by Anna G.- 8th Grade
When our car reached the end of the street, my attention was caught by a makeshift sign hanging off of an old oak tree. Words snaked across the old beam of wood in curly black letters; they read 
“Oak Ridge Golf Course.” Paint peeled on the sign’s edges and icicles were hanging off of the bottom. I stepped out of our old red Subaru Outback, my eyes passing over the familiar scratch near the back that looked like a fish. I paused to look ahead of me at the breathtaking scene of untouched snow that seemed to go on for miles.
The hill was menacing next to my timid five-year-old body. Snow covered trees who had lost their leaves in late fall glistened in the early morning sunlight. For a second I had a feeling of fear, which was soon replaced by excitement. I turned to my mom and dad who were unloading the sleds out of the back of the car. We were all bundled up in coats, hats, mittens, and boots because it was getting colder each day now. I could even see my breath in a foggy cloud before me, staying suspended in the air for a few seconds, and then disappearing as I drew in a new breath.
For a few moments, it was so quiet and peaceful that when my little brother’s footsteps crunched up next to me, I jumped. He turned and pointed to a dark blue Honda Pilot pulling up next to us. Its thick black wheels on the icy snow made a sound that imitates gravel crunching on a dirt road. “Looks like we’re not the only ones here,” my mom noted, and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. When we had first arrived, the idea of having the hill all to ourselves was delightful. I turned and took my brother Joe by the hand and whispered in his ear, “I guess we have to share.” He looked up at me puzzled, and obviously hadn’t understood anything I had said, but still trudged along next to me, eager for the fun to start.
I hoisted my brand new sled from the trunk with help from my dad and started to pull it towards the hill. I was so proud of that sled; it was top of the line and was black with red racing stripes. It was large enough so that my body could fit in it lying down, so more than one person could sit in it at a time. On the box it had even said that it was the fastest sled around, which added to the childish excitement that consumed me. As I guided it towards the hill it made a quiet scraping sound on the icy snow. I looked back, noticing my family starting to follow me and the faint marks that the runners of my sled left in the snow. I sped up, making sure I got there first.
I reached the top of the hill and was reminded of its astonishing size. I felt like a pebble next to a boulder. I wasn’t one to pass on any kind of challenge, even at age five, so this was just another adventure to me. I wanted to throw a snowball and see how far down it would go, so that maybe I wouldn’t feel as small. The first handful of snow that I took from the ground crumbled between my gloved fingers. I was wearing my favorite gloves; they were fuzzy and pink, had Mickey Mouse on the top, and had little grips in the shape of hearts on the inside of each hand. I reached down and picked up a new handful of snow, which I hurled as hard as I could. When it became airborne it was hit by a huge gust of wind, which blew a mound of snow back into my face.
I flinched, impatiently brushing the snow off of my face and opened my mouth to take in a deep breath of chilly air. I could feel snowflakes melting on my tongue. Snowflakes are just as fun to catch on your tongue the 15th time as it is the 1st, especially when you’re five. Soon my family walked up beside me. Joe turned and pointed at the other group of people on the other edge of the hill. “Friends?” he questioned, being two and a half years old and not knowing many words. “Maybe,” my mom replied, glancing at me with a look that read ‘go along with it’. I put down my sled and held onto the string. “I want to go with Mom this time” I said, looking up with a hopeful smile.
As I turned to face the hill again my mom bent down next to me so that she was just about at eye level with me. “You sure you want to go down this big hill Anna honey?” She looked into my eyes, knowing how I ignored when she called me honey at just the right times. “Yes!” I almost yelled. I made certain not to look the least bit scared despite the uneasy feeling in my stomach. We got onto our sleds with Joe and I in the front and Mom and Dad in the back. My mom’s strong arms around my little waist were reassuring, and I was more than ready to conquer this hill. “Okay, let’s go!” my dad exclaimed, and we pushed off.
It was an amazing feeling. The cold air whipped against my face and blurred the quickly moving scenery around me. The once crisp clear trees and snow covered sheds around the golf course now looked like ones in a watercolor painting. As we glided down the hill I was aware of myself laughing, and of the vague sensation that I was flying. This went on until we were near the bottom of the hill, and almost too soon, it was over. My heightened senses and heady feeling of thrill was replaced by a desire to do it all over again. We trudged back up the hill and were all flushed a light shade of pink when we reached the top. “I want to go by myself this time,” I said and looked up at my parents with the eyes I knew always got to them. My dad smiled warmly. “Really?” He laughed. “Already? You’ve only been down once!” his voice showed amusement even though his face showed fatherly concern. “Don’t worry, I can do it.” I said, which brought on another quiet bout of laughter which I knew wasn’t intended to be insulting, but always made me a little mad. I grabbed my sled and jumped on.
This ride was twice as good as the first. I swerved left and right, feeling the sled move easily with my silent commands. When I reached the bottom, I raced back up the hill, trying not to slip on the icy mounds of snow that were around every corner. As I looked around I saw the lines that traced the path that I had taken down the hill, which would be covered up by new snow in a few hours. I dragged my sled over to a tree and carefully draped the string around its base. My mom and dad were talking over by the car, so I sat down next to my brother who was playing with the snow around him. When I reached him, he turned to me and looked at me with the face that always made me laugh, when he narrows his eyes and one eyebrow is higher than the other. I tried not to laugh, and didn’t succeed when he looked at me and said two words with a completely solemn expression. “Show off.”
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