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Forum Index > Other Fiction > The Jamaaliday Wish
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Author Thread Post
Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/26/2017 at 3:22 AM Post #1
Getting fired isn't fun...

Especially on the day before Christmas eve.

My name's Neptune, or well, that's what my coworkers used to call me... I knew what was coming, and I told those morons to start calling me Daniel again. I don't need to work at a delivery service and same for them.

Around "tis season" there's a high demand for deer in these certain delivery jobs, as is tradition... Don't ask me how those traditions started initially anyway; they weren't fun and they still aren't.

I've finally made it home after being in the hospital. As always, I struggle to open my home's door with a hoof. Everything feels so much tougher for herbivores, especially the deer... There's competition for everything and anything... Even the little things really start to bother me after a while.

i'm just tired of it all. It's hard to get gems, it's hard to get food... It's hard to get friends.

I wish I had a friend.
Edited By Aisybell on 2/28/2017 at 9:20 PM.
Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/26/2017 at 3:24 AM Post #2
1 - Afternoon of the 23rd

I sat quietly in the living room, with the TV volume turned down low.

I watched the headlines come and go at the bottom of the screen, sighing and blinking slowly as reports of all kinds of events and petty crimes were discussed... All the information just felt like nonsense. I was so desensitized to it.

It was the weekend and there was nothing important to do anyway. I continued to stare blankly at the boring news on my tiny TV.

Should I really be caring about this situation, though? I've got no job and I've gotta pay for electricity. I can't watch TV without power. Guilt sinks in and I realize it's best if I use my money for things I truly need, like the heater.

I began to unplug every unneeded thing in the house, starting with the TV, then some of the lights... I've got to do anything I can do save money. Especially since I'm going outside.

That's right. Outside.

I'm going outside to do things for the first time in ages! If I don't need to do a job why waste time on a screen? At least I can enjoy the town a bit before I starve.
Edited By Aisybell on 2/28/2017 at 9:19 PM.
Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/26/2017 at 3:25 AM Post #3
( I'm getting tired. It's late out here. I'll bring you the next one tomorrow. )
Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/26/2017 at 3:26 AM Post #4
One last thing.. this is how Daniel looks.

Edited By Aisybell on 2/26/2017 at 3:27 AM.
Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/26/2017 at 5:47 PM Post #5


Evening of the 23rd

Out the door I went! I locked the bolt and kissed my dumb house goodbye.

I jumped into my car, forgetting the seatbelt. I fumbled the keys into the ignition, and turned them. The car sputtered, sputtered and... stopped. Although a bit discouraged, I turned the keys once again. It sputtered, sputtered... stopped.... and then the engine roared to life! I happily pulled out of the driveway and began to cruise to town. It was only about a 10 minute drive...

...

I parked near the bakery, got out and slammed the door. I began to trot gleefully through downtown, already forgetting my terrible financial state.

There's no one out in downtown except a lone family of rabbits on the sidewalk, struggling to stay warm. I approach them gently, and they give me a look not unlike fear.

"Hello?" said the mother rabbit, shakily.

"Hey," I said, in my coolest tone.

Without any further words, I took a spare scarf from my coat pocket and handed it to the rabbit's children. For me it was an ordinary scarf; for the young bunnies, it was large enough to be a quilt. Their parents gazed at me bewildered and silent, and their bewitched look soon turned to a smile.

"Oh, thank you sir, thank you!" said the father, in a dry yet pleasant voice. "Thank you dearly!"

The little brother rabbit looked up at me with young eyes. "Can we repay you, sir?"

I nodded humbly. "Of course not. It's yours to keep. I'm warm enough already."

A little less humbly, I stroked my thick winter "mane" with a hoof.

The mother rabbit waddled up to me on her hind legs. I lowered my head, and she gently touched me on the nose. I felt something; it was not an ordinary touch. The air around me felt different. The sounds felt different. The rabbit seemed to look different though she was absolutely no different in appearance before. Is this what generosity feels like...?

"I hope good things happen to you," she said, softly.

"Even better should happen to you," I said.

I trotted briskly away and onto the sidewalk with a smile on my face. Keep giving and the world will give back... I thought. Just seeing the rabbit's smiles was good enough of a reward for me.

...

