Christmas Elf

Part 19

I grabbed the barrel and bent it. I was tired of running so now I would stand, and no one would stop me. I could hear the confused gasps, their fear riddled the air, how the once skinny and stickpin boy bent a barrel. The boy who cowered in fear, threatened with comparity.

"I am not running. Neither will I abandon my daughter again." I grumbled before grabbing Nick and pulling him behind me. It was true that in the ten years I had changed, I worked on crafts daily and helped with the lumber stocking. I also had no worry for my next meal pulling me into a healthy stature of living.

"You will be jailed. Or do you not remember the exorcism." the man spat, this was Nions father. I could see his once childish and worry free face was riddled with wrinkles and age. His once pristine black hair had grown thin and retreated, gray and white tickled what remained.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one who begged for me behind that shed, once a pastor's son, always a pastor's son." I rebutted. The townspeople began to mutter amongst themselves. The knowledge of my shed incident was widely talked about, but they never yet knew who the other boy was, assuming it was a visitor.

"And when my father found out I was behind that shed do you think I was spared? I was forced to repent and had to kneel for hours on end to repay for my sin." I saw his guard fall and knew the pain.

"Then maybe stop repenting, be true, about everything.'' I sighed, shuffling through one of my pockets. I handed him a small little wooden doll, the details of which were small and of many. "You do know, we don't have to be our parents."

Nick had joined me in standing tall against the hate spewed at us. My daughter removered her red cape and let her long black hair fall around her shoulders. On display was her once pointed ears, rounded with lack of exposure, but not fully normal. Nion as well had joined us as we stood our ground.

"Maybe it's time you grew out of the gutter and left the world at ease with ours. Let us spread joy to the children." Nick explained, tossing a bell at my brother in law. A token of commemorative, and a peace treaty to end the fighting and let us continue to spread joy.