Not Christmas Until...

"Almost Christmas Laney! Are you excited?" She asked as her daughter followed her around the house.
"But, it doesn't feel like Christmas..." The young girl said, looking up at her.
"Doesn't feel like Christmas?" Her mother repeated, confused for a moment before understanding set in. "Oh," she said, her eyes lighting up as she turned to face her little girl, "that's because the Christmas tree isn't up yet."
"And Santa hasn't come." Laney added sadly.
"No, but he never comes till Christmas Eve, and that's another week away. Besides, he doesn't like to see houses with no Christmas tree."
"He doesn't?"
"No. It makes him sad." Her mother said. "He likes to see everyone getting into the spirit of Christmas and making it the happy time it's supposed to be."
"Is that why you say 'Merry Christmas'?" Laney asked.
"Yes. So, what do you say we put the tree up?"
At that, the little girl's face lit up.

Laney set the box of decorations down with a loud thump as her mother began to spread the branches on the tree.
"What do we first?" Laney asked as her mother looked back at her with a smile.
"Tinsel." Her mother said, playing with a piece. "Should we do gold or silver?"
"Gold!" Laney said cheerfully, pulling it from the box.
"Now, we wrap it around the tree." Her mother said, taking the other end of the tinsel and beginning to wrap it.

"It doesn't look quite right yet." Laney said, a small frown on her face and her arms folded as she studied the tree.
"We haven't got the decorations on yet," her mother said simply, her smile unfaltering. "Only the tinsel."
"Hey this bauble's got my name on it!" Laney said excitedly as she rested it in her palm.
"And this one has mine," said her mother, holding it up, "and this one your Dad's."
"I think they should go up there!" Laney said, starting to get excited now. She pointed up to a few branches about two rows down from the top, as she couldn't reach.
"I think they'd look good up there too," her mother agreed, carefully threading them on the branches. "Now, do you want to put some other ones along the bottom?"

"It feels more like Christmas now." Laney said contentedly, smiling as she admired the abundantly decorated tree.
"We're not done yet."
"We're not?"
"Nope. There's one more thing," her mother said, carefully extracting the tree topper from the box. "We've got to put the Christmas star on top. Do you want to do it?" She asked, holding the gold star out to her daughter.
"Yeah!" Laney said, excitedly coming forward and taking the star from her mother.
The little girl's smile only grew brighter as her mother lifted her into the air and she set the star on the top of the tree before being put down again.


"What's that Mummy?" Laney asked curiously as her mother dragged a big bag full of things into the room.
"Presents!" She said excitedly, resting the bag on the floor. "It's not quite right without presents under the tree."
"No." Laney agreed.

"There." Laney's mother said happily. "Now we're done."
"And it feels like Christmas." The little girl smiled happily. Christmas was here.
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year everyone. I'm off for the holidays but will be back on the 7th next year.

Overtaken

It seemed such a little, innocent thing at the time. But, I know now that it was something I never should have done in the first place. Afterwards, I had my excuses.
It was hot...
It would cool me down...
I wouldn't have it on for long (and the truth be told, it hadn't been)...
I wouldn't put it on full...

That little round turning switch seemed to draw my fingers to it like a magnet. I was so hot, and before long, the intense, overpowering need for cool took over. Before I knew what I was doing, the dial had turned. I looked up and saw it, the blades, once motionless now spinning slowly. With it came a refreshing rush of cool, a sudden, intense, though welcome change to the torturous heat of a moment before.

Breathing in the freshened, cooler air, enjoying it pass my face, I moved to be directly under the fan. That was where you really got the full effect of it. I looked up toward the sky, staring at the centre of the fan, the only part of it that wasn't moving and quickly became lost in my own little world.

I barely noticed myself gravitating back toward the magnetic, alluring, controlling round dial. The next thing I knew, I was back under the fan again, and it had sped up. The cool wind was rushing faster past me. Swirling around and wrapping me into it's cool, refreshing, somewhat heavenly embrace.

It spun yet faster and still I stood beneath it, basking in the coolness, the cold, the release from the sweltering heat. It was a hard, abrupt return to reality as the fan took on a mind of it's own.

