Christmas Miracle by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters and transformative content. You have been warned.
The lights are bright… ever-burning in the cadence of greens and reds. The weather is cold outside, with a distinct brisk in the air that makes it so one can see their breath in the air. Decorations are hung and a few homes have more than their fair share of reindeer…sleighs…and the occasional figure of Jolly Saint Nick. Even to those who do not celebrate the holiday…it is all too clear that Christmas time has come.
For the children of the community…it is a time of year to relish. Those of them lucky to get gifts or some other form of trinkets, often bring delight to the recipient's eyes. Of course, some of them will be disappointed in what they get…but later in life, they will learn that gifts are to be cherished no matter what they behold. Such is the way of Christmas and the lesson it serves to teach for those who find themselves left wanting.
Nait was a young man who worked a steady job as a software developer. His life was mundane and repetitive. To him every day seemed like a repetition of the last. He would get up and get ready for work; Dressing himself, preparing breakfast and lunch, and then go about his usual work routine. Even work had become somewhat of a merry-go-round of the same tasks with different shades of color.
At 25 years of age…the young man was in a rut. He hadn't yet found that special someone in his life. He had more friends than many people his age. All of his coworkers liked him and he had already achieved one promotion in his short tenure at his place of employment. But the one part of his life that seemed like it was missing. His parents lived far on the other side of his country and he hadn't seen them since he graduated college.
His parents had insisted for him to come home for the holidays but neither they nor he had the money to afford the trip. As such for the last few years, Nait had to make do with celebrating Christmas alone. However…that year…it was to change. The young man's parents were going out of town on business and had asked him to pick up his younger brother to watch him for a while. Of course, Nait agreed as he was always willing to help his family out.
The young man's only brother was significantly younger than he was. The boy who was now 9, he had only seen when he was very young. It had been several years since he'd seen him and Nait wasn't sure what to expect. The young man had never taken care of a child before but who was he to deny his parent's request? They even promised him payment, something he wasn't expecting, and accepted all too eagerly.
The plans were already set in stone. The boy was to be sent by train on the 23rd. He would be staying a little over a week at Nait's. Nait had even gone the extra few steps to make sure his younger brother would be comfortable. He had rearranged what he called his computer room into a makeshift guest room. He moved a couch into it with the idea that it could easily be swapped into a bed. Of course, he had to buy sheets and a blanket for it but that was a minor issue.
The days continued to whittle away until the morning of the 23rd. Nait took off the morning at work to go pick up his younger brother from the train station. It was a lengthy drive since he lived a way out from the big city. Going into the city itself was a big ordeal as the traffic always seemed to be congested no matter what day it was. Today was no different and as the clock continued to tick ever closer to his brother's arrival time, Nait felt like he would be late to pick him up.
The young man would arrive just short of 10 minutes before the train was scheduled to arrive, much to his relief. He hurried out of his car and made his way through the train station. He went underground to where the trains arrived. The place smelt stale with very little air flowing through it. A few digital charts were on the placards, each of them showing whether the trains were on time or late. Nait proceeded to wait until he saw the face of the train in the distance.
The silvery cars soon slowed down to a crawl, eventually coming to a complete stop at the station. The doors slid open, hissing as they did so. Nait watched as the people walked out from within. Soon he saw his brother accompanied by someone he didn't know. He assumed the woman was his temporary guardian, as it was normal protocol for travel accommodations to provide these for younger children with no parents on board.
Nait was approached by them. He greeted the small boy and signed the paperwork to acknowledge that the train company had done its job. He was soon left with the small boy.
"Welcome, Diego. It's been a while! My you've gotten so big since the last time I saw you." The older male ruffled his younger brother's hair.
Diego nodded. "Yup! Thanks for letting me stay, big bro."
"Of course. Let's head to my apartment so we can get you squared away. Did you bring stuff to keep you occupied?" Nait asked as he had no idea what the younger boy was into.
The younger male chirped. "Yup! I brought games and stuff. Do you want to play?"
"Sure, but I have some work to do tonight. Once I'm done we can." The bigger brother patted the other boy on the back to motion him to go forward.
