Jingles ran as fast as he could, the tracks were so far apart, was it hopping he thought or was it just really tall? It wasn't long before he saw another mound of snow.
He could hear his brother angrily running behind him "Why did you just run out of another conversation!?"
"Stop!" Jingles held out his arm, stopping Snowflake from taking another step.
"Are you listening?" Snowflake was catching his breath.
Jingles got excited "Look! It's like a bowl. It was inside this mound of snow, just like the snowman." He looked up and saw one long sliding mark in the snow. It had slid down the hill and into the snowbank. Jingles felt his arms tingle, but he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the thrill.
Snowflake was still angrily mumbling to himself, till Jingles pointed to the hill. Like Snowflake had read Jingles's mind, his eyes lit up. The two looked at each other in wonder, and both eager to see the what thrilling trials await on the top.
They climbed up the steep hill, often slipping and sliding a few feet down. Jingles and Snowflake could feel snow finding it's was into their shoes and static electricity raising the peach fuzz on their arms. The more they climbed the less they could feel their fingers and faces. Jingles stopped and sat for a moment, skipping breakfast was getting to him. The poor elf was seeing sparkles that were twinkling in his eyes. His head and stomach hurt, and Jingles then wondered if he could go on.
"What time do you think it is?" he asked.
Snowflake looked up and saw the sun slightly in the west "One, maybe two o'clock."
"I think we skipped lunch." said Jingles rubbing his eyes.
"Were almost to the top, then we can slide back down and be home in no time." His brother reassured.
Jingles sighed as he got up. He then climbed with Snowflake to the top. Almost to the peak of the hill the sliding mark just stops.
"What!" Jingles was wondering if he was seeing things.
"Look at the top!" Snowflake pointed, "it looks like it was sitting and then fell over."
Jingles crawled up to the top to find that it was true "and," he added "then it slid down the hill into the mound."
"Then walked to the snowman." Snowflake was grinning at the realization of it all
Jingles looked over the other side of the hill "Do the tracks go any farther?"
Snowflake turned around "No, I don't think so."
"That's strange, why does it stop?"
"Maybe it can fly!" Snowflake exclaimed.
Jingles laughed "That's a good idea, but I don't think it can fly."
"Why not?" His brother questioned.
"Because," he began "It wouldn't have to run on rooftops to get into our room, It could just fly into our room."
"Then where did it come from, it can't just fall from the sky."
Jingles sighed again "I don't know, we'll find that out later."
He turned around and saw Christmas Town, but it was somehow different. Blanketing the town was the wonderfully white snow. Underneath were tiny houses all ready for Christmas. In the center of it was the tall and marvelous Christmas tree. On it, the lights were still visible and the star was happily resting on top. It all seemed more fascinating to Jingles on the hill than it did out his own bedroom window. The two of them were oohing and awing at the wonderful sight. Before Snowflake and Jingles knew that they were leaning forward, they fell.
The icy wind rushed past them as they slid down the hill. First it was terrifying, then they began to smile and laugh as the raced down. Crash! They slipped into the snowbank. Jingles was snapped wide awake once the snow ran up his pants.
"Cold!" Jingles yelled "Cold cold cold! Freezing cold!"
Snowflake joined his brother in his hop-dance "Snow in my shirt!" he yelled.
After a minute or two they got the snow of of their clothes. As they were walking past the Van Snow's Store, Jolly called to them "Hey, you kids!" he yelled.
"What!" the two yelled back in unison.
"Come here!" Jolly was standing in front door of the store waving his hand. The two walked up to Jolly who had a worried look on his face. "Did you guys see an umbrella when you were up there?"
They shook there heads and Jingles asked "What does it look like?"
"Well" he said "It looks like it has a candy-cane handle and it has green fabric.
"We'll tell you if we find it." Snowflake smiled as the two boys walked home.
Jolly smiled back "Thanks anyway."
The two Tinsel brothers walked on home. As they arrived Mother was on the porch. It was hard to tell what she was feeling, she looked angry, but then again she looked troubled. Once Mother had meet eyes with her two sons she leaped off the porch and hugged the boys.
"Where were you two!?" she angrily asked "You didn't come in for lunch!"
"Sorry," said Jingles "I guess we had so much fun playing that we forgot to come back home."
Snowflake have a surprised look. Jingles wonder why until a second later, he had lied. They weren't playing, they were investigating! Getting Mother worried was one thing, but lying puts children in the world on the naughty list. What would happen if Santa found out that he lied? An elf, lie!
