Gabriella Claus- prologue
Christmas music played, and voices sang along as each one carried to the sky and over the snow fallen hills. Reindeer, yes reindeer, hoofed at the ground and baby comet was watching Dasher, his older brother take flying trials for the big season. He wanted to fly so bad, but no he was too young. He huffed, and turned around, his hooves clacking on the crunching snow as he walked about the village and stood amongst the elves. "Comet!" his head turned at the voice, seeing the brunette who was wearing a red coat with green faux fur on the hood. Her cheeks were sparkling and also flushed like her nose from the cold.
It was 35 degrees, and it was also considered a warm day up here on the polar north. Comet snuffled, fog coming out of his nose. He loved Gabriella Claus. "Hey boy...you know you're supposed to be with your mama right now, you know that..." Comet shook his head and back away as if she had put a ridiculous hat on his head, Gabriella giggled, and patted his head gently. "I understand about that... you don't like the constrictions to huh? Well," she smiled, "let's go...Jason and Kelsi are having a snow ball fight in the woods and papa is only checking the list...we can have some fun." Comet smiled, and trudged off after Gabriella, she was the daughter of the head elf and she was ...mischeivous.
..::~~*_*~~::..
He sighed, scratched his bearded chin. His droll little chin scrunching like a rabbit as it ate its evening carrot. THe naughty and nice list was...shameful this year. More so than the last 350 years Nicholas has done his job. He's never felt more stressed, this year was by far the worst. He huffed, tossing the list on his desk, and laying his head in his hands. The fire in the hearth burning bright and glowing warmly. His wife, Sophia Montez (she refused to take his last name, because of the days when she went to the town they wouldn't question her about it), came in with a plate of steaming Christmas cookies.
"Something the matter?" she asked, setting the plate down upon his desk and rubbing his thickset shoulders soothingly. Nick sighed, and patted his wife's hands gently, looking into her dark chocolate eyes. His lips twitched and twinged and he rubbed his chin again as he eyeballed the list once more. "The naughty list..." he said, "just look at it..."
Sophia's mouth fell agape when she peeked, she's never seen so many names on the list before. The nice list was always the list that people strived to be on, but really the naughty list was always a maximum of five to ten names, now? It had to have about twenty. "Oh honey," she tsk'd, "I'm sorry...maybe it'll be better next year." Nicholas sighed frustratedly and stood away from the desk,
"It's getting more and more difficult," he hushed, staring out the window and the horizon of white snowcapped moutains. "Children...are not believing as they should be." Sophia sighed, walking over to her husband who was more distraught than ever.
"It's not just you...business for the toothfairy isn't so hot either.." Nick laughed, and turned to his wife and rubbed her nose with an eskimo kiss.
"I love you..."
"hmm you too darling, now, these cookies are for you and I got to make some for the elves."
..::~~*_*~~::..
"Hey!" Kelsi, a cinnamon haired elf with an odd passion for writing music instead of making toys, yelled as a snowball hit her back. Gabriella giggled and hid behind a rock, Comet (the baby reindeer) had ducked behind the same rock. "That wasn't fair!" Kelsi made a snow ball and looked around seeing Jason's raven coloured hair sticking out like a sore thumb against the white of the snow. She hit her target. "Yes! Direct hit!"
Jason jumped from behind his hiding spot and ran at her, engulfing in a hug that would make a bear dizzy. She screamed in joyous delight, but demanded to be put down. Gabriella giggled and stood from hers and Comet's hiding spot as well. She knew Kelsi and him had a thing for each other, she loved her friends and being...well who she was. She wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Ugh. The sights of fake snow everywhere, and the sounds of caroling...it was all just a bunch of noise to Troy's ears. Useless noise, he slouched on the couch in his families living room, messing with his Ipod. His earphones plugged into his ears as he didn't want to listen to the Christmas music his aunt and cousins played nonstop till the end of Christmas. And the fact that his cousin Jezebel couldn't sing worth a damn.
He hated Christmas, he always has since he was...well, he forgot when he started hating it, but he knew that he always has. He was the town scrooge and grinch rolled into one black hearted human being. He didn't want to change and he believed that nothing could change him...nothing.
At all, right?