There's no time to wait, there's so much to Celebrate!
On Christmas Eve, many years ago I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear. The ringing bells of Santa's sleigh. Little did I realise I would be taken on a journey beyond my wildest imagination, and make some new friends along the way.
A very heavy re-write of my original adaptation of The Polar Express, with new characters, plot, and dialogue. Written for Hearth's Warming 2020.
On Christmas Eve, many years ago I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound I was afraid I'd never hear. The ringing bells of Santa's sleigh.
Oh, sorry. I suppose a proper introduction is in order. I'm Ocellus, nice to meet you. I'm a twelve year old girl with blue skin and eyes, and pink hair, who lives in Pennsylvania, in a town called Altoona. It used to be a big industrial centre with the Pennsylvania Railroad having their main workshops here. Although the Pennsy is long gone and the railroad factories are no longer here, there's still a lot of life in this town, and Norfolk Southern trains continue to ply their way up and down Horseshoe Curve.
I suppose you're thinking this; why is a twelve year old listening for Santa's sleigh, eh? Surely you'd have grown out of that rubbish a long time ago. Well, I've always been one to not discard something without evidence. Whilst I hadn't heard a good case for his existance, I will admit, I hadn't heard a good case for him not existing either. However, something in me was making me start to swing towards unbelief. Surely somebody would have noticed a giant city in the Arctic Circle, right?
I lay there, my eyes shut, trying to look like I was asleep. And probably failing badly. My ears listened for every conceivable noise, hearing the bubbling of the boiler downstairs, the hum of the fusebox, and my radiator, which was leaking and needed fixing. It was then I heard a sound from downstairs. It sounded like somebody carrying a bag! I jumped out of my bed and went over to the door, putting my eye against the peephole (or the keyhole, take your pick), and looked into the corridor.
I pulled back from the door when I realised who it was. Seems like mom and dad just got back in. Seems that Christmas Eve isn't a holiday for some.
In case you're wondering, both my parents work. Dad's the yardmaster at Altoona, meaning he's out most of the day overseeing train movements and assembly of stock. I've been in the tower once or twice and seen what he does. It's pretty cool, with all the glowing lights and moving letters and numbers on a board.
Mom I see a lot more of, as her line of work doesn't require her to be in an office all the time. One of the upsides of being fairly important in the banking sector is that you can work from wherever you want, though not neccesarily from wherever you want. Some of the other parents gave her crap for trying to keep her job going whilst raising me, but she didn't tale any notice. She's got very thick skin, and virtually nothing bothers her, so that's a win in my book. Besides, the periods of time when I was on my own gave me a good deal of independence. I can look after myself.
I hid out of the light from the hall light as they began talking to each other. "Well, that's me done until New Year!" Dad said, sounding rather cheerful. I reckon I'd be too, if I'd learned I had the rest of the week off. "Thorax is covering for that time."
"Doesn't he have his own family to be with?" Mom asked, as she opened a door, presumably to their bedroom.
"I've never been able to get to the bottom of that," Dad sighed, as he put something heavy down. "I'd better start putting these under the tree in readiness for tomorrow. We've got an especially large load this year!"
This confused me. I hadn't asked for much, and lavishing large numbers of gifts on their kids wasn't their style.
"I think we'll need it, given what's coming." I suddenly heard footsteps coming towards my door. I bolted for it and dived into bed, pulling the covers over myself just in time as Mom entered. "Are you asleep, Ocellus?"
I didn't reply.
"I'll take that as a yes, then." Footsteps indicated she was moving away from my current position. "Nothing would wake her up, not even a train."
"Well, we ready?" Dad asked.
"Yep!" Mom replied. "Time to see if Mandible's asleep. You know how hard he can find it to sleep on Christmas Eve..."
Mandible's my little brother, a full three years younger than me and an expert at sleeping like a log. But I couldn't sleep. I had to get some answers. Something was nagging at the back of my mind, and I went for my bookshelf. On it I had my copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica that a friend had given me for a birthday or two ago. I scanned through the pages, eventually getting to N, and then flicking onwards to NO. At last, I found the entry I was looking for and started to read, my torch doing little to penetrate the gloom of my dark room.
North Pole, northern end of Earth’s axis, lying in the Arctic Ocean, about 450 miles (725 km) north of Greenland. This geographic North Pole does not coincide with the magnetic North Pole—to which magnetic compasses point and which in the early 21st century lay north of the Queen Elizabeth Islands of extreme northern Canada at approximately 82°15′ N 112°30′ W (it is steadily migrating northwest)—or with the geomagnetic North Pole, the northern end of Earth’s geomagnetic field (about 79°30′ N 71°30′ W). The geographic pole, located at a point where the ocean depth is about 13,400 feet (4,080 metres) deep and covered with drifting pack ice, experiences six months of complete sunlight and six months of total darkness each year.
It was clear this wasn’t what I was looking for. I skipped on a few pages;
The first ships to visit the pole were the U.S. nuclear submarines Nautilus (1958) and Skate (1959), the latter surfacing through the ice, and the Soviet icebreaker Arktika was the first surface ship to reach it (1977). Other notable surface expeditions include the first confirmed to reach the pole (1968; via snowmobile), the first to traverse the polar region (1969; Alaska to Svalbard, via dog sled), and the first to travel to the pole and back without resupply (1986; also via dog sled); the last expedition also included the first woman to reach the pole, American Ann Bancroft.
I sighed, and put the book back into its place. It seemed as though the North Pole was a completely desolate place, completely devoid of any life of any description. I lay back down in my bed and continued listening, hoping, praying for something that would finally prove something one way or another.
This was where things started to get rather peculiar. I have a loud, very noisy clock with a very prominent ticking noise (and go ahead, make your Potter Puppet Pals jokes). As I listened, the ticking sound gradually slowed down, and eventually stopped completely.
That caused me to open my eyes and take a look at it. The clock had stopped at 10 minutes to midnight, or 23:50 if you prefer to use 24 hour time. This had to be a dream, as time doesn't just suddenly stop!
Just then, there was a loud rumbling noise from outside. A handful of objects in the house began to shake, quite loudly too. A cup filled with pencils fell off my desk as a loud booming sound echoed from outside. I jumped out of bed and took a look out of the window. Several sets of bright orange lights rolled by, and there was an unmistakable jet of steam in the air. I ran over to my wardrobe and quickly pulled on my clothing of choice; a red, knee length dress with white socks and black shoes. I also grabbed my coat for good measure, but I caught one of the pockets on the knob of my door and accidentally tore it! That, however, was far from the front of my mind as I made my way down the stairs and to the door. What was that sound or object? And why didn't it wake mom and dad?
I sprinted down the road to where the light was seen. I live pretty close to the Altoona transportation centre, a horrible pile of concrete that replaced the old Pennsylvania station. I ran around the side of the building (as the light was just beyond it, and the gate was somehow unlocked) and stopped in disbelief at what I saw.
There was a train sitting in the platform. The passenger cars, which on my first glance appeared to be streamliners finished in a variant of the PRR's deep red livery, with the lettering POLAR EXPRESS where Pennsylvania would have been. The engine sitting at the front of the train was a Pennsylvania Railroad K4 class engine, road number 1381.
"That engine hasn't run in decades!" I thought to myself, as I walked down the train. I spotted a figure standing in the clouds of smoke and steam. As I drew closer, he became clearer. He had extremely dark green skin and purple eyes, with a crop of red hair. He was dressed in a Conductor's uniform that wouldn't have looked out of place on a tourist railroad.
He glanced to me. "Are you Ocellus?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," I replied. Despite the bizarre situation I found myself in, I didn't forget to be polite.
