Magic Under the Mistletoe

Chapter 2: Finding Luck Under the Mistletoe

For @beautifulatsunrise, for being one of the best friends I have. (:

Anyway, halppp I can't seem to auto-remove the double spaces. I know there used to be a button for that but now I have to do it manually ._.

Holidays are supposed to be nice and relaxing and non-stressful but I have a whole ton of events and responsibilities going on sigh. ): I came back from a service trip to Laos a couple of weeks ago, and now I kinda wish I was back there. The people there are so carefree and the kids enjoy life so much. Oh well, happy reading! (: <3

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Gone with the wind it was. Every little bit of it.

Tessa groaned. “Now there’s no more fairydust,” she sighed in despair. “I should have kept it right away.”

She looked as though she were seriously contemplating picking the glitter up from the ground, speck by speck.

Seeing how dejected Tessa was, Drew patted her arm. “Hey,” he offered, “we don’t even know if the fairydust was real, right? Who knows, it might have been some jolly old fella trying to play a prank on us. Anyway, we don’t need that fairydust magic—the air’s already alive with magic like he said, remember?”

Heaving one last sigh, Tessa flashed Drew a bright smile. “Yep. The magic awaits!”

“That’s the spirit! Now, I know just the thing to cheer you up,” Drew said. He pointed to an object in the distance, on a small grass patch off the main pavement, behind the last shop. “See that? I could swear it just appeared; it was gleaming so brightly it was pretty hard to miss. How’s that for some magic?”

Tessa squinted. “What is it?”

Together they walked towards the grass patch. There, it was as if they’d stepped away from reality—looking back at the city square, it felt like they were watching a story take place; like they were mere onlookers, watching people go about their lives.

They saw that the strange object was a book. It was a queer one indeed; the cover was a most ordinary brown, but the insides seemed to glow bright like fairy lights. Tessa picked it up. “Ugh. It’s heavy.” Drew placed his hands under hers immediately to support it.

Tessa saw Drew dart a glance at her, but he looked away too quickly. His hands were warm; soft, but with calluses around the palms and the fingertips, and they fitted around hers just like a glove would.

Removing one hand, Drew opened the book. He flipped through the pages and frowned. “It’s not an ordinary book—all the pages are blank except the first.”

Tessa felt a chill around her. “I’m getting goosebumps. Is it just me, or is this kind of… creepy? Not normal?”

“It’s not just you,” Drew replied, shuddering. “It’s getting cold, too. We should put this back where—”

Just then, the wind blew with a strange swoosh, rustling the grass they were standing on. It seemed to have a mind of its own; cold fingers flipping the book to the very first page.

Tessa and Drew studied the picture closely.

It was a fairytale kingdom, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, and clouds made of cotton candy. The gleaming grass gave the illusion that the ground was littered with emeralds and white snow. There were candy cane trees with branches made of chocolate and leaves of candy baubles. It was winter, and the mushroom houses were covered in snowflakes, which appeared to shimmer in the palest shade of blue. There was also a towering castle made of ice, and a large factory with steam chugging out of its chimney. The land seemed cheerful and alive.

“It’s beautiful,” Tessa whispered.

Drew made a sound of agreement. “I’d love to live there,” he said, smiling down at her.

Tessa glanced at him, and felt the butterflies rising in her stomach again. She looked around for a distraction. “I wonder where that wind came from. I’m pretty sure all of this happened because of that magic fairydust.”

“Tessa.” Drew ran a hand through his hair awkwardly, brushing away the strands that covered his brow. He gestured upwards. “We’re standing under mistletoe.”

Oh, goodness me.

Tessa almost cringed as she looked up and saw one lonely sprig of mistletoe hanging above them. It was mistletoe, no doubt.

“…Oh,” was all she could say.

“You know, they say that if two people don’t kiss when they find themselves under mistletoe, then they’ll have bad luck for life.” He said this in a joking manner, but Tessa caught the way he shifted his weight nervously.

“Some say that’s folklore.” Tessa took a half-step back, looking away.

Shrugging, Drew stammered, and let go of the book. “Ah… I…”

Tessa couldn’t help but notice his cheeks turn the faintest shade of pink.

She took a deep breath and bit her lip. Oh, this was horribly, terribly, awkward. She’d dig a hole and hide her face in it now if she could.

A pregnant pause ensued.

Tessa felt the intensity of his gaze burning into her. She met his eyes and smiled. “If you wish.” For the first time, she let herself get lost in his gaze—those pools of hazel with specks of chocolate; for there was emotion swirling in its depths.

She thought she heard him murmur, “I do wish.”

And she closed her eyes.

Light as a feather, his hand came to rest on the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek in a soft caress. And he touched his lips to her cheek, gentle as a butterfly.

Those weren’t butterflies in her stomach any more, Tessa thought. They were fireflies, heating up wherever Drew touched.

Fireworks, even.

Great big giant shooting stars that rendered her incapable of thinking and made her knees soft.

When Tessa opened her eyes, Drew was half-turned away from her, his cheeks an even deeper shade of pink. She was sure her face was flushed red too.

The corners of Drew’s lips lifted into a shy smile. “I guess now we’ll have good luck even without the fairydust.”

“Huh. You kissed me only for the good luck?” Tessa teased.

“Maybe, or maybe not.” Drew averted his gaze.

Then the book came alive in Tessa’s hands, and Drew swore loudly, pointing a shaking finger at it. “Oh my god. It… it’s moving.”

The picture was changing: morphing into something dreadful and evil and grey. The clouds shifted, turning stormy and ominous, looming over the kingdom like a fearless monster ready to hurl thunder and lightning down. Tendrils of ice began snaking out of the windows of the ice castle—bitter, wizened fingers of frost creeping down the castle’s walls and onto the land, turning everything they touched black. The fields of emerald, no longer basking in their splendor, turned gloomy and dead.

“Something dreadful is happening,” Tessa whispered.

For a moment, they smelt fear and cold.

They heard the faraway cries of little children, mournful and full of sorrow.

There were many little children in there—sad and miserable.

Calling out to them.

Calling out for help.

Soon they could not see a thing, for the icy gale of wind had grown stronger and stronger, sweeping its massive arms around them.