the ground. Kass had moved over to the door, glancing eagerly back at their mother, waiting for their permission to go outside.

“Careful, Kass, it’s-“ Their mother had attempted to voice something, but their mother had also opened the door at that point, and the tone of voice had not sounded so worried that it had given little Kass any pause.

Kass had bounded out into the snow, eager to feel this soft blanket of petals. And while it was soft, they realized something else rather quickly too. “Cold!” They yelped, darting back inside the house to stare at the snow with a sense of betrayal.

Their mother had quickly fetched actual blankets to wrap around little Kass, but Kass was still focused on the snow even if they didn’t want to touch it anymore. The cold had been quite the shock.

Not only that, but their fur was now wet.

It had been disappointing back then to discover there was no giant flowering tree that shed white petals above the Dome, but little Kass had eventually got over the betrayal of it all.

Nowadays, they could appreciate snow as what it was, instead of imagining it to be something else. And while it was perhaps not as creative as their childhood self had been, Kass thought there was a beauty to truth as well.

~ nonbinarypixel