Jak And The Embers (Editing)

The Gift

Chapter 8

Jak awoke the next morning confused as there was a very still quiet air in his room that never really happened on school days as his parents would have woke him. Jak got out of bed and went to his desk he noticed that it was covered with frost. He wiped the fr4ost off the window and to his surprise it was snowing. Jak smiled brightly knowing his parents are most likely either letting him sleep, are asleep themselves, or are making breakfast. Jak went to his closet and took out his house slippers which were a light blue but with very small spots of white giving the effect of stars. He slipped them onto his feet and walked out of his room and went downstairs where he was greeted by the smell of freshly baked waffles, coffee, eggs, bacon, and syrup. He went into the kitchen where his dad was making breakfast for the family. "Good morning champ fine day for snow don't you think?" his dad asked while making more eggs and setting them onto a plate. Jak smiled "yeah it is!" he went and sat down next to his mother who seemed to just have woken up and was drinking for first cup of coffee. "Morning mom" jak said as she smiled at him "good morning Jak sleep well?" she asked while setting her cup down "yup!" Jak replied smiling. His dad set their plates in front of them "thank you dad!" jak said as his father sat down with his own plate of food "you're welcome Jak" he responded before beginning to eat. Jak's mother smiled while lightly beginning to eat her own food. Jak watch them both for a moment before beginning to eat as well.

~{After a hearty breakfast}~

After everyone finished eating their food Jak assisted in washing the dishes and putting everything away. Whe Jak finished he went over to the living room and sat down in front of the window where he could watch as the snow began to descend once again. His mother took a book from the shelf and sat next the Jak. "care to hear a story Jak?" she asked him lightly while holding the book up so he could read the title. Jak read the title aloud "The night before christmas? sure!" jak loved this story but not as much as he loved the story of the Embers. His mother began to read the book out loud to him
" 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of midday to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT! "

~{All copies found anywhere}~
Jak's mother finished reading the book and closed it lightly before setting it to the side. Jak smiled up at his mother knowing he was the luckiest person to have such a kind and loving family even if it was filled with the wonders of those long far away in the galaxy. "Thank you mom for reading a book for me" Jak said while hugging his mom. "You are very much welcome Jak after all you are my very loved son ." he mother returned the hug in kind smiling softly with love in her eyes.
Jak after a moment got up and said once again "I will be up in my room" his mother nodded and jak went on his way.
He went up the stairs he stopped and stared at the attic door that was wide open. His curiosity perked he walked to it and lightly began to close it. He slipped behind the door closing it shut behind him and walked up the stairs to the attics dusty air.
Jak peeked over the top step of the stairs and looked to make sure he was alone. The dim light and dots of snow slipped through small cracks of the roofing as He climbed the rest of the way of the stairs. He looked around seeing everything untouched unkept as it was the first time he was in here. Jak looked around the attic seemingly searching for yet another treasure to take back to his room.He looked through one of the many boxes that were around the room. He took out old toys, books, papers, disk like cd's, jak paused as he took out a small box that shimmered slightly. He dusted off the small box slightly to reveal some words. "A small gift lasts a lifetime of words" jak read allowed to himself. He stood and held the small box close before he ventured back down the stairs and quietly out of the attic door and closed the door quickly before he went off to his room. Jak lightly closed the door to his own room and walked to his desk and lightly placed the box down. He went and grabbed a rag before he lightly dusted the small box off amazed at the glimmering metal design that was lined with red stones and white pearls. He found a small latch on the side of the box; he lightly unlatched it before lifting the lid up revealing a red velvet lined inside where a beautifully encrusted pin laid directly in the center. No dust nor old age dimmed the colors that were placed into the Gold underlay and delicately placed stones of, sapphire, ruby, emerald, pure white pearls, and one single dot of silver. Each stone in the gold formed a blue heron with a ruby necklace representing it's royal sapphire blue feathers while giving a royalty like feature. Emerald green for its eye representing it's majestic feature, pure white pearls dotted it's legs of gold showing it's pure intentions, and at the tip of one of its talons held a single dot of silver representing it's loyalty. Jak lightly held the pin in his hand fearing if he were to do more than this it would break and fade away into time lost and forgotten. He turned the pin to its back slightly seeing the clip that a common pin would hold. He nodded before lightly placing it back into the box and closing it. He held it close to himself. "A gift... from my ancestors most likely... " he said softly before setting it next to his bedside table. He resided to stay in his room the remainder of the day other than eating lunch and supper with his family. Jak went down stairs after a short while and stood in the living room "hey mom.." his mom looked up "yes my little Jak?" jak hesitated for a long moment "can I go out and play in the snow till bed?" his mother smiled softly "of course you can but remember to come back in when the sun starts to go behind the cliff." Jak nodded and went out to grab his cot before slipping snow shoes on and heading outside into the light white snow. Jak began to roll the snow into big ball "one snowman coming right up!" Jak smiled at himself for this statement. He rolled the big snowball over to a few feet away from his house before he began to make a second medium sized snowball and rolled it over to the first one. He was careful make the next snowball smaller than each of the other two before he placed it next to them. Jak stacked the second one on the first one and carefully packed the snow where each one met the other. He picked the third one up and placed it on top of the second one and did the same as he had done. He stepped away from his snowman and smiled before walking over the the porch and pick up two large branches, picked out a few rocks from the ground and walked back to his snowman. He lightly put the branches into the middle part of the snowman and three large rocks on its front. He began to make a face being careful not to press the rocks too hard into its snowy top. Jak then traveled into the house and found a old top hat, an old scarf and an old vest. He went back outside and carefully removed a branch arm and slipped the vest onto the snowman before he put the branch back. He wrapped the scarf around the snow made neck and then lightly placed the top hat onto its head. Stepping back Jak admired his snowman before he noticed the sun had begun to set. "Ah time to head inside I best be going then Mr. snowman" Jak said to his new creation before walking back into the house. He removed his snow covered shoes and placed them next to the door, before removing his coat and placing it onto the coat rack. He went and hugged his parents as he traveled to his room where he held the book close to him while he laid down. He laid awake staring up at the ceiling "wonder what Embers do on christmas..." he said to himself as he drifted into sleep.

To Be Continued~