"Excellent," he said. "I'm Pharynx, and I'll be conductor on this train tonight. Are you coming?"
"Where?" I asked.
"To the North Pole, of Course!" he said. "This is the Polar Express, just in case the names on the passenger cars didn't give it away."
"How?" I asked. "And why me?"
"The Big Man noted you appear to be having something of a crisis of faith this year," Pharynx continued, looking at his list. "No letter sent to him this year, of course. Will you come on a once in a lifetime adventure?"
I hesitated. On the one hand, this was a chance to quell my doubts once and for all. On the other hand, would my parents approve? I'd only left Altoona before on holiday trips, and that was with them or my aunt.
Pharynx picked up on my hesitation. "Very well, suit yourself," he said, and climbed back aboard. He grabbed a radio set. "Clear to depart."
The engine blasted its whistle, and seconds later the train began to move off. I stood watching as it moved off, and then made my mind up. I sprinted after the train, and grabbed the handrail on the passenger car where the conductor had been. I pulled myself up and, after looking ahead one time, climbed through to the outer vestibule.
"Glad you chose to join us," Pharynx smiled. "Right this way, please, to the Coach Car."
Little did I know, I was just starting the adventure of a lifetime...
As I made my way forward, shivering despite my coat, I entered the carriage and stepped forward. The door rolled shut behind me automatically (presumably it was weighted), and I stopped just in front of it to soak up the scene before me.
There were loads of kids both my age and younger in the car, all in very high spirits. They were running about and singing and chanting and dancing. I hadn't seen scenes of mirth like this in a while, given people's habit of keeping themselves to themselves around here. As I stepped forward, one boy at the front with cream skin and awkward green hair and eyes, dressed in a black T shirt, white button up shirt and cream slacks, as well as black shoes, was leading the older ones in a spirited rendition of 'God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen" on his guitar. Yes, I have no idea why they put the comma there to denote a pause. The entire phrase is 'God rest you merry Gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay.' It would make far more sense to put the comma after 'gentlemen' and not 'merry', as that would be a better place to put a breath.
Anyways, the boy was one of the few people I recognised. He was Terramar, whom I went to school with. He and his twin sister Silverstream lived a few streets away, and I was on pretty good terms with them. Like me, they were used to their parents not being around as much as they would like. Their mom runs the local chains of some nationwide Pizza chain- I think their name is a bear or something- and their dad is often required to fly across the world for business meetings. Sounds like a lonely existence to me.
As a couple of the other students, who had inexplicably gained brass instruments and were playing along in a perfectly tuned brass quartet, played merrily, switching suddenly to 'Silent Night' played far too loud for my taste (that volume would have woken the baby up!), I sat down and shuffled next to the window, looking out as best I could. The steam heating was one in the carriage, as I could feel it through sitting on the seat, and as a result many of the windows had steamed up in the car. I adjusted the sleeve of my coat to try and wipe off some of the condensation so I could at least see what was going on outside.
As I did so, I suddenly heard a voice. "Hey, do you mind if I sit here?"
I glanced over. Standing there was a boy dressed in a green shirt and long green thermal pants, suitable for the weather, combined with a pair of boots. He also wore a red scarf and had light green skin and two tone green hair.
"Sure," I said, indicating to the seat. "I could use the company."
He sat down, that gentle smile of his continuing to radiate off his face. "So, you just joined the train?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied, slowly opening up. I couldn't understand why, but there was something about this boy that made me want to share things with him. "I got on at Altoona."
"That explains the sudden stop!" he said. "I was in the lavatory at the time, and-"
"Hey! Too much information!" I said.
"Sorry. So, what's your name?"
"Ocellus," I replied, continuing to gaze out of the window as the train began the climb to Horseshoe Curve.
"I'm Sandbar," the boy replied, extending his hand. "It's nice to meet you."
I turned and shook his hand back. I wouldn't call it a friendship just yet, but I sensed this was more than just a quick acquaintance.
Before either of us could go on, a head suddenly popped up over the top of the seat in front, followed by a pair of arms and two shoulders (most humans have two). This new person had pink skin and icy blue hair, done up in curls atop her head. She seemed, from what I could see, to be wearing a long sleeved winter shirt. A sensible precaution, given the weather. And there I was in a dress.
"Hello!" she said. "We're going through Horseshoe Curve! I'm amazed this engine is capable of pulling all these cars through this gradient without assistance!"
"So I see," Sandbar replied, clearly very used to hearing her voice. "Her name's Cozy Glow. She's my next door neighbour."
"I heard you're called Ocellus," Cozy Glow went on, her face a constant grin. Something about it seemed somehow... off. "You just joined, right?"
"Yes," I replied. "I'm from Altoona."
Cozy squealed. "OOH! A local! Exciting! Do you know what type of engine this is that's pulling us?"
I sat and pondered for a moment. "I think it's a K4," I replied. "That's odd, though."
"It is! Yay! You know your stuff!" Cozy said, and then began to rattle off loads of numbers. "It was built at Lima in 1914 and has a boiler pressure of 96,000 pounds. It can run at a top speed of 50 miles per hour and was often nicknamed a 'hippo' due to the shape and weight of the ten-"
"You've mixed up the K4 and the I1," I interrupted.
"Oh. Oopsie!"
I turned back to Sandbar. "Is she always like this?" she asked.
"Mostly," Sandbar replied. "Please go easy on her, though. She's not great with social cues. Apparently she has a disability or something."
"I do," I said, without thinking. "I'm on the spectrum."
"No worries," Sandbar smiled. "My sister is too. She's super smart, but a bit socially awkward."
I laughed. That sounded very familiar. I was the definition of socially awkward, and yet here I was having a relaxed conversation with somebody I'd met only a few minutes earlier.
Suddenly, another girl came speeding through the corridor. She had pink and skin and two tone blue hair, and wore blue slacks with a purple shirt. "You guys!" she called. "We need to sit down, as the conductor's coming!"
I knew her very well. That was Silverstream, Terramar's sister, and to describe her as hyper would be something of an understatement. She seemed to have a permanent sugar rush going on. Seriously, I'd never seen her exhausted, to the point she fidgeted constantly when sitting down, something that annoyed the teachers at our school to no end. She bounded in next to Cozy and sat down. "Hi Cozy!" she said.
Just then, the conductor stepped forward, slammed the door shut behind him, and fired up the intercom. "Good night," he said to us. "I presume you know me by now. I am Pharynx, and I will be your conductor on this working of the Polar Express. Can all passengers please have tickets ready for inspection? Thank you."
TICKETS?
What? I didn't have a ticket! I'd stuffed my coat underneath my chair, and seeing the other kids suddenly produce the tickets in their hands was freaking me out, to say the least. I watched as he checked them, and eventually he got to me. "Tickets, please," he said.
I indicated to myself. "My dress has no pockets," I replied.
"Look in your coat, then," Pharynx said.
I pulled my coat out and looked in the pockets. My hand went through the torn one.
"Check your other pocket," he suggested. So I did. I, to my amazement, produced a ticket that shone in the light. It was coloured gold, with an image of an engine behind the text POLAR EXPRESS, which ran across the image from left to right in a tilted manner.
"Where did that come from?" I asked. I handed it to Pharynx, who produced his ticket clipper and began clipping it with a speed and dexterity I'd never seen before. When I'd been to the Strasburg Railroad with my parents, I'd seen the conductor clip the tickets, but they normally only punched it once. This time, however, there were so many things being punched out of the ticket that a mass of golden blobs fell everywhere. Eventually, he handed the ticket back to me and I noticed two letters had been punched into the ticket.
