by CP Ward
‘All right?’ Debbie said, noticing Bonnie. ‘What happened? You get on the lash with those elves?’
‘What elves?’
‘Bumped into Mark, Shaun and Alan in the club last night. Mark said he saw you wandering about.’
Bonnie shook her head. ‘No, he just gave me directions.’
‘Cool bunch of guys. Drink like fish.’ Debbie laughed as she poured coffee and handed Bonnie a cup. ‘You coming out today, or do you have to do admin and stuff?’
‘Coming out?’
‘Well, we’re kind of on holiday, aren’t we? The lads are going on a sleigh ride this morning. Said we should come along.’
Bonnie smiled. ‘Sounds great. I’ll need some food in me first.’
‘Cool. Get ready and we’ll head out to that other café. Maybe you can get us a park staff discount.’
‘We’ll see.’
Debbie’s enthusiasm was infectious. By the time they were walking across the park to the Mountain Breeze Snacks and Cakes Café, Bonnie felt a spring in her step. She needed to sort through Mervin’s stuff, but it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun first.
The café was empty, but it buzzed with order and life in comparison to the closed, bolted, and weed-attacked properties around it. June was nowhere to be seen, a lad in his late teens behind the counter. His glasses glittered with tinsel and he wore a Christmas hat over unruly blond hair.
‘Hey Debs,’ he said as they entered. Bonnie glanced at her, mouthing, ‘Do you know everyone?’
‘All right, Niall. Sorry I threw that beer over you last night.’
The boy grinned. ‘No probs. You get back okay?’
‘Yeah, more or less.’
Bonnie decided not to ask how they had met. ‘Do you do breakfasts?’ she asked.
‘Course.’ Niall smiled and handed over a menu. It was a simple piece of paper fitted into a foldout spell-book-shaped holder, a quaint touch. ‘You must be Mervin’s niece, right?’ He reached over a hand for her to shake. ‘Lovely to meet you. He was a great old guy. Always slipped me an extra marshmallow, and his cooking classes were awesome.’
‘Cooking classes?’
‘Yeah. He used to show us traditional cooking methods using natural ingredients. Will you be starting those up again?’
‘I can show you how to start a microwave.’
Niall laughed as though it was the funniest joke in the world, but Debbie shot Bonnie a savage glare. Bonnie, wondering quite what she’d done wrong, looked down at the menu.
‘Um, I’ll just have a reindeer toast set,’ she said. ‘Whatever that is.’
‘Toast shaped like reindeer with jam made in Lapland,’ Niall said.
‘They have fruit in Lapland?’
‘I have no idea, but it’s a popular set with the kids. Even more since Frozen came out. We’re not allowed to name the characters due to copyright issues, but the kids all know.’
‘Popular with kids? Um—’
‘And adults.’
Bonnie smiled. ‘All right, I’ll take it.’
‘And I’ll have a triple sausage and egg goat-herder’s burger set,’ Debbie said. She glanced at Bonnie. ‘Since we’re on holiday and all.’
‘Great,’ Niall said. ‘Shall I charge it to Mervin’s account?’
‘His account?’
‘Yep. All the leaseholders have one.’
‘Well, when do I have to settle it?’
‘When the lease runs out.’
‘So … at the end of a hundred years from the start of the lease?’
‘That’s right.’
Bonnie laughed. ‘Well, in that case, I’ll have a large coffee too.’
‘And I’ll have a larger one,’ Debbie said. ‘With extra coffee in it.’
Niall clicked his fingers. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
As they took a corner table, Bonnie turned to Debbie. ‘What was all that about with glaring at me?’
Debbie scowled. ‘You’re not getting it yet, are you? I’ve been wandering around the park, talking to staff and customers, and us being here—well, mostly you, but you know, they’re loving my get up—has created a real buzz. It seems like your Uncle Mervin was a total legend, like he kept the park’s light burning when it was trying to go out. When he died last summer, all the hope that this park could be revived died with him. Then, when we showed up yesterday … it was like Father Christmas had come early.’
