literature

Midnight on a Christmas Eve

Deviation Actions

rockingyourstar's avatar
Published:
1.4K Views

Literature Text

It’s funny how sometimes, no matter how many clothes you wear, no matter how many hot chocolates or coffees you drink, the cold is still there. You could be bundled up in your winter best, sipping from your cup next to the fireplace - just as I was in that cafe on main street, one dark Christmas eve - and still have that frozen sensation inside. All those warm, loving feelings that the holidays once brought me were gone, and I struggled to remember them as I watched snow drift past the plate glass window and pepper the sidewalk. Faint music drifted over the radio, providing the sound that the fake electric fireplace didn’t, and it sickened me with its cliches. Jingling bells and decorated trees, reindeer and toy-filled sleighs - it was all old, all fake, all empty.

The time was becoming late, and as I watched, the passing crowds on the street slowly dissipated to only a couple here or there, and the occasional last-minute shopper with bags and boxes in hand. A coffee pot seemed to appear out of nowhere and refilled my mug, and I turned to see the waitress who had approached without my notice. “It’s Christmas eve, hun,” she drawled. “Ain’t you got somewhere to be?”

“No, ma’am,” I replied, and took a scorching sip.

“It’s gettin’ late,” she said. “We’ll be closin’ soon.”

I didn’t answer, but turned my gaze back to the window. Nearly all of the passerby had gone, save for a lone couple that stood across the street, admiring the Christmas tree in a shop window. There was something odd about them; they didn’t seem to be wearing enough clothing for this type of weather, and what jackets and scarves they did have were worn and disheveled. Regardless, only the girl seemed bothered by the cold, and even then only minorly as she spoke to her partner with enthusiastic gesticulations and eyes alight with energy. The boy smiled as she talked, apparently content to listen to whatever tale she was telling for however long she told it. After several moments she seemed to have reached a break, and as she paused to take a breath and turn back to the tree, the boy wrapped an arm around her, brought her close, and kissed her atop her fluffy brown hair.

I couldn’t resist a small amused “hmph;” it appeared someone was enjoying the holidays, at least. I watched as the couple lost interest in the Christmas tree and began to look at the lights that had been strung along the shop’s roof, turning as their eyes followed the string down the block. The girl seemed very excited, her expression as though she were spending time with an old, long-lost friend; the boy, however, took in the sights with a kind of silent wonder, almost as though he had never seen such things before.

My interest was piqued, and my attention drawn in fully by this odd couple. The snow began to fall harder, and likewise the girl began to twirl around in it, her tongue outstretched to capture any stray flakes. I could see the boy chuckling at her, a chuckle that turned into a warm smile as she stumbled with dizziness and fell against him. Before he could straighten her, however, she ducked to her knees, gathered some of the collected snow from the edges of the sidewalk, and flung a miserable pile of ice at the boy. Frowning, he stepped backwards and wiped the wetness from his jacket, but she was already forming another glob of slush in her hands with a wide grin across her face. This one hit him in the shoulder, and at last he seemed to understand the game. He had bent to scoop snow into his own hands when a tap at my shoulder startled me from the window.

“We’re closin’ up, hun,” said the waitress. “Time to head on home.”

“Alright,” I mumbled, and turned to take another glance at the couple - only to find that they had gone. Somehow in that brief second they had disappeared down the street, and a pair of dogs had replaced them. They were large dogs - the largest of any I’d seen - and both of them a solid color, one white and one black. They frolicked and played with each other in the snow much in the same manner as the couple had, their eyes bright and lips pulled back in human-like smiles. For a moment, I imagined that I could almost hear their laughter in the cold night air. But dogs didn’t laugh, of course, and I shook the idea from my head as I stood, paid the cashier, and left the cafe with my jacket pulled close around me.

The dogs froze as I stepped out onto the street. The smaller of them, the black one, wagged its tail at the sight of me, but the white one nudged it away and took off down the block. The black bounced after it, making a point to scatter snow across the sidewalk with its huge paws as it went. I smiled a little as I watched them go; it would seem that Christmas was a time for everyone to enjoy, human or not.

A frigid wind swept by, and I braced myself against it. But despite the cold on the outside, I felt a bit warmer on the inside - whether from the coffee or the dogs, I couldn’t tell. Somewhere down the street, a clock tower began to toll in the night, marking the hour of twelve and the transition from Christmas eve to Christmas day.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Here's a small piece for this holiday season, inspired a bit by one written by ~insanitycookie333 ([link]). It was in the middle of being written at midnight on Christmas eve, so I didn't get to post it at the appropriate time, but it works either way. Enjoy!

(I tried to post a little sketch earlier today, but that didn't work out. But I like this better. ^^)

Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Winter Solstice/whatever other holiday you may celebrate! Eat well, have wonderful times with friends and family, and have a great holiday!

Story and characters (c) me
© 2012 - 2024 rockingyourstar
Comments8
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
ulyferal's avatar
What a wonderful piece. Thank you for posting it.