Princess Claus and the Great Escape

by J L Gillham

  He coughs but pauses as he reaches the door. “That is out of the question. Completely out of the question.”

  “I left...” What do I tell him? I can’t say I left my gems. He’ll ask me why I brought them to the beach in the first place.

  “I borrowed Mom’s bell earrings and think they fell out during the sleigh ride. She’ll be so mad if she finds out.” I bite my lip and wrap my arms around myself to look pathetic.

  “Humph,” is the only response I get. A few seconds later, he says, “I’ll meet you there shortly.”

  I watch Jolly head into the room where he sets up the simulations. Just before the door closes, I see him pull open a drawer and pull out a keychain with at least twenty keys dangling from it.

  A sound from behind me makes me startle. I turn and find Nicky in the hallway, leaning against the wall right next to the end of the scroll. “Here to brag?” I cross my arms, the competitive nature in me rising to the surface.

  He chuckles, which only fuels my annoyance. “You know this scoreboard is inaccurate, right?” He remains in his casual stance.

  “What are you getting at? That you are way better than me, not just a little?” I point my finger at him and can’t help feeling a little like Jolly.

  “It’s inaccurate because you don’t even try.” He pushes himself off the wall, taking a step toward me.

  “Do you see the sweat dripping down my face? If you don’t call that trying...” I don’t bother to finish my statement.

  His scrutiny is nothing like Jolly’s. It’s more like I’m a puzzle he finished only to discover one piece missing.

  “I know, I know. Next in line for the sleigh’s reins.” I shrug and roll my eyes.

  He places his hand on his heart and looks upward. When he speaks, it’s as if he’s quoting Shakespeare. “You’re cursed with a legacy of any firstborn, to fulfill your destiny by doing what’s best for the kingdom, even if this is a kingdom full of wrapping paper, fir trees, and elves.”

  With that, we both laugh. Then, after a pause, he adds, “You know, all this time I was jealous. You had the life I wanted.”

  A word nibbles at my mind. “You said wanted, not want.” Though it was a statement, I said it more like a question.

  He doesn’t meet my gaze but resumes his position with his back against the wall. “I never knew there was anything else, anything other than this.” He thumbs toward the simulation room. “Just a life filled with hoping you’d fail and Dad would have no choice but to let me step in.”

  He pauses for a moment, but I can tell he’s not finished so I stand there, unable to stop staring at him.

  “It’s like going your entire life only drinking water. Then one day you discover soda and juice and coffee.” The longer he talks, the more animated he becomes, moving his hands in the air.

  “But I was wrong. There’s so much more out there for me.” There’s no bragging in his voice. The sincerity is too far a swing on the pendulum in too short a time. I don’t know how to handle a brother who’s given me the cold shoulder my entire life who then fast forwards right into understanding.

  “You’re right and wrong,” I begin. “I did try before. But it was only to beat you and Dad.” Maybe his honesty is contagious. Words that I never imagined sharing with him begin tumbling out. “Until today’s simulation. I actually cared, and not just about my score.”

  Nicky grimaces. “Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you were awful.” There is no hint of teasing in his tone, only compassion. “What I mean is, you scored pretty low.”

  To my surprise, I laugh. “Of course, the one time I try to be a good Santa, and not just because that’s what’s expected of me, I screw up.”

  A small grin begins forming on Nicky’s face. “Truce?”

  I close the distance between us, offering him my hand. And as he shakes it, I answer, “Truce.”

  I ONLY HAVE TO WAIT a few minutes outside the barn before Jolly joins me. He uses a key to open the lock, then pulls the chains away, and drops them on the ground. We each pull one of the sliding doors outward.

  Once inside, Jolly is so close to me if I stop he’ll run right into my back. I make my way to the sleigh we used yesterday. There are still flecks of sand scattered around on the floor.

  “Do you have a rag or dustpan? I should really sweep up this mess so it doesn’t scratch the sleigh?” I point to the sand, hoping to be able to look for the gems without a chaperone.

