The wind was blowing around the North Pole, and Santa hoped it would ease soon as he needed to get the sleigh decked out for the run on Christmas day. It had been held in storage for the last eleven months whilst the reindeers where kept in the stable feed by the elves. His boots crunched as he walked up to the door. On opening the door he wiped the snow from them before the wife complained.
“Is it still snowing, dear?”
“Yes it looks like its set in for the week,”
“On no you’ll miss the big day and then all the children will be unhappy,”
“It’s beyond me why it’s snowing the forecast by the fairies was for cold bright days till the twenty sixth,”
“Has Tommy been in contact with the fairies?”
“He can’t get through there seems to be a problem with the contact,”
“Not again. I’ll have some dinner then go out in the snow flier,”
“You will get there and back in that with this snow,”
“It’s made to fly in this weather and take me to the fairies,”
“If you say dear,”
Santa sat down in his large comfy chair and switched his magic television on. This was tuned in to the Earth so he could keep up with the times and to see who was been naughty and who was been nice. This day it was the European channel he was on mainly France. The Television translated all that was said so he didn’t have to learn a new language every time. The children were still at school so they were mostly been good the red lights that showed Santa who was bad were down this ear. Mind you they had got those new games to play now. So Santa chose those that were been naughty to watch. One lad was play hooky from school that would mean four lumps of coal. It was going to be boring for now till Mrs. Santa served up the dinner. He hoped it wants carrots again or mince pie for pudding. The warm cup of hot coco would be nice too Mrs. Santa always knew how to make one.
Santa put on his thick coat after dinner and made sure he had his own mobile phone which was magic and made sure he could phone home even in the worst weather.
“I am going to the flier now dear,”
Mrs. Santa turned and gave him a long warm hug and kiss.
“You take care out there I know it’s built for rough snow but I will still worry about you,”
“I’ll be ok dear,” Santa let out one of his hearty laughs just to show how relaxed he was.
He put his black boots on again. On opening the door he saw that there was a blizzard blowing outside it was a good job the elves had made him the locator and shield so he could work in the blizzard there was at least three Christmases not missed. Santa switched the shield on then the locator and saw the outhouse where the flier was stored for use. He walked through the high snow. Reaching the outhouse the door slid open side ways to revel the warm garage with in. Teddy the Elf was working on the flier reading it to go.
“Is it up and running Teddy?”
“Yes Santa the radar is good and I have improved the feed for the reindeer poo feeder,”
“Now Teddy you know better than that you don’t want a lump of coal again,”
“Sorry Santa the feeder is working,”
“Good at least it is green and I don’t upset the Earth with this,”
“The fairies and Mother Earth are happy about that Santa,”
“Yes I know. Now I have to go to their castle in the air and find out what is wrong with the weather for this year’s run,”
Santa sat in the saucer shaped craft and turned on the equipment. A light filled the cockpit so that he can see the dials. The craft hovered up onto the air that was blown from vents at the bottom. Santa saw Teddy give him the thumbs up, which meant the doors were now open and ready for him to exit. He couldn’t see anything at the end of the slope apart from snow falling. Santa gave a thumb up back at Teddy. Then he pushed the controls forwards. The sauce shaped craft rose and moved forwards slowly at first then like a cork out of a bottle zapped into the sky. Santa felt it but it was gentle to him as the craft had a force filed that cushioned the force outside. The fairies had used magic to get that working but Santa was glad of it. Outside the snow ran down the warm screen so that it stead clear and the radar kept him on course for the fairies home. The radar beeped as he went. Out there was the home of the queen fairy June. The craft was buffeted by the sharp wind now and then but Santa felt safe in the knowledge that this craft was built to take this kind of wind. This trip would only last twenty minutes in all. Then the craft broke through the cloud and Santa was in fall sun shine. The glass window darkened so that he wasn’t blinded. Santa felt some more bumping from the