Chapter 3: Nightmare Before Christmas

A dream! It must all be a wonderful Christmas dream!

Wendy spun in circles, trying to see everything. Christmas candles with golden flames! Christmas cookies, cakes, pudding, and punch! Christmas ornaments swinging from crystal chandeliers! Christmas carols put to dance! Christmas presents wrapped every imaginable color with glittering ribbons and waterfall bows. Christmas evergreens scenting the winter air! Christmas ladies dressed in reds, cranberries, purples, and pinks. Christmas gentlemen decked in greens, emeralds, midnights, and blues.

Christmas here! Christmas there! Christmas, Christmas everywhere!

Bubbling with happiness Wendy wove through the crowd, looking for her mother.

At first, she was confident. Unhurried and unworried, she ambled happily, listening to snippets of conversation.

"—dear me Dr. Doppler! What a terribly droll mask! – "

"—much up-to-do with the business report this quarter, eh Mr. LaBouff? –"

"—Scrumps! Stephan! Hiccup! Stephan! Come toast some Christmas punch! – "

"— Admiral! Oh Admiral Triton! Yuletide Sir! Yuletide! Surprised as all to see you Sir! Haven't seen hide nor hair of you since…since poor, poor Athena – "

"—Eggnog, eh? Strong is it?—"

"—after all Ms. Deville tis the season to be jolly –"

"—ah, met our lovely host Mr. Darling have you Mr. McDuck? No? Works at your bank he does, and – oh there he is now! George! George!"

Wendy jumped. Ducking from her father, she took refuge behind the Christmas tree. Squeezing the diamond earring, she waited. As her father stumbled through small talk with Mr. McDuck, Wendy relaxed. Slowly she settled, spying for her mother amongst the glamorous couples.

"Well, well, well. A stole away?"

Wendy jumped. Two people, a man and woman, appeared behind the evergreen boughs.

Both wore masquerade masks. But they were not the jovial ones donned by other guests. The woman's, black and green, was a dragon snout. The man's mask was a pirate, full faced and painted with a sickening smile.

Wendy glanced. Her father was still conversing. Her mother was still nowhere in sight. Trapped, Wendy turned, remembering that she was supposed to always act like a lady.

"No Sir. Kind Sir." Wendy replied. She curtsied, one eye on her father. "My name is Wendy Darling. I live here, you see." She displayed the earring, as evidence. "I'm looking for my mother. She…um…she left her earring in my r…um…upstairs."

The dragon lady laughed. The pirate spoke. "What a good little girl you are, Wendy Darling." Slowly, the pirate rounded the tree. "Father Christmas will surly bring you a….surprise."

Wendy stepped back. The nettles prickled into her neck as the pirate advanced, one hand hiding in his pocket.

"I…I…um…"

"Why not be good girl, again?" The pirate whispered, poking his fake face at her. Behind the mask, two aquamarine eyes flashed red. "Tell me…"

Slowly, the pirate slid his arm from his breast pocket. "Were you born…on the Autumnal Equinox?" He pressed closer. One finger hooked under her chin. Something sharp glittered from his red pocket. "September twenty first?"

"Y…ye….y—" Wendy stumbled. Ornaments twinkled and fell as she slid over the boughs and landed with a whump.

"Oh dear! Oh heavens how cute! Ladies! Ladies! Come look see!"

Soft, glowing faces covered Wendy with gentle squeals. Wendy turned. The pirate and the dragon lady had slunk behind the Christmas tree and disappeared.

"Awwwwww!"

Bustles, lace, and petticoats ballooned around her. Flustered, Wendy froze as a flock of beautiful women purred, patted, and pinched.

"Oh, my! Look girls! Look! All rosy and pink in her nightie!"

"How. Cute. Were you sleep walking?"

"Precious little piglet!"

"It's been such a while– dearest, look how lovely and long your hair has grown!"

"What were you doing behind that tree? Tsk! Tsk! Sneaking peaks at presents were you?"

"Naughty! Naughty! Father Christmas has that list you know!"

"Little munchkin!"

"Bitsy birdie!"

"Wendy."

The ladies parted. Sternly but softly, Mary Darling strode through the gaggle. Two adults, both with chocolate-colored skin and caramel eyes, followed.

"Mary! Oh Mary!"

Forgetting the earring, Wendy buried her nose shyly into her mother. Soothingly, Mary lifted her daughter as the women crooned.

"Oh Mary! Is this your little piglet! Your little birdie! Your little munchkin!"

Regally as a swan, Mary regarded the ladies. Gently, she stroked Wendy's back. "No…this is my little lady."

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!"

"Well that's enough of that! Go on! Go on now you floozies! Let the child be!"

The ladies dismissed, rather huffily.

Mary bit back a smile "Eudora. Bless you. But those are my guests."

"And do we look like the hosts?" muttered Eudora, taking her husband's arm. She glared over her Champaign flute. "Bunch o' nitwits."

Mary laughed. Repositioning her arms around Wendy, she grinned. "Eudora, Eudora! How hard you jest! If Sarah were here…the two of you…together?"

Mary winked as Eudora's husband blew through his cheeks. "…I can only imagine!"

