I wanna play.

Inari pressed her face against the cold glass, her eyes widening in awe at the winter wonderland beyond. Since the inception winter a few weeks prior, they had gotten nothing but ice and freezing rain.

Until last night.

Last night a snowstorm had rolled in and bathed the land in pristine, white glory. Glory that she wanted to run through. And dance with. And rule over. She would be the princess of winter, and the frozen trees, snowdrifts and flurries would be her subjects.

Inari whimpered, and not at the cold numbing her hands and face. But at the walls that keep her confined, away from her kingdom. She gave to door a longing look. Mama and papa would be angry if she went out without asking. Again. Their scalding words still lingered in her head like a bad dream.

“You’re up already, Inari?” Her mother came into the kitchen, hair mussed up and one hand resting on her swollen belly. “Why don’t you help me with breakfast then?”

"Yes ma'am." Inari looked one last time at the snow before letting the curtains fall close.

They bustled around the small cooking area wooden floorboards creaking under their weight. The fragrant smells of fish and miso filled their little home, along with the warmth and love of a mother’s cooking.

As they laid the meal out of the low table, Papa came in dressed for work.

Smells amazing.” He kissed Mama and ruffled up Inari’s hair before taking a seat.

As they enjoyed their breakfast, Inari’s eyes kept drifting to the winter kingdom beyond the window. The snow beckoned to her with sweet, icy nothings that only she could hear.

“Inari?” Her father’s voice cut through her thoughts. “You haven’t touched your food.”

She pouted at the neglected bowl of rice in her hand. It looked a little like snow too. Just ask… her mind told her. The worst they could say was no. “Can I go play outside?” She gave her father the best, doey eyed pleading look she could manage.

“Well alright. Just don’t wander off again okay?”

Inari squealed, unable to contain her excitement.

“But eat your breakfast first,” her mother said.

She brought the bow of rice to her mouth and shoveled it in as fast as she could chew.

This is my kingdom.

Inari’s wide-eyed gaze of wonderment settled on the untouched blanket of snow covering the back garden. She ran through it with wanton abandon, the crunching sounds mixing with her squeals of excitement. Her scarf billowed in her wake as she zipped around the yard with arms outstretched like a bird in flight.

A snowdrift was at the edge of the yard, where the garden met the woods. Inari decided it would be her throne, and built several subjects at its base – crude piles of snow with stones for eyes and branches for arms.

“I am Inari, princess of winter,” she declared from atop the snow drift.

Something caught her eye from deep inside the woods. A boy was up on his tiptoes trying to reach something on the lower branches of the tree. He wasn’t dressed for the snow like her, but wore an oversized, white shirt and shorts. His feet were bare, and his hair short and spiky like the fairies' from the stories mama would read to her.

Inari hadn't seen a child her age in the village for a long time. Maybe he just moved here, she thought. Maybe he didn't have any friends.

His head swiveled her way, his coal-like eyes widening at the sight of her. Quick as a startled bunny, he ran off through the trees.

“Wait!” Inari slid down the snow drift and chased after him. It was hard to keep track of him as he darted through the loosely spersed trees. His black hair was the only thing standing out from the snowy landscape.

Up ahead, someone else came into view -- a woman. She frowned as the boy dashed to hide behind her.

Inari slid to a stop as the woman laid eyes on her. Dark eyes that were set into a timeless face framed by long white hair. Her white kimono was as pristine and pure as the snow, and a small flurry swirled at its billowing hem.

“Hello there,” the woman said, her lips turning up in a warm smile. “I hope Taro here didn’t scare you.”

Inari could only shake her head, her shoulders heaving and breath clouding the air.

“I’m Yuki. What is your name?” Her voice was soft and sweet like a lullaby.

“Inari.”

“It’s nice to meet you Inari. Would you like to play? My children love to play in the snow.” She held out a hand that looked like it was carved from porcelain.

As if on cue four other children emerged from the trees – another boy dressed in the same attire as Taro and three girls who wore kimono as pristine and beautiful as Yuki’s.

