December 24th, 2013
8:45 p.m.
Winter Creek Grove Meet
“He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.” the old polar bear said in a deep voice as he read the timeless holiday classic to the gathering of cubs sitting before him in a semicircle.
“But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!” Stars voice rose a bit as he recited the last line of the poem. A huge grin spread across his muzzle as he looked out across the sea of smiling cubs, what seemed like a thousand little eyes all sparkling back at him. “Alright little ones, Old Star needs to take a break, but I promise there will be more stories as the night goes on.”
“YAY!” the group burst into cheers as they hopped ot their foot-paws and scampered off to join in other festivities.
“I’ve heard you tell that christmas tale every year since I was four Star,” the Bernese boy said as he and his collie wife strode up to the older polar bear. “It’s still just as magical as it was the first time I listened to you tell it.”
“I seem to remember you bouncing around on your bottom like a mexican jumping bean waiting for the story to start then being totally still until it was finished. You were so adorable sitting there with those big brown eyes all sparkly and your ears perked up so you wouldn’t miss a word,” A huge grin spread across the old bear’s features, “you would sit there like a statue the whole night as long as there were stories to hear.”
“You were always a great story teller old bear,” the Bernese boy said clapping the man on the shoulder. “You could always keep the whole bunch of us cubs riveted to the sound of your voice.”
As the trio talked among themselves a small skunk boy, maybe four or five years of age walked up to them and tugged on the white furred man’s pants leg. “Ummm, is it time for anuder stowy yet Mr. Star?”
Looking down into the bright smiling face and deep green eyes of the youth Star Dreamer smiled broadly. “I believe it just may be little one. Why don’t you go gather up the others and tell them”
“YAY!” the youth cheered happily as he scurried off towards a group of other young furs playing happily near the communal fire pit.
“So, what one are you going to tell them this time? Ariel asked grinning broadly at the older male.
“Well, I think I’ll tell a new one. One that neither of you have heard before, in fact no one has,” Star replied with a sly grin on his muzzle.
“Hmmm,” Mark said rubbing his chin in thought. “I guess we’ll just have to stick around for this one.”
“Alright little ones,” the old bear said as he strolled over to the large round log set on the end that he often used as a seat for story times, the young cubs and many of the pre-teen and teenage members of the coven gathering around him in a semicircle, each taking a seat on the arrangement of rugs and blankets laid out as seating. To anyone new to the group seeing so many young people in varying degrees of undress may have been shocking to say the least. But to those of the eclectic mountain town, and particularly to the members of the pagan groups that had over the years come together as a community it was a fairly common occurrence at the grove meets. As always the story area had been setup so that the slowly burning ritual fire pit, always set ablaze at the beginning of the meet during the opening ceremony and tended dutifully by a group of chosen teens who took their charge seriously, was at the backs of the gathered throng. It’s light and warmth bathing the onlookers comfortably as they listened to the old bear and others spin their tales. The fires light falling on the old polar bear cast a shadow behind him that seemed to stretch nearly to the trees at the edge of the clearing as he settled into his familiar seat and role as storyteller. As the gathered youths settled down and grew still and quiet the old bear smiled, gazing from his left to his right at the large number of the young ones of Winter Creek stared back at him expectantly. “Once, many years ago there was a family of bears…”
(¯`·._.·(¯`·._.·(¯`·._.· Bah Humbug ·._.·´¯)·._.·´¯)·._.·´¯)
(As told by Star Dreamer)
December 24th, 1963
2:45 p.m.
Prairie Dog Mall, Prairie Flats, CO
“Chucky, Lottie, step it up a bit you two. I still have to drop you at home with mom before I head into work ya know,” the older bear said as he tried in vain to corral his younger siblings. “Do make me change my mind that bringing you two to the mall on Christmas eve wasn’t a very bad idea.”
“But, I hafta get one las ting,” the youngest of the bear siblings said in his high pitched little voice.
“Last thing Chucky,” his sister, six years his senior responded shaking her round head at her brother. “Come on little brother,” she added taking the younger cub by the paw and leading him down one of the stores isles.