"BE?" I asked. "What on Earth is that supposed to mean?"
"Yea!" Silverstream said, poking her head over the top of the seat in front. "Mine says 'LD'. This is so weird!"
A jolt indicated we were just starting our descent down the other side of Horseshoe Curve. "Attention passengers," said the intercom. "We will shortly be arriving at our next and final stop of Johnstown. Here we shall pick up one passenger and set down mail for the town. Anybody who wishes to watch the procedure, please look out of the left hand window."
Before any of us knew what was going on, the train had arrived in Johnstown. As I looked out of the window, I saw the Conductor descend the steps to talk to a boy stood in the snow.
Most of us looked out of the window to see what was going on. Pharynx was standing on the platform and speaking to a boy. From what little I could see of his appearance from where I was sitting, he had light blue skin and dark blue hair with specks of yellow in it.
"Well?" Pharynx asked him. "Are you comin'?"
The boy's response was inaudible, but I could figure out from context he was asking where they were going.
"TO THE NORTH POLE, OF COURSE! THIS IS THE POLAR EXPRESS!"
There was some brief further conversation between them, followed by the conductor walking back to the train and blowing his whistle. The engine sounded its own in response, and the train started to move off. Looks like we'd be running one passenger short, and it seemed the boy had decided not to board.
However, something happened as the train slowly pulled away. The boy seemingly changed his mind and began to run after the train, trying to grab the handle on the rear platform.
"He's trying to get on!" called Silverstream. "Should we tell the conductor?"
Just then, the boy tripped and fell face first into the snow, seemingly unable to get back up again. He was absolutely covered in snow, and as he got up, I could see the despair and hopelessness in his eyes.
It was in that moment I acted. Sitting at the back of the carriage was a large red lever, only for use in emergencies. The lever was, of course, protected by glass, so with the little strength I had I broke said glass, and moved the lever from up to down.
This handle was the emergency brake lever, and the application of this lever brought the brakes on throughout the entire train. There was a loud screeching and groaning from the brake blocks as the train skidded to a stop on the grade outside of Johnstown, but the set succesfully stopped with the rear car, an observation carriage, within the confines of the station platform. I saw the boy scrambling onboard and running into the rear car. At least he'd gotten onboard, or else he'd be waiting a very long time for a train.
I quietly panted, letting the adrenaline fade as it suddenly became clear in my mind what I had just done.
The door at the other end of the car slid open. I turned to see Pharynx standing there, red in the face and seemingly rather annoyed at something. "Who pulled the emergency brake lever?" he demanded.
Cozy pointed over. "She did!"
Pharynx was not happy, to say the least. "Are you trying to prevent us from getting to the North Pole?" he snapped. "In case you have forgotten, tonight is Christmas Eve, and we have a timetable to keep! We're now going to have to waste time resetting the brakes. In case you didn't know, they-"
"Trip the air tanks on all the cars," I mumbled, trembling in fear.
"Exactly," he said. "Now we'll have to make up the lost time later on. If we end up missing it because of this, I'll-"
Sandbar, seemingly having had enough, spoke up. "She pulled the emergency lever so that kid back there could get on!" He pointed through the porthole window on the door, and sure enough the boy could be seen sitting there, all on his own and looking miserable.
Pharynx blinked, and all anger faded in an instant. "My apologies," he said. "Tonight is a rather stressful night, as you can imagine, and there is a lot to get right in a short space of time. We are running on a very tight timetable, and we need to hold it to get there on time!" He checked his pocket watch again. "We can make up the lost time through Montana before we swing north." He walked further on, stuck his head out of the window, and blew a whistle. The engine responded in kind.
A few minutes later we were back on the move, and Cozy Glow turned round to us. "I don't get what he's talking about when he says we'll be late. The clock has been at 23:50 for over an hour now."
"Space is warped and time is bendable," Sandbar replied. "Perception of time can shift, after all."
There was something very odd going on here. This was all far too good to not be a dream. I had to be dreaming! How else would a magic steam engine, time stopping, and all the other stuff have any chance of making sense?
My internal pondering was interrupted when a voice, that of Pharynx, spoke over the intercom from higher up the train. "Are any Polar Express passengers in need of refreshment?"
To say that we needed something to drink after all that excitement was something of an understatement, and the carriage soon filled with cheers at the thought of some liquid sustenance.
The intercom crackled into life again. "I thought so."
At that moment, the doors at the front of the car burst open, and from them emerged a horde of dancing waiters. They squeezed through the door without so much as an inch to spare, with a large machine being pulled behind them. This machine seemed to have large numbers of liquid ports and nozzles, and it was piled high with mugs. The first group of waiters spun round the seating on every other row, so those children were now facing away from the direction of travel, and tables suddenly materialised between us and them. One expertly dispensed tablecloth later, and the tables were ready for a feast, or rather drinks in our case.
Then came the machine. As the waiters fired jets of hot liquid from the machine into the air, they landed in the coffee mugs, which were then expertly sent our way by the other waiters. They landed without spilling a single drop, and without a second thought we went in and drank from the mugs.
After tasting it, I nearly went into sensory overload. It was, put simply, the best tasting cocoa I had ever sampled. Hot, yet very tasty and perfectly mixed within the mug. When we were done, we handed them back to the waiters (although I'm pretty certain I saw Silverstream get served twice), who when everybody was done took the tablecloths with them, and then the tables vanished. As if pushed by an invisible hand, the other seats swung back round, and it was as if nothing had happened as the last of the dancing waiters vanished.
"That was quite the sight!" Sandbar smiled, wiping some traces of chocolate off his face.
"Tell me about it!" I replied, before noticing Silverstream's face. "Is something wrong?"
"You see the kid in the rear car, back there?" Silverstream asked, pointing with her finger. "They didn't serve him anything. He missed out on all the fun, and that simply cannot do!"
"What are you going to do?" I asked, not sure where this was going.
Suddenly, Pharynx materialised. He was incredibly good at suddenly appearing or disappearing. Was he related to Houdini? "Did you say that the kid back there didn't get any refreshment?" he asked, a tone of concern in his normally gruff voice.
"Yes, sir," Silverstream replied. "The rear car wasn't served, I think, so I saved a cup for him so he could join in with the Christmas spirit."
She produced a cup from under her seat. So that was why she'd been served twice! She'd put the cup underneath the chair so that she could take the boy some! That was a nice thing to do.
"Well then, not a moment to lose," said Pharynx. "I'll guide you over the cars to the rear car. It's a bit slippery."
"Cars?" Silverstream asked. "I thought this was the next to last car."
"It's Mistress Glow, as I am not yet 18," Cozy replied. Either she took stuff literally or was just being a smartarse. It was honestly hard to tell with her.
Pharynx payed the situation no attention, and gently escorted Silverstream to the door. "You see, this train sometimes gains and loses cars for no readily obvious reason. Sometimes it's as short as five, and sometimes it's as long as 20! This train loses and gains more coaches than the Atlantic Coast Express!"
As they headed away, I got up to stretch my legs. I have difficulty with sitting still, and have a tendancy to fidget if not given something to do. I walked past Silverstream's seat when I suddenly spotted something that was rather concerning.
"She left her ticket behind!" I said, looking at it.
Cozy took a glance at it. "That could be a problem. If he asks for her ticket and she doesn't have it, he could throw her off at the next stop?"
"Why?" Sandbar asked. "He checked it earlier."
But there was no time to loose. I picket the ticket up and headed for the rear of the train.
Cozy took a glance at it. "That could be a problem. If he asks for her ticket and she doesn't have it, he could throw her off at the next stop?"
