The War On Christmas - Finish The Story #68
The War On Christmas
“He just marched in and fell down on his bunk,” Tili the elf began. “Hasn’t said a word. He’s been staring at the wall.” Rili thanked him and opened the door to the worker’s dorm. Gili sat, his legs curled up to his chest, rocking back and forth, staring at the wall in the half-lit room.
“Hey Gili,” Rili said. He stepped inside the dorm and pulled up the blinds. “Heard you weren’t feeling too good. What’s wrong?”
Gili said nothing. He continued staring, his elvish eyes a shade of absence, black circles hanging beneath them.
Rili stepped forward and put a hand on Gili’s shoulder. “I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me, Gili,” he said. “What’s wrong? What’s the matter?”
Gili turned his head to Rili, as if noticing him for the first time. The light slowly returned to his eyes. “What’s wrong?” Rili asked again.
“You won’t believe what I caught Santa doing…” Gili whispered.
Rili stormed out of the dorm, Tili chasing his heels down the shoddy hallway to the creaky elevator. “Well?” Tili asked. “What did he say? I heard him whispering.”
“We need to get a hold of Rudolph. Now,” Rili said.
“What? Rudy? What’s the matter?” Tili asked, the nervousness building in his voice.
“Do you still remember how to use a cane spear?” Rili asked.
“A cane spear? We haven’t used one of those in a thousand years…”
“I want every able bodied elfman and elfwoman out in front of the workshop, armed with a cane spear at sundown.” Rili smashed the elevator call button repeatedly.
“That’s crazy,” Tili said. “What’s happening?”
The elevator doors opened and Rili, foreman and village chief of the Northern Elves entered. “Santa’s dead,” he said.
“And the Cold has claimed him.”
The elevator closed. Tili collapsed to his knees. “My god,” he
whispered out loud. “It can’t be.”
The darkness of the hallway terrified him. Indeed, it seemed to call to him. Begging him to wander inside of it. Tili, for the briefest moment, heard a sound that, despite not seeing it, instinctively conjured an image into him mind. Of a skull, laughing.
Rudolph drew the arrow, firing it into the target. It flew straight enough, but landed just outside the rim. He swore, trying to load the bow again. But the booze was rising hard, now. And he fumbled with the arrow and it landed on the snow. “Damn this piece of shit,” he mumbled. “God damn elvish piece of shit.”
“Suppose it’s not a good time,” Rili said, wandering in from the frost clouds of the Northern Plains. “Not happy with our trinkets?”
“An elf couldn’t make a proper train or sleigh, let alone a bow and arrow.” Rudolph spat on the ground. “What business have you with me, little one?”
“The Cold has returned,” Rili said. “It’s consumed Claus. The wife is missing as well. Darkness settles upon the city.”
“And you expect my help?” Rudolph asked, lighting a cigarette. “You think the deers have any skin in this game?”
“I do,” Rili said, fixing his boo-bit-y cut-sy red hat against the frigid arctic winds. “I’ve called my elves people for the fight. Ordered them out in spears. We’re storming Claus’ manse at sundown in hopes to catch him off guard. He’s consuming us, Rudy. Eating elfmen and elfwomen both. Like little gingerbread people.”
“Yeah, well that’s not my problem.” Rudolph picked up his bottle of vodka, staring at the picture of his long-dead deerwife. “It’s yours.”
“What happened to you, Rudy?” Rili asked. “You used to be something. A leader of your people. And now look at you. Lost in grief over a deer that cared for you not.”
Rudy guzzled more of the vodka, his red nose beginning to illuminate a hint of ruby light. “What do you know?” Rudy shouted, his eyes narrow in anger. “What does an elf know about love?”
“Enough to fight for it, Rudy. We need you. We need you and the deers.”
“The deers…are gone.” Rudy looked away, chugging the vodka and wandering off into the snow.
“I know you, Rudy!” Rili called after his old friend. “And this isn’t you!”
Rudy hesitated, his outline fading against the coming snows, before running off. Rili followed him as far as he could before the snows consumed him.
My entry
The sky was overcast that day, it seemed to further obscure the confusion and lack of communication present.
"We don't know what we're dealing with here, this is crazy, unthinkable bullshit."- Rili mused quietly.
It was as if he was trying not to be heard because of the Cold. For some time now, everything at the Pole had become a mystery, gossip, and rumors.
"Nothing is like before, Tili, we have to accept it and process it. Better yet, we need to alert all the elves that Santa is trying to end Christmas. That seems to be this year's slogan that threatens to destroy us: Without Santa, there is no Christmas, is a mockery to us."
"I say Santa is haunted, Rili. His last trip around the world didn't go well,"-declared Gili, as she rocked with her legs crossed as she always did
"Don't fall for any of that elfin bullshit, guys. The fantasy crossed their minds in the dark. It's not the spells that haunt humans, but the lack of them-replied Rudolph somewhat boring- They no longer believe in magic and fantasy that's what We carried with Santa every year, around this time. Now, he's not willing to go and he hasn't told anyone what's going to happen, who he's going to give the baton to because he doesn't want to lead."
