CHAPTER 4
This night was the darkest that Hollie had ever seen. Even Rudolph's nose was having trouble penetrating the inky darkness. The young elf could just make out the bare trees on either side of the road.
The Christmas elf shivered. Somehow this place felt colder than the North Pole. "Are you sure we're in the right place?"
Father Time peered of into the distance, his brow furrowed, "Oh, very sure." He gave the others a reassuring smile, that didn't reassure, "We're definitely in Ireland..."
A wolf howled.
An owl hooted.
Peter grabbed hold of Cupid's arm.
"Git off me ya rascally rabbit. How am I supposed to protect us, with you hanging off my arm?"
Peter let go, "Sorry." He pulled his jacket tight around his shoulders, "I-i-it's so cold here."
"You think you've got problems, bub? I've only got this magic sash." The cherub indicated the sash hovering over his private parts.
"A-a-are you sure, we're going to find help here, Kronos?" enquired Peter.
Hollie looked around nervously "And do we really want to meet them?"
Suddenly a piercing shriek pierced the night.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
"Agggggggghhhhhhh!" cried the reindeer.
And the rabbit.
And the junior elf.
And the cherub.
Cupid was trying to aim his bow in all directions, but couldn't pinpoint the source of the noise. "It's coming from all around us."
Suddenly there was a dazzlingly bright flash of orange light...
FLASH
Followed by a large explosion.
KRA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
"Eeeeeeeeeek!" The nine reindeer dived into Santa's sleigh.
A hideous booming laughter filled the air.
BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Hollie, Peter and the Reindeer all popped their heads up. Just enough to see over the edge of the sleigh.
Cupid aimed his bow at the source of the laughter, ready to shoot into the darkness.
But Father Time, placed a restraining hand on the cherub, "Don't shoot, Cupid. I think we've just found who we are looking for."
"Father Time, ye ol' beggar," called a hauntingly demonic Irish voice, "What brings ye to these parts? And on All-Saint's Eve?"
A man wearing a pumpkin on his head walked out into the clearing. Light glowed from his eyes and mouth. He wore scuffed brown boots, dark tatty pants and a matching jacket, with a scarf wrapped around his neck. Hollie noticed that he was carrying a turnip, which also emitted a light.
"Jack O'Lantern, it's good to see you again."
"Of course, it's Halloween! But why would a damned soul want to help save Christmas?"
"Now, now Hollie, watch your language. Remember Jack maybe in danger too. Besides, he may have a bit of a bad reputation, but you know how these things can get blown out of proportion."
Peter popped up, smoothing down his rumpled suit, "After tonight, I'd say it's a well deserved reputation."
"Ah, don't be worrying ye cute button nose, little rabbit. Ol' Jack's just interested in a little fun, that's all."
"You're gonna be talking in the third-person all the time, ain't ya?"
"That, me fine cherub Jack'll be."
Father Time then explained to Jack about the potential danger to holiday icons, their mission to save Santa and restore the correct timelines.
"Well, if ye be needed any assistance, Jack O'Lantern is willing to offer his services."
"Excellent."
"But before we go off, we should discuss ol' Jack's fee..."
"Fee!?!"
Father time motioned everyone to calm down, "Well he's not known as 'Stingy Jack' for nothing I suppose."
******
"Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen! On Comet, on Cupid, on Donder and Blitzen!" The elf sat back, "I could get used to this."
Hollie cracked the whip, "You get a move on too, Rudy!"
"Santa hardly ever got the whip out," grumbled the red-nosed (and red-bottomed) reindeer.
Santa's sleigh, with all its passengers, was once more traversing through the time stream.
"So where to next?"
"19th September, please Hollie. Anywhere around the Caribbean will be fine."
The others thought for a moment. "19th September? What day's that?"
"Talk like a pirate day."
Hollie cracked the whip once more, stearing the reindeer towards 19th September, when suddenly...
"Ow!"
Everyone quickly turned to Father Time, concerned about his welfare.
"What is it?"
"My knees. I just got the most terrible pain..."
"Is that all," sighed Cupid, putting the arrow back in his quiver.
Hollie thought for a moment. "But, don't you get that when...?"
"Aggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
A wave of temporal distortion picked up the reindeer, the sleigh, and its occupants, swirled and buffeted them around, before dumping them outside of the vortex.
Father Time, was the first to recover, "Sorry about that. That wave hit a tad sooner than I expected. Is everybody alright?"
"Oooh, my tail," moaned Peter, wiggling his cottontail to make sure it wasn't broken.
"Where are we?" asked Cupid.
"If ol' Jack's not mistak'n, it's beginning to look a lot like Frostmas."
"Frostmas?" cooed Peter, "I love Frostmas!"
Everyone looked up to see that they had crashed in front of a giant multi-level shopping centre complex. The whole complex was decked out in white decorations. White tinsel. White baubles. White flashing lights.
Cupid read the name of the shopping complex, "Frosty's..."
Up and down the street, buildings and cars and streetlights were decked out in the same snow-white decorations.
Father Time looked worried. "Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This is no good at all."
The Christmas elf agreed, "Yeah, it's kinda boring, isn't it."
"Not that. We are all in the most grave danger."
Peter started to look worried too, "What do you mean?"
"That temporal wave, dumped us right in the middle of the new alternate reality. We mustn't stay too long, or we may never get out!"
"Then what are we hanging around for? Fire up the reindeer Hollie," urged Cupid.
Hollie was already way ahead of the cherub, reins in hand, when suddenly, "I know that face!"
Hollie let out a cry and jumped down from the sleigh, racing across the road towards the entrance to Frosty's.
"No Hollie, come back!" cried Father Time. But it was too late.
"Don't worry, I'll get her," Cupid flew after the elf.
"Wait for us!" Peter hopped out of the sleigh, closely followed by Jack.
"Oh dear," Father Time turned to the reindeer, "Be ready to meet us by the store entrance. Once we've recovered Hollie, we must leave at once!"
With that, Father Time ran... well hobbled... off to Frosty's.
******
Hollie barged her way through the crowd of Frostmas shoppers.
The shoppers complained about how rude the youth of today were, how they had no manners, and wore inappropriate and gaudy-coloured clothing.
"I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same," lamented Hollie.
Finally the Christmas elf, caught up with her quarry. She reached out and turned the large man around to face her.
The man looked old. He had white hair and beard. But his blue eyes looked young, as they twinkled. Then again it could have been because of the white flashing Frostmas lights.
Hollie hugged the man, "Santa!"
"Who?", asked the shocked large old man with white hair and beard, "My name is Kris Kringle."