"Well…" Smugly, Eudora smiled. Spinning her glass, she suddenly frowned. "Speaking of Sarah – where is that girl? It's been forever since we've had girl's night!"

Mary paused. "Sarah is…with Sinbad." she finally said, voice dropping with worry. "They…needed…to talk."

"Mmmmm-hm." Eudora pursed her lips. Secrets were clearly being kept. Distastefully, she glanced out the window. "Sinbad. Hmph. Wish they hadn't eloped. Why, if I had been there when that preacher said 'If any of you has reasons why these two should not be married,' boyyyy let me tell you, I would have spoken my piece so loud it would have shaken the bad right out of Sinba – "

"—Eudora!" Mary interrupted, glancing pointedly at her daughter. Shaking her head, she adjusted Wendy on her hip. "Wendy? Wendy, you remember Eudora and James? Tiana's mother and father?"

With a little coaxing, Wendy looked. Glancing once at her mother, she nodded shyly at the couple.

"How do you do?"

Eudora and James smiled. Exchanging a look that said 'She is SO her mother!' they returned to the little girl.

"Pleasure as ever, young lady." James said, taking Wendy's hand. He kissed her fingers and smiled when Wendy giggled. "Expecting you at my house in a few days! December twenty first! Christmas cookie baking time!"

"Oh yes." Mary beamed. "Yes I did write that on the calendar. December twenty first – Sarah's brining Jim for his birthday. Wendy, you and Tiana will get to make a new friend. And cookies!"

"Sounds like fun to me!" Eudora said, popping out a hip. "So long as someone else does the dishes!"

They laughed. Warmed by the circle of friends, Wendy failed to notice her father.

"Wendy! Wendy Moria Angela Darling!"

Wendy looked up. "Uh oh."

"Uh-oh is certainly right, young lady!" Nodding apologetically to Eudora and James, George Darling stared crossly at his daughter. "Wendy. What did I say about leaving the nursery? Bedtime means bedtime! And it means bedtime until morning!"

"George…" Mary placed a hand on her husband. "Dear. Don't be cross. Wendy was only brining me something." Her eyes twinkled. "Weren't you, Wendy?"

Wendy blinked. Thinking she'd seen the pirate and dragon lady, she suddenly remembered the earring.

"Oh. Yes." Glancing once more over her father's shoulder, she lifted the earring. "Here it is."

"Thank you, my darling. George, could you fasten…oh listen!" Mary tilted her head. She smiled a music picked up pace.

"George! George this song! Oh George I love this song!" Taking her husband's hand, Mary carried Wendy onto the dance floor. "Please. One dance."

George straightened his glasses. "Oh, well, Mary, I hardly think in front of Mr. McDuck—"

"Just one!" Mary laughed. "George! It's almost Christmas!"

"Go!" Eudora urged. Smiling, she snuggled besides James. Lovingly, they watched the Darlings hold hands around their daughter. Eudora shook her head. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. Mary Darling, you are full of so many surprises girl!"

The Darlings danced. Bopping up and down, Wendy wrapped both arms around her parents. At last! It was starting to feel like Christmas!

With a jazzy trumpet blast, the song ended. Bashful in the audience's praise, Mr. Darling stooped his way off the dance floor. Cheeks pink, he blew his wife a kiss.

The kiss was caught. Laughing, Mary twirled with Wendy in her arms, pausing only to sprinkle butterfly kisses with pale eyelashes. James and Eudora joined them, waltzing to a Christmas carol.

Wendy hugged her mother. Mary hugged Wendy.

Then, Mary saw the hook.

"May I cut in!"

"Wendy!"

It happened fast. Cruelly and unfairly fast.

Wendy heard her mother scream. For a second, she felt her mother's embrace as if to press her into her heart. Then, she fell. Pushed away, she reached but slipped from her mother.

The chandelier smashed. The candles hissed black. Mouths screamed. Faces streaked.

"Oh dead! Oh dead!"

"Men! To me – after them!"

"Come on mates – follow Admiral Triton!"

"Dead! Oh it's James! He killed James! Trying to protect her!"

"Protect who? Who is it? Who is it?"

"Look! Oh god! She's dead! DEAD!"
"Who? WHO?"
Wendy turned. Time slowed as starlight shimmered over Mary Darling like a veil.

"…mother? Mother?"

"Wendy!" Two hands hugged her. Two more covered her eyes. "Wendy! Honey don't look. Honey come this – "

Wendy hit the hands. Ripping away, she ran to her mother.

"Mother! Mother!"

The starlight swelled. Mary Darling stared at her daughter with hollow, bottomless eyes. Green sparkles crackled over her perfect, slender body, sizzling over the hook embedded in her chest.

Wendy screamed. "MOTHER! MOTHER!" She held her mother's hand. She touched her mother's hair. "MOTHER! PLEASE! MOTHER – "

"Someone get the girl!"

"Wendy! Wendy come! Come on now – "

"NO!" Wendy fought as Dr. Doppler carried her away.

Screaming, she reached through the starlight as Mary Darling's soul lifted into heaven.

"MOTHER!"