“Guuuurrrrrrr,” the older sibling growled in frustration following behind his younger charges. “What is so important that we’re here on Christmas eve day for anyway?”
“Dat one,” the younger bear boy said pointing to an unglazed fired porcelain plate with a holiday motif edge of holly leaves and berries. “Now we need some paints,” he added as his older sister took his paw again after retrieving one of the unfinished pieces.
“A plate? You two drag me out of the house on christmas eve for a plate?” the oldest sibling said rolling his eyes.
“Not jus any pwate,” the youngest boy shot back. “It’s Santa’s pwate, for his cookies.”
“Oh come on, seriously? Are we really doing this shit still?” his older brother asked frowning to their sister.
Lottie took her older brother by the paw as she spoke to her older brother. “Chucky, you start picking out the colors, I need to talk to Skyler a minute okay?”
“Kay,” the younger bear boy said in reply as his eyes twinkled, gazing at the array of acrylic paints on the shelves before him.
The two older siblings walked away a few feet as Lottie started speaking in hushed tones. “I know this is boring Sky,”
“Boring? No the point is that it’s a waste of time, we both know there isn’t a…” Skyler started before finding his sisters paw clamped around his muzzle.
“Hush you,” the female bear said harshly through clenched teeth. “You know mom and dad said they would skin us alive if we tell him that. Besides, it’s fun to see his eyes light up on christmas morning when he sees all the presents under the tree.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re not the one that has to help ‘Santa’ put all that crap together after he finally goes to sleep.” Crossing his arms over his chest the larger male bear let out a huff through his nose. “I had to go through last christmas day with all of two hours sleep.”
“Tell me it wasn’t worth it to see the look on Chucky’s face when he bounded down the stairs that morning,” his sister retorted with a grin.
“Well… okay it was mostly worth it to see his face light up. But still sis,” the older brother started again.
“Look Sky, he’ll grow out of it in another few years then you’re off the hook okay?” his sister replied glancing back at the younger bear boy.
“Fine, whatever ,” he responded shaking his head a little. “Either way we do have to get moving. I have to be at work by five to cover for someone who suddenly got sick this morning. More like hung over or planning to start the partying early if you ask me,” he added grumbling under his breath.
Turning and walking back towards the younger of his siblings Skyler asked, “you got what you need yet squirt?”
“Uhhu,” the small bear boy replied smiling at his older siblings. “Green, red, silber, and gold.”
We’re out of here then, head for the checkouts.”
“What did da big brofer mean a waste of time?” a rather small otter cub in the front row spoke up. “Everybody knows ya gotsa leave milk and cookies for Santa.”
“He was bein a jerk,” another cub two or three years older piped up from a few rows back. “Old kids and old people don’t believe in Santa no more. They say he isn’t real.”
“Dats jus mean,” a young otter pup responded making an adorably bad attempt at a mad face.
“Indeed,” Star Dreamer said nodding slowly. “Older furs lose the magic and meaning of christmas as the get older and stop believing in quite a few other things as well. “Shall I continue now?” the old bear asked, the young ones settling back in quickly. As the gathered youth grew quiet again he did just that.
“The three bear siblings paid for their items and Skyler drove them home, dropping his younger siblings off with their mother and leaving for work moments afterward. Their mother, who was a local ceramics artisan, and Lottie helped Chucky to paint and decorate the plate for Santa’s cookies. Once the young bear boy had it properly colored it was coated with a glaze then fired in his mothers kiln, which she had ready as she had already began working on items for the coming Valentines holiday. The afternoon and early evening past too slowly for the youngest of the family. His excitement and the waiting until his father and older brother returned from their tasks, seemingly far longer than the few hours it truly was, building greatly. The talk around the dinner table consisted primarily of the youngest family members chatting near constantly about the awaited arrival of Santa. The parents chiming right in with their children while their oldest son just shook his head at them. After dinner and the clearing of the table the parents went upstairs to change as they had made plans weeks ago to attend a gathering for a few hours. Skyler had agreed to watch his younger siblings, his own plans for the evening having changed several weeks ago when his girlfriend had needed to return to her own family in Wisconsin. As the evening wore on the trio of bear cubs watched a couple of popular christmas movies. Chucky soon starting to yawn and rub at his eyes By the end of the third movie Skyler giggled when he looked over to see his younger brother fast asleep at the end of the sectional couch curled up into a ball with a snowman blanket wrapped around him. He gathered the younger bear into his arms and carried him off to his bed. Returning to the family room he saw his sister setting out the Santa plate they had bought earlier that day, several sugar cookies piled on it and a glass of milk waiting for the arrival of the mythical figure.