They made their way to Nait's car and both got inside. Diego quickly pulled out a hand gaming console without a thought and began playing something on it. The older male started up the car and began the long journey back to his apartment. Going out of the city was a much easier endeavor than going into it. Even still it took them a while to make it out to the main highway leading back out of the city.
Nait continued the drive back to his place. Already his mind was awash with what he would do to keep the boy occupied. He knew he had board games and a few video games of his own but he wasn't certain he'd have enough to keep him entertained. He decided that he would have to make it work. After all, it was only a short period that Diego would be around but he wanted him to enjoy himself while he was there.
They would arrive at Nait's apartment about an hour and a half after departing from the train station. Nait nudged the younger boy, who was still plugging away at whatever game he was playing. Diego put the thing away and collected his bag as the two of them got out of the car. They made their way from the car and towards Nait's apartment. The older male couldn't help but be nervous about the whole ordeal but he tried to hide it.
They made their way inside. Nait's apartment was relatively small. It was technically only a one-bedroom place but he had repurposed the living room so it was an office. Now with the large couch sitting there, there was much less space to be had. The older male showed his brother over to the bed he'd be sleeping on. It wasn't much but Diego knew he'd have to do for the time being. He moaned a bit as he threw his bag on the small pull-out sofa bed.
"If you want….you can have my bed." The older male offered since he could see his brother was a bit disgruntled about his temporary living accommodation.
Diego's face lit up. "Okay!"
Nait chuckled as he watched the boy speed back further into the apartment. He knew he didn't have to show him around. The apartment was small enough that the boy could figure it out on his own. The older male figured he could make do with sleeping on the couch since it was just a few days. Besides…he knew he was usually out of the apartment when he was in it. He turned on his office computer and started working on the stuff he was assigned to do that he hadn't finished.
The young man started working on his leftover stuff. Time began to pass before Diego reappeared from his room.
"I'm bored….can't you come play with me? Dad always plays games with me when I'm home…" The younger boy whined a bit.
Nait looked over his shoulder. "Sure, let me finish this and we can play one of your games together."
Another 20 minutes passed before the younger boy grew impatient. Quickly sprinting out of his room to remind his brother of his promise. Nait still wasn't done but he figured this was an issue he simply couldn't ignore anymore. He decided to turn off the computer and make his way back to his room. When he arrived back into it, he saw that Diego had already made himself comfortable.
The boy had set up his Switch on the television set. The game he was playing…the Cars 3 game that he was vaguely familiar with. Diego held out a controller for him to take, still waiting for him to join him. Before long the two began to play the game. Nait's mind soon washed away any thoughts of the work he was supposed to be doing. The older male focused entirely on the game before him.
Nait knew racing games well enough that he didn't have to be told how to play it. It was simply a matter of maneuvering the car through obstacles and getting power-ups. The mechanics never changed and he picked it up rather quickly. Yet, even despite that Diego beat him just about every match they played. The younger boy billowed with increasing pride with every match that he won. Though..it didn't matter much to Nait who took it in stride.
They played the game together for some time until Diego whined about being hungry. Of course, Nait had to make food for him and had gone out of his way to get things that he assumed the kid would like. He picked out chicken tenders and started to cook them. Soon they would share dinner…and Diego would be sent to bed. After all his parents maintained a strict schedule for him and Nait wasn't about to usurp that.
The next few days would fly by. Diego would still struggle to understand the fact that Nait needed to work. Fortunately for him…Christmas would change that. The young adult was off that day with a paid holiday. He had promised Diego that Christmas they would spend all day together. Nait had even gone as far as to prepare a few gifts under the fake Christmas tree
that he bought for his apartment.
The morning of Christmas arrived before long. Nait got up early to set up everything. He lit up the small string of lights on his tree, turned on Christmas music, and even put fake snow on the floor of his apartment. Soon he went into his room to wake up Diego who had overslept yet again. The moment he was nudged, the young boy sprung out of bed and exploded into the living room. He knew full well it was Christmas and wasn't about to waste the day in bed.
Diego saw a few gifts under the tree. Nait had taken the ones his parents had given him for his brother and put them under there as well. Of course, some of them had been left behind since he'd have to travel back but there was still a bit of gifts to be had. Only a few of them were labeled with Nait's name. Most of them had been written for Diego but it didn't bother Nait who was never about himself.
