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Description
The snow was falling gently on the nameless town. There was no sound but for the crunch of one man's boots through the snow.

He had been born in this town, but he'd been gone for nearly twenty years. His wife had just left him, and he wasn't feeling like he belonged anywhere in the world this winter, so he had come back to his home town, just to be somewhere.

As the man looked around at the snow covered streets, he realized that it was almost Christmas. It had been a long time since he believed in God or Jesus or any of it, but the thought of being alone on Christmas was enough to make him feel more wretched than he already did. His watch beeped midnight, and the man wondered if he would ever be able to believe in anything again.

The sound of crying drew the man away from his own thoughts of self-pity. He saw a little girl sitting in the snow, not fifteen feet away, sniffling and rubbing at her nose with her mittens.

The man felt a little concern- what was she doing outside at midnight, all alone? "Hey, little girl," he said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm not a little girl," she barked, and he realized it was actually a young woman. She was very small, and had pale blond hair that was almost white and penetrating ice blue eyes. Those eyes stared at him accusingly, and the teen looked away, asking- "What are you doing out? Everyone else is home with their families."

"I don't have a family anymore," he answered bitterly. "My wife left me."

The girl's shoulders were hunched, and she rocked back and forth on the sidewalk, staring off in the distance.

"What about you?" he asked. "Why aren't you at home?"

"Because I'm waiting for someone," she said.

"At midnight?"

"It's my brother," she said, glaring at him again. "I haven't seen him for months."

The man scoffed. "But why do you need to wait here at midnight?"

"It twelve oh four," she sniffed. "He's actually a little bit late."

How she knew the exact time, the man didn't know. He hadn't seen her glance at a watch or anything. "You really shouldn't be out here," he said, "You'll get sick."

"And you shouldn't stand there talking to me," she said, "People might assume things." Before the man could reply, she stood suddenly, looking excited. "He's coming!" she said, smiling brilliantly.

The man turned, but he didn't see anything. "Girl, I don't think he's-" She was gone.

The man looked around, but there were no footprints. There was not even a spot in the snow that marked that she had ever been there.

"Like I said," a voice whispered in his ear. "People might assume things."

Description
The snow was falling gently on the nameless town. There was no sound but for the crunch of one man's boots through the snow.

He had been born in this town, but he'd been gone for nearly twenty years. His wife had just left him, and he wasn't feeling like he belonged anywhere in the world this winter, so he had come back to his home town, just to be somewhere.

As the man looked around at the snow covered streets, he realized that it was almost Christmas. It had been a long time since he believed in God or Jesus or any of it, but the thought of being alone on Christmas was enough to make him feel more wretched than he already did. His watch beeped midnight, and the man wondered if he would ever be able to believe in anything again.

The sound of crying drew the man away from his own thoughts of self-pity. He saw a little girl sitting in the snow, not fifteen feet away, sniffling and rubbing at her nose with her mittens.

The man felt a little concern- what was she doing outside at midnight, all alone? "Hey, little girl," he said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm not a little girl," she barked, and he realized it was actually a young woman. She was very small, and had pale blond hair that was almost white and penetrating ice blue eyes. Those eyes stared at him accusingly, and the teen looked away, asking- "What are you doing out? Everyone else is home with their families."

"I don't have a family anymore," he answered bitterly. "My wife left me."

The girl's shoulders were hunched, and she rocked back and forth on the sidewalk, staring off in the distance.

"What about you?" he asked. "Why aren't you at home?"

"Because I'm waiting for someone," she said.

"At midnight?"

"It's my brother," she said, glaring at him again. "I haven't seen him for months."

The man scoffed. "But why do you need to wait here at midnight?"

"It twelve oh four," she sniffed. "He's actually a little bit late."

How she knew the exact time, the man didn't know. He hadn't seen her glance at a watch or anything. "You really shouldn't be out here," he said, "You'll get sick."

"And you shouldn't stand there talking to me," she said, "People might assume things." Before the man could reply, she stood suddenly, looking excited. "He's coming!" she said, smiling brilliantly.

The man turned, but he didn't see anything. "Girl, I don't think he's-" She was gone.

The man looked around, but there were no footprints. There was not even a spot in the snow that marked that she had ever been there.

"Like I said," a voice whispered in his ear. "People might assume things."