-----------------------------------
“Lottie, why do you encourage him with the Santa Clause stuff? You know as well as I do he’s a myth,” the older male said flopping onto the sofa.
“Oh like you didn’t believe in him when you were little? Do fib about it either, mom still swears you milked it until you were nearly my age before you fessed up,” his younger sister said turning to him with a huge grin on her muzzle.
“Well DUH,” the older bear said making a goofy face at his sister. “Just because I was younger doesn’t mean I was stupid. As long as they thought I still believed in him I got better and more presents. Besides, needed to stay in practice, I had a little sister that was going to be getting all the good stuff, had to hedge my bets while I could,” he replied.
“You are a butt,” she shot back, though the giggle that she let out a moment later showed she didn’t really mean it. “Besides he really is cute when he comes down and sees all the stuff under and around the tree that ‘Santa’ left for us.”
“I’ll give you that one sis, in a few ways he reminds me of myself at his age. All wide eyed wonder and excitement. He’s more like me than he knows,” Skyler said returning to the sofa and taking a seat.
“Maybe he won’t grow up to be such a jerk,” the younger girl chidded her brother, tossing a small throw pillow at him.
“Yet it’s this jerk you run to to take you to the mall to meet your boyfriend without mom and dad knowing,” he shot back a moment after he caught the pillow before it could connect.
“Don’t you have stuff to do in the garage before dad gets back?” she asked grinning at her brother.
“Yea, I do. Better get started or I’ll still be at it when Chucky wakes up,” he replied getting to his foot-paws.
“I’ll start getting the wrapped stuff from the basement where mom told me to look,” Lottie said falling in behind her older brother as they left the family room.
The bear siblings worked as quickly and quietly as they could to complete what had become to Skyler over the last few years common tasks for this holiday. Even for all his grumbling throughout the day he found himself smiling at the thoughts of the years that christmas had come and he found himself enlisted by his parents to help with these very same tasks. For all of his complaining, if he were truly pressed for the truth, he would have to admit that helping their father to play Santa was one of the things that kept the holiday more enjoyable for himself. An odd, yet sudden noise while Skyler was cleaning up the packaging from one of the items he had assembled for his younger brother caught his attention and he quietly rushed into the kitchen finding his sister there looking up at the ceiling. “Hey, keep it down or you’ll wake up the shrimp,” he rasped out in a harsh whisper.
“It wasn’t me you dork,” his sister shot back glaring at him. “I thought it was you making so much noise.”
Casting his own eyes up to the ceiling above them, where the noise seemed to be coming from, the older boy asked, “you think he’s awake? Sleep walking or something?” Before the younger girl could reply they heard the noise again, a clattery kind of scraping noise.
“I don’t think it’s Chucky making those noises, it sounds more like….”
Before she could finish her thought her older brother finished it for her. “Someone on the roof screwing around. Grab a phone and meet me out front, I’m gonna see who the idiot is,” the older brother said striding angrily towards the front door of the house. Skyler walked out the door and nearly to the street before turning around to see what looked to be an old, fat man dressed in red at the chimney of the house. “HEY YOU!” he screamed out, the person on he roof becoming startled and yiping in a deep voice. The odd figure lost it’s balance when he jerked towards the shouted voice, his feet slipping on the snow covered roof. Skyler stared in disbelief as the figure slid down the side of the roof and flew over the edge, landing with a dull thud a few feet from where he stood.
Lottie opened the front door and as she ran out to where her older brother stood she saw an old man dressed in red lying on the ground in a smooshed pile of snow.As she drew nearer he eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. She looked up at her older brother and said, “Oh my God, you killed Santa!”
