What do you call a stormtrooper in the snow?

Lost.... apparently.

I didn't grow up with brothers, 

but I had someone in my life that gave me a pretty good taste of what it would have been like to have a brother.

He was the boy two houses down and when our families moved to another town, he became, quite literally, the boy next door.  

We met long before we were old enough to remember meeting, just babies really.

We grew up together, played together, attended all of the same schools together and graduated together.

He had boy toys at his house.

Legos and Hot Wheels and Star Wars figures.

I coveted these toys.

I'd go to his house and ask if I could play with the Hot Wheels.

He'd get a look on his face,

the look that meant that he knew that HE had the power.

(As the youngest of three boys, I imagine that this kind of power was a rare treat for him.)

I'd hold my breath, waiting to see what his whim would be that day.  

Sometimes he would say no and no amount of pleading could change his mind.

Other days we would play until we both decided to move on or until we got into some sort of argument.

(See... just like a brother right?)

One particularly snowy winter, my father shoveled what seemed like tons of snow off of our driveway and into our backyard. 

The snow drift was so big that we decided to make snow caves.  

Two caves side by side with a small hole connecting the two... 

just big enough to pass Star Wars guys through.

We spent hours out there,

Digging, creating and playing with Darth Vader, Luke, Leia, Han Solo and the Stormtroopers.

At the end of the day, we packed up all the toys and brought them into the house.

I don't know exactly when he decided that one of his stormtroopers was missing,

but don't you know that he would blame me for it!

I was convinced of my innocence, but he wouldn't hear of it.  

I was banned from playing with his toys for months.

(Stupid boy!)

Spring came and the snow melted and still there was no sign of the missing stormtrooper.

To this day, I claim innocence.

But I bet, if you asked him, he'd say that I lost his stormtrooper amid the snow.

***this post was written in response to the bigger picture writing prompt, 

lost amid the snow***