Two Elves

Chapter three

I woke up to a dull pain at the back of my head, staring at Anna directly while she kept talking but I didn't understand anything yet. Almost as if she knew I couldn't. She stopped and proceeded to help me up.

"Anna you wouldn't believe the weirdest dream I just ha__"

Blinking twice I saw Tim by her side, still holding on to the paper albeit tightly, almost scrunching it.

"It wasn't __ it wasn't a dream?"

"Charlie calm do__"

Anna was saying something but I couldn't listen, it's impossible at this point. I was on my feet in less than a second, jumping all over the place with the biggest smile on my face.

"Anna can you believe it? We are going down there!" Still jumping all around the room, I have Anna a hug and pressed a kiss on her cheek, that was when I noticed she wasn't smiling like I was, she was fiddling with her hat and looking scared out of her mind.

"You're not happy about this" I stated.

"I am! I mean of course I am, why wouldn't I be.

She wasn't, Anna wasn't. And I don't know if my going down there was tied to her but I couldn't pass up this opportunity.

"Look, you don't have to personally deliver the items, I can do that. Just stick with the reindeer and I'll do all the work" I was pleading at this point.

"I__ I don't know Charlie, i__"

"Please." I continued. "Aren't we best friends? Aren't you supposed to support my dream? Isn't that what best friends do for each other?"

I knew it was selfish of me to use this card on Anna when I didn't even consider her my best friend but I'd give an arm right now if she asked. Besides, Anna was the nicest person in the world, she would never say no.

Her lips spread wide at the mention of "best friend" and I knew it was a done deal.

"Oh okay then I guess we can do this, I'm sticking with the reindeer though and also___"

Anna went on but I wasn't listening anymore. Instead I lifted her and said my thanks continually whilst packing already in my head. What do I see first? Where do I go? Will there be enough time to explore?

Tim had already left the room at this point, I only noticed because I wanted to give him a hug too. He is the bearer of good news after all, he deserves it.

Rushing home, I ran straight to my room in a blur and heard my mom calling out to me.

"Charlie is everything okay?"

She was holding a spoon in her hand and marshmallows in the other, mom added marshmallows to everything, always in Christmas spirit, doesn't matter if it was February, she still greeted everyone with a huge smile and a merry Christmas.

"Everything is great mom! I'm on Christmas delivery next week! Is there something I should pack, what did you take with you when it was your turn, how is it like there? Cold? Should I wear something different? Do I even have something different?!"

With my head still buried in the wardrobe, clothes and other essentials kept flying all around my room, I didn't even look at my mom and when I did, my happiness went from a 100 to 0 real quick.

"What's wrong mother?" I asked her, did we run out of marshmallows? Nothing could make mom not happy.

Mom had brown eyes like mine, brown hair just a little bit darker than mine and she was a five foot nothing bubbly woman that spread glitter and happiness everywhere she went. She wore her heart on her sleeves and always said the right things.

"I don't want you to go." She sniffed and furiously rubbed her nose as if trying to get herself together and not cry. It wasn't working.

"Is this about Dad?"

"No it's not, I just think you're too young and this shouldn't have happened in the first place, I already plan to have a meeting with Mr Claus I'm sure we could work something out". She waved her hands, marshmallow flying everywhere but she didn't seem to notice.

"Work something out!?" I yelled.

"What do you mean work something out? This is perfect. I want this, you know I've always wanted this. Why will you want to take this away from me?"

"You're overreacting Charlie, I just thin—

"You're obviously not thinking mom, if you were, you wouldn't say all of that in the first place, I'm not like dad, you can't expect my life to revolve around his mistake!"

I regretted it as soon as I said it. But I was determined not to take it back, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would fight tooth and nail for it.

She seemed to cry harder at this and I felt guilt hit me full on, but I was determined to hold off. Nothing could stop me, not even my mother.

"I don't want to lose you too, I've never asked you for anything, but please Charlie, do this for me, just this. Just this once. Please."

Dad died whilst sustaining a fatal injury on Gift delivery. He wasn't stealth enough and woke up a kid who screamed bloody murder and alerted her parents. Her dad swung a bat on his head just before he could complete the spell that would take him back to us and he returned with a head injury. He died shortly after.

"Mom you know how much I've wanted this, I can't pass this up. I'll be careful, I won't end up like dad."

She froze at this and stared at me in a way I never knew my mom ever could. Her eyes were cold, and heartless.

"One day Charlie, one day you will realize how much we love you and how far I would go for you, and I'll be here, loving you the way I always will, no matter what."

At this she turned away from me and said,

"Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes"

And she was gone, and I was left with a messed up room and too many emotions I couldn't place all at once.