by M. A. Torres
Sylvia returned to Noemi’s house through the back door. She grabbed another chocolate doughnut and walked into the living room, where Noemi’s parents were pacing and looking stressed.
“What happened?” she asked, her lips stained with chocolate.
“SYLVIA! Where have you been?!” Noemi’s mother rushed towards her and grasped her by her shoulders. Noemi’s father let himself drop onto his couch—his eyes shut with relief.
“I was... on the roof, watching the meteor shower... OH!” I’m the lost girl.
“Why didn’t you tell anybody? We couldn’t find you anywhere!”
“I... I... I...”
“We called your mom to see if you went back home, but you weren’t there either! Then the hours went by with no sign of you anywhere!” Noemi’s mother seemed stressed, angry, and relieved—all at once. “We called the police because we thought someone had kidnapped you!”
Sylvia would never forget the look on Noemi’s face; a look shared by the other girls present—a look filled with anger, rejection, and annoyance, all in one.
That was the night she stopped trying to fit. She decided she’d be her true self, without apology or reservations. It had cost her all her few friends, but she had been happier since, in a lonesome sort of way.
Vivian led her to the backyard where Olivia and the others awaited.
‘Hi, Sylvia,’ they all said.
“So glad you’re here!” said Olivia.
Sylvia gave a shy smile and waved. “Where’s Robbie?” she asked.
“Robbie’s at the treehouse! Come,” said Jake. He led them into Robbie’s yard.
Sylvia paused at the foot of the treehouse and stared up, gaping. “Wow!”
“Hi, Sylvia! Come on up!” It was Robbie, calling out from the left side window.
Sylvia followed the others up the ladder and through the front door. She entered and looked around wide-eyed. She ascended into the balcony, then returned to the main floor, looking out of every window, and inspecting all of Robbie’s stuff. “Robbie, this place is amazing!”
“Yup, that’s how we all felt the first time,” acknowledged Matthew.
“So this is your hangout?” she asked.
“Well, yeah. Mostly,” said Matthew.
“Guys, sundown will be here soon. We need to bring Sylvia up to speed with what’s happening, stat! Then we need to head out and burn that crystal field! Everyone, find a seat!” Robbie commanded, and everyone listened.
It took a half hour to bring her up to speed. Sylvia sat in stunned silence, attempting to process the tale. At times she felt like calling their bluff, but she reminded herself of her own power and how unbelievable that seemed to be. It was difficult to discount the tale, for Jake had Tombstone with him, and he was quick to demonstrate its power before her.
Sylvia closed her eyes. Then she opened them and stood. She looked at each of her newfound comrades and took a deep breath. “Let’s go burn this field!”
‘YEAH!’ they all hollered.
THEY REACHED THE FORESTED region as twilight fell and the chill of the winter breeze bit like cold steel. They geared up by the dancing tree. Jake donned his armor and helm, then retrieved Tombstone from its bag. Matthew donned his armor too, then readied a pickaxe. Olivia secured her whip to the side of her belt, and Robbie hung his BB guns across his back.
“Okay, everyone, now here’s the plan,” announced Robbie. “Jake and Matthew, you two look for Santa and nutcracker and destroy them. I will create a non-flammable perimeter around the field with the fire-deterrent. Afterwards, we’ll pour the gasoline over the field. Olivia and Sylvia, you guys keep the look-out and be ready to help Jake and Matthew if Santa and nutcracker get outta hand.”
“Yes, sir!” responded Olivia with a salute.
“Pfft. You think we can’t handle Santa and nutcracker on our own?” asked Jake while patting Tombstone’s hilt.
“Let’s just go.”
Robbie led the way into the thickness of the forest gloom. They walked single file, careful to follow Robbie’s path, as the ground was wet, uneven, and full of dead shrubbery. Robbie seemed to know his way even in the low light, but their pace was slower than before.
They reached a makeshift fence—a fence that wasn’t there before, which now surrounded the crystalline field. It rose ten feet high with aluminum strips woven between its wires, restricting the view inside.
“Shucks! They must have quarantined the area during the day!” said Robbie.
Olivia tried to peak through the narrow gaps between the strips.
