A Reindeer Named Sassafras

1,737 words.

The six foot life sized reindeer complete with blinking red nose and presents hung from its antlers dominated the small living room. Jeremy had grown up with a Christmas reindeer instead of a Christmas tree and that was precisely the way he liked it. Around him the tinsel he had hung glittered and sparkled reflecting light. The phone started ringing. Waking around the six foot tall reindeer with its four foot set of antlers, he answered it.

“What’ya want?”

“STAND BY FOR AN ALL ELFS ALERT. THIS IS NOT A TEST. WE REPEAT THIS IS NOT A TEST.” It was an automated message of some sort.

Shaking his head he slammed the phone down. Another annoying gimmick just when he was thinking it was safe to answer the phone again.

I've got to get caller id he thought to himself.

A knock sounded on the door. Leaving the phone in its cradle next to the small entrance into the kitchen he made his way over to the door.

“Oh.. are your parents home?” a tall pudgy middle aged woman with flowing white hair smiled down at him.

“Parents?” stunned at her insensitivity he just stared at her for a second before slamming the door shut.

Turning around to the life sized deer statue he asked it, “Sassafras..” for some reason he had always called it Sassafras though now if pressed could not have told anyone why, “why do they look at my height and AUTOMATICALLY assume that I’m eight years old?”

From behind him he heard an insistent knocking again. This was not going well.

“I’m not buying whatever you’re selling.. GO AWAY!” That should do it.

But it didn’t and the knocking continued. Grabbing a DVD with various Christmas carols on it, he quickly stuffed it into his stereo. A moment later he turned the volume up and settled back in the semi-darkness to just think and watch the reindeer.

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” Sighing he wished that he had made a cup of hot chocolate but it was late now and the kitchen.. even it if it was only about 20 feet away seemed too far away.

Slowly his eyelids dropped and the world faded away…. Until he felt her watching him. Unbelievable! He rubbed his eyes and glanced over at his clock. It was two in the morning. Dressed in a shimmering ice cold gown, she was tapping her foot and staring at him with an impatient expression.

“I’ve had enough of your selfish elf routine. How old do you think you are, Jeremy?” her voice was calm but Jeremy could feel the anger lurking just below the surface.

“Old?” still somewhat sleepy it was difficult for him to come up with an answer that quickly, “ahhhh thirty three why?”

“Not old enough I’m afraid. Tell me where your dad is.” her voice was crisp and commanding.

“Look lady” with some effort he kept himself from using foul language, “get OUT!”

A look of shock flashed across her face but then her face hardened, “NOT until I get what I came for!”

A clap of thunder sounded in the distance. Surprised Jeremy looked over towards the darkened window but could see nothing beyond.

“A thunderstorm in December? Odd.” He muttered to himself.

“You have no idea do you?” her voice was cold and for a moment Jeremy had the feeling that she was about to physically attack him.

Afraid or not, Jeremy’s temper got the better of him, “Get OUT!”

Her face went a dangerous shade of red and the sound of swarming bees filled the small living room. Raising both hands above her head she threw back her head as though to speak a curse that would kill him on the spot. Before a word could leave her mouth, the whole world paused as a look of shock filled her face. A single reindeer antler was sticking through her chest. But there was no blood.

Sassafras withdrew his antler and the woman dropped to the ground and slowly evaporated into a heavy white mist. Shaking a hanging present or two from its antlers Sassafras pawed the carpet as though it wanted something from him.

An odd crackling sound filled the interior of the apartment. Thick ice had formed on the outside of his living room window. Spider cracks ran from top to bottom. A dusting of frost was slowly covering the entire wall around the window. For a moment he could see in his minds eye a twelve story frost giant made of wind and freezing mists breathing a wintry gale against the side of his apartment building. Jeremy could hear the wind beating at the building and felt the entire building sway backwards a few feet.

The reindeer decoration that had come alive nudged him with its glowing nose. On a sudden impulse Jeremy stood on top of the couch and vaulted onto the reindeers back. Cracks formed in the wall even as cold blast of wind smashed through the window. An instant blizzard swirled around his apartment as the lights went out. Bent low, Jeremy closed his eyes and hung on the antlers with all his might. He was vaguely aware of smashing through the bedroom window and a brief drop as the reindeer took flight. Behind him he heard the roar as his apartment building collapsed under the pounding of the wind.

