To Survive without the Guardians

Chapter 18: The Plan and the Project

Matt woke up on Christmas Eve to the smell of warm gingerbread and walked into the kitchen to find his younger siblings Stephen and Juliana eating frosted gingerbread men at the dining table.

"How can you sleep 'till noon on Christmas Eve?" Juliana asked Matt. He shrugged.

"You have to eat lunch before you have cookies," his mom told him. He nodded. He wasn't alert enough yet to process much. However, as soon as he remembered the plan for the night, his mind woke right up.

He walked into the kitchen and made himself a cheesy sandwich, brainstorming different ways to keep himself from dozing off. Sleeping in late had been excellent, but he needed to do more than just that. Maybe. He didn't know exactly what time North would come at, nor if he would refuse to come at all if he was awake. But Santa wouldn't really do the latter, would he?

And not only did Matt have to be awake, but he had to be sharp-minded, too. The Fearlings would probably try to wreck his plans if they found out about them. He had to be aware and ready to fight.

*/*/*/*

Micah came up to Haven as she ate her lunch. "Have you bought me presents yet?"

Haven smiled. "Of course. It would be a little late to buy presents on Christmas Eve."

"You might get some good sales, though."

Haven shook her head, laughing. "There are things more important than that."

"Could you please help me wrap presents for Mom and Dad in my room?"

Haven shrugged. She was terrible at wrapping, but at least her gifts didn't half-unwrap themselves after five minutes like Micah's did. "Sure." She finished eating her hot dog and chips and followed her sister upstairs, where a roll of white and gold "Joy to the World" gift wrap, a pair of scissors, some ribbon and name tags, and a few clearly-homemade gifts lay on the floor.

Haven scanned the supplies. "You forgot the tape."

"Oh." Micah ran downstairs to get some. When she returned, she shut and locked the door behind her. "I also want to talk to you about something," she said in a low voice.

Haven didn't respond for a second, listening to see if anyone was nearby. She knew her mom was out buying ingredients to make cookies and such, having forgotten to do so earlier amidst everything else, but Haven didn't know where her dad was. She didn't hear him, however, so she assumed he was on his computer downstairs.

"What is it?" Her eyes locked with her sister's blue-green ones.

Micah turned away and picked up one of the gifts, a tissue paper poinsettia ornament. "I saw them last Tuesday. The Fearlings."

Haven tried to make eye contact again but failed. "Did they hurt you?"

Micah began to unravel the wrapping paper roll and shook her head. "No, I just saw them fly to your school."

Haven nodded. Matt had been attacked that day.

"Don't ever let it show when you see them." She didn't want her parents thinking her sister was also insane, and she couldn't be sure the Fearlings wouldn't attack Micah if they knew they weren't invisible to her.

The child looked up. "I won't."

"Oh- and I think you should put that in a gift bag or box first. It wouldn't be easy to wrap on its own, and it would be squashed anyway."

*}{/*}{/*}{/*

Matt came in from walking through the freezing snowy night. "Hello Grandpa Sloan."