It was a cold day outside, the snow danced in the air, swirling softly like feathers as I called out, "Maria!" The snowflakes, encompassed my vision, while the darkness settled over the earth like a heavy blanket. She yelled my name, "Tintin!" Her voice forever echoed through my mind like the roaring of endless rapids.

I walked down the driveway, smiling from ear to ear, as I remembered what happened the other day. The girl I like said yes. When I asked her out, she said she liked me too and would like to get to know me better. Thinking about that moment made my heart flutter, a warmth spreading through me. I sighed, "Maria." My face glowed; nothing seemed real anymore—not the gray sky hanging overhead, the clouds, or even the trash cans in front of my house.

Heading back inside, I got a call from Maria. I panicked and almost dropped my phone, the device feeling slick in my clammy hands. "Ohh, she's calling me! Crap, what should I do?"

The phone vibrated in my hand, the buzzing feeling electric against my skin. "Wait, what do I mean, what should I do? I need to answer the phone." The excitement and nervousness were deafening, my heart racing in my chest like a drumbeat. I answered, "Hello?" My heart sank deep into my stomach as a few seconds of silence passed until a small, quiet whisper floated through my ears, "He-Hello... Tintin." My heart grabbed my chest, the air around me thickening with anticipation.

"Maria... how are you doing today?"

"F-Fine... I was just... wondering what you were doing," she said, her voice soft and a bit unsure.

"Uh, not much," I stammered, feeling the awkwardness creep in. "I was just... you know, thinking about maybe watching a movie or something."

"Oh," she replied, a slight pause hanging in the air. "What movie were you thinking of?"

"I, um, was thinking about that new action-thriller, The Midnight Chase," I said, trying to sound more confident but still feeling a bit nervous. "Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah, I think so," she responded, her tone still tentative. "It's one of those intense ones, right?"

"Yeah, exactly," I said, sensing the conversation starting to warm up. "I didn't know if you were into that kind of thing, though."

"Actually, I kind of am," she admitted, her voice picking up a bit. "I love how those movies keep you on the edge of your seat, even if they're a little scary."

"Really?" I asked, surprised and a bit more relaxed now. "I guess we have more in common than I thought."

"Yeah, I guess so," she said, a small laugh slipping into her voice. "It's funny, I usually watch them alone because most people think they're too intense."

"Same here," I said, now feeling a bit more at ease. "Maybe we could watch it together sometime? That way, we can both be on the edge of our seats."

"I'd like that," she replied, her tone warming. "It would be fun to see who gets scared first."

"Sounds like a challenge," I said, grinning now. "But I'm up for it. We can see who figures out the twist before the other."

"Deal," she said with a bit more confidence. "But I'm warning you, I'm pretty good at predicting those things."

"We'll see," I teased.

I gently smiled when I spoke to her. I couldn't believe that I was dating a girl. Whenever we first started talking on the phone, she always sounded so shy, tripping over her words. That's what I thought in those days—I wished we could have stayed like that forever... but, in life, nothing stays the same.

It was a dark and snowy day a few years after we had first started dating. The cold wind bit at my skin, and the flakes of snow clung to my eyelashes, blurring my vision. On that day, we had our last date, but neither of us knew it at the time.

"Ahh, life feels good," I murmured to myself.

My phone pulsed repeatedly in my pocket, a faint vibration that contrasted with the quiet of the room. "Maria must have texted?" I thought as I pulled my phone out.

"W-what the?" I muttered, a confused smile creeping onto my face as I saw she had sent a picture of a polar bear wearing a scarf with the caption "brrrr." The playful image momentarily warmed me. Confused but amused, I quickly snapped a picture of a penguin and sent it back to her, hoping to keep the playful tone alive.

A few seconds later, my phone rang, its familiar jingle cutting through the stillness. Her voice was bright, almost cutting through the quiet, "Sooo, what are we doing today?" she asked excitedly, the warmth in her tone a stark contrast to the situation.

I chuckled softly. "Huh, I don't know, I don't know who 'we' is. But if you're talking about me, nothing."

She let out a mock sigh, her voice laced with playful sarcasm. "Oh really? Then I guess I'll have to find somebody else."

My heart skipped a beat as I panicked, "What!? No, no, I'm kidding! We can do whatever you want."

She giggled, and the sound made my chest feel light. "My boyfriend doesn't care about me, so I guess I'll have to find somebody else, somebody who will do something with me."

I could tell she was smiling on the other end of the line, and I relaxed a bit. "Okay, okay, I surrender... sigh, what do you wanna do?"

After some playful banter, we finally decided to go to a restaurant she had been talking about for a while. The walk there was filled with the soft sounds of snow crunching under our feet, our breaths mingling in the cold air. After we had our fill, we stepped back outside, the night darker and colder than before.

We found ourselves walking through the darkness, the streetlights casting a soft, golden glow on the snow-covered pavement. I could feel the cold seeping through my coat, so I wrapped it tighter around Maria, pulling her close. Her body was warm against mine, and the sound of her breathing was a comforting rhythm in the quiet night. As we walked, passing by the softly lit stores, I couldn't help but remember when I first fell for her. The memory warmed me more than the coat I had draped over her shoulders. Smiling, I looked down at her and said, "I love you, Maria."

She looked up at me, her cheeks tinged pink from the cold and maybe a little from embarrassment, and then she quickly turned away, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love you too, Tintin." The way she said my name, so softly and shyly, made my heart swell. Seeing her reaction made me love her even more.

The snow continued to fall, dancing through the air in lazy spirals, and the night seemed to hug the earth, wrapping everything in a quiet, peaceful stillness. As we crossed the street, I draped my jacket over her shoulders, wanting to keep her warm. The atmosphere was filled with warmth and happiness as we walked, and the world outside felt distant as we focused on each other. I called her name softly, "Maria." She turned to look at me, her eyes sparkling in the glow of the streetlights. Just then, the sudden screech of tires pierced the air, a jarring sound that cut through the moment. She yelled back "Tintin!".

The next thing I knew, the impact knocked her out of my embrace, the world spinning in a chaotic blur. Slowly waking up, my body felt numb, as if the cold had seeped deep into my bones, and my ears were ringing, a high-pitched whine that drowned out everything else. The last thing I remembered was her calling my name. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, each beat painful. I turned over with what little strength I had left. It didn't feel real, I thought. The snow that had once felt soft now felt cold and harsh against my skin, and I could feel the blood, warm and sticky, mixing with the snow beneath me. The police sirens grew louder, a shrill whistle that cut through the ringing in my ears as they swiftly approached. My sight began to fade, darkness creeping in at the edges as I looked at her lifeless body, pinned between the light pole and the car. I called her name, "M-Maria," my voice weak and trembling, as I sank into the darkness.