Inari looked back towards her home. She could still see the wooden structure between the trees. If mama called for her she would be able to hear…

Just don’t wander off again okay? Her father’s words echoed through her head.

But when would she ever get to play with kids her age again? It was just for a little while. “Okay,” she said to Yuki with a nod.

“That makes me so happy.” Yuki pressed her hands over her heart. “Children, are you excited to play with Inari?”

They smiled and nodded their heads at their mother. All except Taro. He puffed out his cheeks and marched up to Inari before pushing her into the snow. His coal like eyes burned into her, and he pointed back the way she came.

“Taro!” Yuki exclaimed, her tone heavy with disapproval.

The little boy only gave her defiant glare, fists balled at his sides, and ran off into the woods.

“I’m so sorry about him.” Yuki gave a frown that seemed out of place on her youthful face. She offered Inari a hand up and dusted the snow from her clothes with a single stroke of her hand.  

Inari frowned and looked towards where Taro had ran, wondering what she’d done to upset him.

"Don't worry about him. Let's play." Yuki inhaled deeply a brought a hand to her lips as though she were about to blow a lover’s kiss. But what came out of her mouth was gale of snow and ice as bright white as the sun on the frozen landscape.

Inari squeezed her eyes shut and threw an arm over her face as her winter wear flapped in the wind. The ground disappeared from her feet and her stomach flipped but she didn’t feel like she was falling.

“Open your eyes, Inari,” Yuki said.

She did, but she wasn’t prepared for the brilliance she found beyond her lids. The trees were swathed in frost and bits of ice flowered out from the branches, imitating leaves. A mountain of snow as high and wide as her home stood in their midst.

And, best of it all, Inari was flying. Her lips parted as she watched the snowflakes chasing each other around her ankles. She couldn’t help the giggle of excitement that escaped her. “This is amazing!” She did a little twirl midair.

The other children surrounded her in a small circle, and one of the girls clasped hands with her.

A chill shot through Inari’s fingers, aching all the way to the bone. It felt as though she’d dipped her bare hands into a frozen lake. She pulled her hands away and tucked them under her arms to get the feeling back. “Your hands. . . Are you cold? You can borrow my mittens."

The girl looked away, eyes growing forlorn as she toyed with her braided hair.

“Now children…” Yuki sing-songed. She was perched on a tree branch like a winter bird. “You can’t play with Inari the same way you play with each other. She’s not magic like us.”

“M-magic…” Inari repeated, excitement making her heart skip a beat. “I want to be magic.”

Yuki breathed a laugh. “Do you now?”

“Yes! I want to be the magical princess of winter!”

Yuki’s lips tipped up into a sickly sweet smile. “As you wish, your majesty.” With her icy breath, she blew a little flurry into her palm and the snowflakes came together to form a tiara.

It floated to Inari on a light breeze and settled perfectly atop her head. Excitement bubbled up her throat, manifesting itself as a squeal. “Princess of winter!” She did a little loop in the air, and caught sight of her home.

Would mama and papa be angry if they knew? It was just for a little while…

A little while turned into longer than Inari had intended. She and the other children had built snow people and rolled down the snow hill, but it wasn’t until they were in the middle of their third game of hide and seek that she noticed how long the shadows had gotten, along with the orange glow that permeated the forest. Clouds had settled in the east, their high grey peaks swollen with the promise of snow.

Inari looked to where Yuki was kneeling in the snow with the others. “I have to go now.”

Yuki tilted her head, a curious glint in her eyes. “So soon? I thought you would be staying with us, princess.”

“Mama and papa will be angry.” They may never let her play outside again. "Thank you for playing with me.” She waved as she started through the trees at a run. A gale ripped through the trees, kicking up the snow and forcing her to stop."

Yuki emerged from the whirlwind of ice, brows drawn and mouth pouty. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that, Inari. You’re one of us now. The magical princess of winter.”

Inari body quaked, her heart hammering against her chest. “B-but, I have to go home.” When Yuki took a step forward, she took two steps back. “N-no, I have to go home. I…” Her back touched something solid, and she turned to see the children behind her.