Mother, not seeing the lie, brought the two inside and showed them to the table. The smell of the food was almost impossible to resist. Jingles didn't even remember what he ate, he just remembered stuffing it in his mouth. When they were done Jingles felt stuffed and satisfied. Jingles cleaned his plate and then zoomed up the stairs into the bedroom. The room was empty and everyone was outside playing.
"Why did you do it?" Snowflake said with his arms crossed. He had just enter the room.
Jingles had no idea what he was talking about "What?"
"Why did you lie?"
The question shocked Jingles. Why did he lie? Jingles frowned, he didn't like being accused "It wasn't really a lie," he said "it was summarizing what had happened."
"Listen to yourself!" Snowflake yelled "Ever since this morning, you haven't been acting normally! Stop it, or Santa will take you away!" Snowflake threw off his scarf behind the door and sighed as he began to walk out of the room "Maybe you really are bad."
Jingles had never see so much wrath in someone before "What about the hopping snowman?" he asked hoping that he wouldn't lose the only person who believed him "Or what the Kris sisters saw?"
Snowflake sighed, shaking his head he said in a whisper "I'm gonna have to think things over." Snowflake opened the door and walked out silently.
Jingles hid himself under the covers and began to think. Why did I say that? he asked himself. I could have just told Mother, then I would still have Snowflake to help me. Jingles was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He had no idea what to do.
Jingles heard stories about what happened to naughty elves. He knew that a bad elf couldn't make toys or bake cookies or tend to the reindeer, It wouldn't work. Having naughty elves making things for nice children, then giving coal to the naughty kids? It just isn't fair to the kids of the world! So to keep bad elves from spreading their naughtiness, Santa would tell them to take their things, then he would put them on the sleigh, and that elf was never seen again. Jingles didn't want that to happen to him. Would it be safe to continue his search for to soot-covered snowman? He didn't know.
Jingles's eyelids began to get heavy and it wasn't long before sleep got the best of him.
As he dreamt he kicked and squirmed. Jingles was have the same dream he had the night before. Most everything was the same, but somehow more frighting. The snowman didn't roar, but yelled 'What's this' and all of the evil toys were after him. Jingles tried to run as fast as he could but they caught him. He woke up in a sweat with Mother and a few of his siblings looking at him.
"What are you doing?" Jingles asked.
Mother went to hug him "Snowball and Star told me that you were kicking in your sleep."
"What's so bad about that?" Jingles hoped that she didn't have an answer.
She leaned in close and said "I thought you were having another bad dream."
Jingles had to think. He couldn't lie to Mother again, especially with Snowflake watching. With a sigh of random sham he said "Yes, I had a bad dream."
To Jingles surprise, Mother squeezed him with all her might and said worriedly "Oh my baby. I'm going to call the doctor right now."
"Wait! Why?" Jingles exclaimed.
"I want you to be healthy, and I don't think bad dreams are healthy." Then without saying more she ran down the stairs to call the doctor. Following her was some of his siblings.
Jingles groaned then looked at Snowflake, who remanded in the room, and asked him "What time is it?"
Snowflake sighed "A littler after five. It's about time for dinner."
"I'll get up then." Jingles climbed out of a bed.
Snowflake sighed again.
Turning his head Jingles said "What?"
"Oh um," Snowflake looked a like what Jingles felt. Abandoned and sorry "I just wanted to say something."
"What?" Jingles repeated.
Snowflake took a deep breath "I just wanted to say sorry."
Jingles began to worried about his brother "Why?"
"Because," he started "I felt... well... I feel..."
"bad?"
"Ya," Snowflake said "bad. I feel bad about getting mad at you."
"It's fine." said Jingles feeling a bit better about himself.
"I still think what you're doing is still... different." he paused to think "not bad just, different."
Jingles laughed "It's fine, I think I'm different too."
There was a silence that filled the room. Jingles had a feeling inside him he didn't like, it was like his heart was beating itself up, making him feel like he had a heavy rock on his chest weighing him down. A small and barely noticeable voice in the back of his head said to apologize. So Jingles took a deep breath and with a sigh said "I'm sorry too." he still felt sorry, maybe he needed to say more than just that, "I'm sorry about lying." still not enough "I didn't want Mother knowing about what I was doing. I lied and I'm sorry."
Before Jingles could say more Snowflake smiled and said "Just try not to do it again."
"You forgive me?"
"I have too," Snowflake got a wider grin "I'm your brother."
From downstairs Mother's voice rang out "Jingles, Dr. Merry is here to see you!"
Snowflake looked at Jingles and said "I wonder what Dr. Merry will do about your dreams?"
"I don't know," said Jingles nervously "but let's hope it doesn't hurt."
