As the purple clouds danced across the face of the moon, I felt a reassuring hand guide me outside on the back porch. Cold, black air filled the night and pushed me towards the sky. I looked up and saw the crystal metallic lights of the stars shining down on me. I wanted to stay here forever, the dark, beautiful forest, the frozen comfort of snow surrounding me. But I knew tomorrow the sun would creep slowly up the horizon, building strength and light. Within hours, my beautiful frozen haven would be melted into another cold, grey winter’s day. But what if the sun didn’t shine tomorrow? I could stay here in the quiet solitude for hours, the beauty of these woods protecting me.

That night I fell asleep dreaming… The moon lit up the morning, and I opened the door to a crystal landscape. Ice and snowflakes sparkled all around me, and a cool wind whipped my hair into the frozen air. I gazed up and the sky smiled down at me. The moon was shining brightly, its luminescence dusting the tips of the trees with a warm glow, defrosting the chill of the hard earth. I gazed off into the forest. The scent of the mountains and the earth wafted towards me, and I felt the moon guiding me. I walked slowly into the forest, the snow falling gently onto my eyelashes. A whole world lay before me. Trees with barren arms towered over me, holding my hand, guiding me forward. The air smelled chilled and sharp. I lay down in the thick white cover of snow, my fingertips numbing. And I just breathed. Took it all in. With every breath, I touched, heard, smelled the beauty of that forest wonderland.

I woke up early that morning. The sun wasn’t up, and the amethyst sky melted into the ground across the forest treetops. All was still around me. Grabbing my coat, I slipped my feet into the slippers that lay by my bedside. I stepped gently outside onto the porch again. Ice crystals floated from the sky, painting the ground ashen. The moon was in full view. Sparkling, shining, as if it belonged in that wonderland. Soon the sun would rise, thawing this enchanted world. Quickly, I ran back inside and slipped heavier shoes over my feet. I slid on my hat, and once again entered into the forest. I lay there in the cold, just staring up into the trees. They were parted in one spot, a clearing that opened up the world and met the sky at the top. I saw the moon falling from the sky as the sun claimed its spot as its trophy. I sighed, and icy breath swirled out in front of me. As the sun rose, I saw the earth flood with light. But the air stayed frosty. Hours passed, but I was still chilly. So I climbed up into one of the bare trees. As my hands and feet gripped the old tree, I looked all around me. The snow was melting into the ground near my cabin and everywhere else. But I stared in amazement as my crystal sanctuary remained untouched by the sun’s warmth. The snow stayed and glowed within the forest. Shielding my eyes, I gazed up into the sun and winked. “Thanks,” I whispered.