"Can we open them now?" The younger boy asked with a big grin on his face.
Nait smirked and shook his head. "Breakfast first little guy."
"Aw…but I want to open them now!" Diego whined a bit.
"Nope. Come on I made French toast and fruit." The older male got up and helped his brother do the same.
The younger brother relented and followed him along to the small kitchen table. Nait had already set it up so they could eat right away. Diego made no hesitation in plowing through his food. He wanted nothing more than to get to unwrapping the gifts sooner rather than later.
"Careful…I don't want you to choke." Nait warned him.
Yet the younger boy did not heed the directions. Instead continuing to shovel the food in his face without delay. Nait was much slower about eating and by the time Diego finished, he was already nudging his brother as if to urge him to go faster. Still, Nait remained steadfast in his pace as he felt like patience was something that his brother needed to learn. Before long he finished and cleaned up.
It was finally time to unwrap the gifts. Diego rushed back to the living room and sat on the floor, right next to the small tree. The boy was still wearing his Cars-themed pajamas and had made no effort to get changed. The older brother made his way back, pulling up a bean bag for the boy to sit in. The younger male was more than happy to plop on it. Before long Nait began dishing out the gifts one by one to himself and his brother.
Diego did not wait to open the gifts. Tearing through them without delay he peeled off the colorful wrapping. Most of his gifts were gaming-related…but there were a few essential items like clothing that he wasn't as thrilled to get. After mere moments…he had a small stack of items and was looking around for more.
"Can I play my new game now?" Diego had no patience to sit through Nait opening his gifts.
The older brother thought about it for a moment. "Erm…yeah. I guess."
Nait had expected him to stick around but didn't think it was that big a deal for Diego to go off on his own. After all, it would get the boy out of his hair, at least for a little while. Though he knew eventually his brother would come asking him to play games with him since Nait had promised to do it the other day. He began unwrapping the gifts in front of him, working through them much slower than his brother did.
He soon opened one of the packages and revealed something strange. Inside was a small plush animal. Nait examined the thing for a moment. It was a small lion cub with no mane to speak of. He couldn't help but wonder why his parents would give him something so strange and childish. Yet holding it, he couldn't help but think of his younger years as he stared into its glazed brown eyes.
His mind washed over for a moment as he clutched it softly. Its fur was soft and warm. He couldn't help but hold it close to him. The thing made him feel warm inside as he held it closely. A few moments later Diego soon called out to him. Snapping him out of the state of stupor that he was in. Nait picked himself up and let the plush go on the floor. He looked back at it with a sense of longing as he walked away from it.
Nait made his way back into his room. His mind still thinking about the lion plush he left only moments ago. He looked over at Diego who was holding out his controller to him, looking ever expectant of him to play the game with him. This time it was a NASCAR game…something that the older male had no clue about. Still…it was a racing game and he figured it worked the same way as the other game they played.
They started the game before long and Nait had the difficult decision of picking a driver. Unlike Cars…he knew none of these people. So he just picked random and went with whatever. It was a much more straightforward game than the other one. It had much fewer mechanics and was designed to be more realistic. He found the constant looping around the same track to be rather boring and repetitive.
Soon Diego got bored of it…and wanted to move on to something else. He picked up a single-player game and Nait soon exited out of the room. The young man was glad he didn't have to play anymore. The Nascar game just simply wasn't enjoyable to him. Going back out into the living room, he saw the lion plush sitting on the bed where he had left it before. The thing stared at him with its goofy little grin and stary eyes glittering against the lamplight.
He walked over to it and sat down. Nait knew he should probably be doing some work. The young man still had plenty to catch up on. Yet…it was a holiday. He should be relaxing…or so he told himself. He crawled up into bed and picked up the little plush. Nait had no idea why he was so enamored with the thing. It seemed to just be so cute…so endearing…and so appealing. He held the thing right over his chest.
The lion sat proudly on his chest. Each breath he took caused it to rise and fall ever so slightly. Soon he clutched it to his body. The warmth from its faux fur soon spread from the plush to his body. His arms soon began to tingle as he wrapped it up tightly. He was suddenly feeling drowsy as if a fit of fatigue had come over him. Nait soon closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax. The strange warmth spread throughout his entire form.
