The Blizzard Game Shaina Tranquilino December 27, 2024
The snowstorm had come out of nowhere.
One moment, the bus of kids was on its way to a ski lodge, chattering about hot chocolate and snowball fights. The next, the road disappeared beneath a wall of white, and the bus driver announced they’d have to wait out the storm in an old roadside lodge.
"Is anyone even here?" asked Ella, the group’s self-appointed leader, as she eyed the dusty, abandoned lobby. The chandeliers flickered with weak light, and the wind howled outside like a living thing.
"No Wi-Fi. This is a nightmare," groaned Peter, scrolling a dead phone.
"Well, find something to do," their teacher snapped, equally rattled by the storm.
Exploring seemed better than sitting around, so Ella, Peter, and the rest of their little group—Lucy, Max, and Rhea—spread out to see what treasures the lodge might hold. It was Lucy who found the old board game in a locked cabinet.
The wooden box gleamed like it had been polished yesterday, even though the rest of the room was caked in cobwebs. The name was carved into the lid in looping, ornate letters:
THE BLIZZARD GAME.
“It’s just a dumb board game,” said Peter when they opened it. But something about the shiny, frost-rimmed pieces drew them in.
The instructions, scrawled on a yellowed parchment, were simple:
Each player rolls the dice and moves their piece.
The game will reveal your deepest wish—or fear.
Play until the storm ends.
“Weird,” said Rhea, but Max was already rolling the dice.
“Six,” he declared, moving his piece—a tiny silver wolf—to the center of the board. The room seemed to hum. Then, with a flash of light, Max was gone.
In his place stood a real wolf, its fur as white as the snow outside.
The kids screamed, backing away as the wolf growled. But then Max’s voice came from the creature. “Guys! It’s me! I…I’ve always wanted to be strong like this!” His blue wolf eyes gleamed. “This is amazing!”
Lucy hesitated, then rolled the dice. Her piece—a delicate snowflake—landed on a corner square marked Dreams.
Suddenly, the air around her shimmered, and she gasped as the room filled with glittering fairies, each one singing her favorite childhood lullaby. Her face lit up, enchanted.
“This is incredible!” she cried, twirling as they danced around her.
Peter wasn’t convinced. “This is nuts. I’m not playing.”
“You don’t have a choice,” Ella said, pointing to the parchment. The instructions had changed. The words now read:
All must play.
As if to prove it, Peter’s piece—a tiny sword—slid across the board on its own. It landed on Nightmares.
The chandeliers flickered. The wind outside grew louder. Then the shadows in the corners of the room began to shift.
“Who…who’s there?” Peter stammered.
From the darkness, tall, shadowy figures emerged, their faces featureless but their intentions clear. They reached for him with long, clawed fingers.
“Stop the game!” Peter screamed, backing into a corner.
“We can’t!” Ella said, snatching the dice. “The only way out is to finish!”
Her piece—a silver key—landed on Courage. The game board lit up, and Ella felt a rush of energy surge through her. She grabbed Peter’s arm and pulled him back just as the shadow creatures lunged.
“Keep going!” she shouted.
One by one, they rolled. Max struggled to control his wolf instincts, Lucy’s fairies began to turn mischievous, and Peter had to face more of his deepest fears: heights, spiders, and failure. Rhea landed on Secrets, and suddenly the entire group could hear her thoughts.
They’re counting on me. I don’t know if I’m brave enough.
Finally, it was Ella’s turn again. She rolled a twelve, and her piece landed on the center of the board. The words Final Challenge appeared in glowing ice.
The storm outside roared like never before, and the walls of the lodge trembled. The game pieces vanished, replaced by a swirling portal of snow and light.
“Step through,” a voice commanded, cold and ancient.
Ella turned to her friends. “If I go, the game might end.”
“But what if you don’t come back?” Lucy whispered.
“I have to try.”
With a deep breath, Ella stepped into the portal. The light swallowed her whole.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then the storm outside stopped, and the room warmed as if spring had arrived. The game board snapped shut, its carvings fading into the wood.
Ella reappeared moments later, holding the box. “It’s over,” she said, smiling.
“What did you see?” Rhea asked.
Ella hesitated, glancing at the now-ordinary box. “That’s for me to know,” she said with a wink. “But next time, let’s just play Monopoly.”
They all laughed, but as they packed up to leave, none of them noticed the faint frost creeping along the edges of the game’s lid, waiting for its next players.