My Christmas Story for #finishthestory

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.

Rudolph could see The Cold- a shimmering miasma of crystallized vapour slightly darker than the surroundings, making it appear as a moving shadow- It was enveloping Rili. He heard Rili choke as the Cold attacked his breath. "Ru--ud."

The last sound that Rili made as tears froze on his cheeks was calling for him. Rudolph saw himself take a deep swig from the flask, felt the rough liquor burn his throat and cried when he felt the anguish in the cry as he shouted ... "AAAAAAHH This is all Your fault!" He turned and threw his flask at Rili. The flask hit Rili's leg which had already frozen and caused it to crack.

"No! No! This is not... Rili is like my ... family, I fed him and taught him to .... Please stop. STOP!"

Rudolph stumbled and fell, the sensation of falling continued as darkness overwhelmed his thoughts. The next thing he knew was the throbbing pain in his head and his throat being blocked. He gagged and started to cough violently. He made to sit up turning to one side and placing a hand on what he guessed was the cold floor of his cabin. He sat on the floor eyes blinking back tears and only then realized that he was back from his ....dream journey.

He remembered entering his cabin and reaching for the bottle in anger. He had been through most of it when the Ghost had appeared wearing the Santa hat. When Rudy had tried to catch it and hit it, his hand would just pass through. But when it caught him, it dragged him away to the elven village.

It was last year and the Ghost- the Ghost of Christmas Past- made him witness the scene. The elves were gathered to mourn the two young ones lost to the Cold. Santa was speaking about building more light poles and setting up reindeer patrols to safeguard the village. But Rudy was acting brutish and had roused the deer to not take on more work during the busy holiday season. When Santa had stopped Rudy, he had rudely accused him of thinking of elves over deer. When Santa had started to explain his stand, not willing to get into a fight, Rudy for the fear of loosing face started blaming the dead elves for not taking enough precautions. This was the start of growing suspicions between the elves and the deer.

Then the Ghost had delivered him to another like him- The Ghost of Christmas Future. Rudy was taken to witness the future where Santa was too tired to fight the Cold and many elves had died and of the Deer, many had quit and only when he saw Rili being consumed by the Cold, he was allowed to wake up.

Rudolph took a few minutes to heat some water to wash his face thoroughly and thank his luck for getting a chance to correct his mistakes. His first stop was the Evergreen Meadow. Rudolph went up to Vixen as others watched confused, and declared that he was sorry and he would follow Vixen's instructions to the letter if they could give him some work. Then he ran straight to Santa to ask how he could mend his friendship with the elves. Already it felt better. He could feel his warmth and glow return after what seemed years. A shout emanated from deep within.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!"

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