James jumped out of bed. It had snowed last night. Finally, it's already three weeks into December and it's only snowing now. Everyone knows that it only starts to feel like Christmas after the first snow. Running outside he's soon standing up to his ankles in the frosty flakes that cover everything. Beaming in the early morning light he calls out, "Good morning, World!"

"Shut up and go back inside, Freak! Some of us are trying to sleep on a Saturday morning!" Some neighbour yells back across the snow-capped suburb. James doesn't seem to hear them. Instead he stays there a moment longer breathing in the icy air. It stings his lungs, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Silently new snow begins to drift down. James stretching his arms out tilts his head back. He closes his eyes and begins to spin in place. Sticking out his tongue he tries to catch the tinny falling crystals. He laughs a bit enjoying the frosty morning. At this very moment he decides that today he's going to go sledding.

Now I know what you're thinking; He's a little crazy. Either that or he's twelve. Well he's actually twenty-three and as far as any professional is concerned he's completely normal. You know better though, don't you? Well you don't, because as it happens he's perfectly sane. He just really loves winter. That and he's practically the human embodiment of Christmas Spirit. Honestly though who could hate snow? Who could hate Christmas? 'It's the most wonderful time of the year.

And with that thought James starts to sing in his head. That doesn't last long though before he starts to hum a little. Next thing you know he's singing out loud. Slightly off key, but full of feeling. Embracing the season cheer.

"James," A voice from inside the house calls to him. "I think the neighbours have suffered enough."

"Okay, Mom, I'll come inside in a bit. Just a second long." He can hear his mom laugh a little bit and he smiles. Christmas has the power to make everyone smile a little brighter and laugh a little easier. Yes he really does believe that. Slowly he starts to make his way back to the house. Ready and excited to tell Mom his genius idea to go sledding. It'll give her a chance to relax if he takes Molly out of the house for a few hours. He knows this time of year she needs it more than ever. 

Walking in the front door and closing it behind him, he tries to locate her. " Mom?"

"In here."

"So I was thinking," James walks down the passage towards the dining room, "the snow is pretty deep, and Molly might want to go sledding today."

He walks in to see his mom setting the table with a large plate of muffins in the middle. Spiced Christmas muffins for breakfast. It is a good day.

"Oh, James, I'm sure she would love that, but..."

Cutting in he begins to explain, "I'll take her, Mom."

"Do you mind?" She looks up at him with doubtful hope. Not wanting to put more responsibility on her son when he already did so much.

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to."

"Are we going sledding?" A small excited voice enters the rooms.

"You bet we are." James beams and picks up his little sister spinning her around the room. She erupts in a fit of laughter as he tickles her before putting her down.

Their mom wearing a melancholy look smiles at her two children. "But first you're going to have something to eat."

"Yes, Mom." They chorus, sitting down, grinning from ear to ear. 

Somewhere on the other side of this not so small town, on a landmass on a blue and green planet called Earth, Mia's alarm clock goes off. Turning it off she opens her curtain just a bit to see that she's woken up to a world coated in icy white. She rolls over pulling the covers tighter around herself. She closes her eyes. If she can't see it isn't really there, right? She's sure she'd heard something like that somewhere. Maybe, just maybe it can be true this once. "Please don't be true", she pleads. It doesn't work. It never really works, at least not in the real world.

Now one thing you need to know about Mia is that she hates the cold. It's cold and cold is uncomfortable. Cold on it's own is okay though, but now there's snow . Without snow, cold is just cold. Snow means that it's really winter. What Mia hates more than cold is winter. Snow and winter mean Christmas. Holiday cheer everywhere, she couldn't stand it. All of it mixed together, well hate isn't the right word. It's all just a reminder of him. Him...and that Christmas, or well Christmas in general now. Things she can't help but hate now. Can you blame her though? Christmas hasn't been a happy time in a long time.

"Mia, it's time to get up." Her aunt's enthusiastic voice pierces through the comforter, "It snowed last night and we're all going sledding. We're leaving in fifteen minutes so get yourself down here."

Her bright tone is almost too much for Mia. She covers her face with her pillow but after a second she calls back, "Coming down in a minute, Aunt Alice."

Pulling herself out of bed she stumbles to the shower. The warm water thawing her body, washing the sleep off. She hurriedly gets dressed and pulling her shoes on she staggers into the lounge of the small three bedroom apartment. Alice looks up from wrapping scarfs around the necks of her nine year old twins, Thepo and Malaika. Names given to remind them of their roots. A heritage their father wanted to pass down to them

Alice gives Mia a warm smile glad her niece is taking part in a family outing. She looks in the direction of the kitchen, "Matt, are you ready?"

A deep voice carrying traces of an accent comes from the kitchen answers, "Almost, Sweetheart, I'm just making sure we have everything. I thought everyone might like some hot chocolate and cookies after we finish sledding."

A tall dark man carrying a picnic basket in one hand and thermostat in the other walks to the short entrance hall. Wearing a huge grin he puts the thermostat into the basket and picks up his set of keys from the side table.

Alice standing up on her toes kisses him."You think of everything."  

"That's what makes me the best husband," He laughs. Then turns to Mia who can't help but smile whenever she sees her aunt and uncle together, because even if it's for a second in this isolated bubble she can pretend that there is good in the world. "Are we all ready to go?"

"Yip, all set here."

"Great lets hit the road before some know-it-all on the radio says that it's a bad idea to go outside today." Alice says opening the door, ushering them all downstairs and to the car.

Now is the part of the story where you put two and two together. You've now met our two main characters. You can't help but notice their differences. I also expect that you've made an assumption, maybe drawn some "logical conclusion" about them and their story. You are human after all. It's not really your fault. If you somehow managed to overlook that...well I can't really say anything but really you should have noticed. Of course you also know exactly what that means. Yes, that's right they're destined to meet and become (add drum roll for dramatic effect) Sworn Enemies TM. 

And since you're so smart and you can see where this story is heading you don't really neeeed me to tell it to you.

Do you?

Well of course you do. You see you think you know what's going to happen. You think you've read it all before. It's simple. It follows the formula. That same kind of story you know and love, right? Maybe. Maybe not. You can't be completely sure and that's enough to make you want to find out for sure. If you're wrong it could be something new and wonderful. If you're right, there's a feeling of satisfaction knowing that you outsmarted the story. You figured it out and you're rewarded with the happy ending you saw coming. So either way you can't lose.

If it was up to me I would say that you should carry on. Stories do have a habit of taking on lives of their. You can never be sure of where they'll take you. This one might surprise you yet. So what do you say? Are you willing to take a risk on a story? Take a journey between the lines of words, go somewhere new for a change?

If you're up for it, that is. If you think you're brave enough. Then pull up a chair. Get comfortable. Strap in. Look left and right before crossing the street. Wait, wrong saying. Let's try that again. Remember to keep her hands and feet inside the ride at all times. (I'm not losing another reader again.) I mean get ready for the once in a lifetime kind of (Look at notes.Experience? Read? No, no. Oh what's the word again? Story? Maybe, no it's not right. Close but not quite right. Wait, I've got it. Storytime. Yes, let's go with storytime) A once in a lifetime storytime. Let's begin!