  Jolly folds his arms and raises one eyebrow. With a huff, he turns and moves away.

  I don’t waste any time. Lifting the lid, I peer down. The inside space of the bench is covered in shadows; however, I see two tiny objects. They must be the gems.

  I reach down and scoop them up, bringing them close to my face. “Yuck!” I shout, when I realize what I’m holding. Poop. Maybe I accidentally left the seat lid up at the beach and a bird swooped down, thinking my gems were rice. The creature swallowed them and left its payment, two capsules of brown poop. With a sigh, I resign myself to the loss of the gems.

  Jolly returns with a dustpan. He glances into my hands. I let go of the droppings, and they fall to the snow-covered ground. A few minutes later, I’ve swept the sleigh free of sand and put the cleaning supplies on the shelf. As Jolly locks up, I mumble about looking for Mom’s earrings elsewhere, thank him and head toward the arboretum.

  The best-case scenario is me finding the booklet about the magic of Winter Wonderland. And although I’m no longer looking for a way to escape, sneaking around in dark, small spaces has become a hobby too hard to kick.

  Once there, I notice everything looks like it did before my crash through the ceiling. When I get to the vent leading to the lower level, I see my red cord still tied to it. “Yes,” I say, as I pull out my head lamp from my utility belt. After attaching it, I switch it on.

  A minute later, I’m following the trail. My mind wanders back to my conversation with Nicky. In a short time, Finn and Aurora’s relationship, siblings who are actual friends, has shown me how things could be with Nicky.

  What ushered in a new dawn of sibling friendship was for both of us to see the world, or at least Hawaii. Nicky realized there’s more to life than proving he would be the better Santa. And since I am now willing to be the next Santa in line, Nicky can have the chance to figure out what he’s really passionate about. And I want that for him.

  I realized how much destruction trying to get what I want can cause, at least when I focused on nothing else. I’m going to put my energy into fulfilling children’s wishes. And hopefully that’ll be enough to bring me joy.

  As I think about all the countries I’ll visit soon on Christmas Eve, I remember skimming through my favorite geography book in the library. At least once a week for the past year, I’d spent an entire afternoon pouring over its pages. Once Christmas is over and my parents are no longer mad at Nicky and me for borrowing a sleigh to leave Winter Wonderland, I’ll have to ask them about taking little outings. Yesterday wasn’t the time to bring it up.

  An idea occurs to me. I make a mental note to find an empty journal. I’ll title it “Family Trips” and give it to my parents for Christmas. Every time we go somewhere, we’ll write about it and put pictures in it like a scrapbook.

  In my daydreaming, I lose track of time. “Oh, no,” I cry, when I come to the end of the cord. With a quick glance around, I realize the secret room I’d discovered last time isn’t anywhere nearby. And there’d been no sight of the booklet. Just then, the hairs on the back of my neck rise to attention.

  I know Jolly raises sprickets in the arboretum, since it’s the warmest place in all of Winter Wonderland. Maybe one got into the vents. But as I turn to shine my light on the spricket, something shiny and gold glints. Then I hear a squeak.

  I yell as I retreat, racing to the safety of daylight as fast as I can. Minutes later, I scurry out of the vents. Resting on the bench, I catch my breath.

  “You look like you saw a ghost.” Aksel whips hi
s head left then right, as if expecting to see something materialize out of thin air.

  “Tell me, do any of the elves have rats as pets?” I ask.

  “Not that I’m aware.” Aksel frowns.

  “I thought I saw a rat.” The words come out in a huff. I almost add there was something shiny too, like maybe a gold collar with the creature.

  “Here? It isn’t likely.” Aksel tilts his head to the side. “Sure you are getting enough oxygen in the vents?”

  Then I remember the rat I saw at the beach. Maybe it stowed away on the sleigh, making Winter Wonderland its new chilling home.

  “Aksel, what color are bird droppings?” I ask the question, even if I am not sure I want to know the answer.

  “White,” he says matter-of-factly. “It looks like a splatter of paint.”

  Not little pellets, I realize. Instead of explaining, I say, “Probably just my imagination.”

