>”C’mon, Anon! This way, this way!” “Slow down, Sonata! It’s hard to run with this thing!” >”Well, hurry up! Before someone else finds it! It’s, like, totally the perfect size!” “Alright, alright! Where’s your sisters?” >”I asked ‘em to wait by the tree so no one would take it!” >As you sidestep past another tree, you feel the needles swipe across your skin, leaving small grazes. >The chainsaw in your hand has left your arm feeling rather exhausted, the weight pulling down on your shoulder. >Thank god you had your own though. >$40 bucks just to rent one. >Fucking ridiculous. >”Anon! This way!” >You look up to see Sonata waving her arms at you, her jacket making soft rustling sounds at the movement. >Sonata opted to wear several more layers underneath her extra thic(c) blue jacket. >So now you’re chasing what appears to be a large blueberry with legs through a maze of pine trees and piles of snow. “Sonata, just wait a minute, okay? I’m sure that-” >”But!-” >You hold up your free hand “I’m sure that Adagio and Aria are more than capable of scaring off anyone who wants the tree.” >Sonata fidgets with her gloves and whimpers. “You can trust your sisters, right?” >Sonata sinks into her jackets and nods. “Alright. Now-” >You roll your shoulder and switch the chainsaw into your other gloved hand, sighing as you feel the weight leave the other. “Which way?” >Sonata seems to consider for a moment before she points to her right. >A muffled “This way!” can be heard from behind the jacket, before she ducks in between two trees. >The sigh that escapes your lips freezes in the air, leaving a heavy fog in front of your face that quickly dissipates. >You shift the chainsaw’s handle in your grip once more before pushing yourself through the dense foliage. >Sonata is standing on the other side, bouncing in place as she waits for you. >... >... “Wh-where is a-a-a-a-are th-tho-those los-losers.” >”I don’t kn-know, A-Aria. St-stop asking.” >This is the worst. >Stupid Sonata. >Stupid Anon. >Stupid tree. >Stupid Christmas. >You pull your fingers in from the fingers of the gloves and bundle them together once more. >Where the fuck are those two. >Sonata left to find Anon 10 minutes ago. >Leaving you two to freeze in front of this dumb tree. >Sonata ‘just, like, HAD to have this one’. >She didn’t like the others, nooooooo. >Not the ones right next to the car, nope. >That would be too easy. >You stomp your feet and flex your toes in an effort to get the feeling back in them, which works with limited success. >Every part of your body is either cold or numb. >This is the worst. >You wanna go home. >Sit by the fire. >Or at least sit in Anon’s car. “A-a-a-dagio.” >”...” “A-a-dagio.” >”What.” “If the-they don’t c-come in 5 m-minutes, let’s j-just go t-t-to Anon’s car.” >Adagio turns to look at you, only her eyes visible between her hair and her scarf. >”D-do you even know wh-which way it i-is?” “I-” >You scan the endless ocean of trees, trying to find something that looks familiar. >They all look the same. >You’d probably just get lost. >Like those idiots probably did. “I g-g-guess we’ll wait f-f-or those idiots…” >Adagio just nods. Or at least it seems like she does. >... >You hope they freeze to death. >Maybe you can find their bodies and take Anons keys. >... >”This way, Anon!” >... >... >”It’s right over here!” “Yea, yea, I see you.” >You duck under several branches as you follow the beckoning blueberry. “You’re sure it’s here?” >”Yea! Watch!” >Sonata cups her hands to her mouth. >”ARIA! WHERE ARE YOU??” >... >”G-GET OVER HERE, Y-YOU L-OSERS!!!” >Sonata looks at you, smirking. >”I’m sure.” >Sonata pushes aside a tree, allowing you to sidestep your way through. >Sonata releases the tree, which quickly snaps back into its original orientation, and marches up to your side >The only sounds around is the quiet morning breeze and the soft crunch of your boots against snow. >”SOMETIME TODAY YOU TWO.” “Aria didn’t sound too happy.” >”Nope!” “And you’re not worried?” >The girl shakes her head, her ponytail brushing across the trees next to her. “And why’s that?” >”I remember where you parked.” >You open your mouth to argue, but realize that you too, forgot where you parked. “Fair enough.” >Sonata pulls aside another set of branches, revealing a very dissatisfied Aria glaring at the two of you. >If looks could kill. >The purple girl is staring daggers at the both of you, as she breathes into her gloved hands. >Adagio stands behind her, arms folded tightly across her body, her nose a brilliant shade of red sticking out against her skin color. >”Hey girls!” >The two say nothing, opting to just stare at the two >Sonata wraps the two in a tight hug, pulling them close into her layers. >”Thanks for watching the tree girls! You’re the bestest!” >”What to-took you t-two so long.” >”I can’t feel my toes.” >As the three continue to embrace, you step forward to examine the tree that Sonata had been so proud of. >The tree stands at almost twice your height, the tip of it proudly reaching to the sky. >Circling around the tree doesn’t reveal any blank sides or dead branches. “This is a pretty good one, Sonata.” >You push aside some of the branches to peer