They seized her by the arms, and a piercing cold shot through her again, the pain bringing her to her knees. It spread through her body, so consuming and crippling that she couldn’t even scream.

Yuki smiled, but it no longer looked sweet. Inari could now see the heart of that smile, a sinister, dark heart. “Oh, Inari,” she said, kneeling in the snow. “This is your home now.”

“Inari!” a voice came from the distance. Mama’s voice.

“Inari?” papa’s voice echoed.

Their figures were a distance grey splotches in the in the whirlwind of snow, their clothes flailing in the wind like wild specters.

“M-m-mama!” Inari screamed, fighting hard against the hands that held her. “Papa!” Tears spilled from her eyes and froze against her cheeks.

The snow gale became thicker, obscuring everything except those who held her hostage. She should’ve listened, she shouldn’t have ran off. Now she’d never see mama and papa again.

The flapping of fabric rode the wind, and Inari gaped as Taro emerged from above their heads. His foot connected with Yuki’s face, his face contorted with rage and eyes blazing like the setting sun. He spun mid air and punched one of the children in the jaw. The rest scrambled away from him as though he were on fire.

Taro pulled Inari to her feet and pushed her in the direction of her parents, his eyes screaming at her to run.

Her legs were wobbling as she scrambled away, but she only made a few steps before a hand closed around her ankle.

Yuki glared up at Inari. The imprint of Taro’s foot was an angry red brand on her face, and her hair was wild, with bits of snow clinging to the white strands.

Inari squealed like a trapped rat and stomped on Yuki’s hand with her free foot. She scurried free, bolting through the wind and snow towards her parents. “Mama! Papa!”

Her father came into view, still in his work overalls. “Inari!”

She launched herself into his arms and held on tight, new tears streaming down her face. Her mother’s hands were on her shoulders a moment later, their warmth and comfort a familiar and welcomed feeling.

“I’m sorry,” she choked out between sobs. “I’m so sorry. I’ll never run off again, I promise. I just… I wanna go home. Can we go home, please?”

Her parents said nothing. They didn’t even move.

“Papa?” Inari pulled away and her heart fell.

Frost covered her parents’ bodies, completely obscuring their clothes and faces. She fell from her father’s arms and landed in the snow, her stomach sick and body quaking. Her mouth was open, but nothing came out. The scream had halted somewhere in her chest and was burning away at her lungs like a wildfire.

Papa. . . Mama. . . How? Why?

For the first time, Inari noticed that she was no longer wearing her winter clothes. But a pristine, white kimono like the other children. She hugged herself because no one else would and squeezed her eyes shut. The image of her parents’ frozen bodies was burnt on the back of her eyelids.

It's just a bad dream, she told herself, hoping she'd wake up to mama's soothing words and papa's comforting smile.

Laughter like bells whirled around her, weaving through the trees and dancing on the snow. Yuki’s laughter. It filled Inari’s head so completely that she couldn’t even hear her own thoughts.

She tried to scream, but nothing came out. So she doubled over in the snow and just lied there, tears streaming down her face and body aching with grief. Eventually, the laugher faded along with the wind, and Inari was left feeling numb.

The sun had set, giving way to a full moon that bathed the winter wonderland with its argent glow.

A hand landed on her shoulder and she looked up at Taro. His eyes were rapt on her parents’ frozen forms and his mouth pressed into a thin line.

Inari climbed to her feet and dusted the snow from her kimono. It wasn't a bad dream. Her heart squeezing in her chest and tears flowed anew. Mama, Papa. Her lips formed the words but no sound came out.

Taro seized her by the shoulders and gave her a stern look, one that told her to be strong. Then he offered his hand, and she took it.

Inari gave one last tearful look at the frost statues that used to be her parents. Then, hand in hand, they ran off into the trees.

~~~

Written for: Winter Folklore Contest
Prompt: Write a short story revolving around a winter personification from a fairy tale, folktale, myth or legend.
Word Limit: 2500 words
Final Word Count: 2467 words