Chapter Six: Conclusion Hopscotch
“Yippie ki yay, motherfucker.”
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TSOCID – Chapter Five
Chapter Five: Traditions, Ties, and Tension
Ever since Hazel had, quite literally, picked up shop and moved her establishment to the North Pole, she’d had the quietest Christmas mornings since she could remember them being a thing. The tavern looked festive enough, strung with garland, cranberries, and paper chains, and the tree twinkled in the corner with the light of just enough candles sprinkled through its leaves. It was cozy enough to invite even the most cranky of forced early Christmas risers. But the only ones who were awake (and had decided to meander down for breakfast) were her, a handful of the inn’s tenants, and her huldra waitstaff. Although, in the end, it didn’t matter if anyone saw them now. They weren’t up for the elves anyway.
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Chapter Four: Jack of All Trades
After throwing their new guest’s boxes out the back of the truck, and leaving him with only her keys and the apartment number, Juniper sped away in a vain attempt to make up for the lost rehearsal time she was late for. She was pretty sure she was breaking the speed limit, but this early on Christmas morning, most elves were asleep, so the roads were empty. Even if she did hit something, it was more likely to be an inanimate object.
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Chapter Three: Housemates
Bernard sat on the steps leading up to the workshop, surrounded by boxes he and Curtis had carted down from his old office and quarters. The first thing he had done upon receiving his undignified notice was call up his sister to help him move out. Myrna had said she would be by a little later with her truck. Now, it’s a lot later. And there’s still no truck.
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Chapter One: A Slight Company Reorganization
December 1994
North Pole
The first thing that told Bernard something was wrong was the sickening sense of déjà vu that hit his gut as he watched the sleigh descend from the ceiling. Had it been any other time, he would have brushed it off as part of the repetitious nature of the yearly job. But he knew enough about magic to recognize some of the subtle clues it left behind. Something, besides the sleigh, was up.
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