Bitter cold air blasted at his fingers numbing them until he could feel nothing. Looking down he saw only clouds and swirling mists. The blinking red from Saffasfras’s nose was the only thing he could see. Heart pounding he gulped and let out a scream of fright. The world did not appear to notice. Higher and higher they mounted… until they burst through the clouds into the full view of a glorious and full orange moon.

After awhile Jeremy relaxed for the ride, feeling the warmth of the reindeer’s fur, and beginning to feel that this was the most natural thing in the world- to take a reindeer ride, high in the air, by the light of a full winter's moon. Finally they began to descend from their lofty heights back down through the clouds. For a moment an icicle hung from his nose and then the wind snapped it off and it flew away.

Landing on a sheet of pure ice, Saffasfras and Jeremy spun around in a tight circle. When they came to stop, Jeremy held his mouth to keep from upchucking and tumbled down to the cold hard ice on his knees.

“NOOOOOOOO!!!!!” the voice was a like a blast of arctic air hitting Jeremy in the chest and threw him sprawling laid out flat on the ice.

Forcing himself to unsteady small feet, he stood and watched the most unusual sight. Dressed in white with snow swirling about him, red faced from the bitter cold, Jack Frost stood there in his entire four foot tall elf hood. Having never met, it can only be said that Jeremy still knew that this was Jack Frost of Winter’s fame.

Gathering speed Saffasfras was a blur of red light charging at Jack Frost. They met in an explosion of snow and Jeremy threw himself down covering his head with his hands. Jack Frost disintegrated into a cold winter’s gale that soon blew away.

Suddenly, hundreds, then thousands of elves rose from around the ice and their cheering filled the air. Tossing little green hats into the air they leaped and shouted overcome with joy at the moment. Stunned Jeremy carefully got to his feet and walked over to Sassafras wondering how he would ever get home again.

Behind him he heard a jolly laugh and could feel the ice move beneath his feet. His breath stopped for a moment and ever so slowly he turned around to see.. the large red belly of a very cheerful old man. Santa Clause's beard was white and full, flowing down to his belly and sort of giggled and gyrated with each enormous laugh of the legendary figure himself.

“Well done, Jeremy! Well done indeed!” The voice was as large as the man, “As a true Guardian of Christmas you have saved the night, as you should!”

Unsure of himself Jeremy just walked over to Sassafras.

“Jack Frost got your tongue?” The old man laughed at his own joke, “The magic of Christmas is strong and powerful. In an age of satellites and jet plans and plans to reach Mars, Christmas still lives on. You know how Jeremy?”

Jeremy just shook his head no.

“Through elves and humans alike, who spring to its defense to guarantee that its spirit of generosity, giving, and sacrifice is never forgotten. Your family is one of many secret helpers. Jack Frost planned to ruin Christmas by taking out one of Christmas’s most important secrets- you, Jeremy, and others like you.”

Finding his voice Jeremy put his small hands on his hips and told Santa firmly, “I need to go home… except.. “ he gulped “My home is no more…”

Santa just laughed and then said with a whisper, “Never under-estimate the magic of Christmas my dear friend and Guardian of Christmas.. never under-estimate the magic of giving.”

The world spun around and with a cry of fright Jeremy grabbed Sassafras.

Santa’s voice followed him as a great weariness rolled through his soul and he fell fast asleep, “Whenever your help is needed, Sassafras will live again.. that’s how it works.”

Light, reflecting through his window, woke Jeremy. Jumping up from his couch, he looked at Sassafras. Saffasfras was once again the immobile reindeer ornament that had graced his living room for Christmas and his father’s, father’s living room, going back hundreds of years. Presents were pilled high and outside he could see that a light snow was falling.

“It’s Christmas day!” Jeremy said to no one in particular.

But all of those presents could not be for him, he knew that. Walking over to the pile he pulled out one at random (it had a blue ribbon and was wrapped in red paper with white snowflakes) and looked at its name tag. It was addressed to the children of Saint Mary’s Hospital. Smiling, Jeremy knew what he needed to do. It would be a long day, but it would be worth it in the end.