inside. >No dead needles, animals or anything. “A really good find.” >”Terrific. Now-” >You suddenly feel the chainsaw being tugged from your grip. >You look down to see Aria’s hands wrapped around the handle. >”H-hurry this u-up so we can go home!!” >You pull the tool out of Aria’s grip and step back. “Easy there, Grumpus Maximus. Do you even know how to use this thing?” >Aria glares back at you, flexing the fingers of her gloves. >”No-” >She slowly steps towards you. >”-But I c-can certainly learn, can’t I?” >You throw up your free hand in front of you, putting some space between you and potential dismemberment. “Alright! I’ll get to it. Damn.” >You circle the tree once more as you look for a good spot to start cutting. >There we go. >You snap off a few branches to clear a spot and press down on the chainsaws primer button. “Alright, girls. Stand back, I don’t want this falling on you.” >”Okie!” >”Whatever.” >Stabilizing yourself, you tighten your grip on the cord handle and give it a good jerk. >The machine sputters a few times before coughing out and staying silent. >Take two. >Another jerk, another series of coughs and murmurs, and dies again. >”C’mon, Anon, we-we’re freezing h-here” >You shift your grip on the handle and cord. >Take a deep breath. >And jerk it. >If you jerked yourself like you jerked that cord, you’d probably be drinking a lot more soy. >The equipment slowly murmurs, then roars to life. >We’re in business. >... >... “Aria can you pass other ornaments?” >”Here.” >You look down from the ladder to see the girl handing you the box of intricate glassware, as she mindlessly thumbs away on her phone. “Could you...hand them to me?” >Your request is met with a drastic eye roll and an exasperated sigh as Aria stows her phone away, plucks an orb out, and hands it to you. “Thank you. Where’s your holiday spirit?” >”Up your ass.” “What?” >”Nothing.” >You narrow your eyes at the girl before gingerly taking the ornament and hooking it onto an empty branch. “Sonata, how’s it going with the lights down there?” >”I gots it! I think…” >Sonata’s entire upper half is underneath the tree, as she struggles around with the last foot of lights around the branches. >In hindsight, you probably shouldn’t have trusted something that involves outlets to someone who thought they were coin slots for candy a month ago. >But, if anything, Sonata’s a quick learner. >You hope. “Aria. Last box please.” >”Aren’t there enough on there?” “There will be enough when we use the last ones. Go get ‘em.” >Aria grumbles something under her breath, the phrase ‘glass him’ being the only audible words. >”Should I turn the lights on now, Anon? “Hold off on that for now. Adagio, you find the angel?” >”I think so. This ratty looking thing?” >Adagio places one of your family heirlooms in your hand, and you quickly draw it close to you. “Hey hey hey! This ‘ratty thing’ has just so happened to have been in my family ever since my great grandparents.” >You rub your thumb across the flimsy material of the angel’s robes. >It’s eyes stare back at you, the bright color painted into them now dull and muted. >It’s halo had long fallen off, but it still had gave off it's own welcoming aura of familiarity. “I can’t remember a single Christmas without having put it up with my folks.” >The room is met with silence as you perch the figure carefully on tip of the tree, and adjust it ever so slightly. >Once you’re satisfied with your work, you lean back slightly to appreciate the familiar sight, letting it wash you over with warm memories. >... “Do you know what Christmas is about, you guys?” >”Presents?” >”Food?” >”Annoying songs?” “Comfort.” >You climb down the ladder and dust yourself off. >The girls stand there around the tree, eyeing you curiously. “It’s about the comfort it brings.” >With a quick snap, you fold the ladder and place it on the ground. “It’s about taking a moment, one time out of the year, to share in that comfort with others.” >You sidle behind the tree, carefully squatting down to avoid brushing against the tree. “To reflect on what makes you happy-” >You find the plug for the lights. “-What you might overlook-” >As soon as you slide the plug into the socket, the room is inundated with a white glow. “-and appreciating everything it brings you.” >You creep out from behind the tree to see the girls staring at it, each seeming to be taking in a different part of it. >You step behind them and wrap your arms around the three, joining them in their admiration. >The soft glow given off by the lights reflects off the ornaments perfectly, making it appear as if though they have their own small lights contained within them. >On top of it all, the angel is bathed in lights all around it, giving it it’s own heavenly glow. “Christmas is about sharing with others what makes you feel complete.” >Sonata sighs happily as she returns your embrace and nuzzles into your chest. >Adagio hums as she leans into your shoulder. >Aria remains still for a moment, before taking a step closer to you. “And what makes me feel complete, is spending this time with you three.” >”Merry Christmas, Anon!” >”Merry Christmas.” >”...What they said…” “Merry Christmas, girls.”