In The Limelight (Jacksepticeye X Reader)

Christmas Wishes

December 9th 2000

Its Winter. Crisp snow lay about the new green hillsides of Scotland. Wilting trees blew in time with each other, as if dancing to the autumn song that drifted with the breeze. In a small brick house, deserted, cast away from reality, a small child sits by a burning hearth, the orange flame licking up through the chimney towards the midnight sky. A worn down old Christmas tree stands isolated in the corner of the room, its delicate ornaments hung neatly around its decaying branches. The young girl, about 8 years of age, sat motionless for a while, staring longingly into the warm embrace of the fire, her night gown sat perfectly around her feeble legs. She raised her hands up to the fire and rubbed them together, taking in as much heat as possible. Her mother, a tall, lean figure who had a certain warmth about her, entered the room a silent as a mouse... and yet the child still felt her presence.

"Good evenin' mam, it's so cold out tonight isn't it?" The girl spoke. "Yes love, it is quite cold tonight. We are lucky to be inside here on such a night." The mother knelt down beside her child and flung her arm around her, holding her tight. They both stared endlessly into the flames... "M..mam..?" The girl stared up at her mother. "Yes, dear heart?" The mother said. "When is paps comin' home?" The mother was silent, for no words could explain the situation to a concerned child. "Soon, dear heart... soon..." The child nodded... she knew the truth... she knew her father was never coming home... but how could a grieving mother tell her desperate child that she would grow up without a father? It was deemed impossible... as she was too young to understand the truth, too innocent.

"You shouldna lie to me mam..." The girls Scottish accent came out clear. "I know the truth..." The young mother braced herself. "Y...you do?" She choked on her words. "Yeh, 'course I do... he's just gone up to the big town to get my Christmas present mam! 'Aint he?" The tension in the room died down, as a oblivious child gleamed up at her mother. "Oh... er... yes love, that's exactly what he's done. He's just gone up to get your wonderful Christmas present, that's all!" She produced a fake smile, whilst the child smiled back. "This is gonna be a great Christmas mam, you watch."

A calm silence filled the air.

"Speakin' of Christmas, what would you like for Christmas Sophie?" The girl answered to her name. "Mam, to be honest... im not sure. I was thinkin' of a new teddy bear or a dress but, i canna' think!" Sophie crossed her arms in a huff, however a tender arm folded around her, soon made Sophie calm again. "No need t' worry, we still 'ave loads a time 'till Christmas... still plenty time t' think about it... eh?" The mother left her child to ponder about her Christmas wish by the fire, as the room fell into silence once again. Sophie carried on thinking about what she wanted... but in the midst of all of the silence, she still couldn't think.

"It's hopeless! I'm never gonnae think about what I want!" She cried... but after a few minutes of careful thinking... a small, and in all means wild thought... popped into Sophie's head. "Well... i 'ave always wanted to be famous... like... like James McAvoy or Kelly MacDonald! Make it onto the big screens, walk down the red carpet! Be a huge star that everyone will know!" Sophie jumped up and down with excitement, just as her mother came back into the room. "Mam! Mam, im gonnae be a star! Im gonnae be known around the world! Imma be famous! You watch mam! Imma make a name for maself!" She bounced back and forth across the room with joy, narrowly missing the oak wood coffee table or the roaring, open hearth. Sophie ran to the window and stared out into the crisp, clear sky... and whispered.

"Imma be famous... you just wait and see, man in moon. You will know, won't you? You'll know..." Just as Sophie had finished her sentence, a lone star shot across the sky. 'A shooting star! Imma make a wish!' Sophie thought. And with that, her wish was cast into the Heavens... where she hoped that someone, somewhere... would hear her call... and grant her Christmas wish.