Page 7 of Oh Christmas Tree
Saplings spring from my branches, and I open theblanket. Using my vines, I gently place her on the mattress. I take a minute to admire her beauty and inhale her intoxicating scent one more time before I tuck her in. I give her a small kiss on her temple, whisper goodnight, and then back out. Softly, I close the door and make my way back toward the living room.
The magic of the night has me wide awake, and there’s no way I will be sleeping anytime soon. Looking around, I notice the mess in the kitchen and all around the room, especially the dining area. Somehow, that strikes me as odd. The cabin is obviously well cared-for. Such a mess seems out of character. Perhaps something happened to her? She’s fast asleep, so I can’t ask her, but I can do something about it to ensure she doesn’t wake up in a messy house.
Her scent is still thick, so I take a deep breath to center my magic and let the branches sprout. Closing my eyes, I feel through my skin and clean up the cabin in record time. I tidy the coffee and dining table, do the dishes, and ensure the entire living area is spotless. I do not know where to put the clean dishes, so I just stack them on the counter. There is also a lot of food, but I just put the pans on the stove for Chloe to deal with tomorrow. There are limits to my magic, and it has been decades since I was last roused.
When the cleaning is finished and the Christmas blankets on the couch are neatly folded, I head over to the large windows at the back of the cabin. I see the pot I first woke up in, and now that my head is clearer, I notice the decorations on the floor. Hmmm, did she decorate my tree form? Honestly, these humans have been doing crazy things for centuries. It’s a mystery how I went from sleeping in my forest to waking up inside a human house, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters now is Chloe.
The forest is calling to me from outside the cabin. Thestorm is still raging, but I can feel its closeness. Not yet, I tell it. Morning is close and I must rest first.
I take one final look around the room. The flashing box has finally stopped making noise, and with a sigh, I step back into the pot in the corner. I must resign myself to my fate for one more night. Tomorrow, I will reveal myself as soon as dusk sets in, and we will talk.
Tomorrow.
8
CHLOE
Slowly, I come back to life, but the regret is instant. when I open my eyes. The room is filled with light from the open curtains, and there’s a brutal pounding in my head. Groaning, I close my eyes and bury my head under my pillow. That’s only slightly better. I haven’t had a hangover like this since my college days, and I deeply regret every drop of rum I put in the eggnog yesterday. I don’t think I even made it ten minutes into Die Hard before passing out.
Speaking of, I think I had the weirdest dream. There was a tree creature in my living room, eating me out while branches and vines came to life and held me against the back of the couch, or the wall, I don’t know.
I remove my head from under the pillow and turn around. That was some eggnog, for sure. I have never had a dream that realistic. Come to think about it, how did I end up in bed? I certainly don’t remember anything besides the couch. Lifting the blanket, I conclude I’m still wearing yesterday’s Christmas dress, but it’s hitched up to my waist, and my panties are gone. Maybe I lost them on the toilet?Speaking of, my bladder makes itself known, urgently, so I just have to suck it up and get out of bed.
After I do my business, I quickly put on yoga pants, a sweater, and thick socks. I still hear the wind howling outside, and the cabin is cold without a fire burning. My head pounds, so I take some Tylenol before I make coffee. While the coffee is brewing, I light the fire, and I can have my first glorious cup of caffeine when that's done.
I lean against the counter, just about to take my first sip, when I notice the neatly stacked dishes on the kitchen counter. Weird? Did I do the dishes last night before bed? I didn’t put them away, though. Maybe I forgot where to put them? I take a big sip of my coffee and look around. Everything in the kitchen and the living room is neat and tidy. Even the blanket lies neatly folded on the couch. The empty bottles and eggnog carton are lined up next to the full ones, and I quickly grab the full containers and throw them in the trash—no more eggnog for this girl.
Sipping my coffee, I walk around the kitchen counter to the back windows and freeze when I see the Christmas tree. My sad cedar Christmas tree looks even more pathetic now! Somehow, the decorations all fell off! Tinsel and lights are thrown across the floor, ornaments lie in heaps, and there are even a couple of broken ones.
The fallen decorations trail from the tree to the coffee table, then suddenly stop. I shake my head and make my way over to the couch. Coffee and mindless TV first; I’ll redecorate when I feel better.
It’s late in the afternoon when I feel like I’m somewhat alive again. I ate Christmas cookies for breakfast and tried to call my mom, but cell service is still out due to the raging storm. I ended up watching all the Home Alone movies on old VHS tapes, because the cable was out as well.
“Hey Siri, play Sad Christmas songs, please!”
Siri complies and immediately ‘Lonely this Christmas’chimes through the speakers, and I let out an involuntary giggle at the irony.
I reheat yesterday's leftovers to have some actual food and put the rest in containers. It seems I’ll be eating chicken for the rest of the year, but I won’t let all my hard work go to waste.
The food settles my stomach, and my head feels better as well. I roll my shoulders and prepare myself for the salvation of the Christmas tree. After I pick up the ornaments, I categorize them on my coffee table and clean up the broken ones. Luckily, none of my special decorations are broken, so I won’t let it put my spirits down.
Lights and tinsel go first, and I am really getting into the groove with ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’. I shake my hips, spin, twist, and bend to get a matching set of Christmas balls. I just start with the ‘oh my golly’ when I turn and face the tree; suddenly, a face appears and two eyes blink open - pale, light blue.
“Hello Chloe,” a voice I remember from my dream calls out, before everything fades to black…
9
CED
Itry to rush forward, but I am constricted again. The magic that strengthened me yesterday is helping me transition to my two-legged form much faster, but I can’t prevent Chloe from going down like a log.
There’s snapping and clinking, but I roughly exit the pot, move towards Chloe, and scoop her into my arms. She lies limp in my branches as I carry her over to the couch. I conjure up some minty leaves and wave them in front of her nose. She does a cute little wrinkle. Her eyelids flutter, but then she freezes.
I decide I should take control of the situation. “Don’t be scared.”
“That’s easy for you to say!” she shrieks, pushing herself up and scooting backwards. “You are the Christmas tree that’s coming to life.”
“I am not a Christmas tree!” I huff, offended. “Did you think I was a Christmas tree?”
