Crimson Summer || Book Two

A Christmas Miracle

"Papa can gods and goddesses ever come back?" 

Myah asked as he did his best to lay the frosting on the roof of his larger gingerbread house that he shared with Kiem. The two always paired together on projects and today they had their minds set on creating an extravagant gingerbread castle that would make their sibling's small houses look inferior. But it was hard to look intimidating in matching family pajamas and wet hair from a fresh bath. 

Lily's gingerbread creation was a unique little barn and she struggled to make the stall for her ginger horse accurate. Vailen had taken it upon herself to create the smallest gingerbread house they had ever seen to combat her brothers. CJ quietly worked on his normal gingerbread house on Tora's lap as they sat around the kitchen island and worked. So focused on getting the door right that he barely noticed the signed conversation floating about, but appreciated being included whenever he looked up. Wei and Alex worked together with Micah, sitting on the counter to get the best angle for their ginger forest of snowmen. 

"It's said that a god can reincarnate as a human one in their life cycle, never twice," Casper warned as he shifted slightly so he could check on little Krewbie, who slept soundly on his shoulder wrapped in a sack on Casper's back. 

"Who says gods can't break the rules?" Kiem questions with a mischievous grin as he applies a few candies to their lawn. Galen ruffled his hair a bit before giving his head a hard pat. 

"Because Gods don't break rules, it would be hypocritical for them to do so because they created them," Gael explained and Casper's head gently nudged his shoulder, appreciating the religious help. 

"But they're gods Daddy, they can do anything," 

***

"Woah," 

A small sputtered word that mixed with a gasp and a cough fell upon the seven-year-old orphaned boy who touched the bright sparkling light whilst in the middle of a lonely exploration. Coughing as he made his way to at least sit up, he quickly gripped his knee in pain. 

"Ah, fuck I forgot all about pain," He cursed as he held it, his hand pressed to his bleeding knee in partial shock. 

"Wait...I forgot what it's like to touch skin, oh this is nice," he giggled as he slapped his hands to his cheeks and rubbed them. Ignoring the voices of the spirit realm that called his name.

"This body is so warm, oh y'all are missing out," He chuckled as he stood on his legs again and took a few steps forward. Black dots filled his vision from standing too quickly as he tumbled and fell over once more. 

"I forgot how exhausting it is to be human, dear god," He coughed and the god Anu appeared before him. 

"What have you done?" Noah asked with his arms crossed as the boy dusted himself off. 

"Anu? Is that you? I've never seen a god before," He cried out and pretended to faint to which Noah was quickly unamused by the antics. 

"Why would you do this? You know you can't leave until the physical body dies, you've trapped yourself into a human body and I can't get you out," Noah warns and the boy huffed as he woke up again. 

"I knew the risks, you might be all-knowing but I am not stupid," He says as he storms past the golden god, only to be closely followed. 

"You were stupid enough to do this, I never should have put it past you though. Knowing you," Noah says and the boy walks towards the main road. 

"I just wanted to see the little world you created," the boy lies through his teeth as if Noah wouldn't pick it up and Noah glares. 

"Why are you really here?" He asks and the boy stops, feeling the gentle island breeze of his childhood home greet him once more. 

"You've seen the future and so have I, they need help," the boy says and Noah rubs the bridge of his nose with disappointment. 

"How are you going to help them in the body of a child?" Noah asks and the boy rolls his eyes before continuing onward to his unknown destination.

"I won't be a child when it happens," the boy explains while crossing the street without looking twice, getting caught like a deer in headlights when a high-speed car nearly kills him. Stopping inches before the boy's small shoeless feet. 

"I'm watching you, be careful," Noah warns before stepping away as a panicked woman thrust herself out of her car and quickly grabs hold of the boy. 

"What are you doing by yourself this late at night little guy? Are you alright?" She asks but the boy remains unnaturally calm as he tries to mask himself. 

"I'm okay ma'am, can you point me in the direction of the orphanage," He asks and she blinks a few times as she holds his shoulders.

"Sweetheart, the forester orphanage burnt down. There's one in Kailea but...what's your name?" She asks dabbing the sweat from the boy's brow as he frowned. 

"My name is Matthi- Matthew, My name is Matthew,"