"Why?" Sandbar asked. "He checked it earlier."
But there was no time to loose. I picket the ticket up and headed for the rear of the train.
I reached the door to the car and adjusted my shoes. I then slid the door open, and glanced out. Wait, what? The vestibule's gone! I thought. There was no vestibule where I had boarded several hours earlier. There was simply an open space in front of me, the coupler below as the only stepping point, and the door to the rear carriage in front. The platforms were also extremely slippery below my feet, so I had to watch my footing. The wind whistled and roared like an angry demon of the night, intent on ripping me off the train and into the cold night sky. But I had to press on. I gripped that ticket like my life depended on it, and prepared to jump. But then something terrible happened. I lost my grip on the ticket.
It was blown away and into the night sky, before getting wedged in one of the carriage windows. I went back indoors to open the window, but as soon as I opened it the ticket was sucked away, into the night.
"Nooooo!" I cried, before suddenly hearing a voice behind me.
"Is something wrong?" asked Silverstream, whom I turned around to face. "You look worried."
"You forgot your ticket," I mumbled. "I tried to get it to you and the wind blew it away from my hand." I reached into my pocket. "You can have mine, if that helps-"
"Tickets on the Polar Express are strictly none-transferable," the Conductor said. "Silverstream, I'm afraid you'll have to come with me."
Silverstream hung her head sadly, but seemed to show no malice or anger. "It's OK, Ocellus," she said. "You were only trying to help."
Terramar, however, was considerably less positive. "Yeah, thanks a lot. Now Silverstream's gonna get thrown off the train."
I sat down and said nothing. It was true. In only trying to help, I had simply made the problem worse. I buried my head in my hands, wishing I could take her place. Nobody deserved to be dumped in the middle of nowhere by a train, especially as a consequence of my own stupidity. Why hadn't I put it in a zip pocket?
As I sat there, stuck in my own thoughts, I suddenly heard a wheeshing noise from the ventilator vent. I glanced over to my side to suddenly see Silverstream's ticket drift over and land in her seat. Or, rather, where she would be sitting had I not made a mess of things.
I went over to it and picket it up. Despite having been flown through the air and apparently landed in some snow, it was undamaged, and could still be handled. I was quick to seal it up in a zip pocket.
"I have to get the ticket to her!" I said.
Just then, a girl with orange skin and purple short hair got up, currently clad in jeans and a light yellow shirt combined with an orange hoodie and boots, got up. "I'm coming with you," she said. "It's way too cold to head out dressed like that, so you can borrow some of my thermal clothing if you'd like."
One addition of some thermal leggings and a thicker coat later, and I was ready to go. The girl (who told me her name was Smoulder) joined me in crossing over the car, our new boots able to cross over the gap with relative ease. We then walked through the carriage. The boy looked up at us. "Hello?" he asked.
"Did you see the Conductor and a girl pass this way?" I asked.
"They went onto the roof," the boy replied. "Climbed up top via the ladder at the back."
"No doubt the ladder will be very slippery," Smoulder said. "I'm no expert on trains, but aren't there supposed to be clearances and stuff?"
"Yes," I said. "If there are any tunnels, they'll get splattered. Let's go!"
Setting off, we opened the door to the rear platform, and climbed up the ladder. True to Smoulder's estimates, it was slippery, but thankfully we were able to maintain grip (and my gloves prevented my hands from freezing on the ladder). Once upon the top of the train, we stepped across the masses of shifting snow and slippery metal. I could see shapes moving in the distance, whom I presumed to be the conductor and Silverstream.
"HELLO?" I called, as loud as I could. "I HAVE YOUR TICKET!"
There was no response.
"HELLO?" I called out again, though again as loud as I could. "I HAVE YOUR TICKET!"
"There's no point," Smoulder said. "They can't hear us from this range. Not to mention the wind will tear away our words."
As we made our way forward, we happened across an odd campfire. Sat in front of the campfire was an odd fellow. He looked to be an old man, with grey skin, red eyes with yellow eyeballs, and patchwork black and grey hair. He wore a brown suit that looked far too light to be worn in this weather, and no gloves. He was currently singing a Christmas carol, though oddly only the bass part.
"Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild-"
He stopped when he saw us.
"Jesus Christ her little Child," I finished, about two octaves higher.
"Do you normally sing in SATB harmony on the first verse?" Smoulder asked.
"It's not convention," I replied.
"I say, how can I help you?" the man asked. "I am Discord, a wayward wandering soul who enjoys travelling on the rooves of trains. And how about you two?"
"We're looking for a girl and a man," I replied. "They came this way?"
Discord thought for a moment, and then snapped his fingers. In a moment, he was right next to us. "A girl and a man, you say!" he said, with a tone rather too jovial to be sincere. "Of course! One such pair went that way, towards the engine and I haven't seen them since."
It was then my mind decided to ask the obvious question. "Is any of this real?"
"Is any of what real?" Discord asked in return.
"This train, travelling to the North Pole, you-" I stopped myself when I realised what I'd said.
Discord looked at me, surprised at my apparent doubt. "I am most certainly real, as are the train and this journey. Pinch yourself for confirmation."
I did as instructed. There was pain, alright. "OK, I'm not dreaming," I said. "This is all real!"
"Indeed," said Discord, as a pair of skis suddenly materialised under his boots. "But we shall have to hurry if we want to catch up with your friend. See that gradient up ahead?"
"Yes," Smoulder said. "The very steep one?"
"The same," Discord replied. "At the top of that gradient, the line goes downhill at 4% for 5 miles, eventually reaching a tunnel. There is only one inch of clearance between the tunnel and the top of the engine's cab. I don't think I need to explain why we need to get going."
We hopped on his skis, in front of him, and he pushed off on the snow, which was starting to slide off as our car entered the grade. The train seemed to climb almost to the roof of the sky. But then it began its descent. The fierce gradient allowed us to speed up towards the bottom.
"The best part about a hill is the other side!" Discord called. "You can go down the other side, a lot faster than the speed you went up the first part!"
As we skimmed down at daredevil speed, we jumped car after car. Per Pharynx's word, the train had gained several extra cars since we had climbed on the top, meaning that the front of the train now seemed an infinite distance away from us. We zoomed along as fast as we could, but the front was now in reach of our skis!
But trouble loomed ahead. Up ahead, we could see the roof of the tunnel portal. The engine sounded some sort of warning sequence on the whistle.
"Here we go!" Discord shouted. "It was nice knowing you, but I must take my leave! Cheerio!"
Suddenly, he vanished, and we were hurled forward, off the skies, and into the tender. We fell straight through the coal, through an infinite pile of blackness and dark light, before spilling out of the other side, into the engine's cab. My eyes lit up in surprise at who was sitting at the controls.
I pulled myself out of the pile of coal, by now very dirty, and spoke up. "Silverstream!" I called. "You're OK!"
"Why wouldn't I be if I'm sat here?" she asked, adjusting the regulator slightly. "Pharynx, the Conductor, asked me to keep an eye on things and regulate the controls whilst the engineer and stoker change a light at the front."
"What's it like?" I asked, walking over to the seat. I noticed that the injectors were set, and the cutoff had been moved to the fast running position. I could also notice the brake handle set up oddly. "You may want to move the brake handle to 'run'. Otherwise you're just wasting steam."
"Oh. Thanks!" Silverstream moved the lever a bit, and the hissing of steam stopped noticably. "You wanna give it a try?"
"Sure!" I said. I hopped into the driver's seat and lowered the regulator settings slightly. There was no need to be using that much steam to hold these speeds. "Do you know how much water we have left?"
