ONE

Behind the snow-frosted window of a shabby cottage stood a brooding young girl with hair as bright as an orange. Unlike many other cottages that were around, this particular shabby cottage was not wondrously decorated with colourful dangling lights. The only object that seemed welcoming was an old and ridden doormat placed outside the front door which beared the letters, 'Wlcom'. Unbeknownst to the young girl, the 'E's were actually eaten by their neighbour's seemingly unfriendly black hound named Custard.

'More like Custard the Bastard, if you asked me,' the young girl's mother would always say with disdain and her eyebrows would furrow as if something foul had magically made its way into her flaccid nostrils.

The brooding young girl was known as Anna and just like any eight year old would, Anna had many questions regarding anything and everything. She had a mind that was filled with curious thoughts and bright imagination.

However, her curiosity was never sated as her questions were always answered very obviously but also, vaguely.

'Mommy, will Daddy come home for Christmas this year?' Anna asked, her voice as innocent as a newly laid egg. She continued to sit by the window, her green eyes shifted and swayed about to take in the beautiful scenery right in front of her. Everything glistened, from the gnarled and twisted trees that were carrying the weight of snow on their branches to her mother's - soon to be buried - musty-looking car.

Anna's mother bit her chapped bottom lip as she placed the newspaper she was reading onto the coffee table. She shot a glance at the young girl, contemplating between two heavy options - to tell a lie or the burdening truth.

After what seemed to be a few minutes, Anna's mother finally replied with a huff, 'I don't know, honey. Maybe next year?'

Anna's mother muttered a curse to herself. She could only give an answer that was drawn between the thin line of truth and falsehood. Anna was still too young to know the bitter truth - the fact that her father was a lying, cheating asshole who ruined their lives.

'That's what you've been saying for the past five years,' the young girl murmured softly, obviously disappointed she was not going to meet the father she never knew once again.

Anna's mother felt her heart ached. The look Anna had plastered on her face every winter was a look a child shouldn't be wearing at all. Anna was supposed to be smiling, not grumbling like an old Scrooge.

'Anna, why don't you-'

The phone rang.

Anna's mother sighed and rushed to pick up the telephone.

Anna watched as her mother mumbled over the telephone. Her eyes trying their best to read her mother's lips. However, she no longer needed to when her mother rushed to the storeroom to get her big winter coat that reminded the young girl of the abominable snowman.

'Mommy, where are you going?' Anna asked. She almost sounded like she was pleading for her mother to stay.

Anna's mother stared at Anna for a short moment, as if forgetting she was even there in the first place.

'Your uncle is having trouble with his car engine and he needs my help. I'll try to be back as soon as I can, okay?'

Anna forced the corners of her lips to curl upwards slightly, forming a tight smile, and nodded. She felt her heart sink as she watched her mother leave the cottage. It was not the first time the young girl's mother had left her home alone but it continued to hurt Anna every time she did so. It only reminded Anna of how lonely she was.

Despite living in a rather friendly neighbourhood, Anna had difficulties socialising with her neighbours. Her neighbours, however, never stopped trying to befriend the young girl. Especially that blonde kid Anna admired a lot, Kristoff.

Kristoff was everything Anna was not. Friendly, outgoing and cheerful. Needless to say, Anna found Kristoff very intriguing and frustrating. She never understood why Kristoff would never stop pestering her despite her rejections to play with him but she greatly appreciated his efforts to include her in his little playgroup.

Although, as much as Anna had admired the blonde kid for a few of his personality traits, she disliked him for disregarding her feelings and emotions.

Whenever Anna rejected his offer to play with him, Kristoff would call her a few names such as scaredy cat, booger brain and worst of all, poopy head. Needless to say, Anna was not exactly very pleased with Kristoff's wide vocabulary of name calling.

Anna despised herself as well for not being able to converse with people (besides her mother) well. Sheesh, she even found it an enormous task to greet her neighbours whenever they came over for dinner.

Anna huffed angrily as she plopped heavily onto her bed.

If only, she wished, if only she had those traits Kristoff had.

