03.26
In severe cases of frostbite a body part that has frozen can cause the heart to stop when it thaws. The first time I saw snow, we pulled over, even though it was a dangerous place to stop on the mountain, because you spotted the first drift. We raced, my heartbeat muffled through awkward layers of snow gear. I moved like a fat child and you caught me. We tumbled into the bank but it wasn’t like a cloud. I sank, your weight not repulsive yet, and scooped up a pile of the grey sludge. I swallowed. The snowflakes weren’t magical or unique. Your frozen lips on my throat slowed my pulse and my smile splintered as the grime spread through my veins until the winter reached my heart. It wasn’t until we got home that it thawed and it was years before you noticed it had stopped.