Twelve Days.

Prologue

Twelve Days; Prologue.

Oh, the joy of Christmas shopping exactly twelve days before Christmas day. Thankfully, I was finally on holiday for a couple weeks, which left my days to be cold, alone, and a bit unexciting to say the least. For the first few days, I spent them reading the latest John Green novel with some warm milk that I liked to heat up. Mum suggested that I go out with some friends, get some shopping done, and “lighten up” since it was the holiday. Most of my friends, or all of them really, had left with their families to someplace warm and sunny for their vacation while I was back home.

At least there wasn’t anybody home to bother me from my reading.  Dad was usually working during the day as a business consultant and Jason, my coffee obsessed older brother, was working at a coffee shop downtown. Aside from my mother, that was about it at home and it didn’t bother me as much as it would other people.

I was aware of how fast Christmas was approaching and I assumed Mum did as well.

“Liddy! What’re you doing right now?” Mum poked her head inside of my room. She had flour wiped across her forehead while sporting a very festive apron also covered in flour, her hair falling out of the bun she had first put up. I was reading a book, sitting on my bed while curled up in a blanket.

“Just reading,” I answered. “Having trouble with the cookies?” I couldn’t help but smile, she looked a bit crazy with the flour and her attire.

She looked at herself in the mirror and laughed too. “Seems like it huh? No, I just need you to run an errand for me. Could you go down to the market and get some more food for me? I’m going to make meatloaf tonight.” An involuntary groan escaped my lips, my mother giving me a look that said “don’t complain.” Closing my book, I told her I would be down in a few minutes. She left my room and I changed into something a little more humane and warm. Knowing the weather, I was expecting some kind of storm that made the air frigid and unpleasant.

The kitchen looked like a disaster zone with my mother running the entire thing. Why she couldn’t just buy the cookies from the market was beyond me. She would just tell me that the hectic chaos was all part of the holiday spirit, something I apparently lack compared to the rest of my family. Mum gave me some money and a list of ingredients.

I noticed she gave me more money than I needed.

“Go get yourself something, go out, and treat yourself. You don’t have to be home until six so take your time.” And she went back to cooking with a giant grin on her face. Sometimes, I didn’t understand her, but that didn’t stop me from loving her.

Surely, the cold air pinched and nipped at my face as I started to walk into town. Smiling at my neighbours, I put in my earphones and turned up the music for the duration of the trip.

---

There were loads of people, but what did I expect with Christmas less than two weeks ago and all the shops going on sale?

I had about three hours until I was due back home and I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do or what I could do. Having too much time on my hands as well as money was never good, considering how I would always end up at the book store, reading the hours away while consuming one cup of tea after another. But I already had a book waiting for me at home and I had about three cups of tea already. I decided for my poor, old bones to walk around and try and get into the Christmassy spirit. 

Lots of the trees and street lamps were covered in white lights, like the ones I've seen in photographs. Surveying the scene, the town before me resembled the nice little winter photos I've seen online and in brochures.