“He’s not Santa, and I didn’t kill him he fell off the roof..” Skyler said in exasperation at the odd situation that had arisen.
“Hold on, he’s telling us The Santa clause movie,” one of the older cubs from near the back of the gathered group shouted out.
“I knew this sounded familiar, my family watched that movie again night before last,” a raccoon boy added. “He changed the characters names, but the story is the same,” added another of the gathered young furs.
“I apologize to you all,” the old bear said looking across the gathered group.”But I have never seen this movie you speak of.”
“I do not doubt that.” Mark Jameson chimed in. “I can’t think of a time I’ve ever seen you watching television Star.”
“I find it more annoying than entertaining in general,” the older bear said. “Well then perhaps a different story instead since,” he began to suggest. His words were cut off by a sound coming from the woods at the gathered cubs backs. Instantly garnering their attention and overshadowing all other thoughts at the moment it was heard.
“HO HO HO, MERRY CHRISTMAS!” a voice nearly as deep and resonant as Star Dreamers bellowed, nearly drowning the sounds of a hundred small bells jingling and jangling. As the youngest of the gathering scampered to get around and in front of the taller and older kids again a huge sleigh pulled by eight feral reindeer, each obviously a doe since they retained their antlers this late in the year.
The throng of cubs burst into loud raucous cheering, hoots and other sounds heard from the older cubs among them. The oldest ones of the group just looked on with bored expressions on their faces.
As the sleigh came to a halt a small group of ‘helpers’ ran up to it as the large round bellied occupant stepped out. Star Dreamer grinned at the younger couple beside him, “why don’t you tow ogo swee Santa too,” he chided the late tee npair. “Sure neither of you have given up on magic yet.”
“Only if you come with me uncle Star,” the Bernese boy said giggling madly at the older bear.
“Yea uncle Star, he might be scary, you should go with us,” Ariel added before breaking into a fit of giggles herself.
“Alright my little scaredy pups,” Star said wrapping an arm over each of the canine teens shoulders, “I’ll go with you and keep you safe from the big scary Santa.” As he guided the young couple towards the mass of younger cubs the helpers were passing out presents to each of the children. He noticed that it seemed as if they were in a hurry to complete their task, as if they were running late for another appointment or something.
“So who did they talk into playing Santa for the little ones this year Star?” Mark asked his long time friend.
“I have no idea, in fact I didn’t even know that the coven was including Santa in the festivities this year.”
“He seems oddly familiar though,” Ariel chimed in as the trio drew closer. A large white furred and rounded head with big rounded ears came into view as the figure turned toward the approaching trio. A huge grin spread across his features as on of the helpers stood up on tippy toes to whisper something into his large ear.
As Star Dreamer and his two teenage companions drew with in a few feet it became evident that the figure before them dressed in a very traditional though very well kempt and ornate Santa suit was indeed a polar bear, just as snowy furred as Star but over two feet taller and several sizes larger around his middle.
As he gazed open the sight before his eyes Star Dreamer’s jaw dropped, his voice catching in his throat as he tried to speak.
“Sorry to have to rush off so quickly,” the large Santa bear said with a hearty laugh. “But as you all know I’ve very busy tonight.But with this many of Winter Creeks cubs in one spot I just couldn’t resist the chance to drop in on an old friend,” he said his smile growing wider as he glanced over at the polar bear that still had the two canine teens by the paws. “Now all of you have a very merry Christmas,” he said as he quickly turned and climbed back into his sleigh. “And no giving your parents and trouble about going to bed. Otherwise I’ll have to take the rest of your presents back to the North Pole.” He settled himself into his seat, took the reindeer’s reigns into his huge paws and just as he gave the leather straps a snap to spur his coursers into action he looked Star Dreamer straight in the eyes and added, “that goes for you as well… Chucky.” As he finish the words the sleigh gave a hitch and began to rapidly be pulled across the snowy ground and out of sight back into the woods surrounding the grove.
“Chucky?” Mark gasped questioningly as he turned to stare into the eyes of the old bear at his side. “But who?”
Charles Wainsmyer only nodded slowly, not bothering to offer any further answer to the Bernese boys question.
