A Christmas Short Story!

December 16, 2019

A Christmas Short Story!

I have something fun for you today! I wrote a Christmas short story the other day and I thought I'd share it with you. I was inspired while watching a new Christmas movie and here we are.

I also want to say, I'm going to be taking a break for the next two weeks for Christmas and 2020 planning. I'll see you on December 30!

A Christmas Eve Miracle

'Twas the night before Christmas,

And all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring,

Not even a mouse.

Sadly, that meant that no one was awake to see the sparking cord that ran lights across the Christmas tree. No one watched the dry branches burst into flames that began licking at the walls. No witnesses to the smoke and fire that filled the living room and spread out the door.

Young Sasha, sound asleep in her bed, woke up to the sound of the fire alarm coming through the bedroom door. It took a second for her brain to recognize the unusual noise.

What was it that Papa had said to do if she heard it? Wake up her brother, then check the door.

She crawled over to her brother's bed, just the way Papa practiced with them. She shook his arm. “Fredrick, wake up. The fire alarm is going off.”

In seconds the two of them crouched on the ground. Fredrick's eyes were big and bright in the weak light from the night light.

“What's going on?” he said.

“Don't worry. I bet Papa is testing us. We just do what Papa said if the alarm went off.”

She crawled over to the door. She might sound brave, but it was an act. She couldn't let her little brother that she was as terrified as him. Papa said that it was her job to be brave and look after him.

It only took her a second to touch the door and feel how hot it was. This wasn't a game, and they weren't going out that way.

Their backup route was out their window. They only had a single story home, so it wasn't high off the ground.

“Come on,” Sasha said, pulling on Fredrick's arm to move him along. “Get your slippers. We're going out the window.”

She shoved both of their feet into their shoes and climbed up on her bed, which was beside the window.

Fredrick balked as she opened it. “I don't want to go out there. We'll fall.”

“No, we won't. I'll go first and I'll catch you. Then we'll go where Papa told us and wait for him and Mommy to come get us. Easy, see?”

Sasha climbed up on the window frame. It did look higher than it had when Papa was there to catch them. But she had to be brave and do what he said.

She turned around and lowered herself carefully. It turned out escaping out the window was less fun than she thought.

Sasha kept lowering herself and finally, she let go. It was only a few more feet to the ground. She stumbled a little, but caught herself.

Fredrick was peering out the window at her. She smiled up at him.

“All right, your turn. I'm right here to catch you.”

He climbed up on the window sill just like she had. Sasha coached him through following the same steps as her. When he let go, he fell right into her arms. The two of them fell backwards to the ground.

Lying on the ground, Sasha could see the roof of their house was on fire. Don't let Fredrick see you're scared, she told herself.

“All we have to do now is stand by the big tree,” she said, helping her brother up. “Papa and Mommy will come find us and everything will be fine.”

“But what about all my toys? My bed? Our Christmas presents?” Fredrick said as they slogged over to the tree through several inches of snow.

“I guess we'll just have to get new ones,” Sasha said. “As long as we're all together, it will be fine.”

She wrapped her arms around her brother as they watched the flames consume the house. The wind bit at them. They shivered from the cold and the snow that was melting into their pajamas.

The minutes ticked by and still there was no sign of their parents. Fredrick started to cry. Sasha refused to, continuing to whisper that they would be here any minute. They had to call the fire department and they'd be right here.

Still they waited, even as the house started to fall in on itself.

This story may have a sad beginning, but don't worry too much. You're forgetting one thing. It's still Christmas Eve.

Santa Claus, the one and only, flew high in the sky, wrapped warmly in his fur coat. He only had one stop left and then he could continue on to Pennsylvania. It was a farm house far out in the country side, the nearest neighbor being a good mile or more away.

The children that lived there, Sasha and Fredrick, were dear little things. Sasha was a responsible child, good at following what her parents told her, sometimes a bit too much. Fredrick was still growing and learning to be brave, but his heart was already bigger than most people twice his age.

Santa smiled to think of it, and of the looks on their faces when they woke up Christmas morning.

The smiled faded as he came into sight of the house. Or what was left of it. The whole thing was on fire, and starting to collapse inward. Sparks were tossed in the air by the wind, only to be distinguished by the snow.

Santa put down the sleigh in the yard. The reindeer tossed their heads, the fire making them antsy. “I need to check this out,” Santa told them. “It'll be fine.”

But he could already tell that there was no hope for the house. He told one of the elves to put in a call to the fire department anyway.

The house wasn't what truly mattered here. Where was the family? Had they gotten out in time?

Santa circled the house, looking for any signs of life. He was about to give up hope when he heard the soft sound of a child crying. If there's one thing Santa can't stand, it's a child crying on Christmas Eve.

He followed the source of the sound and found two small children standing underneath a large tree. Both were shivering, the little boy was crying. The older girl was holding him tightly and murmuring under her breath.

Santa walked up to the two of them and crouched down. “Are you two all right?” he asked.

