this is how we'll dance when
when they try to take us down
this is what we'll sing
oh glory

ash struck the match on the side of the tiny box and watched as it crackled into life, letting off a soft hiss. she stared at it, watching the flame slowly make its way down to her fingers. she blew softly, extinguishing it before it burnt her fingers. the end of the match glowed red, then turned black. ash threw it to the ground, untangling a leg from under her and stamping on it. hell, her old trainers were screwed up enough already. a few black marks on them wouldn’t make a difference. her striped socks were already wet from melted frost, seeping through holes in her shoes. she’d dressed them up a bit aeons ago, weaving coloured laces through them in an imaginative pattern. but they were faded now, wet, dirty and frayed at the edges. the rest of her outfit wasn’t as disgusting as the shoes, thank god – her skinny jeans and hoodie were nothing to brag about, but at least they weren’t full of holes.

she lit another match, watching the flames dance around the tiny strip of wood. the heat, however small, was quite nice, actually. it was pretty early and frost was still covering the grass. she cast a glance around the grounds and lake. they were all still covered with a thin sheet of white. not quite snow, unfortunately. it was too late in the year for sno-
”SHIT!” she yelled, throwing the match away. it hit the grass and hissed out. ash shoved her burnt finger into the frost, feeling the cold liquid sting. she swore again, examining the white mark. ouch.

sighing, she climbed to her feet. that was actually harder than it looked. she’d been on the ground for at least an hour and her legs were numb from cold. there was a wet patch all down the back of her jeans. she pulled her hoodie down to cover it and started walking. she threw down the empty packet of matches and stamped on it. the air was still cold, but she was relatively warm. the hoodie was thick and, unlike her jeans, perfectly dry. she glanced upwards. the sky was white. she couldn’t make out clouds or even the sun – it was just white. the lake was completely still, almost glassy. ash didn’t test the water temperature. she quite liked her toes, and didn’t want to lose any to frostbite.

she kept walking, feeling bored but at the same time, peaceful. which was unusual for her. she’d left her energy in bed when she woke up this early. which was also unusual for her. weird. she pulled her wand out of her pocket and said, calmly but firmly, ”avis.” a few tiny white birds erupted out of her wand and began to flutter around her head, cheeping softly. ash smiled. this spell was always relaxing, if you could get the birds to shut the hell up.