Now on the highest setting it could go, it wasn't the heat but the cold that was intense. Though not a torturous one, a pleasant one. Involuntarily, my mouth fell open as the fan suddenly detached from it's fixation on the ceiling and spun wildly as it fell down, smashing, breaking and shattering the window as it cut through it and flew away.

Still, it is out there on it's rampage and I fear that one day, it will return. It will come back for me and seek it's revenge. The thing has a mind of it's own and I could tell from the brief glimpse of a blur I saw as it disappeared, it is, for some reason, bent on revenge. It's out there somewhere, on it's revengeful rampage, and all I can do is wait. I share my story because, for all I know, it could be you next. Be warned.

Torn

Mirela came around him from behind and slowly ran her hand down his strong, muscly arm, already feeling the tension. The anticipation. Her hand slowly reached his and she clasped it into her own. Gregory looked at her, and their eyes locked. They stood there a while, lost in one another's eyes as the deep and meaningful gaze continued until Gregory looked away, down at their hands as he let go of hers, then down at the ground as he stepped backwards.

He slipped his arms into the material, allowing it to settle on his wrists. He glanced briefly at Mirela, who was watching him intently, then looked at the sky above.  Almost immediately, he felt his feet leave the ground as he spun slowly, up toward the sky. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of the wind as it swept past his eyelids and he soon became caught up in another world.

He opened his eyes, curling himself into a ball as he began to slowly descend, back toward the ground. Almost as soon as his feet hit land again, Mirela ran for him and he felt her wrap herself around him. He was about to shrug her off, but he'd been too late. They were up in the air again. But just as soon as they'd gone up, they were on the ground again and he felt the weight lift as she released him.

He breathed deep and began to run, slowly but surely rising into the air. He closed his eyes again, unaware of Mirela running after him, reaching up for him from the ground below as his mind raced. He couldn't have both, could he? He flipped, swirled and turned easily as he flew around, still lost completely in his thoughts. He loved her. But he loved this, too. This feeling of flying was unbeatable. He felt free, lost, and he loved that.

Gregory shook his head lightly as he felt himself falling slowly back to Earth. The first thing he saw as his eyes opened was Mirela, a happy smile on her face as she ran to him once again. Smiling back at her, he scooped her up into his arms as they rose again. She dipped her head back in pleasure, feeling the wind run across her face before wrapping her arms around his neck and looking deep into her eyes.
"I love you, Gregory." She whispered into his ear.
"I love you too." He murmured back. Their eyes locked and their gaze never broke once as he let her go and she hung loosely from his neck and they danced in the sky. Carefully, he wrapped his legs around her body and she let him go, reaching now to grab hold of his legs, and then his feet. Abruptly she dropped until she was again hanging loosely from him. They spun slowly as they descended and dropped to the ground beneath them.

She danced around him as he rose alone again, flipping and turning as he rose higher in the air. He looked down to see her sitting on the ground, her eyes never leaving him as she reached toward him. He landed and as she always did, Mirela ran to him, dancing circles around him once more. She sat back, watching as he swung, with increasing speed, back and forth through the air.

She smiled as he returned and let go of a strap, holding the other tight in his grip as they took turns playfully jumping from it's anchor. She spun around, letting the strap go and he ran from one edge of the stage to the other, getting faster as he went until he was carried up again. She ran after him from the ground, reaching out as if she could catch him. She settled on the ground, watching him contentedly as he came lower than rose, spinning in a blur into the air again and came spinning back down.

As he knelt down to loosen the strap around one of his wrists, she approached him from behind, touching his back and slowly lacing her hand around as she came to his front. She looked at him, unable to hide the fear from her eyes any longer. Relieved when he took her hand in his, a small smile escaped her lips and the undying affection she felt for him returned to her eyes. Gently, he guided her wrist into the strap and linked their free arms together, smiling at her as they were lifted, spinning slowly into the air. They were forever connected as they danced around, changing grip from hands to feet and spinning, flying, freely.

