by Kip Nelson
“No presents,” Tara said.
“No stockings,” Michelle said.
“No big dinner,” Brent said.
“No time for frowns,” Darren said sharply, not wanting to let them wallow in their misery. The last thing he wanted was for them all to remember all the nice things that this world had taken from them.
“You’re forgetting the most important thing about Christmas. It’s not the presents, the food, the decorations, or the games. It’s not even Santa Claus, even though he is a very important person and always would be welcome at our home. No, the most important thing about Christmas is…?” he said, leaving the question hanging in the air. Brent and Michelle should know this by heart because he had spent enough time drumming it into them over the years.
“Family!” Michelle said, clapping her hands together.
“Bingo!” Darren said, rubbing her head with glee.
“Yes, exactly right. It’s family. Those other things wouldn’t mean anything if it wasn’t for the people you share them with. The most important message is that everyone loves everyone else, and that we’re there for the people who mean the most to us, our family. That’s what Christmas is truly about. You can have Christmas without presents, without a big meal, and without a tree, but you never can have Christmas without family.
“I know it’s easy to remember all the things we don’t have, especially when we’re stuck in this cave. But it’s important to remember what we do have as well. We have each other, and that’s something we should be thankful for. Because there are so many families out there who have been separated from their families, such as Betsy and Tara here. We were fortunate to meet them. Now they’re a part of our family. Maybe as time goes by, we’ll meet other people and they’ll become a part of our family too. I’d like you all to try remembering that. Because without each other this world would be a far sadder place,” he said.
They all looked at each other with warm smiles. Each of them knew deep down the true meaning of Christmas, and it was there in them, all the time. It didn’t matter what day it was or what season, as long as they held love in their hearts the Christmas feeling would be eternal.
Tara and Michelle exchanged stories about school plays and other traditions that they weren’t going to be able to indulge in anymore. Darren felt a twinge of sadness as well. There was much that he was going to miss, especially around Christmas since it was his favorite time of year. But that just meant it was time to make new traditions.
“I didn’t mean to upset them,” Brent said in a low voice, while Tara and Michelle were lost in their own world. “Good save, by the way.”
“Thank you. I know you didn’t mean any harm. You just have to be careful with what you say around them.”
“I’m sorry too, for earlier,” Betsy said. She looked a little sheepish.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re all safe, and soon enough this storm is going to end. The other thing that’s important about Christmas is looking toward the future and thinking about the way we want things to be, which also ties in nicely with the New Year coming up. I want you both to think about the way you’d like your lives to be and how you want us to progress next year. I don’t want you to make resolutions exactly, but just think about some things you’d like to accomplish over the coming year. Then we’ll see if we can make a plan.”
“What kinds of things?” Betsy asked.
“It could be anything really,” Darren said. “Just give it some thought and we’ll talk about it in a few days. There’s no rush or anything.”
He hoped that giving them this task would allow them to focus on something else other than their past. While Darren found it difficult to think too far into the future, he knew it was important, to always keep trying to improve. Otherwise, you ended up staying in the same circumstances and that never got anybody anywhere.
The five of them settled down together in the warmth, talking softly. Through the groups of rocks Darren kept an eye on the mother mountain lion and her cubs. They were basking in the soft glow of the fire while the rain continued pouring outside. It was an unlikely scene, but a peaceful one, and wasn’t that what Christmas was all about?
Now that his clothes were dry and the children safe, Darren finally could relax. He leaned back against the rocks and was so tired that they even became comfortable. He closed his eyes and fell asleep to the sounds of his children talking amongst each other, and just like the mother mountain lion he allowed himself some rest.
Chapter Fourteen
Darren was standing outside in the forest. Water was pouring down around him, and it was as though he was standing in Atlantis. The water came up to his waist, and was rising all the time. After treading to keep himself above water, he tried planting his feet on the ground but quickly realized there was nothing there. Then he looked around and was astonished to find that the water had risen so high it had carried him parallel with the tops of the trees. He swam toward one as he felt the current surging around him, trying to carry him away. He reached out and grabbed a sturdy branch, and then clung on for dear life.
Darren wiped his face and tried taking stock of his surroundings. It was difficult to get the lay of the land when it was submerged in water, though. Everything looked so different. The land had become an ocean. But there! He saw the tip of the mountain where the cave was located and he smiled. He could make it back. Maybe there was a barrier and the water hadn’t spilled into the cave.
He was about to swim toward it when something bobbed his way. A body. He reached out with one hand and pulled it close, and was horrified to see that it was Brent.
“No,” Darren sobbed.
Brent’s skin was oily and pale. His eyes were gray and lifeless. He was covered with moss and his clothes were drenched. The water had gotten to him. Darren wrapped his free arm around his son’s limp body and wept inconsolably. The tears trickled down his cheeks and merged with the water around him, becoming an ocean. All Darren wanted was to hold onto Brent forever, but he knew he couldn’t. He let go, and watched Brent’s body drift away.