wind then the instruments went down and the radar stopped beeping. This made him nervous as all this stuff was magic and he didn’t know how to get it working again. The saucer dipped back into the clouds and now the magic was gone Santa felt the wind and the glass froze over. He pulled his suit closer to him and pulled his hat down to keep warm with no heat now he would be cold for a while. All the time he kept trying to find out who would sabotage the craft he had no known enemies. It was a good job the emergency hover fans span as the saucer crashed earthwards. Santa kept the craft steady. Soon the saucer set down on a thick pile of snow and closed down leaving Santa in the dark cockpit. Looking around he found the emergency door opener and cranked it open wide enough to get out it was lucky that it was away from the snow fall. Santa pulled out the torch and warmer and his emergency food supply. He climbed down and out then closed the door and flicked on the emergency beacon so they could find the saucer again. Santa turned and looked around he was somewhere in the North Pole or maybe in the upper most part of Canada somewhere near Newfoundland. His boots made a slushy noise as he walked along. Santa wished he had brought his deer whistle so that Rudolf could lead the team to him. The most he could hope for now was to meet one of the Inuit’s. Santa had walked for twenty minutes when he had to stop for a rest from there he saw a distant igloo. Getting up he started to the Igloo it was a good job the translator worked without the aid of magic he had made sure of that. The husky’s stood up and sniffed the air as he approached but didn’t bark.
“Good dogs you know you’ll get your treat for Christmas now,”
Santa saw a face pop out of the Igloo. It was the male who had built it so he assumed.
“Santa what are you doing here?”
“I was on my way to the Fairies and my craft broke down,” Of cause neither spoke like this as the translator changed it so that both understood what was been said.
“Do you know what time line you are in?”
“Isn’t this the twenty-first century?”
“Come inside Santa and sit down with us,”
Santa sat on the elk skin that covered what was an ice block that served as a chair next to an ice block table. There was one double bed and three single beds. Two children sat up in the single beds staring at Santa their mouths wide open. Santa fetched out what was in his pocket which was two fish hooks and some wool. He wrapped he hooks in a bow of the wool and handed then to the children. They smiled and went to sleep.
“Who’s the third bed for?”
The man looked up from the meal he was cooking with sorrow in his eyes.
“We lost our daughter to the snow three days ago,”
“Where’s your wife?”
The man fell on to Santa’s’ shoulder.
“I lost my wife yesterday to the snow beast that wonders around feeding off the seals. It’s not his fault as this snow as been here for days on end,”
“But it’ll be Christmas day soon?”
“What is that I have never heard of it mister,”
“But you know my name?”
“It’s on your coat there in bold letters,”
Santa looked down and the man was right there it was glowing gold like a little light. Now why that was there he couldn’t understand but maybe it had something to do with the magic failing on the craft.
“Ah I see my friend. Is there a present I could give to you?”
“Only if you could bring the sun back and the food to fill the bellies,”
“How long since you have eaten a big meal,”
“This seal flipper is what we have been having for the past twelve days,”
Santa felt a tear roll down his face he had seen things like this every time he went to give out presents and that is why he still did it the coal and wooden clogs when children had nothing more than a piece of dust to live on that one present made their day even if their lives were short. Santa wished he had brought his magic sack now but that was back at home in sometime. Santa looked around the igloo there was a very small fire in the middle smoke curling up out of the hole in the top. The food was going to be bad to him but it was all they had to eat so he would let them have the most. The man sat clean away the tears from his eyes before they froze there.
“If you can help me out sir I will make sure you get the best present of all,”
“How can I help you? It looks like you get your red skin from some alien animal,”
Santa looked down at his suit.
“This is from my wife Mrs. Santa she made it to keep me warm,”
“Where is your home Santa?”
“Why I live at the north pole young man,”
The look from the man made Santa feel like he was speaking madness.
