A Quiet Blizzard

I discovered a heavy glass snow globe resting on the stone mantelpiece, housing a tiny painted cabin trapped behind curved glass. With both plush hands, I hoisted the globe, turned it upside down in the shadows, and set it firmly back onto the polished shelf. Inside, a frantic flurry of white flakes swirled in blind panic, obscuring every painted window. I did not agitate it further. Instead, I swayed slowly in place, clapping a measured, quiet cadence against my knees as the miniature storm lost its momentum. Ten beats, five beats, two. Speck by speck, the airborne chaos surrendered to gravity until the little world was completely still once more.