Competition Entry: Winter's Wonderful Friends

Chapter 1: A Hot December

In the year of 2020, the weather was starting to get more and more outrageous around the world. Australia was notorious for getting overly hot in summer and so I was now sick of having hot Christmases.

Selvian: "Mistress, why are you huffing and puffing?",

Karla: "Because I'm hot and I'm mad. For the past week, the temperature has been nothing but high 30's, meaning we can't go outdoors and do fun-stuff... And why on Earth do people always talk about wintry Christmases!? I don't see them anywhere!".

Selvian sighed but then pondered himself.

Just then, Todd came in to the common room carrying a book, and it was indeed about someone enjoying a wintry Christmas. He pointed as he marvelled over an image of Santa handing a present to a child in a warm house with a fireplace.

Karla: "Santa wearing a thick coat in a hot house!?"

Selvian sighed.

Selvian: "Oh dear Mistress, the hot whether is really making you mad... He came from a cold blast and I guess he kept it on".

Todd was now about 6 in human years, so he could speak.

Todd: "Santa is cold"

Selvian: "It's not too late",

Karla: "Not too late about what?",

Selvian: "If you want to escape the heat, why don't you go somewhere where it's wintry? It's only the start of December. We'd be happy to fly you to somewhere else in the world for a short holiday".

Todd toddled over to his backpack, putting his book away and instead, pulling a drawing of 18-Volt out that he did in his school art class.

Todd: "Eighhhhh... Vot!".

Selvian signalled for Todd to come closer so he could see the drawing. Selvian finally got what Todd was trying to say,

Selvian: "Us teddies have been missing the hospitality of those folks in Diamond City, maybe we could go there".

Karla: "That is actually not a bad idea",

I said quietly but enough so the teddies around me could hear. Sierra came up to me a with a suitcase in-hand.

Karla: "You already packed?";

she nodded and then bowed as well.

Karla: "We'll only be taking a small amount of guards though as I know for sure we'll be welcome. No having a scrounge about and a camp in junk-yards like I did at the start of last time".

Todd, a now intelligent little bear, knew what I was saying and so he jumped up and down, he was keen to go too. As of now, Cindy was the toddler. The suitcase had popped open with Cindy's head peaking out, expressing an excited "dah!".

I thought to myself,

Karla: "How about some new guards, and some old guards well. Where's Josie and her siblings?";

they were an older bunch. Josie came walking out of the dining area in her high school uniform with Lucy, her sister who was was in Grade 5 of primary school and Harry who was in Grade 2. The teddies who were coming to Diamond City were Selvian, Sierra and Lester out of the adults and Todd, Cindy, Josie, Lucy and little Harry out of the kids.

--- Time skip to Chapter 2 ---