A very Mary Sheikhy Christmas - novella - completed

Chapter One

A week before Christmas

The last thing Zafeer Al-Zairo expected was being stuck in the snow in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of an Australian's summer. Yes, Tasmania was known for its bizarre weather. While other places in Australia, were cooking under the heat of the sun. Here he was stuck in the middle of a snowstorm of all things. In a roadside ditch after hitting black ice. There was no way he could get out of this little issue without help. He hadn't seen a house or cabin for hours. He wanted to get away, but this was ridiculous.

Opening the car door, he placed one foot out, only to pull back, cursing. Not just a ditch, but a car eating one. He closed his door. Trees above were heavily loaded down branches with snow, threatening to break on top of him, so eased across towards the other side. He jumped out onto snow and ice, breaking into freezing icy cold water, cursing, shifting off onto the edge that was slippery under the snow.

With a lot more cursing under his breath, Zafeer edged his way up the side, slipping and sliding, using the hired Saab as leverage. Hands slipping on the cold, wet car, chilling him to the bone. Using keyless entry he opened the boot, grabbing the side, pulling up and removed his one bag, shouldering.

Shutting the boot, Zafeer trudged onto the main road, if one dare call the windy mountainous narrow track a road that was a main highway. He looked up to down, deciding to follow the road in the direction he had been heading. There was nothing behind him for kilometres. Soft flakes fell upon his unprotected head and covered his dark suited shoulders in seconds with a dusting of white.

****

Pulling on a flowery reindeer Christmas themed leggings that seemed a strange thing to be wearing in the middle of summer, Mary Tingle shrugged. That was Tassie and anything could happen and usually did. She crossed over, looking out the window, hugging her arms as she fought back an odd feeling of foreboding. She looked behind her at the stacks of boxes, waiting to be unpacked.

Her first day of Christmas has began. Removing a remote, she hit play to have seasonal songs playing. Taking a deep breath, she went to open the first box, removing the front door decorations, which she went about seeing to, while singing along with White Christmas that seemed so appropriate.

Nails and hammer prepared, she went to tackle the front door and sides, stepping back and smiled at the effect. The doorbell needed to be fixed, and mistletoe to be hung and it was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

A familiar feeling of warmth began to fill her.

****

Huddled under his jacket that Zafeer held close to his chest, he kept on walking against the falling snow and bitterly cold winds. He had to find shelter and soon. His feet that he could barely feel, made squishing sounds from his wet soggy socks, which wasn't a warm, cosy feeling, but cold, like solid bricks of ice.

He should've stayed in the car. However, there was no guarantee he would have been found. He hadn't seen another car for kilometres, now that he thought about it. The bag felt like a ton of bricks that shouldn't even worry him with what was inside. Just basics. His other clothes were on the private plane, waiting to be boarded in two days time, and flown back home.

How had it come to this? Just because he needed a couple of days to himself, allowing himself time to think about his future as ruling King. Damn, he never expected this. If he wasn't back in time, it would be seen as an abdication and his cousin could takeover. Shaking his head, he wouldn't worry about that now. He needed to see about surviving, pausing as a bright light caught his eyes, twinkling from afar.

He straightened and squinted. Not on the road, off towards the side. Light reflecting off the snow? What light? The forest of trees was heavy. Roads covered in snow and skies full of dark low clouds. So no reflection, yet changed direction, following the very bright, glowing light that beckoned him.