I had wandered throughout the town for a while now, and now I felt as if I knew the downtown inside and out. It had gotten dark out, and I was out behind the empty bakery, tromping through slush and sleet as the smells of freshly baked bread and fruitcake overpowered the chimney smoke.

I looked down at my hooves to see a muddy, cold mess. The snow in town isn't nice. It gets mixed with dirt and garbage and gets run over by muddy tires until it just looks like crap. Only the mean kids make snowballs with this stuff cause it's full of rocks, dirt, and even trash.

Just as that thought hit my head, an actual snowball hit my head as well. Slushy and full of gritty mud. My coat had a big cold wet spot on it now and my fur was ruined too...

With fierce anger, I turned my head to the direction the projectile had come.

Nothing.

It was... silent. Absolutely no sound; no city noise. No footsteps. No giggling of rude kids to be heard either. It was surreal.

Not even the snowmelt could be heard coursing through the edges of the streets.

"Hello?" I said, nervously.

No reply.

"Hello?" I yelled, in a bit angrier tone.

Not even the wind could be heard.

"Why would you do that? Hey! I know you're there!"

My voice cracked a bit. I wasn't really a very threatening buck, even though my antlers were already starting to grow.

More silence passed; and I began to feel uneasy.

"I'm sorry..."

A whisper, of an almost childlike voice, came from an alley. It was merely just a soft, scared sound... Nothing more, nothing less. I felt as if I could feel the way it felt too, scared, cold, and lonely...

"I... forgive you," I responded. I couldn't say no to the voice. It was too innocent; too lost...

"Thank you... I just... didn't know how to get you to talk..."

I saw the backlit silhouette of a young arctic wolf before me. As my eyes focused on her I also began to tune in to the sounds of the city again, and everything felt almost normal... But not quite.

She had a single twig of a holly branch in the hair behind her ear, but that was not even the most striking thing. She also had a designer coat that was trimmed to her shape perfectly, and a thin, black collar around her neck, lined with studs and spikes of metal that shined like a mirror; certainly it was also an expensive brand. Around each of her ankles and wrists was a finely crafted, almost elvish, bracelet that matched the shade of the collar's strap.

She seemed to be spoiled rich and beautiful; but her hair was matted and tangly. She looked almost... wild. I wondered if i had stumbled into a lunatic, or perhaps even a murderer... Something about her felt very strange in a way I don't know how to describe.

"I'm normal," she said, almost like she was trying to comfort my thoughts. "I'm like the others in Jamaa..."

I tried to say something but I only stuttered until my words failed entirely. Of course she's from Jamaa; where else would she be from? The moon?

"Do you want to be my friend?" she asked, like a child.

I backed away slowly, without answering her question. "Who are you?"

Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/26/2017 at 5:49 PM Post #6
"Please..." she said. "I don't know where I am..."

"You're in Bluefield," I said. "The weather here is either gorgeous or depressing... I had to move here after... some incidents..."

It didn't seem like she completely understood what I said, but she also seemed to understand how much grief I was in at the moment.

"Sorry... Listen, if you're from another country, I don't know how to talk to you. I don't know how to talk to the people here sometimes."

"I feel what you say," she said. "I don't... know what you say."

I generally ignored her words once again, to focus on my own pain. "I've had a rough day, and a rough night... I need to go home. You probably need to go too, I can call the police if you can't find your way back to where you came from."

I realized that might've sounded a bit offensive... I tried to explain it a bit better but I don't think I did too well. Obviously I'm not the kind of awful person that would call the cops on someone just for being foreign.

"I mean, if you live here, they can get you home safe, and... and... and... a... n... n... Uh, they could take you to a hotel or an airport or something or uh... if you need it..."

She stood there silently, staring at me with those lifeless, crystal eyes. Apparently she was ignoring what I was saying too.

"Friend or no?"

I didn't know what to say. Nobody had asked to be my friend before. People tell me I look like a tough and mean burly buck, that I shouldn't do anything but work ridiculous shifts at a delivery service... But I do want a friend. This wolf is out of my league... She's rich and I just lost my job, I don't wanna look like I'm taking advantage of her wealth... I just want a friend... There's no way I... I...

"Sure... we can be friends." I said.

She smiled, and a sharp chill went through the air. Not soon after, little soft snowflakes began to fall, ones almost like the tufts of a dandelion's seed... I smiled too.

Chimes sang through the black air; the Bluefield Bell Tower had struck midnight.

Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/28/2017 at 9:17 PM Post #7
3 - Earliest Morning of the Eve

"Home...?" she asked.

"My home?" I whimpered.

"Yes, your home." she said.

"Follow me..." I said, coolly... I was worried, just a bit. But deep inside, I felt happy. I felt very happy. But I also felt very concerned. I wasn't sure if I genuinely wanted to be the wolf's friend, or if I just wanted to find a safe place for her before better help could arrive.

I trotted across the alley, my hooves clicking loudly. The wolf was light, and her soft paws made only soft taps on the cobbles.

The lights of the town were golden and red, the bright colors of the Jamaalidays. They gave soft color to the white snow and black buildings, reminding me of old black and white movie tapes that had been painted by hand.

Few people were out, but the ones that were gave us odd looks; a tiger in a black trench coat glared, an otter in a drab, dark topcoat glanced... Their dark clothes seemed to reflect their superficial feelings, but it appeared that they deeply yearned to enjoy the snow like we were, but were too busy with their jobs to even bother.

We were different. It was like we had a different spark of life. I felt alive again.

I began to run with excitement; leaping out of line and bounding without bounds. The wolf behind me seemed... Unable to run. She looked at me with wide eyes like I was crazy; like she couldn't believe what I was doing.

I kicked up fresh snow like I was a fawn again and motioned for her to join. She padded over cautiously, then suddenly fell to the ground. I was worried at first, but then she began to roll in the snow with joy for what appeared to be the first time in her life. Her smile seemed unnatural, yet genuine...

I flung a snowball at her. It was made of fresh, clean snow and it crumbled right off of her coat without leaving a trace. She laughed softly and flung one back at me.

After the snowball fight I introduced her to my car, and we began the ride home.

...

I opened my door and was met with a pitch black and freezing cold living room. The wolf kindly waited for me to step in first, then, she politely brushed the fresh snow from her fur, before jumping inside.

"Home..." she mumbled.

"Yeah," I said.

"Cold," she replied. "I like it," she whispered, before I could apologize for the temperature.

I turned on a light switch and plugged in the microwave.

"Hmm? That?" she whispered, inquisitively.

"Microwave," I said, without questioning why anyone would ask such a thing. I was going to be as polite as possible; she could be crazy, or have a disability or something...

"Watch."

I took a container of oatmeal, one of my favorite foods, opened the jar and dumped some of the contents into a ceramic bowl; a cloud of oatmeal dust spread into the air. I filled the bowl halfway with water then I mixed said water and the oatmeal gently with a spoon.

I placed the bowl into the microwave and began to cook the meal for two and a half minutes. The wolf was fascinated.

With my hooves resting on the counter, I turned to the wolf. "Uh, excuse me, but... What is your name? I never got it."

The wolf stood still and quiet for a few seconds, still watching the microwave. "I, am Holly. You?"

"Daniel Fursenfield. Call me Danny if you like."

"Daniel Fursenfield..." she muttered, in a satisfied tone. She looked back up to me with glittery blue eyes and a smile. "Danny!"

"Yea, that's me!" I cheered.

She wagged her tail. "Holly, Danny... friends."

The microwave beeped; and Holly nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh, it's okay! The oatmeal is cooked."

I pulled a bowl of starchy, sweet glop out of the microwave oven and set it on the table. Then, I placed the spoon next to Holly's paw. She looked at it, clueless. I expected that.

"Here," I said, as I awkwardly grasped the spoon between my cloven hoof-- basically my equivalent of Holly's fingers-- and dewclaw-- my much less developed equivalent of her thumb. Hopefully she would understand my example...

I scooped some oatmeal with the spoon, and held it a distance from Holly's nose. She was again, clueless; she had no idea how to eat. I didn't expect that. something was very wrong with her, and I was worried... but I had to care for her at least until I could find help.
Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 2/28/2017 at 9:19 PM Post #8
"Here," I said, concerned. "It's ok to eat."

I figured she wouldn't mind if I ate off the spoon first to help her understand. She watched me very carefully, and was not disgusted at all... In fact, she was fascinated once again. I then handed her the spoon, and although it took her a few tries, she eventually got a perfect scoop of oatmeal and ate it happily.

"Do you like it?" I asked. It was cheap oatmeal and probably something wolves shouldn't eat often, but she nodded positively and gleefully like it was the best thing she'd ever had. It probably was...

