Sunday December 25th, 2011

The exercise:

Merry Christmas to one and all! We're going to keep it straightforward today - your prompt is simply: Christmas.

I hope Santa is kind to all of you. I'm writing this on Saturday afternoon so that I don't have to worry about finding time to do it on the big day. I'm hoping to bring my Christmas week story to a satisfying conclusion today, but I might extend it for one more day if it starts looking a little long.

Mine:

"What in the world is going on, Santa?" Miguel asked as his boss crawled out of the bushes rubbing the side of his head.

"You just hit me in the head with a snowball, from like ten yards away!" Santa replied, clearly unimpressed.

"But what were you doing hiding in there in the first place?" Rosa asked before Miguel could get himself in even more trouble.

"I'm teaching those bloody reindeer a lesson!" Seeing the elves exchange confused glances, he huffed mightily before carrying on. "I was explaining to them last week that it was high time I started training their replacements, what with them getting on in years. Well, they did not like that one bit, no siree!"

"You can hardly blame... er, so what did they do?" Miguel asked, changing tact when he saw Santa's expression darken.

"They disassembled the Sleigh!" Santa shouted, then looked around nervously to see if anyone else had heard. Spotting nobody, he carried on in a whisper, "They're trying to hold Christmas hostage! Well, I'm here to show them that two can play that game!"

"Tough to have the Big Day without Big Red," Rosa said with a nod. Miguel elbowed her in the ribs for sucking up.

"Exactly!" Santa said with a satisfied smile. "So, is everyone in a big panic about me going missing?"

"Er, not exactly." Rosa looked to Miguel for support but he just crossed his arms and looked back expectantly. "You see... um..."

"What is it?" Santa's smile was fading quickly.

"We're kinda the only ones that know you haven't been around."

4 comments:

Greg said...

Well, maybe she isn't proven to be a serial killer yet, but Rosa's still causing trouble! Sounds like there's another day in your story yet, and I like Santa's idea of playing Reindeer Games :)

Christmas
Santa and Frosty approached the source of the explosion as cautiously as two thin men in fat-suits could do. Santa held the cocktail shaker full of Snowball and Frosty was waving the turkey baster around in what he thought was a menacing fashion. Some brightly-wrapped presents were scattered across the floor, and Santa went to kick one out of his way.
"Don't do that!" Frosty's whisper was as sharp as an icicle in the workshop air.
"Why not?" asked Santa, forgetting to whisper, but putting his foot back down.
An eerie, high-pitching tittering filled the air and a falsetto voice echoed around them: "Because it's a bomb and it will blow you all to next Christmas!"
"Michael Jackson? Here?" said Santa, looking around himself wildly.
"No," said Frosty, backing away slowly. "The Elf."

Cathryn Leigh said...

@Marc - You just keep making it harder for me don’t you? (Okay I know too many Mark’s and trying to keep the c marc’s and the k mark’s separate is confusing.)

@Greg – Your lf sounds like Michael Jackson? Now that’s funny.

Christmas
Nick was bundled up in green and red and he trudged over to where Noah and Tina were.
“What do you two think you’re doing?” he asked as he helped the both of them up.
Removing one layer of his clothing he gave Tina a coat. Then he did the same again and wrapped one about Noah.
“Trying to find out what was going to happen to the land.” Noah’s teeth chattered.
“Well get ye both inside for I have to tan your hides.” Nick hustled them into the oak and down through the tunnel in the snow. “There are more ways than one to find things out, without going into the cold.”
“I saw Emily. The girl’s are her children.” Nick was still chattering.
“Where are we going?”
Tina’s question made Noah look around. They weren’t headed to the main cavern. Instead, Nick was leading them down a dark tunnel; away from the oak.
“If you hurry we can make it to the mantle before Emily leaves.”
“The mantle?” Noah asked.
Nick hushed him, and hurried them onward. Soon they were climbing up a ladder as a ticking became louder and louder. Nick slid past them and a narrow platform to open a door. Passing through it they found themselves behind the mantle clock.
“Now, think you two can manage to look like Christmas elves?”

Anonymous said...

12 days of Xmas

I saw him one last time. 
To look at him, you knew the end was nigh. 
His mind was already half way home, his body not far behind.
He knew what he was doing, what was to come, I’m sure. But peace reigned in his eyes, the only trouble he felt was in his body, tired from all the living he had done.
When his time came, the clock had barely ticked over the line from xmas to the next day.
The 12 days of xmas took up a different meaning this time.

Marc said...

Greg - I'm not sure which would be scarier, the murderous elf or MJ. I might have to go with MJ :P

Elor - don't trust those Marks, they're nothing but trouble!

Haha, nicely managed with the prompt yet again. You really rose to the challenge!

Writebite - beautifully written.