Flash Fiction Submission

I rarely enter contests, but this one caught my eye. The premise is that the first and last lines, bolded below, were supplied, and the middle is to be filled in; 100 to 250 words.

http://www.cbc.ca/books/2010/12/cbc-literary-awards-flash-fiction-challenge.html

Should be easy, right? Not so much.

I did love the challenge of trying to dodge being led into a creepy snowman tale; it probably didn't earn me any points, but it was fun!


The Snowman

The snowman grinned malevolently as the early spring sun warmed the side of his face, shifting his handsome features, distorting his happy smile. His once jaunty hat sagged. His twiggy left arm, once raised in joyous greeting had already fallen, hanging loosely by his side, as if paralyzed. The baleful sun dipped behind the opposing mountain buying him some time, but he knew it would be soon, too soon.
It's not time yet.
Too soon.

He was born of a high country holiday celebration and then stood lonely vigil over the mountain all winter long. He had surveyed the valley below, watching the eagle soaring in lazy spirals, watching the shadows track across the mountainside. Time had been his friend, day following long day, but now it was poised to betray him. As the moon glittered on the icy white a thought slowly filtered into his frozen mind.
The shadows.
Cool shadows.


The sun climbed higher, warm beams slicing through the thin air, absorbed and reflected. They carved a melting tickle here and the snow shifted there, under the snowman's round form. Slowly he tipped, and rolled, and accelerated. Gravity met impetus as he triumphantly tumbled down and further down. The jaunty hat was lost. His handsome features were gone. None of that mattered in the shadows; he was alive.
Safely buried.
Alive.