I let her stay in the guest bedroom; thank Zios I had one (though I'm sure she would've loved to sleep in the kitchen anyway). I showed her how to lay in bed, how to tuck in the blankets, and how to turn the lamp off and on... She was amazed by everything in the room; the art print on the wall, the wallpaper itself...

She was so coordinated and smart. There was no way she was crazy or messed up in the head; she either had been treated very wrongly by someone, or had maybe even gotten amnesia... But how and when? Who is she, really?

"Where is your home?" I asked.

Holly stared at me terrified, like I had just hurt her feelings terribly.

It was all dead silent now; all silent except for the gentle swipes of snow against the glass panes. At this point I knew something awful had happened to Holly before; taking her back to her own 'home' would likely end up with her just getting hurt again. The silence was no longer comforting; it was now a manifestation of my dark thoughts and worries.

"Nevermind,"I said, interrupting the frightening silence. "I'm sorry. Listen, you and I need rest, so I'll see you tomorrow."

I wandered down the hallway, then laid down on top of my own bed. I tucked myself under the quilts, even though I still had my bright and festive topcoat still on. It was too cold in the house to take it off...

Only one thought stayed in my head that night.

Keep Holly safe.

Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 4/1/2017 at 5:09 PM Post #9
I woke up to a house full of snow, and Holly-- with her fur now no longer matted-- standing next to my face.

"Ho-oOly mother of Graham!" I shouted.

"Sorry." said Holly.

"Sorry... I'm so sorry!" I replied, in quite a shocked manner.

"What... happened?" I asked, worried that the roof might've collapsed. Everything was covered in an entire foot of snow... To make matters worse, there were a few small birds poking around, likely snooping for my gems.

"Hey! Get out of my house!" I yelled to the birds. They shouted swears, gave me a rude look, then fluttered off.

Holly looked back at me again. "Sorry..."

"It's fine," I said. "It's not your fault, okay? I needed to get the roof fixed anyway."

I slid out of bed and began to examine the ceiling. But in every room, the plaster was unharmed and untouched. Every window was sealed shut except the one in my room. How could so much snow get in from one window?

I ignored it. It isn't uncommon to get five feet of snow in this area, especially during the winter. Wind could've spread the snow around the house while I rested...

"It is my fault," said Holly. "I lied earlier. I'm not the same."

I stood speechless, looking at her blankly and... fearfully. She isn't crazy. I know it. I feel it. What could she possibly mean?

"You... you did this? You 'made' the snow?" I asked, puzzled and scared.

"Not on my own... I... I won't say any more," said Holly, as she hung her head low.

At this point I was beginning to think I was the crazy one. But I just had to accept what was happening and work around it like a sane person would. No matter how insane it really is.

"Alright, alright, okay. I'll make you some oatmeal, alright? Forget any of this happened, don't mention that you make snow to any other people, got it? Pretend it never happened."

"Got it," she said, meekly.

The next few minutes were a blur: oatmeal, microwave. Beep.

Spoon, Holly, eat.

I had never been so worried in my life. My heart was pounding, I was doing things faster than ever... nothing felt real. I didn't feel real. The knock on the door didn't feel real!

FBI? SWAT? The military? Moderators? Who is here, at my door, and why?

"Is anything wrong?" I whispered, to check with Holly.

Holly remained faint and calm. "No... Don't be scared." Trusting her, I unlocked the door...

I grabbed the handle, and pulled gently...

I looked out the gap and saw a shadow...

I overcame my fear and swung the door open!

...

It was just my friend, Lucky. Thank Zios.

"Hey! Danny! I haven't seen you in... years!" Lucky cheered spontaneously. "Oh my Zios," she mumbled, a little less excited now.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Snow? where... where did all this come from...? Roof collapse?"

"Nah, I left all the windows open..."

"Why?"

"It was nice out..."

"Negative twenty degree weather isn't nice, even in December, Danny."

"But I thought it was only 4 below..."

"I use Celsius, for Zios sake, forget where I'm from, eh? Honestly though even if it was that warm it still wouldn't be nice-- the weather here is never nice!" Lucky teased me playfully, and maybe a bit rudely, as she pat my shoulder and bounded inside.

