An Elderly Woman Warned Me Not To Touch The Snow—The Next Morning, I Understood Why

an unexpectedly strong grip on my sleeve. The old woman stood beside me, clutching the fabric of my coat with wiry fingers—stronger than they should have been, strong enough that I couldn’t immediately pull free.

“Listen to me carefully, daughter,” she whispered, leaning close. I could smell mothballs and dried herbs and something else—elusive, ancient,continue reading …