A Claus For Love

Not-So Normal Noel

Right after a weather report came on discussing Christmas was going to be perfect weather-wise, an anchorman announced a breaking news story that made Beverly's eyes widen and her jaw drop.

"This just in: Santa Claus has fallen ill on his annual flight."

Beverly's eyes were glued to the screen as the report went on: according to NORAD's Santa Tracker, Santa Claus had suddenly gotten sick while on his trip around the world, and he needed his elves and helpers to take over while he rested at the North Pole. The mere thought of Santa being sick started putting a dampener on Beverly's Christmas Eve plans, especially since she was hoping to see the real Santa, but she understood that healing at the North Pole was better than getting everyone else in the world sick with whatever he picked up. She knew that she was staying up to see Santa, but the thought of it being a mere "helper" disgusted her, since she had seen enough of those at the local malls and grand parades: usually dressed in a baggy costume with pillows used for padding and a beard that could easily come off if a grabby toddler got too close.

Not only that, but she even had her own way of criticizing the so-called "helpers" at the mall, especially when she visited them whenever there weren't kids around, judging them based on how they treated her. While some Santas talked down to her and treated her like just another kid (which could possibly be forgiven since they were tired after a long day of work), some saw the child-at-heart in her and brought a bit of fun into their conversations. With all of that in mind, she gave up on waiting for Santa and decided to just go to sleep, hoping that she'd see him the next year.

Once the news story about Santa's sickness was over, Beverly turned off the news and got out of her chair before turning off the main lights in her house, and she turned on her interior Christmas lights before climbing into her easy chair and draping her grandmother's blanket over her body. Once she reclined her chair and tucked herself in under the blanket, she started falling asleep as each song she heard brought back Christmas memories from her childhood, from when she played an angel in the school's Christmas play to when she and her cousins dressed up as elves and helped give presents to the homeless. Each of those memories were enough to make her smile as she drifted into dreamland, hoping that whoever visited her home liked the treats she left for them and the reindeer.

Around midnight that night, Beverly's slumber was momentarily interrupted by the sound of something landing on her roof, soft enough to not damage anything but loud enough to be heard. After momentarily forgetting that Santa was sick and wondering if Santa was coming to her place, she remembered that Santa's helpers were doing his gift-distribution duties and was immediately hit with skepticism. The thought of it being Santa's helper flashed in her mind, but upon remembering how poorly other "helpers" were in her life, she kept her hopes down and tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately for her, Beverly's inner child was ready to burst with so much excitement that her eyes stayed open, so she gave up trying to sleep. She could hear the footsteps getting closer to her chimney, and while part of her was still doubtful, she held her breath as she saw sparkly magic dust drifting down to her fireplace. Within an instant, she marveled at how the fire in her fireplace was diminished, but she understood that it was probably for the safety of the "helper."