"That's the evil he brought from there and it seems contagious... It is not done and it is not left make, and here it is on its way to debacle because disinformation is the breeding ground of conspiracy".
"There's a breeding ground? I'm hungry!"-said Tili.
"What a broth or what eight quarters! I'm not talking about food! -For the first time, Rili raised his voice and felt his gift of command.
Tili, embarrassed, tried to cover up his mistake with elusive excuses in his childish tone: "Excuse me, I'm hungry. Hey! You can be a candidate, Rili. Rudy and the other deer would support you!
"What a candidate or what eight quarters! That's what we're all about now, even we, drawing conclusions based on rumors instead of going and asking."
"Ask what?- he was quick to say Tili- It's already known throughout the kingdom that Santa won't be traveling this Christmas."
"But where did the information come from?"-He chewed even more boringly, Rudolph, yawning uncontrollably, as the alcohol hangover was at its peak.
"There are those who claim that from Mrs. Claus"
The day before, at Mr. and Mrs. Claus' house...
"I tell you, Snow White, the world is unrecognizable. No more magic. There are no dreams, no wonder in the face of mysteries. No one believes in anything anymore. No one trusts anyone anymore."
"I always told you it was like that, but you were always so confident and with so much faith, waiting for a change in them. And you found it now, but for the worse."
"It's not about better or worse, woman, always looking for the dark side to the light."
"Light? The only clear thing is that you live for them and they don't appreciate you."
"It's that I don't pursue their appreciation, woman. I'm after their heart and their mind. People have forgotten that Christmas is not about presents, Christmas is about dreams and memories. They forgot to dream about natural magic, now everything is virtual."
"It takes acts of faith to redeem mankind, Santa. If you no longer believe, you must not travel. Maybe that will make them react...Be missed!"
"I'll think about it... I feel like I'm not contributing to that. But I know that I must do something dramatic to rescue the collective memory, the one that feeds on dreaming, living and doing, instead of seeing, hearing and texting. People today are like robots isolated by a technological wall, the closer they are to it the more distant they are, tied to online social networks and with very little to say to each other, skin to skin".
"I insist that you must not expose yourself again, they lost the magic that sustains this place and with that, they take away your identity, Christmas Claus...Listen to the carol: Christmas... White and Christmas. Even that, they forgot that you and I are those spirits that encourage them to be better people.
"No, woman, the carol doesn't say 'White and Christmas', but 'White Christmas', referring to this magical place and not to us. We are the bearers of a miracle, not the miracle, and that is why we cannot stop laughing and praying, even if everything looks artificial."
"I insist again, we must set a precedent, we must teach, not everything can be based on their sacrifice, even those of this Kingdom must be shaken. If they continue to make toys that feed the virtual magic, they will add fuel to the fire. You told me that people no longer speak face to face without a device. There's no human warmth, no hug, or kiss.no real affection, and that's contagious Santa. Action must be taken. I'm gonna show you that you're Christmas, and if you miss it, tradition dies.
Don't intervene, woman. I will see how I can deal with the apparent apathy of these times, I have faithful people to trust, people who help me and expect me to solve this passing crisis. Out there are my elves waiting for a sign from me, my deers: quick magic companions who know the path of dreams by heart. There is no way you can shake their faith in me to bring the light of the spirit of Christmas all over the world. That is our mission forever and ever.
The time of Christmas Eve is approaching, and Rudolph arrived screaming outside Santa's cabin:
"Santa, Santa! Get out of there, you old coward! How come the elves are saying you won't take Christmas all over the world like you always do? Who do you trust then?"
Santa came out rolling up a blanket and with the sweetest voice on the planet, he said:
"Oh, Rudy, my beautiful deer, drinking again? No son, don't fall into that evil vice. It makes you hallucinate... Where do you get these conspiracy stories? My elves are loyal vassals like my deer. I love them, I bless them, I honor them all, and I apologize for the lack of communication."
And his loving word became a light that illuminated all the darkness, from the coldest of all, the cold of the Soul. The Pole shone with a beautiful aurora borealis that embellished the sky with the colors of Peace illuminating all hearts. Love, that was the sign that there would always be Christmas forever and ever.
The magic of Christmas was activated and everything and everyone was ready to jump in with the Faith that despite the problems there is always a chance for truce, rectification, and enjoyment of what is worthwhile: Love for the Family, Solidarity with those who have less, Respect for diversity, Tolerance for adversity, Resilience to face pain, Forgiveness for those who do not love us well, Union, and Peace, Harmony and Prosperity for all beings of goodwill. : HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A FORTUNATE NEW YEAR 2020!
27/12/2019
In response to the @bananafish Finish The Story Contest #68. The Prompt, or beginning of the story, was written by @dirge. If you're interested, find out here
Images are from Pixabay:
The Peace by SutoriMedia
Peace-dove by Geralt
Banner Mizu no oto and finish the story, credit by @f3nix of the tribe @bananafish.
Separators:
Cat
Simplemente Gracias
For your kind reading, simply THANK YOU
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