“Can you see anything?” asked Jake.
“It’s too dark.” She stepped back and glanced up. She hooked her fingers around the fence wire and placed her foot through a woven slot. She pulled herself up, and the fence held. She climbed until her eyes cleared the fence.
“What do you see?” whispered Matthew.
“Not much. It’s still too dark! I’m going to jump over!”
The others exchanged a concerned glance.
“I’ll go too,” volunteered Robbie. “You guys hand me the bags when I reach the top.”
Matthew and Jake nodded.
Olivia swung her leg over the fence and let herself drop onto the other side. Robbie began the climb himself, and moments later, was sitting at the top of the fence. Matthew lifted Robbie’s bag, and they pushed it over to the other side. Then they did the same with the rest of the gear and supplies.
Afterward, Matthew and Jake began the climb. They struggled to advance, the weight of their armor heavy on their bodies, but eventually, they reached the top. Matthew swung his leg around and jumped off, landing on his feet. Jake tried to climb down, but his foot slipped off the fence. He fell on his back in a loud clatter of steel and grunts.
Matthew and Olivia rushed over and helped him to his feet.
“I’m okay, everybody! My butt’s numb, and I bit my tongue, but I’m okay!”
Sylvia jumped the fence immediately afterward. Facing the darkness, they turned on their flashlights and scanned ahead.
Matthew was the first to speak. “Oh no...”
The crystalline field was littered with a smorgasbord of Christmas décor. Snowmen, elves, reindeer, gingerbread men, Yeti, and more nutcrackers lay spread across the field before them, like the aftermath of a Christmas hurricane. The life-sized Santa figure stood at mid-field, tall and proud like a king, overlooking his subjects of random décor. The friends looked at each other with sudden fear.
“I’ll start pouring the boundary,” whispered Robbie. “Who wants to douse the field with gasoline?”
Olivia raised her hand. Then Sylvia followed.
“Good. Let’s make this quick. Jake and Matthew will cover you in case these things wake up.”
Sylvia and Olivia nodded, then rushed to grab the cans of gasoline. Robbie took the fire retardant and began to pour it along the field fence.
“Sylvia, I’ll do the left side of the field, and you do the right,” suggested Olivia.
“Okay.”
Sylvia dashed to her side and began to pour the gas, guarded by Matthew, while Jake flanked Olivia. They were careful around the Christmas décor, splashing the items from a safe enough distance.
Ding-a-ling
The sound of jingling bells rung from the far-off sky. The friends paid it no mind and continued to work on their objective.
Olivia was making good time, walking, and pouring in a speedy and efficient manner. Jake kept pace, holding Tombstone with two hands, ready to defend her against any threatening entity—whatever it may be.
Ding-a-ling, Ding-a-ling
The jingling of bells grew louder. Across the field, Sylvia paused and turned to Matthew. “Did you hear that? Sounded like Christmas bells.”
“Hold on. It’s hard to hear with this helmet on.” Matthew raised the side of his helm, exposing his ear. They stood silently for a moment.
Ding-a-ling, Ding-a-ling
“Okay, I heard that,”
said Matthew.
“It’s getting louder,” acknowledged Sylvia.
“I think we’d better hurry,” he suggested.
Sylvia resumed her task, this time at a much faster rate. They glanced at Robbie and noticed he was halfway around the field perimeter.
Hurry, Robbie, I’m not liking this... thought Sylvia.
DING-A-LING, DING-A-LING
Across the field, the sound was near, and it was imminent. Olivia was halfway through her section. She poured the last drop of gasoline and jogged back to grab another can.
Sylvia and Matthew rushed back to their supply area, empty gas can in hand.
Olivia returned to her side of the field and resumed her task. That’s when they heard it again...
DING-A-LING, DING-A-LING, DING-A-LING, DING-A-LING
It was loud, it was near, and it was Christmas. The friends stared into the darkness of the forest, just beyond the chain-link fence.
DING-A-LING, DING-A-LING, DING-A-LING, DING-A-LING
It exploded from the pines like a red missile—a life-sized Christmas sleigh, complete with glowing reindeer and Santa at the helm. It shot across the sky, circling the field like a hawk circling its prey. The kids exchanged a glance and prepared to act.