Their heads touched at the back as his arm slipped around her waist and she rested her own, free arm atop his, smiling in relief. He still loved her. She still mattered. She closed her eyes, enjoying their closeness as they began to spin around, slowly getting faster and faster until they were a blurb, impossible to follow. The spinning slowed down once again as they descended one final time, and still holding each other, looked up toward the sky theatrically.

They slowly brought their hands down, synchronized and Gregory gently released their arms from the straps. He tightened his grip on the rope, using it to pull himself up again as he helped Mirela to her feet. He took her other hand in his own free one, and she looked down at their hand, clasped together, then back at him, fear evident in her eyes. Reluctantly, he slowly withdrew is grip and looked ahead. Startled as he felt something on his shoulder, he looked back to see his beloved Mirela, running her hand gently, tenderly down his arm and interlacing her fingers with his befrore letting him go again and walking away. Worry now evident in his own eyes, Gregory reluctantly turned away from the straps that allowed him to fly and followed her away.

Clasping his hand once more, Mirela looked at him, her eyes demanding her gaze be returned. Unsure, his eyes rose and he slowly met his gaze.
"Will you leave me?" She asked. "I know how much you love to fly, Gregory, but please, do not leave me."
There was silence for a long, agonizing moment as he turned away, thinking hard, before he looked back at her. "We do it in our spare time." He said finally. "I see no reason I cannot have both."
"Both?"
"You and flying. I see no reason you cannot perform with me. If you wanted to, that is."
Eagerly, Mirela nodded as a smile spread across her lips, reaching her eyes and making them sparkle with happiness in the dim light.
"Then, I can have both my loves at once, and keep them both."
"I'd love to."
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Inspired by the act 'Libertard' from Cavalia

Ghost

When Sarah looked behind her, she smiled at the tall, slender, muscly man leaning casually against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, his ankles crossed as he watched her. Seeing her looking at him, a smile spread cross his lips and he waved.

Feeling reassured, Sarah looked ahead again and went on. She was still nervous, you always were with new things like this, but a burst of confidence shot through her knowing her Uncle Mike was standing there, watching her.
As doubt swept over her, she looked back to see him still there. He waved back at her, his smile wider. 'Go on Sarah,' he seemed to be saying, 'you can do it.'

"Well, here goes nothing." She sighed, breathing deeply as she looked up at the building she'd call her high school for the next six years. Glancing behind her one last time, Sarah headed inside.

Sitting alone outside during the lunch hour, Sarah couldn't help but remember what had happened last year. She remembered them telling her. Not believing. They were lying. They had to have been. He couldn't be gone. Not Uncle Mike. Anyone but Uncle Mike.

Then, the sea of black, the weather reflecting how she'd felt as the rain pelted down on them. She remembered the flowers, people taking turns to throw their one down. The picture of him on top of the chest. Laughing, happy. Alive. The dirt being shoveled on top of the chest as it lay there deep in the ground. Then everyone walking away as if that was it. It was done.

It was hard for her family, she knew, but she would never forget him. Not as long as she lived, and now, she could feel him with her almost. He was there somehow. He was watching.

She saw him again, hidden by the bushes and she went to him.
"Hello Uncle." She whispered.
"Hello Sarah."
"I wish you were really here."
"I know." He said. "But I can't be. You know that."
She nodded. "But I'll always wish."
"Don't Sarah." He begged. "Please, don't hold onto me that much. You need to move on. You need to let me go."
Sarah blinked back the tears, unable to believe what her uncle was saying. She stood silently, thinking for a long moment.
Finally, she nodded. "Now I see it clearly."
Uncle Mike smiled, pleased.
"You need to move on." She said as a tear trailed down her face. Hastily, she wiped it away.
Again, Uncle Mike nodded.
"So rest in peace." She said. "I'll see you on the other side."
"Not until you're old and grey alright?" Uncle Mike laughed.

Sarah stepped back and watched as he slowly faded away. She smiled fondly. One last piece of Uncle Mike humor. But she'd always have the memories.
And then, he was gone, vanished like a vapor. He'd disappeared right in front of her eyes. But she smiled anyway. She knew she'd see him again, someday, and until then, he'd watch over her. Just like he'd been doing.