Snowglobe Dreams

Winter weather and snow weren’t Kieran’s favorite things. He likes to wear shorts, but that’s impractical in colder weather. His boss gets especially mad if snow gets in the store or, devil forbid, the snow melts and becomes water and someone (Kieran’s boss) slips on it and blames Kieran for not cleaning it up quick enough… That was a bad workday.

But the one thing he did enjoy about this time of year were the themed items. Snow globes, candy canes, season-appropriate candles, and delicious sweets and drinks. And while stocking the snow globes was not a fun thing to do (once Kieran dropped one and his boss raised hell over it), they sure were pretty and fun to shake.

Though… Do you want to know what isn’t pretty and what wouldn’t be fun to shake?

The snow globe Kieran found himself in right now.

Actually, it would be fun to shake the snow globe, but it certainly wouldn’t be for him inside it. He would end up dizzy and if he ends up dizzy, he might throw up. And if he throws up then he’ll have to call out sick for work and then his boss will be pissed at him and… it’s just a whole big ordeal that Kieran would like to avoid.

And the scenery was actually quite pretty. A snowy mountain range in the background, snow covered pine trees as far as the eye can see, and a cute little cabin with smoke billowing out of it right in the middle, beckoning him to enter and see what would be inside there. Hopefully something to eat or drink, like a delicious gingerbread cookie or perhaps a nice pint of warm eggnog.

Mm, yes. That sounds wonderful. In fact, it sounds so wonderful that Kieran has already taken off towards the house, his stomach entirely guiding his actions as opposed to his thoughts. Though, I suppose he doesn’t quite think anyways, so this isn’t new.

Once Kieran entered the cabin, he was enveloped in warmth. The fire was crackling soothingly, the smell of baked sweets and spiced drinks floated across the building, and the couch was just so inviting with the quilt draped across its back. Yes… this would be a good place to rest and figure out how he would get out of this mess so he could get ready for work (bills won’t pay themselves, after all.)

So, Kieran grabs himself a mug of eggnog, a plate of assorted sweets (donut holes, gingerbread cookies, snickerdoodle cookies, and a few candy canes), and then plops himself down on the couch by the fire. It was a moment of peace in what would’ve otherwise been a hectic day at work. He would’ve had to restock the seasonal items, deal with any snow or water on the ground as quickly as possible to not incur his boss’s wrath, and also do checkouts and help customers with anything they need…Actually, seeing how much work he does, Kieran most definitely should get a raise or another coworker (both would be nice, but Kieran knows his boss).

So, instead of stressing out over work, Kieran could relax here in this snow globe. And, after he finishes his treats, he could go out and have fun! He hasn’t been able to truly relax recently since one of his other coworkers quit (understandable, Kieran would probably quit too if he was just a bit smarter and actually was bothered by his boss), so this could be a truly great break!

Making snowmen, igloos, snowballs (but alas, he didn’t have anyone to have a snow fight with, so maybe skip on that part), and generally just having fun. Yes, yes, yes! This is going to be great!

Kieran cleans up after himself (he’s not rude, after all), and then rushes outside. The glass orb that encases him prevents him from going too far, but the snow just around him on the ground would be enough to do everything he wants to. Sure, his hands were going numb from packing snow, his whole body was cold, but he was having fun! Sometimes that’s just the price you have to pay to have fun in the winter when you are oh so dreadfully unprepared for the weather conditions.

But alas, just as Kieran was putting the finishing touches on his snowman, everything went black. And then he opened his eyes, the world coming in fuzzily.

Was it… was that just a dream he had? A wild lucid dream about being in a snow globe?

…Which meant he had to go to work today.

Aw man.