"Apparently, we'll be picking up some more from a water trough somewhere up ahead," Silverstream replied. "Of course, you haven't touched the cab control that almost everybody wants to operate on a steam locomotive."
Indeed I hadn't. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw a chord dangling down, and iron chain that was running from the ceiling of the cab. I quickly reached up for it, and pulled it down. A loud chime whistle boomed across the cold landscape of... where were we now? We had to at least be in Canada, given the speed we were doing.
"How was that?" Silverstream asked.
"Well, I've wanted to do that my whole life," I replied. Oddly, this whole experience was putting all my doubts and fears to temporary rest. I quickly looked out of the cab up ahead, only to see somebody with red skin frantically waving at me, almost an instruction to stop!
"Wait, what?" I said. "I think that person there wants us to stop!"
"Oh!" Silverstream said, sticking her head out as well. "That's Tirek, the engineer. He's telling us to stop. Full emergency."
Without a second's thought, I moved my hand to the brake lever, moved the squeeze handle that kept it in place, and slid the brake lever over from left to right. Running to Full Emergency Stop. The engine skidded along as the brake blocks along the train bit into place, but after what felt like an eternity the train finally came to a stop, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but ice to be seen for miles.
The three of us got out of the cab, remembering to secure the engine, and walked to the front of the engine. Whilst there, we could see two people bickering. The first was the man with the red face from earlier. He had wild white hair and harsh yellow eyes, as well as a white beard that ran down his face, as most beards do.
The other person, a woman, had charcoal grey skin and glowing green eyes, hidden beneath blue green hair that ran down to her hips (although she had what looked to be a hairband in her hand). Both of them were wearing blue boilersuits and black boots, suitable for this line of work.
"This was your idea, nincompoop!" the woman snapped. "Why on Earth you thought trying to change the light whilst the train was still in motion was a good idea I'll never know!"
"You know what the conductor is like!" Tirek replied. "Honestly, Chrysalis, I have never seen a man so concerned about timekeeping, especially when the clock is still at 10 minutes to mightnight!"
"Better that than 30 minutes to noon," Chrysalis sighed. "The point still stands that trying to change a lightbulb on a steam engine whilst it is on the move is not only highly dangerous, it is a breach of railroad safety protocol. Not to mention you left a child in charge of the engine!"
"Why did you go with me then?" Tirek asked.
"Because if you managed to kill yourself there would be nobody to drive the engine, you fool!" Chrysalis snorted. "Besides, don't you think Scranton would notice if you went missing?"
So they were locals too. What a small world I live in. "I- is the lightbulb fixed now?" I asked, cautiously.
Both Tirek and Chrysalis suddenly swung round to see us. "Well, this is unexpected," Tirek said. "Good work on stopping the train, you three!"
Smoulder, who hadn't said a word up to this point, spoke up. "Thanks," she said.
Just then, Pharynx ran up to the front of the train. "Why am I not surprised that you lot are the reason we have stopped?" he demanded. "We cannot afford-"
"To run late," Chrysalis replied. "But it's rather hard to run a passenger service when the line is blocked by caribou. I'm not prepared to damage the engine; after all, it belongs to the City of Altoona, and I doubt that they want it damaged!"
Seeing the confusion on our faces, Tirek quickly explained. "The Polar Express company only owns the coaching stock. The company hires a different locomotive and crew each year depending on the route being taken across the country. This year, starting in Scranton made the most sense, so Steamtown cleared the engine for operation and voila."
"We work for Steamtown," Chrysalis clarified. "We need to head back and sound the whistle to clear this lot out. Come on, Tirek!"
As the two loco crewmembers headed back to the cab of the train, Smoulder followed them. Silverstream, Pharynx, and myself boarded the front platform as the whistle was sounded and the light illuminated the line ahead.
"ALL AHEAD, SLOW!"
The train started off, and soon began to steam up a fairly steep climb. However, the train continued to gain speed. "This is a rather odd interpretation of the instruction 'ahead slow' I noted."
"Tell the engineer to slow down," Pharynx instructed Silverstream. The girl tried her best, but her words were stolen away by the wind.
"They can't hear me!" she told the conductor.
"Is this a bad thing?" I asked.
"Well," said Pharynx, "considering the fact that we have lost communication with the engineer, we are standing, totally exposed, at the front of the locomotive, the train appears to be accelerating uncontrollably, and,” he went on, “we are probably approaching Glacer Gulch, which at 89 degrees is the steepest downhill gradient in the world, I’d suggest we all hold on...”
The engine suddenly lurched into an incredibly steep drop.
"...TIGHTLY! GRAB ONTO THE SAFETY BAR!"
The train roared up and down steep climbs and fierce drops like a rollercoaster. If it weren't for the fact we could rip off at any second, it would have been quite fun, but it was rather terrifying to be honest. Once all the up and down was done, which took about two minutes at most, we roared towards a lake.
"This is bad!" Pharynx shouted. "Williston Lake has completely frozen over! The track is covered in ice!"
The train thundered onto the ice and snaked about wildly, the wheels unable to gain traction on the ice. We smashed into a block of ice which tipped the engine over, nearly causing Silverstream to go flying overboard.
"HELP ME!" she shrieked, holding on for dear life. Pharynx grabbed her hand, and I grabbed Pharynx's coat, when I suddenly felt another hand haul me back. Once the engine was level again and had come to a stop, I looked back. Nobody was there.
Pharynx walked across the running board to the cab, and slid the roof hatch open. "What on Earth happened there?" he asked. "You were breaking the speed limit!"
"The regulator came loose so we had to refit it with a spare pin," Chrysalis explained. "But for some reason the boiler primed, rendering us unable to shut the valve properly. But then-"
"Look!" I called. The ice was starting to give way under the train's weight!
"GET US THE BLAZES OUT OF HERE! FULL REVERSE!" Pharynx shouted. The engine began to reverse, the wheels slipping on the ice and increasing the temperature of the ground further. In the distance, the light revealed something.
"There's track over there!" Silverstream called.
"Move toward the tracks!" Pharynx called. The engine began to swing wildly back and forth as the driving wheels struggled to get grip. Chrysalis opened the sanding gear to compensate, as the wheels finally gained grip. To control direction, she pulled the reverser backwards and forwards to change direction. To avoid ripping the running gear apart, she used the loco brake to bring the driving wheels to a dead stop, changed the reverser, and then reopened the regulator. This highly unorthodox solution worked, and we began to drift toward the track.
But the intense wind and high speed moves had another affect. My zip pocket suddenly slid open, and the ticket flew out.
"You're gonna lose your ticket!" Silverstream called.
"It's not my ticket, it's yours!" I replied.
"It's mine?" Silverstream asked. She reached for it, before we both grabbed it together.
The engine finally reached the rails, and just in time, as the ice finally gave way under the train's weight. The coaches dropped onto the rails with a bang, but we were safe and clear.
"Thanks for saving my ticket!" Silverstream cried, and hugged me. Tightly.
"I'd- like to be able to breathe!" I exclaimed.
"Did somebody say ticket?" asked Pharynx, who was standing behind us. "In which case... tickets, please."
Pharynx had just finished punching Silverstream's ticket as our train climbed out of a gorge and rattled along a mountainside, the line being fairly steep. The engine didn't mind, though. It seemed to be having no difficulty with climbing the hill, proceeding at a slow yet steady pace along the line. It looped to one side, and Pharynx then began to guide us back to the rear of the tender.
"You know," he said, "this reminds me a lot of my very first Polar Express run many years ago. I was working near the front on this section of line, and then I slipped on a patch of ice."
"What happened next?" I asked.