‘That’s a load of rubbish.’
‘Look, pack it in with the negativity. There are people here who’ve worked here almost as long as your uncle did. You showing up has given them a reason to dream.’
Bonnie rubbed her eyes. ‘I’m a fifty-two-year-old divorced checkout lady from Weston super Mare. I’m about as far from any kind of hope they could get.’
Debbie shook her head. ‘Oh, you poor delusional thing. Here, you’re none of that. You’re the niece of Christmas Land’s most famous resident. You’re the park’s only hope.’
‘Are you quoting Star Wars?’
Debbie grinned. ‘Not closely enough to get sued. Come on, snap out of it.’
Bonnie sighed. ‘I’ll try.’
‘Food’s up,’ came Niall’s cheerful voice. As he put two plates down in front of them, Bonnie stared. While her own reindeer shaped toast, complete with icing sugar and a dollop of dark orange apricot jam, was impressive enough, Debbie’s tower stack was like something out of a meat factory nightmare. Debbie grinned at the leaning tower of heart disease, as sauces in various colours dripped down on to her plate.
‘That’ll sort me out,’ she said.
After a pleasant walk along nearly deserted tree-lined avenues, past a number of closed shops and attractions, they came to the reindeer stables. Larry, Barry, and Mitchell were waiting on a bench outside, eating donuts and drinking milkshakes from cups shaped like Christmas tree ornaments. Larry looked puffy and red as though he’d run here, and Mitchell looked as sultry as he had yesterday, but Barry was ashen, his eyes drooping. Bonnie wondered how he was handling the stag holiday.
‘He all right?’ Debbie asked.
Larry grinned. ‘Couldn’t find anywhere selling Red Bull,’ he said. ‘Pub’s not open until twelve. Reckon a good sleigh ride’ll sort him out.’
‘I feel sick,’ Barry said.
A bearded man in overalls appeared out of the nearest stable and clapped his hands together. ‘Good morning, everyone,’ he said. ‘My name’s Jason, and I’ll be your driver for today. I’m just getting the sleigh hooked up, and we’ll be ready to go in a couple of minutes.’
‘Come on, Baz, on your feet, lad,’ Larry said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
Shakily, Barry stood up. ‘Might as well die standing,’ he said. ‘I’ll stand at the back, just in case.’
As the others all grimaced, the jingling of bells rose up from the stall behind them. Wooden doors swung wide and four reindeer trotted into view, pulling a beautiful brass-framed sleigh.
‘Oh wow,’ Debbie said.
Bonnie was too stunned to say anything. The swirling patterns of the metal and the way the sunlight through the trees glinted off it, Bonnie felt like she had stepped through a portal into a fairytale world. The reindeer, with bells hung from their harnesses, jingled as they stamped and snorted. Jason, now dressed in dark green forest garb like a latter day Robin Hood, gave an elaborate bow.
‘Welcome to the Christmas Land sleigh adventure,’ he said. ‘Let’s get you settled and then we’ll begin our journey.’ With a wink he added, ‘One of the perks of not being busy is you get the full, uncensored tour.’
They climbed in, the three lads taking a rear bench, with Bonnie and Debbie in front. Jason sat in a seat ahead of them, the reins in his hands. He gave them a shake and the reindeer moved ahead with a sudden jolt, bringing a cry of delight from everyone except Barry, who groaned. The sleigh, fitted with wheeled runners in the absence of any snow, followed a leafy path through the trees, ducking under walkways and angling a
round lines of chalets and clusters of shops. They waved whenever they saw anyone, but the park was eerily empty.
After a couple of minutes of following beneath the rusting curve of the rollercoaster dipping down above them and then cutting back up through the trees, they came to a tall fence. A gate was set into it. Jason climbed down and opened it, then moved the sleigh forward into a fenced box with another gate at the other end. He got down again, closed the first gate, and then opened the second, before leading them out into the forest outside the park. Pausing once again, he got down and closed the second gate.
‘What you got an airlock for?’ Larry asked.
