Nell and the Wish for Endless Snow

Chapter 1: Endless Snow

Nell loved snow more than anything.

She loved the first soft flakes drifting past her window. She loved the crunch of her boots, the squeak of fresh powder, and the way the whole world turned quiet and white. Best of all, she loved snow days, when school was canceled and she could build forts and sled until her cheeks turned rosy.

But snow days never lasted.

By the end of every winter, the snow melted into gray slush, and then into mud, and then it was gone. Nell always felt a little sad watching it go.

"I wish it would snow forever," she sighed one March afternoon, looking at the dripping icicles outside her window. "Every single day. Without ever stopping."

Her older brother Ravi, who was doing homework at the kitchen table, raised an eyebrow. "Be careful. Wishes can be sneaky."

"Don't be silly," said Nell. "Who wouldn't want snow forever?"

That evening, a single bright star blinked above the rooftops. Nell pressed her nose to the cold glass and whispered it once more.

"I wish for endless snow."

She woke the next morning to a strange, hushed light.