I got ready to greet her and Holly to one another-- but Holly was gone. I acted normal; Maybe it's a good thing if I don't have to explain this all to Lucky. There weren't even any footprints near Holly's chair...

Lucky was a monkey. She had blue green fur, and a green face and green hands to match. Today she was wearing a yellow hoodie, brown beanie, denim jeans, and some raggedy red snow boots. Not a particularly fashionable person but I had always known her to be like this anyway.

She hadn't talked to me or visited me in so long, I had figured we weren't friends anymore. It was almost shocking to see how much she had changed in some ways and also how little she had changed in others.

"What are the chances you'd come to visit on Christmas eve? Ha!" I shouted, playfully.

"Don't know," she said, as she sat at the kitchen table, examining its brand new 30 centimeter thick tablecloth of snow. "I felt lonely. I wished I had friends again, then I remembered I had you... I was worried you wouldn't want to talk to me anymore, so... uhh... But it also kinda felt like my wish got granted."

Her voice trailed off. "Anyways, Danny, I have a gift for you!"

"Really?"

"It isn't much," she said. "But I hope you'll like it. 'Tis a bit early, though."

She took a small box from her hoodie pocket. It looked like a very used jewelry box, but the logo had been worn off intentionally to keep my expectations low. Lucky handed it to me carefully.

I opened the little box and pulled out the concealing tissue paper. Inside was a sublimely sculpted and perfectly polished polymer clay ornament of a holly twig, with a friendly clay bird perched atop.

"Oh wow," I said. "Did you make this?"

"Certainly," said Lucky. "Look at the name on the fellow's hat."

Sure enough, there was Lucky's signature carved into the clay with the date, too.

"I love it! Though I don't have a tree this year," I mumbled.

I sat the ornament on top of a dry, snowy, and dead cactus.

"Best I can do," I chuckled.

Lucky laughed.
Edited By Aisybell on 4/7/2017 at 3:09 PM.
Aisybell
Level 60
The Kind-Hearted
Joined: 12/9/2016
Threads: 11
Posts: 355
Posted: 4/1/2017 at 5:12 PM Post #10
It was still quite early in the morning; Lucky had already left after giving me some hot cocoa mix she didn't need and then having a quick chat about political matters.

Not five minutes after Lucky had disappeared out the door, Holly was back sitting in the chair, without a sound to announce her reappearance.

"She was a friend...?"

"Yep. Lucky's my friend."

"You always wanted a friend before. But you already have them."

"Yeah," I agreed with her peacefully, without questioning her awareness of my wishful ideas. Maybe my wish had actually been granted, perhaps? Or was it just a coincidence?

"You already have lots of things you think you want..."

"I do?"

There was a small moment of silence. The air in the room felt lighter, almost like a hint that the conversation would now shift.

"Are you happy?" asked Holly.

"I think so," I replied.

"I am happy," stated Holly, in a genuine tone.

"I do feel happy," I reassured. "I have never been so happy after meeting you, like there's something different about you... You're the best friend I've ever had, maybe even better than Lucky..."

I kind of regretted saying that, but at the same time I knew it made Holly really happy.

"You too."

I was a bit shocked that she had already accepted me as her best friend. Perhaps it was her abrupt response, or maybe the friendly tension in the air. Holly seemed to want something from me but I wasn't sure what.

"Do you need anything?" I asked, with consideration.

"I want to see Bluefield. Not the trashy depressing Bluefield. Gorgeous Bluefield," she said. Her voice sang, and carried like the wind of a blizzard; sharp, imposing, yet beautiful. Normally she sounded weak, but her excitement was felt this time.

I asked no further questions. It was time for her to see the world. I wiggled the door handle to check if it was locked, then after confirming, I led Holly by the paw to the car. After a quick drive we arrived at the bakery.

And as you may guess, it was the very one where our friendship had started. The bakery was open today, and it stood out against the rest of the currently lifeless town. Everyone was at home, enjoying the holidays indoors.

I knew the bakery was open today; just last night I had noticed their sign out of the corner of my eye, clearly reading that they would be open all month, even tomorrow on Christmas Day. I don't normally notice things like that, and if I do, I often forget... Maybe I had known this would happen. Maybe I knew that I would take Holly to the bakery one day.

As we walk to the bakery doors, I see a delivery truck pull into the alleyway, the exact same kind I used to drive around just days ago. Memories of the incident came back in an instant...

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