Christmas's Beauty Within a Beast

1: Delivering the Bad News

Jesper Johansson sits in the officer of the wealthy Postmaster General, who just so happens to be his father. It is eerily silent other than the stomping of shoes of Jesper's butler serving him yet another plate of tea and croutons. His twin sister, Janna, is painting a picture of a winter's night.

Janna: Let me tell you, Jesper. Our father's this close to strangling the hell out of you.

Jesper: Ah, c'mon, one dead pigeon doesn't constitute mass strangling. Especially not when you're his son.

Janna: One might not, but try seventy two.

Jesper: I'm sure pigeons don't even live that long anyway.

The door creaks open and a much taller man with a murky grey suit and extravagant mustache enters the office. It is the Postmaster General, sternly looking at his twins, mainly Jesper. Nowadays, it will be hard to tell what the Postmaster General is feeling as he always has this cold deposition plastered on his face.

It has been that way ever since the wife of the Postmaster General lost her battle of tuberculosis after two weeks of fighting. The memory of her chronically coughing blood still haunts his mind to this day. His children had taken effect of their mom's death too, Janna acting more aggressive and Jesper acting more spoiled.

Today marks the two year anniversary of her death day.

Postmaster General: You do know why I called you here, right, Jesper?

Jesper: I do know why and let me tell you, Dad, pigeons are very easy to find. Just make a visit to a low class area and it'll be swarming with pigeons.

Postmaster General: (sighs) This is not just about the pigeons. You have been underperforming severely at your work and had made little to no progress in improvement. Handling the mail, pigeons, fragile objects... The post office is begging me to fire you.

Jesper: The post office aren't exactly the most welcoming group...

Postmaster General: What matters, Jesper, is that you are not putting your all at your work. Janna here has been making successful painting after successful painting throughout all the times she has worked. Why did you suddenly derail...?

Jesper: Painting is easy. Just pick up a paint brush, dab some paint on it, and make whatever you want on a sheet of paper. Delivering mail, on the other hand, is much harder. You think a body as delicate as mine will be able to carry a heavy package of fragile objects?

Janna: (snickers and mutters) You are not helping your case at all.

Postmaster General: Jesper... You used to love your job... You used to do enough to warrant staying in the post office...

Jesper recollects past memories of his. His father is right. He knows that he has spiraled ever since that one faithful day. He had been much happier with her around... But ever since, life hasn't exactly been the kindest to him. Maybe part of it is because of his bratty attitude, but he will refuse to admit that even if it kills him.

Postmaster General: I'll give you one more chance to prove that you still has what it takes to work at the post office. And let me tell you, I wish it hadn't come to this. But if it helps make a point of proving that you're worthy... So be it.

Jesper: Pfft. How hard can it be? I've tackled angry coworkers, I can tackle anything you give to me.

Postmaster General: I will sending you to a deserted island where a town called Smeerensburg lies. It-

Janna: (suddenly bursts into laughter) Oh man! You're in for it this time, Jesper! You screwed up massively!

Postmaster General: Janna, please. Let me have a word with Jesper ALONE.

Janna: (calming herself down) Okay.... Okay, Dad. I wish you luck, brother. (Leaves the scene)

As Janna leaves, Jesper sits there to comprehend what has happened. How did he screw up massively? What goes down in Smeerensburg? Is he doomed? Why did Janna laugh at that? Siblings aren't supposed to laugh at each other's pain and misery... are they?

Jesper: Don't know what that's all about.... Should I know?

Postmaster General: As you've been made unaware of unlike your sister, Smeerensburg has itself a shady reputation. Crime and poverty rates are rising each year there. It's not like the townsfolk will do much other than encourage the massive dueling.

Jesper: And what do you want me to do there...?

Postmaster General: I'll be sending you to Smeerensburg for one year, where you are tasked to delivering six thousand letters.

Jesper: Oooh joy, six thousand's a lot...

Postmaster General: Sure is. And if you fail to do this within the year I have given you... Here goes your share in the family estate.

It is in that moment where Jesper's world shatters into six thousand pieces with no way to put them back together. Here is his dad, making him go off to some deserted island he has never heard of to deliver an insane amount of letters to probably an insane group of citizens. All to save his family estate?!

Janna is right. Jesper screwed up big time.

Postmaster General: You leave tomorrow. I wish you the best of luck, Jesper.

Jesper needs all the wishing for the best of luck he can at this point. He solemnly walks out of the office, terrified of every possible outcome he can think up. But every one he has thought up, all of them resulting in death, it gives him a vision of his beloved mother.

He promises himself that he will try his best for his mother. Amongst all the dueling and freezing weather, he will deliver six thousand letters to those who need it.

Little did he know that his life will change forever when the next day approaches.