His mind soon began to wander…His thoughts returned to a simpler time. A time when there wasn't a care in the world. Thoughts of his parent's home and his old room decorated with all sorts of Lion King stuff scattered around the room. The large Lion Plush…the one of Simba sat proudly atop his bed. A roaring sound echoed through the room as if the very same inanimate object called to him.
His mind began to throb for a moment as his form started to ache. Nait opened his eyes as he was staring right into the familiar starred eyes of the lion cub before him. The balmy pleasant sensation inside him now had spread throughout his body. The weight of the plush on his chest seems to be pressing down on him. Nait's skin began to tingle ever so slightly. He stared into its eyes, seeming ever entranced by their starry gaze.
The small plush seemed to peer into his very being. The toasty sensation within his body continued to spread, making him begin to itch. He lowered his gaze a bit and noticed the hair on his body was standing up on edge. It was as if he was nervous or fearful or something. Looking at it closer, the little strands of hair began to lengthen and some other hair began to grow where there was none before.
Nait lifted his arms, looking it closer. Less and less of his skin was visible with each passing second. The skin underneath seemed to be darkening a bit. He gripped his hands a moment, finding they ached when he tried to close them. The young man pushed his fingers against his palm, his now lengthening nails poked against the surface. He placed his hand by his side and eased himself up into a sitting position.
Looking at himself closer, he noticed that his shirt seemed to sagging a bit on his body. Nait reached down to grab the hem of it. His hands seemed more stubby and rounded now….the ever-present hair around the appendage all but covered his body. The sandy brown hair hid whatever skin was left underneath. His nails began darkening and sharpening, as he pinched the bottom of his shirt line.
"What's…happening to me?" He said softly as his voice cracked ever so slightly at a higher pitch.
He brought his hands to his face again. Little black spots soon appeared…ever expanding into what seemed to be pads. Touching them, they appeared to be porous and rough to the touch. He lifted his shirt a bit right where the neck was and looked underneath. Sure enough, naught but the same sand-colored fur covered his entire chest. The warming sensation at the innermost part of his body began to dissipate.
The feeling of aching and soreness soon went away He picked himself up. The small plush on his body fell to the floor. The pants and underwear he was wearing, fell off and pooled at his feet. His shirt was now tented over his form, providing some coverage for the now naked portion of his lower half. Nait still wasn't entirely sure what happened to him. He made his way over to a nearby mirror at the center of the hall leading towards his room.
Nait looked at himself. Looking back at him…a young lion cub boy who stared back at him. A sparkle in his eyes glittered almost resembling the shape of stars as he stood in sheer amazement. He touched his face; the pronounced snout, the cold nose, and the sharp teeth made it all too apparent this was real. The cub stood there at a loss for what to do as he tried to figure out what caused this.
Soon Diego reappeared from his room. The other boy stopped cold in his tracks upon seeing his brother. The unfamiliar sight of a lion cub looked back at him.
"Who…what are you?" The smaller boy couldn't help but stare at his brother.
The lion cub hesitated before answering. "It's me….Nait."
As
he spoke Nait realized his voice was at a much higher tenor now. Diego approached him as he looked closer at his unfamiliar brother. Nait realized he was much closer to eye level with the other boy now.
"W-what?" Diego couldn't believe his eyes.
The bigger boy grabbed his brother's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "You gotta believe me…It's me Nait…"
"Um…okay. What happened to you?" The younger boy was still in a state of shock about the whole thing.
Nait shrugged. "I dunno…haha. It just sort of happened."
"Wow! That's cool. Let's go play games!" Diego tugged on the other boy, seeming to not be bothered by the issue as much anymore.
The smaller boy led him back to his room. Diego had already set back up another one of the games he got. This time had picked out a title neither of them had played before, a platforming game called It Takes Two. It was designed from the start to be a cooperative venture and the younger boy was all too keen to get things under way. The goal of it was to tackle different challenges while under the mysterious spell of unknown origin.
They began playing before long. A tutorial showed them the basics of how it worked. It was simple to pick up with rather simple mechanics. Nait found himself enjoying himself much more this time around as his worries soon began to wash away. Both boys chuckling throughout the level as they came across a big slime monster that exploded across the screen as they waded through its jelly body.
