5.
Raven stood up, her heart still racing from the previous shock it underwent. She gently brushed the snow away from her knees before she looked down at the little nine-year-old girl standing next to her. She was curling her long brown hair with one hand, a big smile dawned her face from ear to ear. The little girl gave a small giggle, covering her mouth with her other hand.
"Sorry if I scared ya." She apologized, trying to help Raven brush the snow away even though Raven kept swatting at her hand. "My name is Melissa, what's yours?" she continued holding out her hand as if to shake. Raven took it gingerly, then let it go. "Raven" she muttered in her usual monotone voice. She thought a moment, then turned back to the child. "Don't you need to be doing something, like waiting for Santa Claus or something like that." She said sarcastically, waving her hand in the air as if trying to send her away.
Melissa's smile faded. "I USED TO believe in Santa." She whimpered before moving over and sitting on the curb. Raven let out a big sigh before sitting down next to her. "Well, what do you mean?" She asked, looking at her feet.
Once again Melissa's face light up, "I used to love Santa, wrote him every day!" She laughed sadly. "I even gotsa Santa teddy bear in my room." She boasted, Raven's lips beginning to curl into a smile. "Any way, my friends told me their wasn't one, and that I need to grow up and stop acting like a baby." Tears began to trickle down poor Melissa's face as Raven continued to look down at her feet. "Mommy tells me he is real, but I know she only lying to make me happy." She paused "If only I knew he was truly real!"
Melissa rubbed her eyes with her mittens before returning to a smile. "so how come your not with your family on Christmas Eve?" She asked, her hand moving to Raven's shoulder. Raven's eyes once again returned to her feet. "I don't have a family." She answered plainly.
The little girl looked at her in amazement. "No family? You mean your all alone, don't have no body?" Raven looked up from playing with the snow. "I have my friends that I live with." She said defensively, almost as if she were ashamed. Melissa (like most little nine-year-old know-it- all(s) do) shook her head. "Then how come your not with them?" She asked. "Aren't they your family, don't they love you?"
Raven thought for a moment, the snow continuing to fall gently around her. "I...guess...they do." She answered slowly, as if she didn't believe it herself. Melissa shook her head madly. "Then if you have them, and they love you, then can't they be your family?!"
By now Melissa's voice was almost pleading. Inside Raven's head, things were beginning to click. "Yes, my family." She smiled a tiny bit. "Christmas with my family." She continued. "It's what Christmas is all about!" Melissa shouted jumping up and down. Raven was finally beginning to feel the magic of Christmas, the love and joy. "Yes, I'm going to spend Christmas with MY FAMILY." She jumped up, this time almost knocking Melissa over.
Melissa looked down the street. "It's late, I gatta get home." She stated, beginning to walk away. "Thanks." Raven said, smiling for the first time in a long while. "Merry Christmas!" Melissa called, running down the street at top speed. Raven looked on momentarily, then she turned around to face the open street. "Azarath...Metrion...Zynthos!" she shouted, and was off through the air. Somewhere in this city, her family was waiting for her.
Raven stood up, her heart still racing from the previous shock it underwent. She gently brushed the snow away from her knees before she looked down at the little nine-year-old girl standing next to her. She was curling her long brown hair with one hand, a big smile dawned her face from ear to ear. The little girl gave a small giggle, covering her mouth with her other hand.
"Sorry if I scared ya." She apologized, trying to help Raven brush the snow away even though Raven kept swatting at her hand. "My name is Melissa, what's yours?" she continued holding out her hand as if to shake. Raven took it gingerly, then let it go. "Raven" she muttered in her usual monotone voice. She thought a moment, then turned back to the child. "Don't you need to be doing something, like waiting for Santa Claus or something like that." She said sarcastically, waving her hand in the air as if trying to send her away.
Melissa's smile faded. "I USED TO believe in Santa." She whimpered before moving over and sitting on the curb. Raven let out a big sigh before sitting down next to her. "Well, what do you mean?" She asked, looking at her feet.
Once again Melissa's face light up, "I used to love Santa, wrote him every day!" She laughed sadly. "I even gotsa Santa teddy bear in my room." She boasted, Raven's lips beginning to curl into a smile. "Any way, my friends told me their wasn't one, and that I need to grow up and stop acting like a baby." Tears began to trickle down poor Melissa's face as Raven continued to look down at her feet. "Mommy tells me he is real, but I know she only lying to make me happy." She paused "If only I knew he was truly real!"
Melissa rubbed her eyes with her mittens before returning to a smile. "so how come your not with your family on Christmas Eve?" She asked, her hand moving to Raven's shoulder. Raven's eyes once again returned to her feet. "I don't have a family." She answered plainly.
The little girl looked at her in amazement. "No family? You mean your all alone, don't have no body?" Raven looked up from playing with the snow. "I have my friends that I live with." She said defensively, almost as if she were ashamed. Melissa (like most little nine-year-old know-it- all(s) do) shook her head. "Then how come your not with them?" She asked. "Aren't they your family, don't they love you?"
Raven thought for a moment, the snow continuing to fall gently around her. "I...guess...they do." She answered slowly, as if she didn't believe it herself. Melissa shook her head madly. "Then if you have them, and they love you, then can't they be your family?!"
By now Melissa's voice was almost pleading. Inside Raven's head, things were beginning to click. "Yes, my family." She smiled a tiny bit. "Christmas with my family." She continued. "It's what Christmas is all about!" Melissa shouted jumping up and down. Raven was finally beginning to feel the magic of Christmas, the love and joy. "Yes, I'm going to spend Christmas with MY FAMILY." She jumped up, this time almost knocking Melissa over.
Melissa looked down the street. "It's late, I gatta get home." She stated, beginning to walk away. "Thanks." Raven said, smiling for the first time in a long while. "Merry Christmas!" Melissa called, running down the street at top speed. Raven looked on momentarily, then she turned around to face the open street. "Azarath...Metrion...Zynthos!" she shouted, and was off through the air. Somewhere in this city, her family was waiting for her.