The Witch of New Year

Now is when the witch of New Year looks for a fresh victim. Someone who lost their keys, or can't find their cell phone. A hapless soul caught on the very moment when a year has passed. She takes their time and from then on, they are a year off. They write checks for the past year, can't remember the day of the week and everything seems topsy-turvey to them for the whole year.

The witch of New Year has taken a year from them and she is now a year younger, never aging and she is very, very old, yet looks as sensuous as she did on her eighteenth birthday centuries upon centuries ago.

She walks among the party-goers, always quite fashionable, eyes turn her way, but she is on the hunt and looks at them in a different way. The person who pats their pocket to see if the keys and wallet are there. Someone who has picked up another's drink. In that moment of forgetfulness, just before they reach for drink or wallet, she takes their year exactly at the stroke of midnight. Now she needs to find the perfect victim for it was New Year's Eve.

A man of fine stature boldly steps in front of her as she walks down the street. He sees a great beauty, perfect for his party in upper Manhattan, a jewel to add to the mix. He tells her he couldn't help notice that she was a very beautiful woman and would she like to see New York from a penthouse full of famous people. He offers her his limo, the driver waiting patiently.

The witch of New Year sees a great opportunity and gladly accepts, offering the man her hand. He escorts her to the open cab of the limo where champagne and caviar wait. The witch enters the soft luxuries of wealth as comfortable to it as a cat curled by the fire.

They chat, he inquires of people he knows to see if they might have a common connection. She tells him she maintains an apartment here but lives, secluded, in Eastern Europe. His blue eyes twinkle when she smiles at him and tells him she is looking forward to a wonderful party, full of people.

He confirms there would be quite a crowd, for his luxury penthouse is the top two floors of the building. She sees he is quite handsome and must attract the same.

The limo pulls up to the curb of a fine building where the doorman opens the cab and offers his gloved hand to the witch. She is radiant, and the doorman feels what a privilege it is to assist such a beautiful woman. Her gown flows like raven black gossamer that sparkles with light here and there. She emits a sensuality that attracts everyone.

One of the great bands of the world plays and sings while people dance in a sea of writhing bodies as the witch of time gazes about. She glances at the diamonds on her wrist where her watch is precisely set. She has time and decides to dance with the one who brought her.

They are eye popping to watch. The beauty of both enhanced by the dance made them magical. People stopped to watch them in admiration as they moved to the rhythm of the music.  When it was over, he escorted her off the dance floor where many young men waited for a chance. But she wasn't interested, it was time to look about.

Leaving the gentlemen to yearn, she walked to the refreshments for a glass of champagne. It was there, she found her victim, fumbling for her eye glasses in a small silver purse. The prey was attractive but plain, like vanilla ice cream is to French vanilla. She obviously couldn't find them, for they hung around her neck from a glittering cord.

Perfect. The witch thought and walked to her.

"Hi, are you looking for these?" the witch asked with a smile as she touched the cord that held the glasses.

"Oh, thanks. That's why I put them on the chain!" The woman says with a laugh.  I'd lose my head too if it wasn't attached. My name's Dot."

The witch smiles and extends her hand. Mine is Zelda. I'm glad to meet someone else who loses things. Sometimes I think I could lose a whole year." The witch giggles with Dot at the little joke. "What are you drinking? Zelda asks.

"Oh, I can't find it and anyway, I thought I'd have a cola instead."

"Let me get it for you." The witch turns and quickly comes back with a glass of soda and places it near her champagne.

"That didn't take long,"

"It doesn't does it, I don't know why but when they see me, they come right up and ask what I'd like. Lovely party isn't it?"

"It is, I don't know what happened to my date. He's here somewhere and it's almost twelve. Are you excited about the new year?" Dot asks.

"Always, I've never missed a New Years party in my life."

"Oh, how wonderful. You must lead an interesting life, you look so young."

"Young looks but wisdom, my dear, of the ages. Look it's almost midnight, the band is about to play.

The large disk begins to descend. The countdown begins as the crowd shouts out each last second. And just before the very last second, Zelda asks Dot, "Where are you're glasses?"

Dot for one moment registers panic and grabs the chain around her neck only to find it's not there, she had put them in her purse earlier. Right then Zelda grabs her by the hand and holds her. The crowd roars, fireworks go off and everybody is screaming, Happy New Year!

"You're purse, don't you think?" Zelda says to Dot who  now has a very confused stare because she isn't sure of anything. She isn't sure where she is, or where her glasses are, or what year it is.

