It wasn’t as if Kalinda was a complete grinch. No, she could appreciate the reason for Christmas. It was a bright spot in the dead of winter, an excuse to spend time with the ones you love, something that made you appreciate what you had. The core of Christmas was beautiful, but the way it was executed in America made Kalinda sick. The importance of having a picture-perfect yard, holiday cards, and perfectly wrapped gifts. It was all based on consumerism and Kalinda had just gotten tired of it.

However, she couldn’t escape the consumerism and expectations of Christmas when she was with family and so she was wandering through the mall, last minute, attempting the challenge of finding a gift for her mother; a woman that Kalinda felt she barely knew, despite having been taking care of her for the past few months and living alone with her for years when her father left. 

Kalinda stopped in front of a window display that was near the exit of the mall, staring at the fake felt snow and wishing she was in Sweden for Christmas again when she caught a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. It was snowing. Hard. The parking lot was already covered in snow, now piling up so that it covered the shorter car tires. How long had it been snowing like this and she hadn’t realized?

A fuzzy sound came from above Kalinda and out of the mall loudspeakers came a tinny, nervous and wavering voice. “A-attention mall staff and customers. Due to the uh - sudden and severe snowstorm, we are locking down the mall to ensure your safety until um.” There was a pause in the announcement as if the voice was asking something off-mic. “Until further notice.” The voice broke off and Let it Snow started up again suddenly on the loudspeakers. Kalinda stood there, wide-eyed, first watching the security guard lock the exit she was beside and then taking in the white expanse of New Arkansas.