Yeah, she has a penis, just so you know what you're getting into.
I don't want to be here. The only reason that I came outside was because the place I used to be in was somewhere I didn't want to be even more. The refuge I took to was a lot colder, but it was a lot more quiet than the Sunday school room.
My rather peevish roommate insisted that I stop spending my Friday nights at home all the time. When asked if he had any good suggestions, my roommate insisted on his church's singles night. While I was initially dismissive of the idea, especially since I'm not the religious type, there were certain threats to withhold half of the electric bill...and well, here I am on a bench outside the back door of the church.
In front of the bench was a dark wooded area, a small, but thick bit of trees between the building and a small pond. A flock of ducks would stay at the pond every summer, but it was likely frozen over by now and the ducks would have moved elsewhere.
Laying his left arm on the back of the bench, he looked up at the cloudy December sky. There was nearly no moonlight tonight, so the night was a dark one. The chill wind blew through my black hair.
From behind him, the door opened and someone else came out with a sigh of relief. But a moment after the sigh, the person noticed me on the bench. "Oh, I'm not alone out here."
The source of the feminine voice came into view as I turned my head to the left and saw someone in a thick coat walk past me. Due to me being on the bench and with my head back, I didn't get a chance to look at her face. I observed her for a moment before coming up with a witty comment. "Hah, the bad music too much too handle?"
She stopped beside the bench and looked out into the woods. Due to the only light being behind us, looking into the woods was like staring at a black wall. "No, not the music. More likely because, well, I don't know. I guess I just wanted some fresh air."
I decided to sit upright and get a decent look at her. It was better for my neck anyway. She looked a little younger than me, and probably the only woman that was my own age at the gathering. Most of the women at this singles night were late-thirty somethings desperate for a kid. Her short blonde hair was blowing in the gentle, yet very cold breeze.
"Ah." I removed my arm from the other half of the bench. "You want to sit down?" It was only polite to offer.
"Uh, okay." She sounded a little surprised at the offer, but didn't turn it down and sat down to my left.
I withdrew my left arm from my side and held onto my right hand. It was a little uncomfortable, but the bench was only barely big enough to seat two adults, it was only polite to try and prevent any accidental brushing against her.
It was silent for a few moments. But one goes to these engagements to meet people and I figured I might as well participate. "You come to these things often?"
The woman nodded, but then she clarified the affirmation a moment later with a shrug. "Often? Not really. Sometimes I come when I'm feeling social." She turned towards me. "You?"
"First time."
Her initial response was a smile. "It's usually this bad. More often than not there's too many people ten years older than me."
I thought for a moment.
"Ah, you're trying to make a guess, aren't you? Your face is saying it." She looked a little peeved, but it seemed more for comedic effect than an honest reaction.
"Actually, I was thinking about if the same people seeing meeting at these gatherings for years on end. But now that you're saying I'm guessing at your age..." I rolled my eyes an turned my head away from her. "But I'm not rude enough to make guesses or ask." My head returned to neutral and looked out into the woods again.
A small chuckle echoed in the dark night. "I'm not old enough to worry about my age, but I'm no nineteen year old bimbo either."
"Ray." If you're gonna hold a conversation, even a tiny one, it's polite to offer your name. "I don't worry about my age either, but I don't think guys worry about that though."
"My name is Carrie." The blonde introduced herself before bringing her cupped hands to her mouth and exhaling on them.
The air was cold, and the gentle breeze brought an even colder wind chill with it. I wonder what brought her out here. It's not exactly pleasant weather. Looking forward out to the black woods, it wasn't a good view either.
Glancing at her, I saw her shiver in the chill air. "May want to go inside if it bothers you, I imagine it might sn-"
I was promptly interrupted by exactly what I was going to say. Tiny white flakes started to lazily fall from the sky.
She laughed softly. "You set yourself up for God to make it snow."
Even if it was a well-timed joke from God, he seemed to like it to be subtle as even after a few silent minutes, it still only fell slowly. The breeze caused them to sway back and forth as they fell.
If it was officially snowing and still cold, she was unperturbed. She must have been used to the cold and stayed watching with me. Well, I did keep stealing glances as her though, but I imagine any guy would if they were sitting with her. She was cute.
"...can I say something? I don't want to ruin the peaceful mood." Carrie asked softly.
I shrugged. "I imagine asking to say something is more ruining the mood than just saying that something that might."
Her voice shirked back a little. "Oh...I'm sorry."
Another statement from her and other shrug from me. "No need to apologize." I tried to sound reassuring. "I don't mind."
The woman smiled a little as her eyes watched with wonder a flake of snow descend from the heavens and fall to the ground. "My dad would tell me snow flakes were the fairies dancing." Her hands were once again cupped and brought to her mouth. "Isn't that so funny?" She said through cupped hands as she turned to me.
The proper response was a chortle. But her blue eyes were glistening, so I humored her a little. "Certainly more interesting to a kid than frozen water."
Still behind her cupped hands, so turned back to the snow. "Yeah. But..." she started to say, with a somewhat dampened voice "wouldn't it be great if the world was full of those things our parents told us?"
I can't say everything that my parents promised me came true. No, there isn't a Santa Claus that rewards the nice and does something with coal to the naughty kids. Little girls will never become princesses, and little boys never superheroes. Not everybody will be loved. The world isn't the sunny place where anything is possible.
Carrie looked upward toward the dark clouds. Snow slowly fell all about her. "But I guess snow isn't dancing fairies no matter how much I'd like them to be. It's just frozen water." She was disappointed.
This whole place seemed so isolated. The yellow light from behind, the darkness in front of us and the white flakes gently falling around us. It was like our own little world. Just this woman and I. "Well, who's saying it is frozen water?" I said. "You're saying they're fairies, and the only other person here isn't refuting it..." I reached forward and caught a few snowflakes in my hand. They melted quickly in my hand. Withdrawing my hand, I turned to her with a small smile. "They're having a nice party, aren't they?"
My indulging of her was paying off, as her eyes lit up and she was beaming. Carrie seemed to have been injected with that childhood wonderment that have long since died off in us both, if just for a few moments. On this dark, cold December night, the world seemed just a little more like what kids are promised.
Sitting on the bench in the icy wind was starting to freeze my blood, even in my jacket, so I stood up and stretched out a little. The evening, as well as the singles night that I've now totally lost interest in, were just starting to wind down and end.
The blonde shuffled in her heavy brown coat, and looked up at me with her blue eyes. They twinkled a little. "Are you leaving?"
I released a deep breath and the white puff escaped my lips. "No. I don't plan on leaving yet." I'd be crazy to leave a cute girl like her to go back to the singles night full of older women wanting something I'm not interested in giving or back home, so I moved in front of her and outstretched my hand. "I figured it wouldn't be right to be at a dancing party and stay off our feet the whole time."
Her face was already red from the cold, but my offer made her even redder as she blushed. Even though she was embarrassed and presumably flattered, she still took my hand in hers. Rising to her feet, she lead me away from the bench and onto the grassy patch just before the wooded area and nearing the edge of the light from the back door light.
I wanted to indulge this girl. Maybe because I was bored. Maybe because I was lonely. Maybe becauseher eyes were pleading with me that she need to be indulged. I wanted to indulge this girl. I could think up for excuses, but I only wanted to dance with her in the snow because I wanted to.
The snow falling around (or fairies dancing among) us, I brought my hand that she was holding up and placed my other hand on her back.
She placed her hand on my side and looked up expectedly at me.