Jason glanced back, smiling. ‘Now the tour really begins,’ he said. ‘Before we were just getting out of the park. Now we’re out into the open forest, and who knows what we might find?’
‘Bro, don’t scare us. You got bears out here or something?’
Jason laughed. ‘Actually, yes.’ To a series of exclamations, he explained, ‘We’re now in a nature reserve owned by Christmas Land. Organised walks and tours only. There are a couple of bears, but you don’t need to worry. They’re European black bears, weighing around a hundred kilograms, and they generally won’t attack people.’
‘So, by “generally won’t”, you mean, they sometimes do?’ Debbie asked, leaning forward. ‘Instead of going on a pretty forest sleigh ride we could actually get savaged by a bear?’ She started rummaging in her pockets. ‘I hope I’ve got my phone….’
Jason laughed again. ‘No one has ever been attacked in here. In fact, the bears are pretty shy. They won’t come near, if we see them at all.’
‘Just bears?’
Jason shook his head. ‘No, there are wolves. And a few other animals that used to be commonplace in the British Isles but have long since been hunted into extinction. This place is so unique that it’s not even shown on most maps. Generally, only researchers and scientists come here. It’s only being used for sleigh rides because the park is so quiet. When we’re busy, most rides are just around the perimeter.’
‘I’m going to be sick,’ Barry said, as the sleigh started off, bumping along a forest track, ferns and bushes whipping at the sleigh’s sides as they cut between trees. Bonnie stared at the forest as it spread out around them, towering oaks and sycamores, ash and beech. As they briefly rose over a bowl, she caught a glimpse of several rabbits hopping through the trees. And then it came, echoing through the forest: a howl.
‘Oh my,’ Larry said. Bonnie glanced back to see him cup a hand over his mouth. ‘I totally like needed to swear then, but I held it in. We’re going to die, aren’t we?’
‘It’s all part of the fun,’ Jason said. ‘See if you can spot them. We’re coming up to a clearing where you can usually see one or two.’
The sleigh rattled through the trees, bumping over rocks. Jason, clearing enjoying himself, made regular jokes about wheels falling off and having to walk back. Debbie clutched Bonnie’s arm like a life buoy, while in the back, Barry and Larry made groans of discomfort and nervous grumbles. Mitchell said nothing, but his darting eyes revealed his unease.
Bonnie, however, had settled into the ride and was enjoying it more with each passing moment. The feel of clean forest air on her face, the call of the birds, even when she had to duck sharply to avoid a branch swinging for her face, it all made her feel more invigorated. The feel of wind in her hair, the grunts of the reindeer and the creak of the sleigh … nothing else felt quite like it. No wonder Mervin had stayed all these years.
Finally, Jason steered them between two trees and a fence appeared up ahead. To Bonnie’s surprise she realised they had arrived back at the park. As Jason climbed down to open up the gates, he turned back and gave them a wistful smile.
‘Didn’t see the wolves or the bears, I’m afraid. Maybe next time. I hope you all had a good ride.’
A few minutes later, they pulled up outside the stables, where they found a group of older people waiting in line for the next ride. Barry, who had managed to survive the ride without being sick, looked much better than he had when they set out. Mitchell, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes, climbed down with the ease and grace of a movie star getting out of a limousine. He held out a hand to Debbie, and Bonnie noticed black painted fingernails. She smiled as she watched Debbie take his hand and climb down; perhaps there was some connection between them after all.
‘Right then,’ Larry said, clapping his hands together. ‘That was awesome. What’s even more awesome is to celebrate our survival with a pint.’
Barry and Debbie cheered. Bonnie noticed how Debbie and Mitchell were still holding hands. She smiled. The strangest things could bring young lovers together. As they all headed off in the direction of the pub, she wondered when would be best to slip away.
She had work to do.
