“Where did the snow go, Ricky?” asked Karl-Anthony Towns, his face pressed against the cold glass of the window, a face framed by curtains on either side. He asked this question as if making polite conversation. Outside, the once snow-covered landscape was a combination of dingy gray and muddy brown.
“It’s gone, Karl. Winter is over. I told you this would happen. Many times.” Ricky responded delicately from his position on the couch.
“But I didn’t even have hot chocolate one time. No, not once!” Karl whined, wrenching the curtains open to take in the full despondency of the scene.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve had hot chocolate plenty of times this winter. I remember a certain little Karl double-fisting mugs of it spiked with marshmallow-flavored vodka at the New Year’s party.”
Karl didn’t respond, but continued looking sullenly outside, occasionally playing with the red scarf wrapped around his neck. He continued his viewing in silence for several minutes. Ricky relaxed. He knew that snow was a touchy subject for his rookie teammate.
“I want to go sledding.” Karl announced, suddenly.
“But Karl, as you can see, there isn’t any…”
“SLEDDING! I want to go sledding, Ricky!” Karl roared, suddenly furious. Just as suddenly, his voice grew soft and hoarse. “I’m sick Ricky. Very sick. I have a terminal disease, I fear. And the only cure is… SLEDDING! SLEDDING IN THE SNOW! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”
Karl took a few sharp steps away from the window. Before Ricky could react, he then turned around, and with all his might, flung himself at the glass, which shattered immediately, sending him tumbling from the second story. He landed with a dull thwump. Ricky heard pained yells, quickly bustled over to the broken window, and looked down.
There was Karl, already standing up and showing no ill-effects from his fall, gesticulating angrily at the sky. “SNOOOOOOOOOOOW! Where is it? Tell me where it is, for I wish to propel myself on it downhill while riding a sled! AAAAHHHHH!” he yelled, running off into the distance. His voice grew fainter and fainter. “Why must snow be withheld from meeeeeeeee…..”