Christmas 2020 Special

Part 1 | Survival of the Luckiest

The year was 2018, though it was Christmas Eve, so it was late 2018. The Cookie family, composed of the busy father/husband, Zander Cookie, the mother/wife, Martha Cookie, and their two kids. Their older kid was a twelve year old girl named Kit Cookie. Their younger kid was a seven year old boy named Magnus Cookie.

Not far from their house, there was a house inhabited by another married couple and their three year old son, but there was someone secretly living in their house. That someone was not even human, but she was sentient like them. Her name was Kalybrari, though she preferred Kaly despite not having anyone to talk to. She was a member of a species called Kinnises, who looked like humans, but were fifteen times smaller, had ears like those of a mouse, had a smooth, long, bony tail, and had wings like those of a dragonfly. She was lonely, so she was considering introducing herself to the family she lived with. This was despite the fact that Kinnises that lived with humans were forbidden from being seen by them or talking to them.

She made it to the parents' bedroom, when the first human to find her was their son. He was only a meter tall due to his age, but to a girl whose natural size was about three inches tall, that was over ten times taller. Kaly also remembered hearing that the stupidity of human children caused more harm to Kinnises than if they were seen by an adult. She ran away from him, not wanting to have his immature mind decide the best thing to do would be to rip off her wings or tail. He could talk, though not well, and he called his parents over. Kaly was terrified to be seen by three humans at the same time, and that caused her to abandon her plans for introducing herself. She managed to make it back to where she lived, inside of the walls. She had to flee the house or else risk death, and in a horrible mistake, she did that while it was snowing outside, as they were in the Northern Hemisphere, where the year started and ended with winter.

A while later, Kit Cookie was playing outside in the snow when she caught a tiny person out of the corner of her eye. She approached while trying not to scare the tiny. From Kaly's end, the cold, being seen by a giant, and being taken away was all too much for her, and she collapsed. Kit could tell she was alive, but only figured out her gender after getting a good look. She rushed back inside.

Her mother said, "Back so soon, Kit?"

She replied, "I found a tiny person outside in the snow! I saw her moving on her own! Should she get help because she collapsed in the snow?!"

Zander shouted, "Yes! Place her near the oven, but not on it! I don't want to burn the house down by lighting that fireplace!"

Kit did so, and they waited for her to warm up. In the meantime, Kit and Magnus decided to play on their Ninventont Switches in a game of Super Bash Sisters Ultimate, which had come out earlier in the month, but some people, though not the Cookie family, somehow got the full game before its release date.

Kaly felt warm, but realized that she was cold before. She started fearing that she was found by more humans, which was confirmed when she saw two adult humans staring at her.

The man said, "Oh, thank God! You're awake!"

Kaly considered running away, but wondered why they would warm her up, noticing a stove near her. She again considered introducing herself to these humans, and decided to go through with it. Before that, though, she needed some information:

"What are your names, giants?"

The woman said, "First off, neither of us are giants. We're normal size. You're just tiny. Though to answer your question... I'm Martha Cookie, and this is my husband, Zander Cookie."

"Do you two have any kids? I've heard human kids are more dangerous to me than human adults."

Zander replied, "...For someone of your size, I can see why you would think that. And yes, we do-"

"Then I'm not safe here!"

"Relax. Our daughter, Kit, found you outside, so she took you here. She's also a teen, so is that any better?"

"That might be bad in a different way. Is she an only child?"

"Nope! She has a younger brother named Magnus Cookie."

"How old is he?"

Kit and Magnus had wandered over and heard her question, so the latter said, "I'm seven years old. How old are you, tiny girl?"

"I'm about eight years old."

Kit said, "You look to be ten years old. Are you sure you're right?"

Kaly replied, "I know I am. I age faster than humans, but don't live as long. That is normal for Kinnises."

Zander asked, "What are 'Kinnises?'"

"They are a species, and I am one of those. We all have these mouse ears, this tail, and these wings. They're all real. ...I just noticed that you can hear and understand me even when I'm not yelling, and I can hear and understand you even if you don't speak softly. Maybe that's another thing my species has?"

Zander said, "Probably. I assume you're not the only one of your kind, then?"

"I assume there are others, though I don't know any others. My parents were killed by a man with a weapon like one I've seen on TV."

This horrified the kids and upset their parents. Martha said, "Can we be your new parents, miss... You never told us your name. What is it?"

"Oh! I'm Kalybrari... I don't know my own family name! I prefer 'Kaly,' though. Even though I haven't had anyone to talk to in years."

"So, Kaly, how about becoming part of our family?"

"I was trying to introduce myself to the last human family I lived with, so sure! I'll become part of your family!"

She only just noticed the indoor, glowing tree. She asked, "What is that behind you?"

Magnus was the first to realize she meant the tree. He said, "That is a Christmas tree. Do you know what Christmas is?"

Kaly gave him a confused stare. Zander said, "It's a holiday celebrated exactly one week before the end of a year. Here, it's in winter, which starts at the end of a year and continues into the following year. However, if you were in the Southern Hemisphere, it would start in summer, which is at the end of a year and continues into the following year there."

"What is a holiday?"

"It's an annual tradition humans do every year. Christmas is tomorrow."

"I think I understand. I already accepted staying with you. So... how will you three relate to me?"

Martha said, "I'll be your adoptive mother, Zander will be your adoptive father, Kit will be your older adoptive sister. Magnus will be your adoptive brother."

Magnus said, "I only turned seven in September. So I'm closer to seven years old, assuming you're younger than eight."

"I am. What does it matter?"

"I guess I'll be your adoptive younger brother despite you being tiny."

Kaly, now with the full name of Kalybrari "Kaly" Cookie, was happy with her new life with these humans. Who knew that one of her biggest fears of her species may have been the best thing that could have happened to her?