Page 102 of Subbing For Santa

Games, Guns & Gunk

Agatha

Theoceanisflattoday, which is a good thing because ‘The Audrey’has been turned into a party boat to say goodbye to the year and hello to the new one.

At first, I was reluctant to spend this celebration with Ewan Marx, but then I remembered I need to prove to him that I belong in this family, so I agreed and packed an overnight bag for the trip.

There are five crew on today, plus ten of us. The two underage teens have spent a lot of the day pouting about having to be on the boat with their parents for New Year’s Eve instead of seeing the new year in with their friends. Along with me, Griffin, Ewan and his wife, Selena, the other Marx family members on board are Oswald, Cassandra, Kendrick and Bernadette. Meanwhile, some of the other Marx adults are together clubbing at one of their clubs in the city.

The last day of the year is a beautiful sunny day with not a breath of wind. We’ve sailed, we’ve swum, we’ve drunk, and we’ve eaten, and not once did Ewan make me feel like I didn’t belong.

As the sun goes down, the music turns up and the drinks start flowing even faster.

Everett and Ethan have been pinching beers from the coolers, thinking they are being sneaky since they aren’t legally old enough to drink yet. But I’ve seen Ewan notice on more than one occasion, and instead of scolding his young sons, he turns a blind eye to the mischief the teens are getting into.

“Here, little elf.” Griffin whispers, gaining my attention, and my eyes fall to the piece of paper he is handing me. “Give me five minutes and then begin.” He rasps in my ear, and I grin and frown at the same time, confused, before he chuckles and presses his lips to my forehead. I’m about to ask him what’s going on, but he saunters away, leaving the main deck.

With a grin spreading my lips wide, I give in to my curiosity and glance at the paper, unfolding it.

Tonight, we are playing subbing for Santa – New Year’s Edition.

The rules of the game are simple.

If Santa issues an order, you must obey.

If not, you will be punished.

Your first order is to go to the bathroom on the deck below and find the gift I’ve hidden.

I bite the inside of my cheek as I try to hide my reaction to the note. My cheeks are on fire though, so if anyone is paying me attention, they will probably notice.

I excuse myself, going down the steep stairs to the deck below and lock myself inside the toilet. There aren’t many hiding places in here, but I open the compartment under the sink and find a wrapped gift.

Smiling, I tear into the paper quickly to reveal a small jewellery box. I open the lid, and inside is a bracelet with a single charm hanging off it. It’s an elf.

My laugh is loud in the small space, and I quickly remove it from the box and fasten it to my wrist, taking a moment to admire it. Not able to wipe the smile off my face, I glance back at the box and notice a piece of paper tucked into the lid, so I pull it free and unfold it.

Put the bracelet on, and find the key above the mirror.

If you can find what it opens, you can have what’s inside.

I grin. This feels more like a treasure hunt than obeying an order, but it’s fun, and I love the effort Griffin has put into it.

Looking up at the mirror, I reach up and run my hand along the frame until I find a small key. Bingo! I catch my huge grin in the reflection of the mirror, but a second later, the light goes out. Turning to the switch, I try it a few times before giving up and opening the door. I’m expecting the cabin beyond to still be lit, but I’m met with darkness and only a hint of moonlight streaming in through some of the windows.

Then I grin. Griffin isn’t going to make this easy for me. He knows how I feel about the dark after admitting that my dad used to hunt us down when we had no electricity, so I’m not sure what sort of angle Griffin is playing here, but that’s ok. He’s not the only one that knows how to hand out punishments. I’ll make him pay for this.

Knowing I now have to find whatever it is that this key opens in the dark, I steel my nerves and begin my search. Stumbling through the main cabin, I feel my way around, trying to find anything that needs a key to open it. The only thing I find is some sort of ornamental box on display, but it’s unlocked, and there’s nothing inside.

A thud sounds from the passage at the other end of the room, and I spin, thinking someone is there.

“Griffin?”

Nothing. Just silence.

That’s strange.

I decide to head that way, since maybe it’s Griffin giving me a clue for the direction I need to head in. I open the door to the kitchen cabin, only to find it empty and dark, too. I still for a moment, realising that it’s kind of strange for the kitchen to be vacant since one or two of the staff should be in here preparing the food that’s been left unattended on the benchtops.

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