“Our house burned down,” Fredrick said between sobs. “And we don't know where our parents are.”

“They'll be here,” the girl said, jutting out her chin. “They're coming. They said they would meet us here.”

Santa looked back at the house, his big heart breaking inside. If their parents weren't out here, then they hadn't made it out at all. But how do you tell that to a child, on the night that's suppose to be the most magical part of the year?

There are some things, some wishes, even Santa can't fulfill.

“You're shivering,” he said. “Come get in the sleigh and warm up, then we can see about your parents.”

He picked them both up and carried them back to his sleigh. He pulled the thick blanket from the back and wrapped them up, then handed them two cups of hot coco from his dispenser. A good Santa always has coco in the sleigh.

As Sasha took her cup, she looked up at him solemnly. “Our parents aren't coming, are they?” she said.

“No, they're not,” Santa said, knowing she would rather have the truth than any beautiful lie.

She didn't cry, not then. She nodded, like it was something she had known all along, and finally had it confirmed.

What was he going to do with them? He paced away from the sleigh. Santa knew they had no immediate family. He could drop them off in the nearest city and they would probably be put in the foster system. That's what he should do.

But this was Christmas Eve. It didn't feel right to abandon them like that.

He looked back at the children and an idea formed in his mind. He and Mrs. Claus had tried to have children for many years without success. Maybe out of this tragedy could come something good after all.

Santa couldn't fix every sad child on Christmas Eve, but he could change the lives of these two.

He returned to the sleigh. “I have to get on with my deliveries,” he said.

“Are you going to leave us?” Sasha said. Fredrick had fallen asleep against her already.

“No. If you want, I'll take you with me. You could come live at the North Pole, with me and Mrs. Claus. I know we wouldn't be your real parents, but I hope that we could give you a home.”

Sasha looked up at him with her dark eyes. “Mommy always believed in miracles. I don't know what that is, but I think this might be one.”

“So you want to come live with me?”

“Yes.”

The children woke as the sleigh set down. It had been a long night in many ways.

“Where are we?” Fredrick asked.

“The North Pole,” Sasha said. “We're going to live with Santa now.”

“What about Mommy and Papa? Won't they miss us?”

Sasha turned her brother towards her. “Papa and Mommy are in heaven now and we don't have a place to live. So this is our Christmas present. A new home and a new family.”

Tears glittered in her eyes as she said it. It was impossible to deny reality now. Fredrick was too tired to cry anymore, but there would be plenty of time for mourning later.

Santa bundled the children off the sleigh so the elves could get to work. They were too tired and sad and scared from their night to appreciate the beauty around them.

Elves only their height with pointed ears. Red and white paint so bright it made you want to lick it. Houses built out of gingerbread and peppermint sticks. Hints of magic on every corner.

Santa took them straight to his home, a modest house painted red. He opened the door and took them inside. Mrs. Claus was sitting in the living room, reading while she waited for him.

She looked up and smiled when he walked in. He spoke before she could. “My dear, I have an extra special Christmas gift for you this year. I do hope you like them.”

He drew the children out from behind him. The two of them were still huddled together. Soot was on their faces and they looked pale and frightened.

Mrs. Claus gave a slight gasp. “What...where-”

“The children are exhausted, my dear,” Santa said, leading them forward.

Mrs. Claus put her questions aside. She pulled out some elf pajamas she kept in case of emergency, got the children warm, and put them to bed in their guest room.

Santa and his wife stood by the bed and watched the two sleep. Even in slumber, Sasha had her arm around her brother.

“Where did you get them?” Mrs. Claus said. “You've brought home many surprises over the years, but nothing like this.”

“I arrived at their home to find it burning to the ground. The parents didn't make it, but these two managed to escape. It seemed like fate. I hope you don't mind.”

“Of course I don't. This is the best Christmas present I could ever get.” There was a slight tremble in her voice as she said it. Her Christmas wish had finally come true.

Santa kissed his wife on the forehead and put his arm around her shoulders. It wasn't a perfect Christmas, but it might turn out to be a good one.

From then on, the Claus's did their best to make Christmas Eve an extra special time for the children, to help them escape the sadness. Over the years Fredrick's memory of what happened faded, but it remained fresh in Sasha's mind.

Each year, she would go to the woods, where Santa had helped her build a memorial for her parents. She lit a candle and told her parents all about the past year. Somehow, she knew they heard her.

The Claus's did their best to raise the children as well as their first parents could have wanted. They gave them a loving home, a good education, and taught them how to be a good person, the most important lesson of all.

The year came when Santa decided to pass the torch. Everyone agreed that Fredrick should be the one to be the next Saint Nick. His heart had only grown with him and he had a sixth sense for the needs of others.

Sasha became his right hand woman, making sure the Pole ran smoothly and that everything was ready for her brother on his yearly trip. Together, the two siblings spread Christmas love and cheer to the world every Christmas Eve.

Always remember that something good can come out of even the worst situations. Light can come out of darkness. That's what we call a miracle.