"Well, somebody grabbed my coat and prevented me from falling to my death," Pharynx replied, as he reached the bottom of the tender ladder and stepped over to the foot platform on the lead car. "To this day, I never learned who it was, and the other staff members at the North Pole insist I was the only conductor working that night."
"Do you think it was an angel?" Silverstream asked. "They've been known to save people."
Pharynx laughed gently and opened the car door. "I think the ones up there tend to focus on saving people from sin, rather than falling off things. But there are many more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreampt of in your philosophy."
We stepped through what looked to be a tool car, based on the oil, spare parts, and lubricating components. Nothing out of the ordinary for this type of vehicle. Dad had some snaps of the tool car of 1522 when he'd visited St. Louis in the early 2000s for a dispatcher training course. I wasn't there, of course. At that time I was only a few days old.
We entered another car, followed by two other empty ones. "These cars have most certainly appeared since we departed Altoona," Pharynx grumbled. "I'll have to ask the Man with the Bag about it, because it keeps happening."
We then entered another poorly lit car, and Pharynx threw the light switch to help us see where we were going. My heart sank when I saw what was in it. All over the place, scattered over the seats and in various states of disrepair, were old toys. Most of them had parts missing or were otherwise disfigured.
"This is where we keep some of the sadder items," Pharynx said, removing his hat out of respect. "These are toys that kids have thrown out or otherwise mangled, so we pick them up along the route, fix them up, and then bring them back to the North Pole for redistribution."
Silverstream picked up a doll which had several odd cut marks on its face, as well as a rather dirty dress. "Why do kids treat toys this way?" she asked. "Do they not value anything anymore?"
"The times have changed, as things are different now," Pharynx sighed. "Some don't even seem to know milk comes from a cow. Oh well, we do our best, but we must push onwards."
We cleared that rather depressing sight, and at last returned to the main car in use for passengers. Cozy's eyes lit up when she saw me. "Did you see that?" she asked. "We skidded across ice and drifted across it like a car in a Japanese race! Wasn't it amazing?"
"I was right at the front, so it was more terrifying than exciting," I replied, as I took my seat next to Sandbar. "Hey, Sandbar."
"Ocellus! Great to see you again!" Sandbar smiled. "I see you rescued Silverstream."
"Yes," I said, choosing not to say any more to him for now. "Smoulder? You can have your thermal leggings back."
"Keep 'em for now. I get the impression we'll need extremely warm clothing where we're going."
The North Pole! Of course, I'd forgotten. I was soaked up in what was happening, as Terramar led the kids in another chorus of Jingle Bell Rock, that I suddenly remembered the kid in the rear car of the train. I hopped out of my seat and headed back to the rear car, sliding the doors open and stepping across without loosing anything this time.
Silverstream stopped me as I entered. "Huh?" I asked. "What's-"
Silverstream indicated with her hand. The boy was standing on the rear platform and was singing quietly to himself as he looked up at the stars. He had a strained, yet somehow sincere and slightly mellow voice.
"I'm wishing on a star, And trying to believe; That even thought it's far, He'll find me Christmas Eve; I guess that the old man's busy, 'Cause he's never come around; I think of him when Christmas comes to town!"
Silverstream seemed to have an impressive ability to pick up melody from just one listen, and stepped onto the rear platform as she joined in, startling the boy.
"The best time of the year! When everyone comes home! With all this Christmas cheer; It's hard to be alone. Putting up the Christmas tree With friends that come around; It's so much fun when Christmas comes to town!"
The boy had no counter, and simply stayed silent as Silverstream went on.
"Presents for the children wrapped in red and green!"
The boy then followed with his own line. "All the things I've heard about but never really seen!"
Then they sang together. In perfect harmony, may I add. "No one will be sleeping on the night of Christmas Eve Hoping Santa's on his way!"
It was becoming increasingly convinced that this was pre-rehearsed, given the bells, choir and orchestra in the background. This can't be like one of those musicals where everybody instantly knows the lyrics and melody and harmony parts, right? That sort of thing doesn't happen in real life!
Then again, I was on a train currently steaming over ice that had gone up and down near vertical gradients with next to no difficulty and had somehow managed to maintain grip on ice. It wasn't as if any of this was going to start making sense now. My attention was drawn to the duet once again, as they entered into a sort of call and response pattern.
"Presents for the children wrapped in red and green!"
"All the things I've heard about but never really seen;"
"No one will be sleeping on the night of Christmas Eve Hoping Santa's on his way!"
They maintained this call and response pattern into the next (and what would turn out to be final) verse.
"When Santa's sleight bells ring I listen all around! The herald angels sing-"
"I never hear a sound." The boy's response was comically flat in response.
"And all the dreams of the children Once lost will all be found That's all I want when Christmas comes to town! That's all I want when Christmas comes to town!"
Once they had finished, they looked out across the ice and into the distance to see the Aurora Borealis streaking through the sky. I'd always wanted to see the Northern Lights but we lived too far south, so seeing them now was breathtaking.
Silverstream was talking to the boy. "Do you celebrate Christmas in your household?"
"No," the boy replied, sitting on a nearby box. "Mainly because I don't have a household to go to. I live in an orphanage."
"That's awful!" Silverstream cried.
"It's been my home for the last eight years," the boy replied. "I lost my parents and sister a long time ago. Some idiot drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into their car with his eighteen wheeler. Ever since then, I've bounced between living in an orphanage and with foster families. I guess I could never be the boy they want. They only pick the cute ones, and those they don't like they give back, like an angry customer who was sold a defective product."
I stepped forward. "If it helps, I live just over the hill in Altoona," I said. "If you'd like, I can come and pick you up, then bring you back to my home for Christmas Day."
"Thanks for the offer, but I doubt the orphanage would let me go," the boy sighed. "Oh well. This is my life. But at least I've got you guys."
Silverstream hugged him as Sandbar and another girl, who had olive skin, brown hair done up in curls, and was wearing a red and white dress with a green sash, alongside black leggings and white shoes. "Yona very excited at lights!" she said. "Yona not often see such light displays in Boston!"
"So the train originated at least in Boston," I mused. "Interesting."
"Yona's section coupled onto portion from elsewhere!" the girl, seemingly called 'Yona', continued. "Big men change engines over and take engine away!"
"Not just that, look," Sandbar said, pointing into the distance. "All those lights and smoke! What's that?"
"To the uninformed," said Pharynx, who had suddenly appeared from nowhere, "it may appear as a vast collection of buildings, or an ocean liner sailing on a sea of ice. That, boys and girls, is our destination. That... is the North Pole."
The train flew past red tall buildings as it dropped lower and lower to the ground, the gradient of the bridges dropping slowly to allow a gentle descent. As we approached the more built up areas, the train began to slow down. There were huge numbers of beings walking through the festive scenes, with carols playing over loudspeakers.
"Yona want to know who people in red are!" Yona asked.
"Those," Pharynx replied, "are elves. They are native to the North Pole, and are employed by the factories here. They are gathering in the centre of the city to see who will receive the First Gift of Christmas."
"Who will get the First Gift of Christmas?" Cozy asked. "And furthermore, how could we have been running late if the clock was always at ten minutes to midnight?"
"He will select one of you," Pharynx replied. "And you can still run late when time isn't moving."
Cozy just looked confused, but dropped the question as the train came to a stop well short of the central plaza. We hopped off, and saw in the distance that a massive tree had been set up in the courtyard before a set of giant doors. Massive crowds of elves stood there, and as most of us went to the plaza Sandbar suddenly tapped my shoulder. "Look," he said. "The boy's still onboard."