“There is nothing north of here but snow good Santa,”
Santa looked at the man he was speaking the truth, So what had happened meant he had gone so far back that all had gone and the fairies hadn’t built his place yet. He would start to lose shape and maybe fade from existence if he didn’t do something soon. His foot then felt like it had pins and needles. He stood up stamping his foot but this didn’t help then he removed the boot and a glowing dust feel to the floor. Both the man and Santa looked closer to the dust.
“Is that magic Santa?”
“It looks it and I hope that this is enough for me to get a fairy going,”
The man looked at Santa the same look of madness in this old man with the red suit. Santa put the snow covered dust onto his glove there should be enough to use on the spare bed or the one that the daughter should be in. That would be the first fairy. Santa set the dust and snow onto the ice bed and the skin that lay there.
“Can I have a little spark from your fire please?”
“You’re going to melt my home down and then where will be,”
Santa put his hand on the man’s shoulder
“This is magic and the fire will only set it going there will be no flames,”
The man looked no less scared but trusted Santa to do what he was doing. Santa took the embers from the man’s flint tool with his bare hand placing it on the dust and snow carefully in the middle of the skin. The embers glowed brighter as the snow melted and the dust wrapped itself around the glow. Soon a small child like figure sat there. It was a dark haired girl but she had fine see through wings on her back even though she looked like the man Santa had met.
“It’s my daughter you’re a devil,”
“No this is magic and this is a fairy in the shape of your daughter see is essence everything your daughter was but more now,”
“Santa,”
The voice was weak but girl like. She would gain strength soon.
“Quick have you a warm drink,”
“I have some broth,”
The man picked up a horn from an animal and poured in some of the broth he was brewing on the fire.
“Drink this it will help fuel the flames of magic,”
The fairy girl took it and smiled.
“Santa you saved me,”
“Take your time the magic will build,”
“You very pale Santa,”
“Yes I am fading from history that’s why I hope this would help the magic keep me here till we find a way back home,”
“My magic is weak but it will stop you fading Santa,”
The man looked at the girl then hugged her tightly.
“Father I am a fairy now and will make mum the queen of fairies here then I will keep an eye of you and my brothers,”
“You’re not staying?”
“No I have to help Santa get back to his time and save Christmas,”
The fairy girl slid from the bed without much movement. Santa saw this and knew the magic was growing stronger.
“Daughter, go and be safe thanks for letting me know you’ll look after us till we meet in fairy land,”
The male hugged the fairy girl and the aura glowed around him. He turned to see a green tree sat in the Igloo under which there were four boxes wrapped.
“Who is the fourth person?”
“It is I dear,”
They all turned to see a tall thin lady with fairy wings that look like the girl but older.
“Wife your back,”
“Only as a fairy I’m the queen of fairies here and now one day we will spread across the world,”
“Welcome mum. I have to help Santa but will be back to celebrate Christmas with you all,”
“Then you’ll need a present,”
“Santa gave me that in the form of my queen and my body,”
The girl grabbed Santa’s hand.
“Now we go to your craft my Christmas wish came true,”
Santa let himself follow the girl. The snow had eased and it felt warmer.
“You can go home and be there in time for your day I have seen to it Santa,”
“I am glad I made you it’s helped me a lot,”
“I am sorry I had to make your craft brake down but I needed you,”
“No problem it was fun. But I do need to get back to my presents,”
“Here is your craft,”
Santa saw the craft was now free of snow. The girl fairy glowed brighter as they neared. Santa bent down and gave her a hug.
“You need this as a present from me,”
“Oh Santa you have given me more than you know. Once home remember me and bring us a present,”
“I will. Ho Ho Ho,”
Santa climbed back into his craft and found himself up in the air before he could say goodbye. His thoughts turned to Mrs. Santa as the craft headed home.
About the Author
Richard Cotton is the founder of Writer’s Muse Group, a Facebook group with more than 500 writers that supports budding authors and poets in the writing and process by providing a mutually supportive environment. You can find the Writer’s Muse Page at:
https://www.facebook.com/richard.cotton200