15
Coming Around
After a quick, social glass of sherry, Bonnie played the old person card and left the others to make merry. Instead of going straight back to café, however, she took a walk around the park, exploring areas she had not yet visited. While it had initially felt like a big oval, she found that it was far larger than she had at first imagined. And while the area to the north was fenced off to contain the supposed bears and wolves she hadn’t actually seen, to the east it was open, the rides and shops giving way to an open nature area. She came across a river flowing around the southern edge of the park, with a nature trail leading out into the forest.
She hadn’t intended to follow it the whole way, but she soon found herself striding purposely down the trail. Virgin forest trees rose all around her, the vegetation thick and lush, something she had never seen on any Lake District documentaries. Jason had claimed it was left off most maps, and she could understand why. It was a magical place even without its connection to Christmas Land, a place where she could be at home with nature. She hummed quietly to herself as birds called from the trees, the leaves rustled overhead, and her feet made a soft crunch over the humus covering the trail.
After a couple of miles the trees began to thin out, the trail rising. She found the river again, winding its way through the forest, cascading white water stalling in wide, clear pools where fish darted in the shallows.
Open fell land began to replace forest, the ground continuing to rise. And then finally the forest was gone, and Bonnie stood by the edge of a pretty tarn, perhaps a hundred metres across. Fells rose around its sides, closing it again at the far side where a larger river sourced it, holding it like the cupping hands of a giant.
Birds called out of the water. A fish jumped. A huddle of ducks moved near the southern edge, upending into the water, searching for food, their contented quacks echoing back from the fells.
Bonnie breathed. Tears sprang to her eyes at the beauty of it all. She felt certain that if she climbed the fells on either side, she would find the Lake District spreading out around her, but here, in this hollow, she was perfectly alone.
A little bird watcher’s hut stood among an area of reeds, reached by a wooden boardwalk. Bonnie walked across to it, stepping carefully over rotted planks. The hut, while not in disrepair, was shabby, a sign erected to identify various types of plant and animal life faded to illegibility. She was still on Christmas Land’s property, and like everything else in the park, there was a sense of decay here, of neglect and abandonment. Out by the tarn, however, it felt okay, as though human interaction was unwanted, unnecessary.
Another path led around the shoreline, with others leading up to the ridgelines. Bonnie wasn’t ready for such exertion, so she kept to the tarnside path, enjoying the sound of the ducks, the sight of a heron standing among reeds, some rabbits running among the grass on the lower slopes. On the other side of the tarn, a hiker’s path was interrupted by an old sign that said PRIVATE PROPERTY, with a wooden fence keeping casual walkers away. She wondered again who owned it, who Mark had referred to as “the Boss”. She would love a chance to meet them, particularly if….
; ‘You’re crazy to even think it,’ she said aloud, entertained by the echo of her words across the fells. Even as she spoke, though, she felt what perhaps Mervin had, that this place was a special place within a larger special place, and it needed to be protected. Christmas Land, once in tune with the nature among which it lay, had lost its direction somewhere along the line.
There had to be something that could be done to restore the park while ensuring its impact on such a special environment was managed, to make sure that these forests and lakes were enjoyed yet protected. The world had become open and cruel, losing its magic. Somewhere like Christmas Land and its delicate environmental surrounds had the ability to give it back.
And from there, the goodwill could spread outwards—
Bonnie tripped on a loose root, losing her train of thought. ‘Oh, dear,’ she muttered, shaking her head, aware that she had been daydreaming, imagining the kind of things her father had talked about while putting her to bed. Somehow, over the last couple of days, she had become a child again, filled with a sense of wonder.
The walk back was a lot quicker, with the trail leading downhill most of the way. By the time she got back to the park, darkness had fallen and lights had come on, illuminating the walkways through the trees. It was still only four o’clock, though, so Bonnie bypassed the café and headed for the main entrance.
She found Brendon, dressed as Mr. Glockenspiel, sitting inside his gatehouse tower, reading a copy of The Guardian, one puffy trousered leg hooked over the other, a portable electric heater beside him to ward off the cold.
‘Busy day?’
Brendon sat up. ‘We’ve got two more guests due today,’ he said. ‘The last train stops at Ings Forest at four forty-five, so I’ll be here another hour at least. How was your day?’