Santa's Newest Reindeer (3 page)

the police.

The howling wind and blustery snow were no longer a con-

cern. The chills now came from within them, awakening their

instincts. They sensed something was wrong, but what?

Will was certain that if the storm had taken out the electric-

ity, Dad would have had the generator operating or at least be

using flashlights or candles to light the house. Ellie and Will

had identical premonitions, and most often these unexplain-

able feelings came true. Should they go in, or should they go

to Ron and Pat’s house across the street? Keith and Martha

lived around the corner. Did they have lights on in their house?

The most recent premonition had occurred early last winter

when Ellie and Will took a different route home from school.

At Ellie’s suggestion, they walked along the Sweetbriar River

that snaked through Hol y Val ey. It was a favorite winter recre-

ational spot for skaters, hockey players, and those who enjoyed

ice fishing. The river had not yet frozen solid, although a thin, icy crust had formed along the river’s bank. A set of animal

tracks had convinced Ellie to walk farther out onto the frozen

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crust. She had waved to Will, encouraging him to join her.

Will had sensed something bad was about to happen. Ellie

jumped up and down to prove the ice was solid, but something

told him that Ellie’s life was in immediate danger and he had

to act fast. He had raced along the bank until he nearly tripped

over a piece of waterlogged driftwood. He tugged and grunted

until the mud released it. Will had wrestled the heavy limb onto

the ice, his arms and legs burning from exertion. Suddenly, a

loud cracking sound separated Ellie from the shore. Slowly,

she had begun drifting away from Will’s reach. Fear had been

the furthest thing from his mind. He had to save his sister at

all costs. He thrust the branch ahead of him as he sprawled on

the ice. As she grabbed the limb, the ice chunk slid out from

under her, and she had slipped into the icy river. The cold

water numbed her shivering body. Finally, Will had pulled her

to safety next to him. His premonition and quick action had

saved her. The memory sent chills up his back and neck. All

he could see was Ellie reaching for him. What was happening

inside their home? Could he respond in the same way as he did

for his sister? He was determined to help, regardless of what

might happen to him.

“What if Mom and Dad were overcome by gas fumes or

electrical shock? They’ll need our help,” pleaded Ellie, bringing Will back to the present.

“This might help,” added Will, opening the SUV and grab-

bing the ice scraper from the back seat.

Ellie picked up the small stone used for holding the back

door open when Dad brought firewood into the house. “Ready?”

she asked.

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“Go for it,” encouraged Will, holding the ice scraper like a

tomahawk.

Ellie kicked the snow away from the door, reached for the

knob, turned it, and slowly pushed it open. She bolted back and

raised the stone over her shoulder. The winter parkas hanging

on the coat hooks moved as the door brushed against them.

Ellie wanted to yell, but she was too scared. Her heart raced.

Will rested a hand on her shoulder. “It’s just the parkas,”

he said. As they crept toward the kitchen, they saw glimmers

of light coming from the front room. Should they rush in and

surprise any intruders, or should they run out the back door

and run like the wind to Wes and Janice’s house?

“Let’s rush ’em,” braved Will as his heart pounded in his

chest.

“No! Let’s walk in calmly like nothing is wrong and then

jump ’em by surprise,” whispered Ellie. The twins mustered all

their courage, cleared their throats, and took a step forward.

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“We’re home. What’s for supper?” they hollered in unison, expect-

ing to hear a chorus of menu items. Instead, they were greeted

with the gentle voice they had known since they were babies.

“Hi, honeys. How was school today?” Their mother, a slen-

der woman with shoulder-length red hair, greeted them at the

door. Her moist, blue eyes sparkled, and her thin lips parted in

a broadening smile. Gramps always said that Ellie had inher-

ited those two qualities from her mom—among other traits.

Mom leaned over them. Her strong arms pulled them close to

her. She squeezed them tightly, whispering their names. She

kissed them on the forehead and reminded them how much

she loved them. Her embrace lasted longer than the twins had

experienced in a while.

“Your dad, Grandma Tina, and Grandpa Layne are in the

den. We have been waiting for you. Are you hungry?” Mom

asked in a nurturing tone.

Food was the last thing on their minds, as they instinctively

knew something was wrong. They stared at Mom, trying to read

her mannerisms and posture.

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Ellie and Will were usually keen at figuring out their parents’

minds. The twins played a little game where they kept score on

who guessed correctly. So far Will was leading, but Ellie was

close. Although they thought alike, their mannerisms were

different. Ellie was more aggressive and combative. Will, on

the other hand, was more laid-back and carefree. They knew

each other’s habits and used them against each other to their

own advantage. But if other kids tried to bully one of them,

the other twin did not hesitate to step into the fray. Bill and

Peg were pleased their kids stood up for each other since they

were only fourth graders and a mere ten years old.

“We have to talk,” Mom responded in that voice when the

news was not good or when one of them, or both, was in trouble.

However, neither Ellie nor Will had time to think. The twins

looked at each other. Had one of them done something wrong?

