Page 13 of Merry Cris Moose

“Hi, Keely!” Holly greeted with a bright, chipper tone as she stepped inside, a hint of snow still clinging to her coat. “I just wanted to let you know that the crisis has been averted. Crismanaged to get everything stabilized, so everything is under control now. He’s keeping an eye on things, but he should be back any time.”

Keely breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t been given many details about what was happening, but the way Cris had rushed off had made her worry. “Thank you, Holly. That’s great news. Is he... is Cris okay?”

Holly nodded, her eyes softening. “He’s fine, but unfortunately, he’s still got a few things to take care of and then will be tied up in meetings and other stuff with the big boss. He won’t be able to break away just yet.”

Keely bit her lip, disappointment and something else—something she wasn’t ready to admit—settling in her stomach. “That’s okay. I understand. I’ll just... dive into work.”

Holly’s smile widened, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. “I’ll bet you’re like me, once you get started on something, it’s easy to lose yourself in the magic of making toys. Knowing some kid will get their hands on it and have so much fun is a great feeling.”

Keely nodded, offering her a small smile. “I do. It’s so different here—and different in a good way. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

“Well, if you need anything,” Holly said, “just ask. I’ll be around. We elves are always—” She paused, her eyes widening in realization, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. “I mean... um, I’ll be around, that’s all.”

Keely’s brow furrowed, the wordelveshanging in the air like an odd, unshakable mystery. “Did you just say elves?”

Holly’s face turned even redder, and she laughed nervously, waving her hand. “Oh! Did I? Silly me! I just meant, you know, like... little helpers. It’s just a joke we have around here. You know, Christmas spirit, Santa’s helpers and all.”

Keely narrowed her eyes slightly but didn’t push it, a strange feeling nagging at the back of her mind. She’d noticed somepeculiar things about the workshop and the way everything seemed to work in almost magical harmony. Still, she shrugged it off, deciding to focus on the work for now.

For the next few days, Keely threw herself into designing, sketching ideas, and experimenting with toy concepts. The workshop was an absolute wonderland, every corner brimming with whimsical tools and materials she had never dreamed existed. She found herself working closely with Tinker, a jovial, brilliant man with an odd habit of tinkering with gadgets that seemed far too advanced for a mere toy workshop.

Tinker was more than just a colleague—he had quickly become a sounding board for her most outlandish ideas, encouraging her creativity in ways no one ever had before. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Keely found herself growing more and more immersed in the work. But, even amidst the joy of creation, she couldn’t help but notice the workshop’s strange, almost unnatural efficiency. Toys were assembled at an impossibly fast pace, and the workers... well, they moved with an agility and speed that left her both impressed and puzzled.

One afternoon, as she’d watched a small group of workers putting the finishing touches on a set of interactive snow globes she had designed, something caught her eye. One of the workers—a quiet young man with dark hair tucked beneath a festive red cap—turned slightly as he reached for a tool. Keely’s heart skipped a beat.

Peeking out from under his cap was what appeared to be the pointed tip of an ear.

Keely blinked, trying to process what she had seen. Her rational mind fought against the explanation that immediately surfaced, but the evidence was right there in front of her. Pointy ears. The kind of ears you only saw in storybooks or movies about...elves.

She’d watched the worker closely, but he seemed unaware of her scrutiny. As he moved about, his speed and precision were undeniable—unnatural, even. Keely’s mind raced as she remembered it. Could it be that Holly hadn’t been joking when she’d mentioned elves? Was this entire workshop staffed by…

“Keely, are you all right?” Tinker’s voice broke through her thoughts, and she turned to find him watching her with a curious expression.

Keely quickly forced a smile. “Oh, I’m fine. Just... getting lost in all the amazing work here.”

Tinker chuckled, nodding in agreement. “It’s easy to do. We take pride in creating magic here, you know.”

Magic. The word sent another shiver of curiosity down her spine. Was that really what was happening? Keely’s rational side fought to make sense of it all, but the more time she spent here, the more things felt... impossible.

Later that evening, as she sat alone in her room, staring out into the snow-covered wonderland beyond the window, her thoughts circled back to Cris. She missed him. More than she wanted to admit. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling her—something big. Her gaze flickered back to the sketches spread across her desk, but her mind was miles away.

She had been brought here for a reason, and somehow, it felt like more than just a consulting job. There was magic in the air—real magic—and Keely couldn’t ignore it anymore. But what did it all mean? And more importantly, what role did she play in it?

As the night deepened, Keely’s thoughts returned again and again to Cris. She needed answers. She needed him to tell her the truth. Because no matter how much her mind tried to rationalize it, she was starting to believe that this world was far more extraordinary than she could have ever imagined. And Cris Sutton was at the center of it all.

Tomorrow, she would find out. One way or another.

The following day, Keely resumed her work in the toy factory. Holly had popped in moments earlier, cheerily announcing that Cris had returned and would likely want to meet with Keely soon. Keely’s heart had leapt at the news. As much as she wanted to focus on the work and the puzzle of this place, Cris had been a constant in her thoughts. Their connection, the pull between them—it was undeniable. She needed to see him, to talk to him, to understand what was really happening here.

Without giving herself too much time to second-guess, Keely threw on her coat and headed out into the icy afternoon, her breath coming out in soft puffs as she made her way through the snowy wonderland of the North Pole. The cold nipped at her cheeks, but it did little to deter her.

The snow crunched beneath her boots as she wandered toward the small field near the company’s airstrip, a place she had found herself gravitating toward whenever she needed a moment to think.

It was still early in the afternoon, and the world around her was blanketed in a fresh layer of powdery snow, undisturbed by footprints or activity. The field was wide open, with the private jet she had arrived in parked at the far edge, its metallic surface gleaming in the soft light. The quiet serenity of the place always brought her a sense of peace, but today, there was an electric charge in the air—something she couldn’t quite place.

As she drew closer to the field, a sudden movement caught her eye. She stopped, squinting through the soft snowfall to focus on what appeared to be a large, dark figure at the far end of the field, just beyond the plane.

Keely blinked, unsure of what she was seeing. It was a moose—a massive, majestic creature with towering antlers, like a crown, that seemed to reach toward the sky. But as far as she knew, there were no moose indigenous to the North Pole, andyet there it was. Its dark coat stood out sharply against the snowy backdrop, and for a moment, Keely’s breath caught in her throat at the sight of it.

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