RED ALERT! RED ALERT! STAND CLEAR OF THE LOADING DOCK DOORS. SANTA’S SLEIGH HAS CLEARANCE FOR TAKE OFF!
A whirl of wind swept through the dock before the metal doors slammed shut, plunging the room into silence. Two elves crouched low in the corner, hands above their heads to protect against the elements that had blown in from the outside. Now that the coast was clear, they stood and dusted themselves off.
“Another successful year, Herbert,” one said, a lopsided grin in place.
Herbert nodded. “Yep. Let’s grab some eggnog, Twinkles. We’ve got a few minutes to celebrate before we need to begin preparations for next year.”
They turned in unison.
Their faces fell.
“Herbert?” Twinkles said with a gulp.
“Do you see what I see?” Herbert’s voice wasn’t quite steady.
Twinkles nodded. “One of Santa’s bags of presents. It got left behind!”
Tears sprang into Herbert’s eyes. “What are we gonna do? All those kids without presents! Christmas will be ruined!”
Twinkles flexed his jaw and straightened his back. “Not on our watch, it’s not!” He hopped on his toes. “It’s time we called for reinforcements so we can get this stray bag to Santa’s sleigh in time for delivery!”
Twinkles squinted his eyes, that lopsided grin back in place. “It’s time we called the Unicorn Pegasus League for a ride. It’s time to save Christmas!”
©Laura L. Zimmerman 2017
Photo by erin walker on Unsplash