DISCLAIMER: The great and mighty Anthony Horowitz owns all that you recognize.
Lights twinkle.
Ian was always home for Christmas Eve, Alex thought, hanging another ornament on the tree. The varnish gently shone, lit by the fire busily crackling in the hearth. Alex remembered the year Ian had brought the fragile filigree back with him. After he returned from Germany, he thinks, and snorts, because it was so damn obvious at the time but he was too damn obsessed with his oh-so-complicated life that turned out to be quite simple compared to what his life is like now.
Alex picks the next ornament up. It's much older than the last, and crudely made. I made this, he remembers. For Mum, because I thought she could see me from her perch up in heaven. But there's no after, is there? Just emptiness. He shakes his head to clear the thought from his mind.
From the kitchen Jack sighs, a little frown creasing her forehead. She stands, half-hidden in shadow, wondering exactly what was running through Alex's mind. That boy has changed so, she thinks. The microwave beeps, reminding her that the instant cocoa she picked up from the store is a poor substitute for family. The kitchen is lit by flickering candles, a tradition begun in the distant annals of Rider history. She carefully takes the mug out, setting it on the counter to cool while searching for the marshmallows. "Alex!" she calls, "The cocoa's ready."
Alex, startled out of his reverie, moves toward the kitchen. It's dark and he frowns, remembering the last time the kitchen was dark. A troubling, nagging thought comes to mind, and Alex brushes it away, determined not to let anything else cause him to wallow in his misery further. As he crosses over the slight bump between the two rooms that always causes Jack, but never him, to trip, he cocks his head slightly, listening. Silence descends.
In a small room on the other side of the world, a figure faced a window, awaiting the delivery of a package. It would never arrive.
Another figure faced a similar window, this time on a tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea, awaiting the delivery of the same package.
Early Christmas present! I know I've been AWOL for nearly a year now, and I must apologize. You see, the real world caught up. College applications. AP exams. Pesky siblings and nosy parents. In short, the usual.
Well? I thought I'd try my hand at something different, mixing the tenses and seeing how it the story flowed. For those of you wondering about All In the Family, I think I've pretty much given up. My muse has abandoned me for that particular story.
As for the somewhat angsty tone in the beginning, it won't all be like that, promise. I just wanted a nice hook, which obviously worked if you're reading this.
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