Amis Adieu - A Christmas Mystery

Mr. Claus's Retirement Party

 At last, I fell into the water beneath me smacking it like cement. My backside ached from the impact. I tried to swim up, my head breached the surface only to see a raging wave breaking the ice as it traveled. It crashed into me throwing my body deeper underwater.

I quickly realized my situation. My limbs flailed in every direction. I couldn't tell which way was up. Not to mention I felt the air being sucked out of my body. My chest felt like it was being stepped on, my head was filled with panic. Not knowing what to do, I screamed. But no sound came out.

My body was fighting for every last bit of air it had left. Then instinctively, my body took a breath in, it hurt. I felt the cold flow down through my throat and fill my lungs. I started coaching and coughing. I breathed in again. My head ached. I felt the blood pulsing behind my eyes. Curling up into a ball to ease the pain. I was drowning.

I tried to breathe once more, tears mixing with the water. All I tasted was blood. All I saw was black.

Then, I felt something in my fingertips. My panic faded into numbness. I felt it in my toes, then in my ears. My heart slowed. I started to feel the cold around me as heavenly. I saw the walls of water as beauty. Quiet and peaceful. The water took what little life I had left. My body gave into the feeling.

I knew my life was over, death was near and I was vast at its mercy. I closed my eyes. Then deeper, deeper, and deeper I sank.

Until there was nothing left around me but darkness.

. . .

Chapter 1- Mr. clauses retirement party.

That guy that drowned just a second ago. That was me, and I'm pretty sure I just died. Now you may be asking yourself, "Ami, how did you get into this situation?" Well, to be honest, I don't actually know either. I guess it all started about three days ago...

December 26. T'was the night after Christmas, and all through the workshop, every creature was stirring, including the elves.

"Come on.. Almost got it!" I struggled to reach the cotton ball I dropped under the yarn shelf. I needed it to finish the teddy bear I was making. "Almost there.." I stretched my arm out to reach the cotton. 

"BOO!" yelled someone who crept up behind me.

"Jingles!" I jumped up. I felt a BONK at the top of my head as it hit the shelf.

"Oooww." I rubbed the ache. Then I turned around to see who scared me. It was my colleague Mal.

Mal belted out in laughter, "I gotchu good didn't i?" he held his stomach while he giggled.

"That's not funny!" I whined.

Mal had a candy cane in his mouth. He sucked on it till it made a sharp point. "I gotta gift for ya." he reached into his pocket and pulled out another candy cane. It had a green note attached to it

"Thanks.." i grabbed the candy and read the note;

"Dear Designing Department,

Congrats on a great Christmas!

From, The Sewing Department"

"Aww cute.." I pocketed the candy cane. Mal reached under the shelf and with his long arms grabbed my cotton ball

"Here ya go!" he said before he threw it at me. It bounced off my nose. Mal looked at my desk, there was the teddy bear and next to it, a pin cushion.

"What the heck?" Mal held the cushion out to me. "Ami, why did you color-code your pin needles?"

"Because.." I mumbled. "I like when things look clean." which is a true fact.