  “Where did you say you saw it?” Aksel asks.

  I didn’t want him looking at the vent resting against the wall, not properly back in place. “Over there,” I say a little too loudly, as I take him by the arm and lead him in the opposite direction. Then I add, “Well, at least it’s trapped in the arboretum.”

  “Unless it makes its way through the tunnels to Homebase.” Aksel faces me.

  “What tunnels?” I ask.

  “Oh, you know. The ones in the basement you get to by going behind the nutcracker or painting with the pretty lights.” He begins walking away. I join him.

  “Right, right,” I respond, like I know all about what he’s saying. “The tunnels that were used for...” I trail off, hoping he’ll finish the thought with anything other than catacombs used to store bones.

  “Where all of the elves used to sleep before our cabin was built,” Aksel says like he’s reminding me.

  “You used to sleep in that place?” There is no hope in him thinking I was familiar with the reason by the way I shouted at him. I thought back to the box-shaped holes cut out then inlayed with stones that go completely down the length of the tunnel and from floor to high ceiling. Even with a thin mattress and the small stature of the elves, they would be cramped.

  “Originally Winter Wonderland only consisted of Homebase. We’ve slowly built other structures to fill up this town.” He puffs out his chest.

  “But why the jail at the end of the catacombs, uh, I mean tunnel?” Aksel doesn’t seem to mind explaining so I figure I’ll unroll my scroll of questions.

  “That’s for me.” He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. “I snore so loudly you’d think you were in the center of a tornado.”

  “Can you tell me about the books in your old room?” My eyes widen, and I lean forward on the balls of my feet.

  “Books? I took all my belongings with me when I moved to the elves’ cabin. And besides, I’d return any books to the library.” He rubs his chin as if double checking his memory.

  “What about the booklet that explains...” I stop myself, not wanting to reveal too much.

  “Sorry, no booklets.” He looks at his watch. “Don’t want to miss yoga.” He turns and heads away.

  I hadn’t even heard the bell for break time since I was caught up in what I was learning. So, the room at the end of the tunnel was just a bedroom. But who used it after Aksel moved out? And why were they looking into the magic of Santa?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  The next morning, I make a quick turn around a corner in The Hallway of Trees to head toward breakfast and come face to face with Jolly.

  “Can I at least eat something?” I ask him before he can remind me I have a simulation to get to.

  “Make it quick.” Jolly pulls out an antique pocket watch and taps on it.

  I salute as if he is my commanding officer, then jog to the dining hall. After piling a plate with scrambled eggs and a chocolate-stuffed croissant, I take the empty spot at the table across from my parents.

  They are sitting next to each other holding hands. Their faces are close together as they talk quietly. The moment they realize they are no longer alone, both plaster on smiles and face me.

  “Good morning, sweetheart.” Mom meets my gaze.

  I look from her face to her hand, still holding Dad’s. After nearly two decades of being married, the two of them are as smitten as ever. I hope one day I find someone I can love for a lifetime.

  Finn’s face is the one that fills my mind. I quickly replace the image with one of Cole. Isn’t marrying your best friend ideal? I bite my lip as I remember I need to send him a message soon.

  “How are you today?” Dad asks. He begins rubbing his temples. When he catches me watching him, he lowers his hands and gives me a forced smile.

  That’s when I notice the dark circles under his eyes and wonder if I should encourage him to use his own sleeping powder. Is he stressed out about the upcoming holiday delivery or is it my misadventures keeping him up at night?

  “Fine,” I answer, then shovel in the first forkful of eggs. While I chew, I make up my mind. The moment my mouth is free of food, I take a deep breath and speak.

  “So...” I bite my lip. Should I dive in and ask them about what’s been on my mind, or wait like I planned? I dive in.

  “Since nothing bad happened when we took the sleigh to the beach, I was thinking the family could take a trip once a month. A little bonding time, maybe?” The words spill out hurriedly. So much for waiting to ask after giving the gift of a journal documenting our adventures. “We could do it after Christmas, Dad, so you could relax at a spa in Switzerland or sipping coffee overlooking the Roman Coliseum.”

