Sunsets On Clearwater Beach

By M.A. Planamente

Sunsets on Clearwater Beach is a collection of short stories that focus on various topics and genres. They were written with the intention to make the reader think, cry, smile, and laugh. Sunsets on Clearwater Beach deals with death, love, regret, and the importance of family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312343115

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Sunsets On Clearwater Beach

Sunsets On Clearwater Beach:

A Collection of Short Stories

By M.A. Planamente

Copyright © 2014, M.A. Planamente

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-312-34311-5

Snow Mountain

As I awoke in the early morning, I could see the sun peaking into my room.  I was surprised to see the sun, since it had to maneuver its way through the branches of the old oak tree outside of my house.  This usually caused an endless shadow on most days.  However, this morning was different as the multicolored sunrise was able to show itself.

I began to stretch in bed and I proceeded to the window in order to enjoy the sunrise that did not tend to appear in the early hours of the morning.  Looking out the window, I could see the sun’s reflection on the ground and its brilliance was being illuminated by the crystals of snow outside.  The snow was separated by a few different colors depending on the position of the sun’s rays on the area.  There were orange, red, and blue snow crystals.  These colors were stunning with clarity.  The ground showed its true beauty in its own way of showing off its hidden features.

The powdery frozen water looked beautiful.  The snow was still immaculate.  No one had yet to walk in the snow.  The most amazing sight is the perfection that the quality of snow presents as it lies untouched by anyone in society.  It was one of my most beautiful sights I had seen in my entire life. 

The best part about having immaculate snow on the ground is the pleasure you get when you are the first person to ruin its perfection.  Knowing that deep in my mind, I began to get changed from my old t-shirt and shorts into an outfit that is a better fit for walking in the snow.  I quickly put on jeans, 2 layers of shirts, and my jacket.  The final touches were my snow boots and of course my sunglasses.  Anyone who has been out in the snow on a sunny day knows that the snow will eventually distort the beauty of the world with the reflection of the sun’s blinding rays.  I was finally prepared to enjoy the perfection of nature’s work.

I opened up the front door and I could instantaneously feel the brisk wind blowing on my face.  It felt good to have the cold sensation of my face.  The arctic air immediately and completely woke me up from the remaining sleepiness that was still present.  I took my last glance at the immaculate snow before I ventured out into the wilderness on my routine Saturday morning walk.

I made my first step into what looked like an endless white ocean.  I could hear the crunching of snow from underneath my boots.  Each step felt cool as the snow went up past my ankle and continued to my shins.  The like the life we lead, the flawless landscape laid in front waiting for me to reach it.  However, like everything in our past the ground behind me was full of imperfections and reminded me of the footprints we leave in life on others that we meet.  Remembering our pasts are crucial to fully understanding how we’ve turned out in the present and how we will act in years to come. 

While I continued to walk, I came upon a hill in which as a child I entitled it Snow Mountain.  It looked much bigger as a child, but yet again everything seems to be enormous as a child.  The only times I came near Snow Mountain was coincidentally when it snowed.  It was covered in pine trees on side of the mountain that was visible to me as a child.  The memories of my childhood began to resurface after many years of hibernation.

One particular memory came back to me.  I was able to picture the whole setting as if I was still there today.   The specific memory that resurfaced was when my younger brother and I came to Snow Mountain when I was nine years old.  We loved it up here when it snowed.  It was one of the best times in my life.

My brother and I would wake up early just to make sure there was enough snow on the ground.  Once we realized that there was, we got dressed as fast as we could to go out and play in it all day long.  Our mother would yell at us for not eating any breakfast but if we did then we would lose precious minutes of being in the snow.  I don’t know what makes kids go crazy when it snows but I remember that as a child it was all that I ever wanted.  I guess I desired to be a part of the whole white crispy scene for myself.

Once my brother made it to the outdoors we would have a race to see who could make it to Snow Mountain first.  I usually won since I would push him down to give me an advantage.  Also, I made him carry the sled by himself.  In all of my years of racing him to Snow Mountain, I never lost.

When we finally made it to the mountain, we usually begin by sledding down it head first on the sled.  We would see who could go the farthest and the fastest.  These games would usually only last us an hour since there is so much to do while out with your brother in the snow.  After sledding, building a snowman would be the next step.  We would work together to build a wintry man.  This man would then be destroyed in less than five minutes.  As I mentioned earlier, it feels amazing to be the one that ruins something that is already perfect.

As the sun would move into the afternoon sky and the winds began to get breezier, my brother and I would wrestle and throw snow into each other’s faces.  This was our bonding time.