The sleigh rounded their back side, then began a nosedive towards Sylvia. She stepped back, her head snapping left and right, unsure of what to do. The sleigh closed in when Matthew jumped before her, pickaxe in hand, ready to swing.
And swing he did, catching Rudolph across the nose, sending the red bulb across the field. But the sleigh was undeterred, dashing towards Sylvia’s head. She dove out of the way at the last moment. The sleigh retreated into the sky and prepared for another pass.
Sylvia landed with her face an inch from the ground. She looked ahead. The rest of the Christmas articles had come to life, rising off the ground like zombies. Snowmen, elves, nutcrackers, and reindeer were slowly standing, shambling, and gathering themselves before them. The large Santa Claus at mid-field stood, its eyes narrowed, its mouth grinning. It began to pound his chest like King Kong. The Christmas décor looked on, waiting for his signal. Santa glared at the kids, a mischievous grin on its chubby face, then slowly raised his finger and pointed towards them.
The Christmas articles spun around, their eyes glued on the kids. Then they began their attack.
Suddenly, a red boot stomped the ground inches from Sylvia’s face—it belonged to the large nutcracker. It raised its axe, about to strike at her head. She raised her hands as her fingers came alive with a blinding glow. The light shot out from them like fireworks, blinding and freezing the nutcracker in its tracks.
Then Matthew and his pickaxe were there. He barreled the nutcracker’s head clean off, purging the phantom sentinel into the air. It flew and shrieked like a deflating balloon, before dissipating into nothingness.
“WATCH OUT!” hollered Sylvia, her hands jutted forward.
An angry snowman stood behind Matthew, its metal cane blown out of its hand by Sylvia’s blast of light. Then Matthew introduced his pickaxe to Frosty’s face.
“Thanks, that was close,” he said.
The field was alive with violent Christmas décor. Across from them, Jake swung Tombstone against the encroaching elves, dispatching them like golf balls. Olivia hurled her gas can and bonked a gingerbread man’s head clean off. Then, she pulled out her whip and slashed at the approaching gingerbread men, who ranged in size, from a foot tall to life-sized; some were iron silhouettes while others were fully poseable plastic figures. Olivia slashed at them as best she could, knocking some back, but the ones made of iron were fast approaching.
“We need to leave! There’s too many!” she hollered over the commotion.
Tombstone came hurling through the air and knocked the iron gingerbread man back to the fence. “I agree!”
Across the field, Robbie found himself backed against the fence, firing his BB gun at an approaching gang of Christmas angels. The BBs were punching through their fiberglass wings. He had shot their halos clean off, but they continued to encroach, their hands swinging hand-held bells and metal wands wildly and violently. Robbie gave up and grabbed the barrel of his rifle. He raised it to his shoulder and swung, smacking the angels away as they approached.
Yards away, Sylvia’s skill with her photon hands was improving. Her beams could shield them and stun the incoming threats—but her power was brief, and she noticed it weakening the more she used it.
“MATTHEW! WATCH OUT!” she hollered again.
The reindeer sleigh was speeding towards Matthew, its Santa chauffeur ho-hoeing, and its puffy red cheeks and belly vibrating along. It clutched a metal candy cane over its shoulder like a baseball bat. Matthew met its swing with his pickaxe, the impact launching the boy ten feet back. He tumbled hard, his pickaxe landing yards away. He looked up groggily, and before him stood a tall, green, Christmas tree, complete with arms and legs; its enormous mouth made up the tree’s lower half. The green menace began to circle him, wrapping Matthew with a string of Christmas lights.
Matthew flailed his arms to untangle himself, but his armor was heavy and restrictive. The walking tree was fast, and before long, Matthew was completely restrained with a flickering string of lights.
“HELP!” he hollered.
Santa’s sleigh glided overhead and began its next nosedive. Matthew wiggled in his restraints, hopping away as fast as he could. He looked at Sylvia, who was on her back, kicking gnomes in the face. Behind him, the Christmas tree was sprinting towards him, clutching a roll of barbed wire. The life-sized Santa Claus was fast approaching, too, from the opposite side.
