Sun streamed in through my window. Even if it was darkened black glass that made up my patio window door, it couldn’t keep out all the sunlight. In the kitchen I heard clanking and distant talking. When did I doze off last? I didn’t have any nightmares. I picked up my cell phone and looked at the time. It was 8 o’clock on the dot. I didn’t have to run my fingers through my hair to see if it was tangled. I didn’t care. I rushed out the front door and ran to the spot I thought it was.
I looked around in circles, fumbling over my own feet. I started to wipe away snow and dig. After two minutes my parents and Madison came out and walked toward me.
“Is something wrong?” I looked up at my mother. She wasn’t Santa… but I’d have to tell her.
“I saw someone bury something here last night.” I didn’t tell her the events that had led up to how I had gotten to see the person. First the phone call, then the mutated looking crow. Ugh… I just hoped she would consider believing me. I looked up at them after an “I give up” sigh. I walked past them into the kitchen. “Just forget it.” I whispered.
My parents looked at me like I was going to tell them at any moment I was joking about the whole thing. I finished my scrambled eggs and French toast then went upstairs to change my attire. I hopped into the shower and started to brush my hair afterwards. Then I pulled out some black combat type boots along with a gray turtle neck and white pants tucked into my shoes and went downstairs.
I sat around in the living room tapping my feet against the leg of the coffee table in front of me watching the news and waiting for my parents to go out. My sister would undoubtedly be busy today. She either has a boyfriend to see or a group of friends to hang with. She should be fine to go since she’s practically recovered from her cold. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Mom?! When are you going to leave?” I know I sounded pushy but I was just so anxious to dig up what that stranger with the red eyes had buried. Before getting her answer I ran up the stairs and reached for my phone. I started typing down words of all that happened and all that I could remember about him. The incident. I wanted to call Santa but… that would probably have to wait.
I paused my hand and lay on my bed. I miss him. He’s been gone only a few days but, it would’ve been easier to deal with my confession and with this whole stranger in the night if he had been here. He was always like a rock. He never really had a soft spot for any girl except me and was always getting picked on by his odd name. Madison was the only one who actually had a regular name but it never seemed too irregular for the ones who grew up with him because we knew him before Santa Claus. It was still hard to cope with what happened last night. I was so anxious to write down everything I was a little nervous to go down and talk to my mom after my rude question and running off after.
She didn’t look too annoyed. If she was it couldn’t have been me. Maybe she didn’t even hear me say anything. I went over to the front door and hesitated before I turned the knob.
Dad would be in his work room beneath the garage right now working on one of his cases. He was as you can imagine a well paid lawyer who dealt with matters of filthy crime. It always fascinating Madison but neither Santa nor I ever really liked the thought of blood and gore. There was never any beauty in it.
Sure we liked art in a few senses. Santa was off right now for the very reason of art. He liked sculptures, portraits and realistic painting like the Mona Lisa or the Sistine Chapel. I always thought it would be interesting to one day admire my brother’s works. I guess another reason we didn’t like the thought of lawyer work and such is there are too many lies and untrustworthiness floating around. Given that he and I are so bent on honesty we wouldn’t be attracted to it on moral grounds.