It then dawned on me I still didn't know his name, but we had to help him. We climbed back aboard, although I recall hearing a distinct hissing noise as I climbed up. We walked to the rear car, and saw the boy looking down at the floor.
"Aren't you going to join us?" Sandbar asked.
"No," the boy replied. "What's the point of going out there? I'm not going to be noticed, and I never have been. Christmas never has, and probably never will, work out for me."
"There's more to Christmas than just gifts!" Sandbar said. "There's the festivities, the spirit, the music, and the merriment that surrounds us at this time of year!"
"Christmas never has worked for me, and I'd be happier in here," the boy sighed.
I spoke up. "Look, I know I'm not the best of people to be lecturing about this, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you miss it, you'll be kicking yourself for the rest of your life!"
The boy looked as though he was about to reply, but there was a loud bang as the car in front of ours slammed into ours, and the rear car started rolling backwards.
"This isn't good!" Sandbar called, as he ran to the rear platform. "We look to be safe though, as the switch is set to take us along level track."
There was suddenly a loud buzz, and a point motor changed. We were now directed downhill.
"OK, maybe we aren't safe!"
The car rocketed downhill at dangerously high speed, miraculously not tearing off at any of the bends. I ran back to the rear of the car. I knew that although the cars were linked into a brake system controlled by the locomotive, the cars each had their own independent brake to hold them still on gradients. I must have disconnected the air brakes by mistake.
I found the brake handle.
"Turn that to slow the car down!" shouted Discord, who was somehow now perched atop the car. I swung the handle, a giant grey wheel, around to the right, which finally brought the brake blocks on. They screeched and groaned as sparks flew from the friction, and the car slid along through a dark tunnel and rolled onto a turntable suspended in mid air. A catch arm brought the car to a safe stop.
The three of us climbed down from the car. "Clearly, runaways like that are common, if they have safety features like that," Sandbar commented.
"Yeah," I replied, still panting heavily from the adrenaline. As you can probably tell, I wasn't the most athletic of people. "But where are we? And how do we get back to the main plaza?"
The boy's ears perked up. "Try following the music! Bing Crosby's that way!" He pointed to one of the tunnels.
"What?" I asked. "I can't hear anything!"
"This way!" the boy said, as he followed Sandbar over one of the exit tracks. I followed as best I could, the slippery ground not helping things in the slightest. We slid through the tunnel, walking on the sleepers as we did so to avoid sliding on the wet rails. Another odd thing happened as we followed the line. When we got about 50 feet out of the tunnel on the street side, the rails just stopped. The street kept going as if nothing was there!
"That's funny!" I said. "The rails just stopped."
"If we stop and catalogue every weird thing we see," Sandbar replied, "we'll be here all night." We then went into another building. The corridors were incredibly tight, so we had to try and squeeze through them even at our relatively short heights. Ahead of us there was a vast control room, with a globe of the world before them. More of the elves were operating the globe.
"Looks like this will be a quiet one, eh, Sam?" said one. "No major alerts today."
Suddenly, an alarm went off, and a location in the United Kingdom was illuminated. "You spoke too soon, Charlie!" called 'Sam'. "This kid here was caught correcting signs in his local supermarket, crossing our incorrect apostrophes."
"Yonder pedant, who is he?" 'Charlie' replied. "Seeing as it's almost Christmas Day, I think we should let him off just this once, but leave a note in his stocking telling him not to do it again."
"I see the Christmas Spirit has got to you too!" 'Sam' laughed. "Let's go. They're probably wondering where we are in the square!"
As they set off, Sandbar indicated to a door marked 'deliveries'. "That way!" he called, and we followed as best we could, navigating this bizarre underground empire at our height. We soon found ourselves at a sorting room in what looked like a post office. Suddenly, a yellow box dropped down a sorting hatch and onto the conveyor belt, which had started up.
"It's going to Johnstown, Pennsylvania," Sandbar read. "To a Mr Gallus Griffin."
"That's my home town!" the boy exclaimed. "And my name's Gallus!" He dived after the present before any of us could stop him.
"Well, what're you waiting for?" Sandbar asked. "We can't leave him alone, can we?" He dived in after him, and I followed. We soon found ourselves zooming around a series of delivery tubes and pipes that resembled slides at a water park. You know, the ones that give you horrible friction burns? We went down and round and round and down, into the dark dark depths before we fell through a plughole and onto a massive pile of presents in a bag.
"It's nonstop action around here!" I said, looking up at the roof as it slowly slid open. There was an airship above it, which attached guide cables to the bag and began to lift it into the sky. As we flew along over the sights of the North Pole, I began to consider the possibility that this was a dream again. However, I was snapped out of my thoughts when Gallus cried out.
"Something's got my leg!" he shouted. I looked down and saw a hand grasping randomly at things.
"Sandbar, there's somebody down there!" I shouted, as muffled cries for help came from below the pile of boxes. I began to dig through them and eventually hauled out the person. "Cozy Glow? How did you end up in here?"
The poor dear looked a mess as I helped her up. Her hair was frazzled, no longer in curls, and her clothes were dirty. "I wandered off and fell into the bag after I went through a door," she whimpered. I drew her into a hug. "Now I'll probably get in trouble."
"Guys? We got bigger things to worry about!" Sandbar called. "We're losing altitude, and we aren't going to clear the star!"
He was right. The bag slammed into the star and knocked it off, though it was luckily caught by a group of elves deployed from the airship lifting the bag. As for the bag, it was put on the ground, and a group of elves looked in at the four of us.
"We've been wondering where you lot were," said the first elf. We gradually climbed out and were dispatched to the bottom of the bag by sliding down it- the elves taking great delight in pushing us before they finished the countdown. No sooner were we back with the others, Gallus having relinquished his present in the meantime, a very slow and oddly drunk rendition of Santa Claus is Coming to Town started playing over the loudspeakers. Then reindeer were brought forward to be attached to a giant red sleigh sitting in front of the tree. They bucked and moved all over the place.
"Can you see him?" Sandbar called.
"See who?" I asked in return.
"Santa!" Sandbar and Silverstream chorused. "Don't those bells sound lovely?"
I couldn't see Santa or hear the bells. Suddenly, a bell appeared next to me, having detached from the reigns of the reindeer. I picked it up. I rang it. No sound.
Had I really come all this way for nothing? I closed my eyes, trying to hide the tears. "I believe," I whispered, and rang the bell again. No sound.
So I tried again, more forcefully and more confidently. "I Believe!"
Just then, the most beautiful sound and peals filled my ears. I opened my eyes and, to my amazement, I could hear the bell.
"What do you believe, dear?" asked a voice. I looked up, and gasped when I saw who it was.
The individual who had just spoken was a tall, jolly, and dareisay rather rotund man with a massive white beard, a moustache so finely done that no cold or hail would disrupt it, instead breaking upon it, and a pair of small, black, round rimmed spectacles before his eyes. He was dressed from head to toe in red and white, with heavy snow boots and winter gloves on, as well as a red hat to protect him from the cold.
In the prescence of such a man, I stammered and stumbled over my words. He smiled. "Relax," he said. "You have had a tough journey and quite the testing night. But what is it that you believe in?"
I took a deep breath and spoke again. "You." I handed him the bell.
Santa studied it closely, and then handed it to an elf. "See to it that this is reattached to the reigns," he said. Then he walked over to the assembled crowd of children to speak to them, myself included. He started with Cozy Glow. "You'd best be careful where you walk in future, should you end up in another scrape like this!" he said. "Take this as a learning experience to build on."
Cozy simply nodded, the prescence of the big man himself enough to render her speechless.
