I actually intended to release this last year as a Christmas gift, but I kinda sorta forgot about it… Not this year!
I do not own Pokémon at all.
I can barely tug my cart up the crumbling icy stairs, let alone walk. My wares shake and slide and fall all around as the cart wobbles and clatters over the steps, dropping and breaking my entire livelihood.
The hand-carved dolls Papa crafted from pine break in two hollow halves. The clothes Mama lovingly knitted are drenched in the heavy sleet and snow. My books, the portals to worlds I read of for hours at a time, now lie open for nature to obliterate the words that soothed me. Weeks ago, I would've frantically picked them up in hopes of saving them from ruin.
But it doesn't really matter now, since nobody pays heed to the skeletal girl peddling her old life away.
I sigh and sit, ignoring the goods littered around me. The wind bites my cheeks, chewing through the threadbare jacket and gloves and nibbling its way into my boots, only a trip away from falling apart. The tears I've shed and the arctic air have tortured my flesh until it resembled raw meat, frozen until I can't even emote my pain. I hug my knees to my chest and gaze out into winter's open jaw.
The snow's picked up now, whipping around and around like a lacy curtain in a hurricane. A tiny sliver of violet light waves in the wind, the only sign of the village that lies below. Oh how I'd love to join them in conversation and food, before curling up on a seat in front of a fire.
That is if they'd paused to invite me instead of plodding on their merry way.
The violet light's grown with my bitter feelings now, though it's no longer shaking and comes at me more like a speeding locomotive. Is it someone with a flashlight, finally taking notice of me and taking me home?
Alas, it's only a Lampent who just moves to float at my side.
It's no warmer than the drafty stone church I've taken shelter in, but the minute change in temperature is welcome. Even though I still believe Mama when she says that they're Death's servants.
I wonder how many souls it's taken away today. Are they in Heaven or Hell right now?
My body jolts from a blast of ice and I turn my head to find Lampent has run off. As if I needed more to flee from me. I can't make out anything in the blurry gloom before me, save for patches of light illuminating portions of the wall and floor and rough outlines of decomposing furniture. The stained glass windows are marred by angry jagged holes cutting into the faces of the religious figures upon them, still praying amidst their dissolving surroundings.
Is this where I was meant to depart? A church destroyed by God and time, battered forevermore by nature? Will I merely be a generic face amongst the thousands who perish each and every day? Will anyone recognize my name in the obituary page of the newspaper or even comment upon my character hereafter?
My fingers cry out from being clenched tightly for so long in an unnatural state. I wouldn't be surprised if I were to just freeze right where I kneel, with jealousy sprinkled onto my ruined face like bitter herbs. A plaque would stand at my base stating that she was overlooked by society and died cursing those who neglected her.
Though I've a feeling others like me were also forgotten about eventually.
Lampent floats in front of my face, cupping a small marigold flame in its arms like a little peace offering. Its blank yellow eyes don't convey any sign of hospitality, but it doesn't display hostility either. My face warms a tiny bit as I stare longer into the fire, relief spreading slowly to the rest of my body. The flame waves and dances in the wind, but Lampent keeps it illuminated the minute it begins to fade.
Wa - was that Mama's face I saw in the fire a moment ago? Did she really lock eyes and smile at me?
I quickly blink and rub my eyes before looking into the fire once more. The flames have grown a bit more, framing the last picture of me and my parents before… before that time.
My eyes dart up to Lampent. "How do you know?" I ask it. "My parents…" I start choking on my tears.
Lampent subtly tilts its head and coos.
The fire swirls once more and it transforms into the three of us all around a gilded tree with presents overflowing underneath. A small girl, hair braided in two twin tails and clad in a frilly nightgown, sits between her robed parents as they cuddle and read from an enormous book. The walls are festooned with photographs and tinsel and crude paper snowflakes.
Just like years before.
The family before the tree melts into the next image where they dine at a table from an idealistic holiday card. Platters heaped with meat and potatoes and vegetables and the family dressed in their holiday best as they laugh and eat while snow gently falls from outside. I close my eyes and swear that I could smell the fresh biscuits that sat in the basket.
When I look into the fire again, the flames have grown to a wondrous blaze that melts all the cold from my body. I eagerly look into the fire once more at the image of younger me. She is curled up in such a cozy looking bed, surrounded by stuffed Togekiss, Skitty and Buneary, with a look of peace upon her face and a smile gracing her lips.
Papa gets up from my bedside, storybook tucked under his arm and walks out before gently closing the door. Moonlight pools over the little girl from the window above her bed as the night sky starts to light up with millions of twinkly stars.
My own eyes begin to droop and my body grows heavy as it falls to the floor. My eyes close again and even though the icy stone floor stings my cheeks horribly, it doesn't bother me at all.
I feel Lampent grow closer to me until I feel one of its arms caress my cheek in cooling fire and it trills a lullaby in my ear until someone pick me up off the ground with ease.
Baked goods sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar greets my nose and I snuggle into silky robes protecting a gentle beating heart.
My eyes crack open a sliver as I see Lampent float in front as we walk up up up into the sky towards a faint shining star amongst the clouds, as I hear a church choir sing below us.
Happy holidays everyone.