  Mom glances from Dad to me. Although my father’s gaze never leaves my face, I see his shoulders lower. I wonder if Nicky informed them about the bonfire spreading. Would that be their excuse to keep us stuck here?

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. That’s just not possible.” To my surprise, it’s Mom who speaks up. She tucks a strand of her chestnut-colored hair behind her ear.

  I open my mouth to protest, but she holds up a hand, then continues talking.

  “Beyond the border of the dome is danger.” She pauses. It looks as if she’s thinking, maybe remembering something. Then Mom continues in a quieter tone. “I am grateful nothing happened to you yesterday, but...”

  “You were lucky.” Dad finishes for her.

  I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. Suddenly, the vow I made to myself to give being the future Santa a real try feels like a vow I can’t fulfill.

  Without another word or finishing my croissant, I stand and run from the table. At first, I head toward my bedroom. But Jolly will find me. The last thing I want is for him to enter my room and see me crying. So, I veer right at the next hallway instead of left and make my way to the simulation center.

  After stepping inside the building, I head to the door leading to the simulation to wait for Jolly to let me know I can start.

  “Good luck, Noelle!” Aurora seems to come out of nowhere and gives me a hug. I can’t help but notice the pink backpack covered in rhinestones and a patch of a whale she’s got on.

  “Uh, with what?” For a moment, I forget what’s going on.

  “With your simulation.” She grins. “Nicky invited me to watch. Said this is your last chance to beat his high score before Christmas.”

  Of course, my brother invited Aurora. What a great way to throw me off my game. “Actually, I already beat his high score.” I say, then I remember how poorly I did yesterday and cringe. Then I see Nicky. He joins us.

  “Technically, yesterday you came close to letting me beat your high score. But I went again this morning. So, unless you rock hard, I’ll be in first place.” Nicky puffs out his chest.

  I glance in the direction of the door I need to stand by when I’m up.

  Just then, Finn joins us. “Did I miss it?” He drops a gray backpack to the ground.

  “Just made it,” Nicky answers, then gives Finn a high-five.

  “I’m sure you
’ll do great.” Finn winks at me. As my cheeks redden, I stare at him, unable to shake the feeling like I’m forgetting something. No time to figure it out now. I turn and scurry as fast as I can to my starting place. It takes all my willpower not to cover my flushed cheeks with my hands.

  “Simulation beginning in three, two...” Jolly announces.

  “Wait, I need a minute to compose myself!” I yell.

  “One.” The door pops open.

  Great. Guess I’d better hurry. But as I peer through the threshold, there are no false lights in the ceiling replicating stars in the sky. What there is plenty of is rain.

  “Not again!” I shout.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Before I step through the doorway, I glance toward the trio, but they’ve got their backs to me as they walk away. Guess they are heading to a different spot to get a better view.

  Once the countdown ends, I begin my walk along the bridge. At least this time the rain is halfway between drizzle and soak. Before I’ve made it to the roof, the rain shuts off and the lights switch on.

  “Uh, hold on a minute.” Jolly’s tone is hesitant. “If I restart it, then that will...” He must step away from the workstation because I can’t hear the rest of the sentence.

  “Fiddle-d-fizz. How about I try to...” I wonder if he realizes he’s still on the speaker.

  I pause and look at the clock to discover it’s not working either.

  “Princess Claus, I’m going to have to do a full-system reboot and run for bugs. So,” he pauses.

  I hear his sigh and cross my fingers.

  “Let’s cancel today’s simulation,” Jolly finishes.

  “If that’s what you think is best,” I say, already turning around. In my entire life of training, Jolly has never once canceled the Santa Simulation Training. Whether I had a fever or chills, I still completed my mission. “Santa can’t call in sick,” Jolly would say if I complained.

  Once I exit the simulation and enter the hallway, I see Aurora and Finn flanked by my brother. All three are peering in from the open door. I walk across the bridge, holding onto the handrail.