Zelda walks away and wanders through the crowd looking younger than ever. 

The Story Of Santa Claus And The Elves Of Frost.

A very long time ago, on the shore's of Greece, lived a very special man who's name was Nicholas. The fishing village loved him because he made people smile. He remembered everyone's birthday or if someone was in great need he left a gift. He'd place the gift in the villager's sock near where they slept. In the morning the recipient would be sure to find it, but not know who left it. That made the gift--a true gift.

Nicholas was special in other ways as well. He helped all creatures, not just his own kind. Because his heart was set true and his love for all so great, the elves of Frost showed themselves to Nicholas.

They became great friends and the elves told Nicholas of the many children all over the world that needed gifts, especially someone to come to them with only kindness in their heart even if they received nothing but to let them know they were loved. That someone, the elves of Frost said, was Nicholas.

But Nicholas would have to pay a great price to help so many children, the elves of Frost told him, Nicholas would have to go to their magic kingdom at the very top of the world. For there, they could work without being disturbed, and with the help of the elves, visit children all over the world.

Nicholas agreed but when the elves took him to their frosty palace it was much colder than his seaside village in Greece, he thought he would freeze. So the elves made him a very special garment weaved from the dreams of children. Now Nicholas would know what each child's heart held, both good and bad. The elves took the color red from a volcano to keep him warm and the color white from snow for trim so he didn't get too hot. His boots were sturdy shiny black from coal to keep him upright no matter where he went, and a matching hat to go with his shirt and pants. It made Nicholas look even more jolly than he already was.

Nicholas' life was very happy for now he could go to children everywhere and give them something even if it was only the gift of hope, for some children that was what they wanted most.

The children of the world remember getting a gift from someone they never met. A kindness when most needed, or a toy to cheer them but they never saw who until one fateful day. 

On a cold winter night in a little village not that far from where Nicholas grew up a child was born. The child's parents had fled their homeland because of war. They had no place to sleep, save a manger shared by farm animals to rest from the cold winter night. The animals gathered around the manger to shelter the child from the cold and keep the infant warm. Nicholas came that snowy night on a shining star and gave the child the gift of peace so that the family could return to their homeland.

  The child opened his eyes when he received his gift and saw Nicholas with his rosy cheeks smiling down at him. Then the child gave Nicholas a gift, that all children around the world would remember the man who bestowed love to all the children on that very special winter night. And to this day, children leave cookies and milk for the man christened Saint Nicholas who is so loved that children of all faiths and every land call him Santa Claus. 

The Imp Under The Bed

Tim woke from a noise he heard. It wasn't a squeak, it wasn't a creak, but a sound that came from under the bed. He pulled back the covers and climbed down to peer under the bed, but saw only a few wayward toys and a sock.

"Did the sock talk?" He asked himself as he reached for the items. "Maybe Johnny horse did or cowboy Bob."

But when he looked at them on top of his bed they said nor did nothing.Then the noise came again, a kind of squeak but not the kind a mouse makes. No, he thought, that was a hinge that made the noise.

It couldn't be a hinge because there was no door or gate under the bed, so how could a squeaky hinge make a noise right beneath him? Tim jumped off and looked again. He ran his hand over the floorboards, and save for a few dust bunnies, didn't feel a hinge.

He decided to lay down on the floor next to his bed and wait for the noise. He waited and waited, but not a squeak, not even a peep came from under the bed.

When his eyes grew weary and the floor too cold, Tim grabbed his blanket and pillow to settle in and wait on the floor for the sound. "Even if it takes all night," he said to himself.

The pillow was soft and warm, and though the floor was wood, the blanket made it a bit more comfortable. Tim looked very carefully at the floor. For now the full moon cast its rays through the pane window and lit the wood floor in an icy light.

A branch scratched the house outside and then came the creak. Tim opened his eyes to see the strangest creature he ever saw. Small with big ears, and hair all over, the creature helped himself up from an opening in the floor.

That's strange, Tim thought, I'm sure that wasn't there before. "

"Hello," said Tim. "How did you do that?"

The creature brushed off his shoulders and arms. "Do what?"

"Open a door in my bedroom floor."

"Oh, that. Well, it looks like your bedroom floor from where you are but it's not a floor at all to me."

"It's not?" Tim asked.

"No, not at all. I'm an Imp you know. We Imps go by a whole different order. You see, I'm tunneling at the moment."