Moments later, Michelle’s body drifted past him and he had the same reaction, then Betsy’s body, then Tara’s. All of them were pale and lifeless. There was nothing he could do. It was as though their deaths had been ordained by fate, and how could one man fight against fate?
Anger and sadness coiled within Darren. The shock of seeing his children in this state had paralyzed him, but once he regained his senses. He let go of the branch and swam towards them, not wanting to see them drift away into the horizon. They all should be together, even if they were dead. They were a family.
But when he tried swimming toward them the current became stronger and eddies prevented him from making any headway. He expected that the current would carry him closer to the bodies, but it did not. They were free, and they disappeared.
That was when Darren gave up, and let the current take him.
The water surged around his body, gripping him in its powerful hold, and pulled him along. It dragged him past the trees, away from the home he had known for the past several months, but where it was taking him he did not know. He wasn’t even going to fight against it either. What was the use when he had lost everything that mattered to him?
Darren closed his eyes and let the crest of the waves rush over him. He gasped for air, and then found himself submerged in the cold, watery world. Leaves and twigs floated around aimlessly. The forest path stretched out underneath him, but there was no use sticking to it. Darren let his arms fall by his side and decided to simply let the current take him.
But then he felt a break in the water and above him a hand came down. It gripped the scruff of his neck and pulled him up. Darren struggled, calling out in anguish, but there was no sound to his voice until he broke through the surface.
“No! Let go of me!” he cried, but to no avail.
He was pulled up like a drowned rat and deposited on a hard surface. He coughed up water. His chest heaved.
He needed a few moments to become aware of his surroundings, but when he did, he reeled with shock. He was on Santa’s sleigh.
A huge sack of presents was beside him, and in front of him were Rudolph and all the other reindeer, dutifully waiting for their master to grasp the reins. And there he was, in all his scarlet glory. Santa towered above him, wearing thick black boots, a red fur cloak, his belly protruding and his beard cascading down his chest. But as Darren’s gaze rose his face twisted in horror because Santa Claus was actually Bill.
“You!” Darren screamed, and pushed himself up, lunging at Bill. Bill merely laughed and stepped out of Darren’s way, surprisingly agile for such a big man.
“That’s not right. You shouldn’t be attacking Santa Claus,” he said in a deep, cheerful voice.
“You’re not Santa. You’re a monster,” Darren said.
“Watch out, or you’ll be on my naughty list,” Santa said, wagging a finger. He pulled out a long list from his pocket and sighed.
“Sadly, there are always more names on here every year. It’s as if people have forgotten how to behave. And you, well, what can I say? How could you have led your family into this nightmare?”
“What?”
“This? It’s all your doing. You could have stayed in the city, in your home, where the walls were sturdy and there was food in the pantry. You didn’t know that the world had ended, you just guessed. It’s very naughty of you, to put your own desires ahead of the safety of your family.” Santa leaned in, and Darren could smell the stale whiskey on his breath. “We both know why you came out here anyway, don’t we?”
Santa’s eyes were twinkling, but it wasn’t a kindly twinkle.
“Why?” Darren asked almost afraid of the answer.
“Because you wanted out of your old life, of course. You just were waiting for the day when something would go wrong, praying for the world to change so you wouldn’t have to work two jobs any longer. And then it happened. And the first thing you did was run away so you could play at this little adventure.
“You didn’t know that the power wouldn’t be restored. You don’t know about the state of the city either. There might be safety shelters that could protect your children. But you don’t want anything to do with society anymore, do you? All you want to do is stay out here in the wild with your children and pretend like you’re the only people in the world. Better that than face up to your old life, eh? You subjected them to this, Darren, because you wanted to be a hero. You wanted some excitement, and because of your selfishness they’re all going to die.”
“No!” Darren cried. “You don’t know what you’re saying. I never would …” he said, but his words faltered.
Deep down he had wanted things to change. Part of him even had been excited to embark on this adventure, but he never would have done anything to jeopardize the safety of his children…would he?
A sliver of doubt began worming its way through his mind. After all, it was Santa telling him this, and Santa wouldn’t lie.
No, it wasn’t Santa. It was some strange conjuring of his mind, a figment of his imagination.
“You’re wrong,” Darren said.
“Don’t lie to me. You can lie to yourself if you must. But never lie to me!” Santa screamed. As he did so he stretched out his arms and a cold chill blew all around, making Darren shiver. Santa threw his head back and laughed, which reverberated throughout the mountains and the forest.
“What do you want for Christmas, Darren?”
“I don’t want anything. Just my family,” Darren replied, his teeth chattering.
“Come now, you always had a better imagination than that. Perhaps you’d like this back?” Santa said.
He opened his palm and the air shimmered, changing to become a vision of the past. He and Stacie were sitting there with Brent and Michelle, sharing presents on Christmas morning. Michelle was sitting on his lap and Stacie was by his side. Brent was fetching presents from the tree and handing them out. Darren was overwhelmed with a sense of belonging. It was perfect, and it never was going to be again.
