Ticking Candy Heart

Chapter 4: Narrator

New Years was two days ago, it was time for Missy and Bernard to head on down to the real world to help Santa believe in Christmas and get into motion of the santafication process. Missy was thrilled at the thought of going to the real world after so many years while Bernard was a little skeptical about the entire thing but at least he had Missy for company. If she wasn't there with him during these months he wouldn't be as patient as he is now.

Missy was walking down the hall of the homes of the elves to Bernards to see if he was ready he most likely is because he's always ready for anything, not always but he tries. The evergreen smell filled the halls from the old carved wood of christmas trees before the young ones. She liked the smell, she liked all smells of the North Pole. Her favorite was roasted chestnuts and old evergreen. She didn't know why, it just felt comforting.

She stood in front of the dark wooden door with engraved markings on it, Bernard's door. She took a breath before knocking. She waited for an answer. None, she knocked again but louder to make it clear that someone was at his door. She waited and waited, but after around 40 seconds she turned to walk away to find him.

During her walk through the hall she something from a window, it was tree, a beautiful tree way off into the distance. From that window you could see the reindeer pen and the forest behind on the other side. She knew that forest well because she sometimes lets the reindeer wander through it thick wood with her eye on them.

The tree stood tall and proud because this tree wasn't any normal tree. It wasn't decorated in green pines and had no familar smell of evergreen or anything like that. This tree was shining in crystalized, white ornaments. It was as beautiful as snowflakes and where you'd see metal or ribbon handles were branches as thin as apple stems. There were hundreds and maybe even thousands of those up there waiting to be picked, when on the tree they look like rain drops but when plucked by the right person they sprout and turn into a sphere shape.

You see, when humans fall in love they propose with a ring and get married, that's their tradition. But with elves it's completely diffrent but also the same in some contexts. When elves fall in love and want to stay together forever they go to the tree and it is said that when an elf gifts their ornament to their partner and they except it the two will hear a song in their head, their song. There isn't that many elves who marry each other, it's quite rare. Some elves are probably too young or some are too busy and most of the time the ornaments are meant for Santa when he finds himself a wife but elves aren't forbid to get married it's just rare.

Missy stared at the tree, she'll find someone, maybe in the real world? She knew some elves that have gave up immortality for a human or for themselves in her 1,479 years of working in the north pole. But would she be able to do that if she did find a guy? As her thoughts went around this question like a snowflake in a blizzard someone bumped into her. Immeditaly snapping out of it and feeling bad when she realized what had happened.

"Oh I'm sorry I must've been in the way- Oh! It's you." The person she bumped into was Bernard, he looks down at her. "Oh sorry Missy, I didn't see you there." He looks down at Missy, she notices his hat, it was tipping. "What are you doing here? Ain't you supposed to be in the reindeer?" He puts his hands on his sides, how he normally stands. "I was looking for you to see if you're ready to go to the real world, it's almost time."

His lips purse together in annoyance, he's still skeptical about this whole going down to the real world thing, she can tell. "I mean, do you 'call looking for a way to avoid this task in hopes you forget' ready?" Her eyebrows furrow at his quote on quote question, he sighs. "Yes, I'm ready." She tilts her head barely, studying his body language. "It'll be okay, it's only for a few hours and we'll come right back, we're just gonna talk to him okay?"

"I know that but it's been a while since we've been down there." He crosses his arms, his voice was soft and his eyes were shifting around, not making eye contract. "You'll be okay, if you want I can do the talking." He shakes his head and looks at her. "No, I'll do the talking Missy you don't have to, I am the norths head elf after all." It was common for him to be stubborn as a mule when it comes to work and Christmas, mostly when it comes to Missy helping him. Most elves think they're just partners in this business which is true but Bernard has liked her since they first met. Bernard has had no time for romance and has pushed his feelings back many times.

"If you say so Bernard, lets go then. We need to figure out where the new Santa lives and pay him a visit. But first..." She reaches up, her hand getting to his tipped hat and shifts it a little to the left to make it stable on his head so it doesn't fall. "You always gotta do this?" She nods and pulls away then smiles. "That's better, now lets help Santa believe." She hurries off with the click clack of her shoes making contact with the wooden floors. Bernard smiles as she walks, he likes her walk, he likes everything about her.

He takes a moment and looks outside out the window to the crystal tree, when he looked he always heard some tune but it was probably from all the songs he has heard for the past 1400 years of his time working here as head elf. He looks at the tree a little bit more before shaking his head with a smile then walking away to catch up with Missy.