Once upon a time a little girl is busy writing her wishlist for Santa. It is soon christmas, and her father had asked her to finish her list by nightfall. It was now early morning and the girl was finished. “Here daddy! I am all done”, the girl says happily to her father.
The old man grabs the list and tell his daughter to be quiet, before he starts to read. He shakes his head unpleased and raises his voice at his daughter .“A pony, 10 dolls and candy?”, he says looking disapointed at his daughter before continuing. “A pink bike, a castle and money. This is not a wishlist!”, The old man rises to his feet and yells at the poor girl’s face. “If you do not come up with anything better, Santa will give you coal!”
“But…”, the girl says, crying. Her father hits her, before she can continue. “Go down and sit in the cellar until you come up with something better”, the old man says tiredly. As the daughter now goes down in the old, dark cellar full of monsters.
After writing her christmas wishlist again, this time thinking through every wish, she walks up the old stairs and knocks at the cellardoor.
“Knock, knock”, the door says. A minute later her father stands outside and asks her if she is finished. “Yes”, the daughter answers giving him her new list. It is now late afternoon and only a couple of hours until nightfall. The father opens the door slowly and sees the sight of his daughter. She is not old, about ten to thirteen years old, he can’t quite remember. Her tiny arm stretches forward giving her father the new list. Their eyes meet for a second before flickering away, hers was red and swallowed, his was dark and strict. Afterwards his brutal voice starts reading.
“A doll, a kitten and new shoes”. Why? the little girl wondered, why is his face so hard? The old man felt disrespected. “This was supposed to be better! This is not acceptable!”, the father said loudly in an ice cold voice. He steps forward, and raises his arm up high, before forcing it down his daughter. Her scream is echoing in the empty cellar, as the stroke hits her in her face. The old man slams the door shut, but not loud enough to overcome the sound of a tiny body falling down the stairs.
At twilight the girl is ready to deliver her last wishlist. This time her father is finally satisfied. “Good job” he says , not really meaning it. He is still feeling irritated as he finally lets the daughter out of the cellar. “Go up to your room , and tomorrow you will see if santa accepted your wishes. And so the daughter does.
Christmas came the next morning. Usually the girl is happy during christmas morning, but not today. Instead of rushing to the christmas tree, the girl finds herself walking. It feels like she is walking too fast, but her legs can’t possibly walk any slower. There are two presents under the christmas tree, both has her name written on them. Her father is not here, he never shows up for christmas day. Either he’s working, he’s drinking or probably hungover, the little girl thinks. She slowly opens her first present. Jumping rope, the first thing she wished for santa to give her, a beautiful red one, it is a perfect present. And in the second present she finds a tall chair, it is so tall that if she stands atop of it, she can reach the roof with her hands. Both of her wishes are now fullfilled, and so there is only one thing left to do. It’s time to play with her presents, the last game she will ever play.
Up in her room she places the chair, under a pink chandelier. While counting to ten, again and again. She ties her jumping rope, firmly in the chandelier. Now, finally facing her fear. She wears the necklace of rope, her feet dangeling in air, and now she no longer care. And so the little girl lived happily ever after.