Tim looked for a tunnel in the room but couldn't find one. "What tunnel?"

The Imp looked at Tim in the most astonishing way. He then opened the hatch again and said while pointing with his finger. "What's that if it's not a tunnel."

Tim had to admit that with the hatch opened there was a tunnel from where the Imp came. "I always thought the floor was the ceiling of our living room."

"Well it is to you but not to me. It's all very simple, you see I tunnel and when I came up from below I entered here. But, you see, it's only temporary, for I'll tunnel through the ceiling over there," he said pointing to a corner of the ceiling, "And I'll be in Calerdon."

"You mean on the other side of the ceiling there is a place, it's not the roof?" Tim was very confused.

"Calerdon is not a place, it's the most beautiful of cities of all Plexideria.

"I've never heard of it. I've been to Baltimore but I haven't heard of either of those other places."

"You don't get out much do you?" The Imp said in a pitiful way.

"Yes I do, weather permitting of course. Mostly to to the playground or school. But my friend, Jack and I have explored the river. As far as we are allowed of course."

"Well that's what I mean. You're limited."

"Limited?"

"Yes, you see for you, there is a ceiling and a floor."

"Oh." Tim wasn't sure what the Imp meant, because of course the ceiling and floor have always been there. The tunnel and hatch, now that was new.

"Its alright," said the Imp, "You're not that limited. Here we are talking about tunneling, ceilings and floors. Now there are a lot of humans that can't."

"Why's that?"

"They weren't keen enough to search like you. Something got your curiosity and you investigated it until you found about it. You heard the hinge didn't you."

"Yes, I did." Tim brightened up and smiled.

"There was a glitch when I mounted the hatch and I meant to oil that hinge and didn't, my bad."

"Oh, I'm glad to meet you and hear about tunnels in the ceiling and floor."

"That's good. Usually it's not the case. Some have quite a fright." The Imp made a face and stuck out his tongue, making Tim laugh. "Yes, well I'm off. Better get back in bed before dawn comes. Don't you think?"

The Imp threw a rope ladder up in the air and it caught on the ceiling. Then the Imp grabbed the ladder and his round hairy body seemed to glide up the rope ladder to the ceiling. There he pulled out a hatch from the bag he had with him and slapped it on the ceiling. He then smoothed the hatch before he pulled out an oil can for a squirt of lubricant on the two hinges.

Tim stood next to his bed, his mouth gaped as he watched the Imp open the hatch. Then the Imp helped himself up, turned and waved at Tim before he climbed and stood in a place that should have been the roof but was a beautiful sunny day in a strange forest. The Imp then grabbed the rope ladder and pulled it up, putting it in his bag. When the hatch closed, it disappeared and only the ceiling was left just like it was before.

Tim looked at the clock on his desk before he climbed back in bed. He couldn't wait to tell his friends what happened and wondered if he should mention any of this to his parents. They never mentioned Imps living in the house.

In the morning at breakfast, Tim told his mom and dad that he met an Imp who was tunneling from the floor to the ceiling in his room and did they know about Imps?

When his mother gave him his stack of blueberry pancakes, she said, "Dear, I hope you're not bringing creatures from the river into your room, like the frog you and Jack brought home one day."

"No, he was already here. He came out of the floor and tunneled to the ceiling."

"You know your mom doesn't want you to bring wild things in the house. Now you let it go first thing when you go out today. Alright son?"

Tim was about to argue but decided instead to agree with his dad. "I will."

"Promise?" asked his father.

"I promise."

Later in the day, when Tim met up with Jack, he asked him if he ever seen an Imp. Jack wanted to know what one looked like and where did he see him. But when Tim told about the Imp coming out from under the bed and climbing up to the ceiling, opening it up, Jack looked bewildered.

"Maybe you had a bad dream." Jack said.

But Tim didn't think it was bad, he wasn't even frightened by it and remembered what the Imp said about not everyone being able to see these things because they lacked curiosity.

That day, as Tim and Jack explored the river, Tim began to notice more and more things, for his curiosity gave him a keen eye. A leaf fluttered and moved and when he looked carefully, he saw a small faerie lifting the leaf to blink at him and smile. Jack saw more and more creatures from the magic kingdoms he read about in books and they were as real as anything else.

He asked Jack if he saw anything unusual, especially when a water sprite sitting on the back of a catfish came near the river's edge, but Jack only saw the catfish albeit a very big catfish. That's when the whole world opened to Tim. He now could see things nobody he knew could and wondered what it all meant.