Suddenly, Tombstone busted through the speedy Christmas tree, leaving a flickering and smoking hole within. The tree dropped like the piece of plastic it was. Jake ran to Matthew and began to unravel him.
“Where would you be without me, Matt Bratt?”
“You’re my hero,” he said sarcastically.
Santa’s sleigh was a few yard away, hurling towards them like a runaway plane.
“Hurry, the sleigh’s coming!” he told Jake.
“No time! DROP!” hollered Olivia.
Jake and Matthew fell to the ground as the sleigh whizzed by, Santa swinging his metal candy cane at Matthew’s head.
‘CLANG!’
Luckily, his helm was of hard iron.
Just then, Olivia swung her whip and slapped Santa on his chubby red cheek, knocking him off the sleigh. He landed at the feet of the life-sized Santa, who paused his chase. He stooped and picked up the smaller Santa—Mini-Santa, then wound up like a pitcher, and slung it at Olivia’s face. Mini-Santa flew, metal candy cane up by its shoulder, prepared to swing. But Jake was there with Tombstone—he swung hard, and he swung fast, slugging Mini-Santa across the field and over the fence.
“HOME RUN!” screamed Matthew.
Jake winked proudly.
The life-sized Santa was now a few yards away, flanked by a gang of elves and gingerbread men. Several nutcrackers were fast approaching from their right.
“There’s too many!” hollered Jake.
Then, a wall of flames sprung up at the far end of the field. Robbie was sprinting from it towards the far-right fence, an angry plastic Christmas caroler hot on his heels, twirling a string of Christmas lights above him like a lasso. Robbie jumped on the fence and started the climb when the caroler whipped his string, catching Robbie’s ankle. The caroler pulled him off the fence and onto the ground.
Sylvia took off before anyone else could act. The angry caroler was pulling Robbie closer, then raised its metal music stand like a weapon. Sylvia arrived just in time, and repelled the caroler with her bright light, purging the dark sentinel within. She helped Robbie to his feet, and they both climbed the fence.
Matthew, Jake, and Olivia climbed as fast as they could, the hostile Christmas décor in fast pursuit.
The light of the blazing fire spread across the crystal field, engulfing the décor too slow to run. The
kids jumped over just in time. The décor behind them rammed against the fence, again and again, trying to break through—the fence bulging with each impact.
The kids stood and sprinted away. They raced through the darkness of the forest, back towards the dancing tree. None dared to glance back, instead giving their all to distance themselves from the crystalline field. They reached their bikes and jumped on, pedaling quickly, even through the rough terrain.
Robbie looked back, noticing the brightening glimmer of the expanding fire.
They rode for minutes and paused at the corner of Crimson Street. The fire’s glow was visible from their location about a mile and a half away.
“That was intense!” Matthew panted, short of breath. He started to remove his armor, as did Jake.
“Did you douse the entire field with gas?” asked Robbie.
The girls shook their heads.
“They attacked before we could finish,” said Olivia.
Robbie sighed with frustration. “I hope the fire spreads through the entire field before it’s put out.”
The firetruck sirens could be heard in the far-off distance. The boys exchanged a nervous glance.
“You think the Christmas monsters will attack the firemen?” inquired Jake.
“Oh gosh. Never thought of that. Didn’t think there’d be so many,” said Robbie.
The kids stared off silently, the firetruck lights flashing in the distance.
“We need to go back, just in case,” said Robbie. He looked at the others, who nodded in agreement.
“C’mon!”
They rode back, stopping as close as they could without attracting attention. However, their view of the action was obstructed.
“Matthew, come with me.” Jake took his bag and began walking back into the forest.
“What are you doing?” asked Matthew.
“We need to see what’s going on—see if the Christmas decorations are still hostile. As far as they’re concerned, we’re nothing but a pair of nosy kids coming to check out the fire.”
Matthew and Jake approached the burning field. They hid behind a lone pine trunk wide enough to conceal them both. Five fire-trucks had responded, and now the sound of an approaching helicopter filled the air. Firemen rushed about and surrounded the field. They began cutting through the fence itself and entered the field a minute later.