Hauntingly Lovely

Chapter 15

Max's P.O.V.

In only a few months we have managed to fix up this big old house, we still don't have electricity but candles and fires in the repaired fireplace have been enough for us. We got the water system to work again and the house doesn't let in any cold air or moister anymore. We've had to run from the police a few times but we always lose them in the woods before going back to our new home.
It's December now, Jack is using some old rags we had left over and sewing them into stockings, he's a lot better at it now and it seems to have helped him get back to his cheery self again. I feel bad that I can't give him the grand Christmas we used to have in past years, I still remember the last Christmas we had together with our families, we had a pile of presents, we ate a feast of food, there was a big Christmas tree decorated with colorful lights, and we had real stockings over the fireplace, I remember not wanting my presents, I remember after the party he gave me a football that disappeared a week later, I remember I gave him a stuffed animal of a dog he had looked at for a while before then. Mostly, I remember how happy he was and the innocence we had, we went from royalty to street rats running from the cops. Luckily Torin has been leading them in the wrong direction to make us harder to find.
Now we sit in the living room with candles and ghosts, eating canned food. That innocence we had is gone. Jack hangs the multicolored rag stockings on the mantle and hums Christmas carols. The innocence is gone but his happiness has returned, I honestly don't know what I would do without Jack and his happiness.
"Do you remember last Christmas?" I ask him.
"Yeah." He says. he looks down and then back to me, "you gave me a dog!" He says happily, always the optimist.
"Yeah." I reply.
"This Christmas is even better than last year!" He replies, now I'm confused.
"How? Last year you had good food, real lights, decorations, presents!" I point out, he looks at me slightly surprised.
"This year, I have freedom and the love of my life by my side. Nothing is better than this." He says. He's right, we aren't trapped anymore, we have love and no rules. That's what Christmas is all about, isn't it?
When Christmas does come, we're surprised to find that there are presents next to the fireplace and our stockings are full. I read the note sitting on top of the presents and smile, the note reads: "Every kid deserves presents on Christmas, Happy Holidays! - Torin, AKA Santa"
We open the gifts while talking with our dead friends. The gifts are some winter coats, some more food, a few packets of seeds with shovels, a new sewing kit for Jack, a pair of daggers from the treasury room for me, some candy in our stockings, and a photo from last Christmas in a snowman frame. I put the frame on the mantle between our stockings. This really was the best Christmas ever.