Feelings of guilt raced through their minds. It was not time

for school report cards. Neither had misbehaved, especially

so close to Christmas. Was this their parents’ payback for the

April Fools’ trick the two had played on them?

They dropped their books and winter parkas on the kitchen

table and followed their mom into the den. The last time they

had felt this way was when their dog, Othello, had passed

away unexpectedly. Othello was not just an ordinary dog.

She was
their
dog. Othello had been a family member for as long as the twins could remember. He was treated like one

of the kids. He went everywhere and did everything with

them—on vacation, to the coast, sledding—just everywhere

and anything. A tingling seized them. It was as if they had

lost another family member, and all eyes were glued on them

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for a reaction. What had happened? Had they lost a family

member? Inordinate thoughts raced through their minds. They

shuffled to the vacant loveseat and glanced around the room.

Everything seemed to be in its place—the chairs, pictures, and

table knick-knacks. Gramps and Grams were in their usual

cushy recliners. Mom was sitting by Dad on the couch. Noth-

ing was different. Only the sentinel ticking of the grandfather

clock interrupted a foreboding quiet.

Dad cleared his throat and fixed his eyes on Ellie and Will.

Mom put her hand on his arm, signaling that she was with

him in thought and spirit. His eyes darted toward Gramps and

Grams, then quickly refocused on the twins.

“I have some bad news . . . some terrible news to share with

you.” He spoke in a halting tone. The twins’ posture stiffened,

unsure of what Dad was about to share with them. He leaned

forward.

“I’m sorry,” his voice broke. He cleared his throat again, then

drew in a deep breath. “The city fathers have declared that . . .

there will be no Christmas in Holly Valley.”

The gasps from Ellie and Will seemed to suck the air out of

the den. Tears welled in their eyes, and anger rippled through

their muscles.

“What?” they screamed in disbelief. Will leapt to his feet and

began pacing the room, muttering inaudibly under his breath.

Ellie steeled her look as her lips quivered.

“How could this happen? Who made this rule? They can’t

do this. They have no right. This is America. They—they—they

. . .” Her voice trailed off. Mom rose from the couch, embraced

her, and gave her a kiss.

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“Tell us more,” demanded Will in an unusual forceful tone.

Dad unfolded a sheet of paper and read from the proclamation:

Whereas, with the economic downturn and the high cost of

electrical energy, the city fathers institute the following cov-

enants and restrictions immediately:

As city fathers, we proclaim that the public and private

citizenry of Holly Valley will not be allowed to celebrate

Christmas and New Year’s in any public form or fashion. Any

public display of Christmas lighting is explicitly forbidden.

Lighting includes, but is not limited to, string lights, single

bulbs, ornaments, flags, posters, banners, and dimensional

figures or representations thereof, et al. Furthermore, any

form of Christmas expressions, such as caroling, in all public

venues is strictly forbidden, including churches, schools, and

community buildings. Christmas gifting from one person

to another in any form is forbidden. Christmas parties in

any setting are illegal. The Holly Valley Police Department

is responsible for the enforcement of this city regulation, and

violations are punishable by monetary fines and/or incar-

ceration. This regulation wil remain in force until rescinded

by the city fathers of Holly Valley. Therefore, be it resolved,

a public hearing on this proclamation will be held at City

Hall on Saturday, December 19th.

Ellie couldn’t believe her ears. Her stomach tightened, and

the anger began to rise within her. Her face reddened and her

eyes welled up. She tried to hide her trembling hands, but it

was too late.

Will drove his hands deep into his pockets. His shrugging

shoulder failed to hide his discomfort. While Ellie searched

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her parents’ and grandparents’ eyes for an answer, Will avoided

all eye contact and stared at the floor. Ellie and Will had eerie feelings before, but this was nothing they could have ever imagined. No more waking up on Christmas morning and running

downstairs to open presents.

No one said a word. The silence was deafening.

Ellie grabbed the proclamation from her father. She scanned

the document, then crumpled it up in anger and threw it toward

her brother.

“They can’t do this. This is America,” she declared loudly, as

her body stiffened with utter rejection.

Grams rose from her chair and embraced Ellie. “We will be

okay,” comforted Grams as she rubbed Ellie’s back. “There must

be some mistake. Perhaps it is a prank of some sort.”

“I’m afraid not,” retorted Gramps, as he picked up the dis-

carded paper from the floor. “Sure seems like someone does not

want us to enjoy one of the freedoms that we are guaranteed

under the Constitution.” He unfolded the paper and offered it

to Will, who took it from his grandfather’s hand.

“How does everyone feel about this? Does anyone have any

ideas?” Will asked calmly. His eyes continued to focus on a

piece of lint under the coffee table, hoping for someone to

offer suggestions.

“We will do something about this. We’ll be at the hearing

tomorrow and tell them what we think,” Ellie threatened.

While Will was more easygoing, Ellie was stubborn and

assertive. In the past, she had been punished more harshly for