“Or would you rather this?” Santa said.
The vision rippled like a ribbon and changed. Darren was sitting alone in a cave, cloaked in shadows. He looked gaunt and haggard. His scratching beard was wispy and gray and his eyes were haunted. Rats scurried around and he seemed to be living on breadcrumbs.
“Where are they? Where are my children?”
“Where do you think they are? You were the one who brought them out here. Did you really think you could survive? What was going through your mind? They’re just children, and you’re just a man. You’re not made for this world. In a battle between man and nature there is only ever going to be one winner, especially when it’s such a pitiful specimen such as you.”
“No…” Darren said, looking at his empty hands. There had to be more than this. There had to be something more. “How did they die?” he asked.
“How do you think? Anything can get them. Infection, disease, the cold, starvation, a wild animal, there are a thousand ways to die out here, Darren. But if you want to look at the real cause, then look no further than yourself. You were the one who brought them out there. You were the one who subjected them to this world. You should have known better. You’re their parent. You were supposed to keep them safe, and instead you exposed them to nature.”
“No…”
Darren looked up and saw something moving behind Santa. He narrowed his eyes. Santa cocked an eyebrow and moved aside.
“Ah, yes. I believe you know my little helper,” he said, and presented Stacie. She was wearing an elf outfit and was sorting out presents. She looked at him and smiled.
“Hello, Darren. You’re looking well.”
“Stacie?” Darren asked, confused. “What are you doing here?”
“This is what I left you for. Don’t you understand?”
“No, I don’t,” he said.
Santa sighed as he sat down and patted his lap. Stacie stopped what she was doing and fell onto him, draping her arms around his neck. A flash of envy struck Darren. Santa just laughed, and then Stacie joined in. Darren had to stand there while the two of them mocked him, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Cold fury simmered in his soul. He clenched his fists and strode forward.
“Not today, Darren,” Santa said, wagging his finger again.
Santa took the reins and called to his reindeer. The sleigh moved underneath Darren, and he wasn’t able to steady himself. He lost his footing and toppled over the side, falling into the water with a splash. Santa rode off with Stacie, leaving a trail of sparkles behind him. Darren glared at him, utterly miserable.
He pulled himself up on the top of a tree and straddled a branch. Had what Santa said been true? Darren looked into himself, but didn’t like what he saw. Perhaps he had been too eager to leave their home. He’d seen plenty of panic in the city, but maybe if he’d have just waited a little longer he might have been able to find somewhere safer.
He started second guessing himself and wondered if he had been making the wrong decisions all this time. After all, could they have been worse off if they had stayed? Right now they were struggling to keep warm and struggling for food. They were barely managing to survive. This salvation wasn’t much salvation at all. And Santa was right, none of them had asked for this. But Darren had led them to this place and, ultimately, whatever happened to them was his fault.
But, as he was lost in his musings, something caught his eye. He looked across at the surface of the mountain that had contained his cave (by now he had given up all hope of reaching the cave. It seemed impossible that it wasn’t filled with water.) and saw the pack of mountains lions. The mother mountain lion was there, surrounded by other adults. He knew they were the cubs she had been protecting. The mother had done it. She’d kept her children safe.
“You can do it too,” a voice as soft as velvet said in his mind.
He knew instinctively that it was the mother
mountain lion talking to him. Her children were strong and proud, all because she had kept them alive, and he knew he could do the same. He was as strong as a mountain lion, no matter what his doubts said. He knew he could raise his pack to be as strong and as proud as these mountain lions.
Darren stood up, straddling the branch, and bowed his head to the mountain lions. There was a deep respect between them. The mother mountain lion bowed her head as well. Then turned away, walking toward a new adventure. Darren watched them, and then saw the water seep away, as though the world was being drained. The forests and mountains were left cleansed and new. It was a brand new world, and it was his home.
Darren awoke with a start, gasping for breath. It took him a few moments to gather his senses and become aware that he was still in the cave with his family. The children all were sleeping around him, some of them snoring lightly. Outside he could hear the rain, and near the mouth of the cave the fire still was going. He adjusted his position as much as he could without waking the children and saw the mother mountain lion looking back at him. The two of them were alike, kindred souls, and he found himself smiling at her.
The dream had been a strange one, but he had a renewed vigor in his heart. He wasn’t going to let his doubts control him. He wasn’t going to let himself be ruled by fear. The ghosts of the past were strong, but he could endure them. The sight of Bill as Santa, and Stacie as an elf, was something he wouldn’t soon forget, but it also wasn’t something that would repeat itself. Neither would he forget the sight of his children dead, drifting away to the horizon. He would do everything he could to make sure that eventuality never came to pass.
Darren leaned back against the rocks and waited for dawn to come. A new day brought with it new challenges, but he was confident the mountain lions wouldn’t pose a threat. For the time being they were in this together. While that remained true, he could count on the mountain lions to remain their allies. In the back of his mind he almost could hear the mother mountain lion whispering to him.