Darry held tightly onto Pony's hand as he walked him and Soda back down the
street. They'd just been to a classmate's fancy dress party, so Soda was
dressed as a reindeer and Pony (much to his annoyance) as white snow
rabbit. Even though it was well past their bedtime, neither child appeared
tired. Darry knew their was no way he would get either of them into bed, so
was letting them stay up. Anyway, it was Christmas.
"Do you think it'll snow?" Soda asked, as Pony hopped along next to him humming jingle bells.
"It might do," Darry said, not wanting to disappoint Soda. "It's defiantly cold enough."
"I quite like being a rabbit," Pony said thoughtfully, twitching his nose experimentally.
"I told you you'd get used to it didn't I. I bet no one laughed at you either did they?" Darry stopped to pull Pony's rabbit hood up further round his head, the last thing he wanted was him getting sick. Pony giggled as the fluffy trimming tickled his face.
"No," he said. "But people kept stroking my ears."
"Where're we going?" Soda asked, looking hopefully into a doorway blasting music.
"Somewhere away from here," Darry said firmly, catching Soda's look. There were to many people around here, he could smell the unmistakable scent of marijuana quite close by.
"Lets go flying!" Pony yelled, running ahead and spreading his arms to make wings.
"Yeah!" Soda cried, catching on and tearing after his brother. "Up, up and away!"
"Is it a bid? Is it a plane? No, it's Super Rabbit!" Pony shouted, leaping onto Soda's back and attaching his arms round his neck.
Up, Darry thought as Soda made choking noises and tried to shake Pony off. He knew where they could go.
"Right come on guys," he said, untangling Pony and Soda. "We're going this way."
"Why?" Asked Soda, gently massaging his neck. "There's nothing there."
"You'll see," Darry said mysteriously, leading the way.
Ten minutes later they all stood in front of the town's multi-storey car park.
"Darry," Soda began slowly and carefully. "We're in a parking lot."
"Exactly! Now come on, get moving. Don't just stand there like a lemon."
"Actually," Pony whispered in what he thought was a quiet voice. "He's a reindeer."
Darry shook his head in despair and set off up the ramp to the first storey.
By the time they reached the top Soda was dragging his feet and Darry was giving Pony a piggy-back. They all collapsed on the wall surrounding the 6th storey of the car park.
"Darry, I can't breathe!" Soda whined. "Why did you bring us up here?"
Darry got up and pulled Soda up with him. Pony sat up and Darry put his arm around him so it crossed over the front of his chest, making sure he couldn't fall.
"You see that," he said."What is it?" Both Soda and Pony looked confused.
"The city?" Soda answered.
"Yeah and what else?"
"The sky?" Said Pony, looking back at his brother.
"Right," said Darry. "Now you think how many other people are looking at that same sky right this minute."
Everything was quiet as they all thought.
"Lots and lots," Soda said eventually.
"I wonder how many are dressed as reindeers and snow rabbits? Pony wondered out loud, playing absentmindedly with Darry's fingers.
Darry smiled despite himself. "Not many I shouldn't think. But anyway that's not the point. The point is, that there's more to life than just this town. There's a whole world out there, just waiting for you to explore it ok. Do you understand?" Both boys nodded, another thoughtful silence followed.
"Darry," Pony said after a bit. "Do you think Santa's really coming tonight?" He had been wondering about this for a while now, ever since he's seen a man asleep in the library who looked exactly like Santa Clause. If he was asleep in the library, who was making all the presents?
"Of course he is Sweetheart, it's Christmas Eve," Darry replied, giving Pony a squeeze and Soda a jab in the ribs to keep him quiet.
Right at that moment, a shooting star cut through the sky.
"Look! Darry, Soda, he's coming!" Pony yelled excitedly, pointing at the star. Darry and Soda both smiled, and neither of them said a word.
"Do you think it'll snow?" Soda asked, as Pony hopped along next to him humming jingle bells.
"It might do," Darry said, not wanting to disappoint Soda. "It's defiantly cold enough."
"I quite like being a rabbit," Pony said thoughtfully, twitching his nose experimentally.
"I told you you'd get used to it didn't I. I bet no one laughed at you either did they?" Darry stopped to pull Pony's rabbit hood up further round his head, the last thing he wanted was him getting sick. Pony giggled as the fluffy trimming tickled his face.
"No," he said. "But people kept stroking my ears."
"Where're we going?" Soda asked, looking hopefully into a doorway blasting music.
"Somewhere away from here," Darry said firmly, catching Soda's look. There were to many people around here, he could smell the unmistakable scent of marijuana quite close by.
"Lets go flying!" Pony yelled, running ahead and spreading his arms to make wings.
"Yeah!" Soda cried, catching on and tearing after his brother. "Up, up and away!"
"Is it a bid? Is it a plane? No, it's Super Rabbit!" Pony shouted, leaping onto Soda's back and attaching his arms round his neck.
Up, Darry thought as Soda made choking noises and tried to shake Pony off. He knew where they could go.
"Right come on guys," he said, untangling Pony and Soda. "We're going this way."
"Why?" Asked Soda, gently massaging his neck. "There's nothing there."
"You'll see," Darry said mysteriously, leading the way.
Ten minutes later they all stood in front of the town's multi-storey car park.
"Darry," Soda began slowly and carefully. "We're in a parking lot."
"Exactly! Now come on, get moving. Don't just stand there like a lemon."
"Actually," Pony whispered in what he thought was a quiet voice. "He's a reindeer."
Darry shook his head in despair and set off up the ramp to the first storey.
By the time they reached the top Soda was dragging his feet and Darry was giving Pony a piggy-back. They all collapsed on the wall surrounding the 6th storey of the car park.
"Darry, I can't breathe!" Soda whined. "Why did you bring us up here?"
Darry got up and pulled Soda up with him. Pony sat up and Darry put his arm around him so it crossed over the front of his chest, making sure he couldn't fall.
"You see that," he said."What is it?" Both Soda and Pony looked confused.
"The city?" Soda answered.
"Yeah and what else?"
"The sky?" Said Pony, looking back at his brother.
"Right," said Darry. "Now you think how many other people are looking at that same sky right this minute."
Everything was quiet as they all thought.
"Lots and lots," Soda said eventually.
"I wonder how many are dressed as reindeers and snow rabbits? Pony wondered out loud, playing absentmindedly with Darry's fingers.
Darry smiled despite himself. "Not many I shouldn't think. But anyway that's not the point. The point is, that there's more to life than just this town. There's a whole world out there, just waiting for you to explore it ok. Do you understand?" Both boys nodded, another thoughtful silence followed.
"Darry," Pony said after a bit. "Do you think Santa's really coming tonight?" He had been wondering about this for a while now, ever since he's seen a man asleep in the library who looked exactly like Santa Clause. If he was asleep in the library, who was making all the presents?
"Of course he is Sweetheart, it's Christmas Eve," Darry replied, giving Pony a squeeze and Soda a jab in the ribs to keep him quiet.
Right at that moment, a shooting star cut through the sky.
"Look! Darry, Soda, he's coming!" Pony yelled excitedly, pointing at the star. Darry and Soda both smiled, and neither of them said a word.