Tied with a bow

T’was the night before Christmas every child was asleep in their comfy warm beds all expect one, Elizabeth was kept wide awake wondering about how all the presents were magically under the tree so quickly within hours of going to sleep and waking up in Christmas morning. This time of year she always made sure to be kind and sharing with her siblings, but for once she thought ‘I want to see Santa Claus this year and ask how he delivers presents so quickly in a timely matter all over the world’, just as every year she ate cookies and left a few uneaten on a silver platter for Santa and a glass of warm oat milk. She got ready for bed and slipped on her most comfy pink night gown as she got tucked into bed by her parents and pretended to fall asleep Elizabeth waited for her moment to spring out of bed and to catch Santa in her living room by the tree or possibly eating cookies with the glass of milk.

Now what felt like hours she waited staring at the ceiling waiting for a noise or a crack in the wooden floors, all was silent not even a mouse could be heard theough the house. Suddenly, she heard a slight thud coming from downstairs she jumped out of bed and slowly opened her creaking door, then she proceeded quietly tip toeing down her narrow low lit hallway she got to the corner where the staircase descended and began to walk down the stairs trying to not make a creak with the fragile wooden steps, she balanced her weight and got to the bottom without being heard. Elizabeth heard crunching as if someone was eating ‘maybe Santa is eating the cookies!’ she was nearly there she was around the corner from seeing Santa.

Just as she peeked her head around the corner her eyes widened in shock she slightly gasped, she saw Santa Claus right in front of her he was tall and had a fluffy belly he was covered in red attire head to toe and his face was as she thought he would look like comforting and polite. “Santa?” she called out to him “hello dear child” he replied sweetly “I heard you from my bed and I wanted to say hello, and I have so many questions to ask you!” Elizabeth ranted to Santa he chuckled a ‘ho ho ho’ he understood why she would be curious and exciteded he politely reassured her “well you see I have a time management plan every year the elves help to make sure I get to every nice child on time before Christmas morning” as Santa answered her questions, she asked him one more question before he went on his way to deliver gifts to the rest of the children on his lengthy list.

“Do you think I could help you with Christmas this year Santa?” she inquired hoping he would say yes and much to her high hopes he did agree only for the night, “of course I do not see why not only for one night” he agreed as he finished his platter of cookies and drank his glass of oat milk he then took his sack filled with gifts he planted a few boxes with each of Elizabeth’s siblings names under the tree neatly.

As Santa finished setting out the gifts he closed his sack and whipped it around his back, he then told Elizabeth “are you ready?” she nodded and said “of course!” Santa and Elizabeth walked under the chimney together and were magically lifted upwards until they landed on the rooftop, where his reindeer were waiting patiently “Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph!” Elizabeth called out with beyond starstruck, as she boarded the sleigh Santa tossed the sack behind them and mounted the sleigh sitting next to Elizabeth, he then grabbed hold of the reins and began to call out each reindeer by name “come Dasher, Dancer, and Prancer, on Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph” he finished the sleigh slowly lifted off the rootrops and they began to fly to the next house Santa pulled out his list, Elizabeth was admiring the freshly fallen snowflakes as they prickled her face and the full moon how beautiful it filled the night sky along with the stars.

As she waited in the sleigh when Santa would drop off the gifts for the children, she was in charge of reading the list of who was next after the final house Santa asked her “want to see my workshop at the North Pole?” he asked delighted she did not hesitate to respond, “of course I want to see how the toys are made and the reindeer’s shed!” Santa held tightly on the reins as he steered his 9 reindeer, he passed by in front of the full moon “let’s say goodnight to everyone, merry Christmas to all and to all a good night” they said in unison.

They disappeared into the clouds it got colder as they were approaching the North pole, his helpers were outside waiting for him to land his seligh safely. As he landed with their help he had Elizabeth welcomed by the elves “welcome to the North pole Elizabeth” one greeted “my name is Plum let me give you a tour of the workshop” Plum introduced herself excited to meet a human for the first time ever, “please watch your step” Plum told Elizabeth she followed close behind Plum as Santa went to go find Mrs.Claus to inform her of how deliveries went this year.

Plum showed Elizabeth every inch of the North pole, the room where they make the toys in the workshop and the kitchen where Plum and Elizabeth ate cookies and milk together “this has been amazing Plum I never met an Elf before let alone ate sweets with one either” Plum laughed “first time for both of us” Plum replied “was there something you wanted for Christmas?” Elizabeth went silent for a moment “I do actually a box and a key inside the box is something from here only I will be able to see and the key so no one else can open it besides me” she told Plum, “I will see what I can do” she smirked and tried not to make it obvious to run up to tell Santa.

As Plum finished showing Elizabeth the rest of the North pole it was time to go home as Christmas morning was almost near “well this may be the last time we meet maybe until next year I will put in a good word with Santa to bring you back once more” Plum said, Elizabeth smiled knowing she made a friend “thank you so much Plum it has been magical here every moment” as Elizabeth stood up from the chair she was sitting eating her cookies, suddenly slowly Elizabeth felt tired she closed her eyes and when she woke up she was in her own bed again.

It was Christmas morning when she awoken she pounded out of bed as she raced down the stairs her family was already there waiting for her “finally you are awake we were afraid maybe Santa took you away” her mother said laughing, “time to open your presents my darlings” her father exclaimed, once each of her siblings opened their gifts Elizabeth was the last to open hers as her older sister noticed a present in the back of tree was gleaming and shimmering, “I just noticed this and has your name on it!” Elizabeth took the gift gently and read the card on top of it “from Plum and Santa see you next year” she read to herself as she ripped and attached to the card was a simple key she ripped the wrapping paper off and there was box with a keyhole she put the key and twisted it and as she peeked inside there was the North pole she could see everyone and Plum getting to work on next year’s Christmas plans. As for her family “it’s just an empty box?” her brother exclaimed “it’s actually something more special than a box brother only to those who believe” she replied with a smile.

As the Christmas day passed by Elizabeth would peek in every so often to keep an eye on her fellow friend, to make sure she was doing alright and she could not wait until next Christmas to get to see Santa and Plum once more.