If only, she prayed, if only she could be just as easygoing as Kristoff was and befriend the kids in her neighbourhood.

If only, she hoped, if only she could break free of the shell she was in.

The young girl closed her eyes tight shut as she attempted to force herself to sleep until her mother came back.

If only, she dreamt, if only she could make friends with someone who, unlike Kristoff, actually understood and cared for her.

Anna did not know what to expect when she awoke after hearing the sudden echo of a rather feminine sounding yelp, followed by a loud thud in the living room. She rubbed her eyes blearily before dragging her feet out of her room.

'Mommy?' Anna called out as she squinted her eyes. The living room was too dark for Anna to see anything but she could certainly hear someone wincing in pain.

'Ow, I hope that's the last time I ever fall into a chimney on my butt. Oh, well, at least it beats getting stuck in one.'

Anna widened her eyes in shock. That was not her mother's voice at all. Almost immediately, the young girl hurried to switch the lights in the living room on. As soon as they were switched on, Anna gasped and stared wide eyed at the oddly dressed person in front of her.

'Um,' the blonde, clad in a red and green outfit with a belt clasped around her body, stuttered. She uncomfortably adjusted her equally red and green hat and greeted the young girl. 'Hello.'

Anna's legs were rooted to the ground. What was she to do now with this trespasser in her house? She closed her eyes to remember what her mother had warned her.

Never allow strangers in the house, Anna.

Anna bit her tongue. Her mother had never told her what to do when a stranger already made it inside the house. The young girl felt fear coursing through her body as she stood in front of the odd looking person.

'Wh-What are you doing here?' Anna stammered as she peeked open one of her eyes. She had never been so afraid being in front of someone she was unfamiliar with.

'What do you mean what am I doing here?' the blonde answered back as she scratched the back of her head, obviously confused at the young girl's question.

'Are you here to h- hurt me?'

'Hur- Hurt you? By Santa's peppermint cane, no! I- I'm here to deliver a present for a girl called Anna here?'

The mention of her name caused Anna to fully open both of her eyes. Her heart pounded furiously against her chest.

'For me?'

The blonde raised a brow at the young girl.

'Your name's Anna?'

Anna nodded timidly.

'Oh, um, here you go. It's a gift from Santa Claus because you were nice this year.'

'Santa Claus?' the young girl gaped. Her mother had told her stories about the jolly, fat old man who lived at the north pole and made gifts for children who were nice every year. However, as Anna had never received a present for the past few years, she learnt it the hard way that Santa Claus simply did not exist. Today was an exception. Santa Claus had sent one of his helpers to deliver a present for her! One of his- wait.

'You're an- You're one of Santa's helpers! You're an elf!' Anna shrieked excitedly as her eyes shifted to either sides of the blonde's head and unmistakeably, the blonde's ears were sharp and pointed - exactly like what her mother had told her in the stories.

The blonde let out a nervous laugh and pulled the hat down her head to cover the pointy little ears. She had broken one of Santa's important rules - to never allow a human to realise the existence of an elf or anything and anyone related to him.

'No, I am not.'

Anna frowned and crossed her arms beneath her chest. She knew exactly what an elf would look like based on what her mother had told her.

Rather tall, skinny and they had pointed ears. The description matching exactly like the one in front of her.

'You are!'

'No, I'm not. Now, take your present and go back to sleep. Pretend none of this has ever happened when you wake up in the morning,' the blonde stated as she pushed a wrapped gift into the young girl's hands. She then turned away from Anna and towards the fireplace where she got through.

'Wait! Please stay with me,' Anna begged as she fidgeted with the wrapped gift in her hands.

'I have nobody around to spend Christmas with,' the young girl continued. Her crystalline green eyes began to tear up.

The elf quirked an eyebrow and sighed. She had not wanted to give in to the young girl (she wasn't even supposed to) and she blamed it on her heart filled with goodness.

The elf stretched out one of her thin arms and grinned as she introduced herself, 'Greetings, my name is Elsa of the North Pole, one of Santa's seven gift deliverers.'