He then addressed Smoulder. "Your selflessness in the face of danger marks you out as a great friend. Somebody was potentially in danger, and you not only didn't think twice about going to save them, you gave supplies to those who needed them. You are a very brave spirit indeed, but you must be careful to not let that spill over into arrogance."
"Yes sir," Smoulder replied. "I will."
Next, he addressed both Silverstream and Sandbar. "Both of you," he said, "have demonstrated exceptional leadership and courage in the face of adversity and danger. These are noble qualities to have. Hone them, develop them, for I that both of you are capable of greatness."
Both kids nodded in response.
He then stepped over to Gallus. "Hardship is never easy to endure," he said, "and I think it goes without saying that you were dealt an especially poor hand in life. But you must always keep the light of hope burning, for it is only with hope that you can move forward to a brighter tomorrow."
"Things often seem pretty hopeless for me, sir," Gallus replied. "But I'll try my hardest to always hold it in my heart."
"Wise words," Santa replied, and finally came to me. "Faith is the strongest thing any person can have. In the face of the unknown and that which cannot be truly perceived, having faith is not only a comfort to the soul, but can give the strength to overcome the toughest obstacle. I know you have struggled with self doubt in the past, but believing is something you have demonstrated tonight." He extended his hand to me. "Come with me."
I followed him, and he lead me to his sleigh, which had now been hooked up to the reindeer (Rudolph was conspicous by his absence). Once we were seated, he turned to me. "Ocellus," he asked. "What would you like for Christmas?"
Having been asked by the Man with the Bag himself, I knew that I could have anything I wanted. But I knew it had to be something that proved what I'd been through, to myself if nobody else. I whispered my answer.
Santa nodded, and indicated to an elf, who removed a bell from the harness and handed it to Santa. He then raised it aloft. "THE FIRST GIFT OF CHRISTMAS!"
Suddenly, the clock began to chime. "Alas, we must be away!" Santa said suddenly, as I exited the sleigh. "So many homes to visit, and all in one night!" He called to the reindeer and they took to the sky, flying and looping around in the sky.
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
With those last words, they teleported away in a blast of purple light, and a band began playing 'Santa Claus is coming to town', fronted by none other than Paul McCartney. I guess playing at the North Pole is a pretty big gig.
Eventually, though, it was time for us to return home. I put the bell into my pocket and we walked back over to the train. Pharynx stood next to the door, and had his clipper in hand. "Tickets, please," he said.
Cozy was first, and produced another ticket from nowhere out of her pocket (or pocket dimension). She read the words that Pharynx punched into it. "Lean? I don't get it."
Pharynx indicated to her thumb. She got the hint and moved it. "Ohh. Learn. My mistake!" She climbed aboard.
Sandbar and Silverstream both followed, Pharynx punching their tickets one after the other. "Lead?" Silverstream asked. "I know I live in a place that used to be known for metalworking, but seriously?"
"I think it says 'lead', as in leading others," Sandbar replied. "Up we go!"
Gallus was next. "It says-"
"No, no!" Pharynx said, "I don't need to know what it says." Gallus them climbed aboard. Several kids in front got their tickets stamped, and at last I was next. I'm not an impatient person, but standing around in the cold isn't much fun.
Pharynx got to work, carving a word out of the ticket with the ticket punching machine. I was still stunned at how skilled he was with that tool of pretty blunt force, designed to punch holes in card and pasteboard. I read the word punched into mine.
BELIEVE.
Of course! The letters that had been punched into my ticket at the start of the journey were the first and last letters of the lesson I needed to learn! "Thank you," I said, and climbed aboard.
"Remember," Pharynx smiled, "seeing is believing."
I took my seat, when I saw Terramar walk over. "Sorry for being such a jerk earlier," he said.
"It's OK," I replied. "You were worried about your sister. I know I'd react a similar way if Mandible was in danger."
"Who?" Sandbar asked.
"He's my little brother."
"Can we see the bell?" Smoulder asked.
I reached into my pocket.
Nothing was there.
"Oh no!" I said. "I dropped the bell! I must've put it in my torn pocket!"
"Let's get out and look for it!" Silverstream called. "Come on!"
Just then, the engine's whistle sounded and we were on our way. It broke my heart to lose the bell, but at least we all exchanged contact details on the way home. I had made new friends, and didn't want to lose that. I left the train at Altoona Station and made my way back home, not hearing the conductor call "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" after me.
I must've nodded off pretty quickly after getting home, as the next thing I remember was Mandible in my face. "Celly! Wake up!" he shouted.
"Aggh!" I cried, jolting awake. "How many times have I told you not to do that?"
"I know, but Santa's been!" he yelled again. "Come on! It's-"
"Mandible, I know it's exciting, but please, let your sister get up in peace," dad said.
Mandible exited the room and went downstairs. I switched my phone on to see if I had any new texts.
Six texts were sitting in my inbox, from Silverstream (not hugely surprising), but the rest were from Cozy Glow, Sandbar, Smoulder, Yona, and Gallus! The last of them seemed especially excited, as his wish for a family had come true. He'd been adopted by a couple from Altoona, and would soon be living on the other side of town.
Fired up with positivity, I hopped out of bed, accidentally caught my coat- and tore the pocket.
Wasn't that torn last night?
I got dressed after a quick shower, and headed downstairs. There was a fair bit there; apparently both mom and dad had gotten bonuses from their places of work and used some of it to get us some surprise presents (they didn't say where the rest went, but it probably went into savings). We had sorted through many of the items when Mandible suddenly spotted a white and green box under the tree. "What's that?" he asked. "There's one we haven't opened!"
I reached in and pulled it out, opening the box after undoing the ribbon. I lifted the contents up.
It was the bell I had dropped. With it came a note.
Found this on the seat of my sleigh. Best get that hole in your coat pocket fixed.
Mr C.
I gribbed the bell by the ribbon and rang it. Those same beautiful peels as last night rang out, causing me and my brother's faces to break out in smiles.
Dad walked in to see the bell. "Interesting," he said.
I rang the bell. "Doesn't it make the most beautiful sound?" I asked.
Dad looked confused. "I can't hear anything," he said. "It must be broken. Come on, Mandible! We need to get ready!"
After they exited (morning service was in an hour or two), Mom entered, and sat down next to me. Her eyes widened when she saw the bell. "Was that in a white and green box under the tree?" she asked.
"Yes," I replied, not sure where this was going.
Mom got up again. "Excuse me a moment," she said, as she went back upstairs. A few moments later, she returned with a bell, identical in design and also in a white and green box. "You've been to the North Pole, haven't you?" she asked.
I nodded, and told her the whole story. "You've been as well?" I asked.
"I was a little younger than you are now, but yes, I did go when I was a little girl. As you can probably guess, I asked for a bell, and here it is. Still in full working order."
"I bet your friends were impressed!" I said.
Mom nodded, but her facial expression changed to be slightly saddened. "For years, my friends and I could hear the bell, but as the years went by it gradually went silent for them. Even my sister found, one Christmas morning, that she could no longer hear its sweet sound. Although I am older now, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe."
Peter New-Ocellus' father Andrea Libman-Ocellus' mother Bill Newton-Pharynx Devyn Dalton-Ocellus Vincent Tong-Sandbar Sunni Westbrook-Cozy Glow Lauren Jackson-Silverstream, Mandible Cole Howard-Terramar, Sam and Charlie Shannon Chan-Kent-Smoulder Gavin Langelo-Gallus John de Lancie-Discord Kathleen Barr-Chrysalis Mark Acheson-Tirek, unnamed elves Katrina Salisbury-Yona Derek Jacobi-Santa Claus