Nait peered outside once the level had come to a close. Outside it was sunny and the glare of the sun made it clear it was outside.
"Hey…wanna go outside and play?" Nait suggested as it sounded like a fun idea to him.
Diego looked at him, seeming surprised at the suggestion. "Sure!"
The younger boy sprung out of the bed first with the lion cub hot in pursuit. Neither seemed that bothered by the fact that Nait was half-naked. The idea that it might have been a problem or otherwise inappropriate had occurred to neither of them. All either of them cared about at the moment was having fun. They raced outside together, not bothering to lock the door since Nait had unknowingly left his keys behind in his old pants pocket.
"Let's play hide and go seek!" Diego suggested as it was the first idea that came to his mind.
Nait nodded with a big grin on his face. "Yeah! I'll seek so you can hide."
"No peeking." The younger boy said as he waited for his brother to begin counting.
The lion cub began counting down from 30 after closing his eyes. The moment he opened his eyes, thrill and exhilaration filled him. It was as if he'd been looking forward to this for ages. He ran off looking all around him. The gentle breeze blew against his fur causing it to ruffle against his skin. The smells of the flowers, the trees, and even the grass seem to be even stronger for him. He took a moment to take it all in.
After a moment of it, he sprinted off in the distance. The area surrounding Nait's apartment was surrounded by greenery. Tall trees and uncut grass dominated the area around a small playground. The lion cub could hear the laughing of the children. Yet upon looking into the playground, he saw no signs of any kids. He was certain that it must be Diego. He continued to look around and listened ever eagerly for another hint of where the boy might be.
He searched around the playground. There were no signs of Diego anywhere. Only a few footprints were present on the sand. They didn't seem to lead anywhere since there was some rubber matting around that made the ground softer than it would be otherwise. Soon he heard another laugh, this time closer than before. Nait smirked as he turned around, looking at the small plastic playhouse near one of the corners of the playground.
The lion cub crept up on it, trying to make as little noise as possible. Peering inside, he saw Diego crouching on the ground. Nait touched him to show the other boy that he'd been found. His brother smiled at him and ran off into the distance. The bigger boy followed as quickly as he could, soon able to overtake the smaller human boy and tackle him onto the ground. The two of them rolled around a bit before settling on their back.
Nait and Diego would continue playing until lunchtime. The only thing that had stopped them was the constant rumbling of their stomach. They soon went back inside. The older boy tasked himself with making them sandwiches and chips. The two of them had all but forgotten about Nait's little problem. It wasn't until several days later that the issue was brought up again when Diego was supposed to go home.
Over the next few days, Nait's memories would slowly slip away. His life as an adult would fade into a forgotten void. Instead replaced by his new life as a much closer brother to Diego. How he could be a better big brother for him. His thoughts returned to a simpler time when naught but having fun mattered to him. Nait even longed to return to the comforts of his old home with his parents.
Nait one day got a text from his parents asking how Diego was doing and insisted he come home with him. Little did he realize that this was all part of their Christmas gift for him. Nait had made it all too apparent that the responsibilities of adulthood were becoming too much to bear for him. Though they didn't much plan on him becoming a lion cub. It would be an issue would gladly learn to live with, so long as they had their little boy back.
He would accept their offer as the idea of returning home to his parents appealed to him as if it were normal. Nait and Diego would return home on the train together. The lion cub had left his old life behind. His responsibilities…his apartment…and even his job. These would all be issues his parents would be left to resolve. The very next day both of them would return to their parent's home to the joyous reunion of their family.
Nait's parents were surprised to see what had happened. They had never heard of the side effects of "anthropomorphization" but they knew they would have to live with it. They knew after all that Nait was their son and that this whole situation was by their design. When Nait and his brother showed up at the doorstep, the four members of the family shared a warm embrace as they showed affection for one another.
The lion cub would find himself bunked with Diego. Diego had his room but had always had a bunk bed. It was as if they had planned this all along to the start. Now with their family reunited it was the parent's responsibility to make sure Nait was accepted in the community where they lived. It took some time but the boy soon found himself right back at home as if he had never left in the first place.
Nait would be re-enrolled at the local primary school along with his brother. The two would only be separated by two grades. The lion cub would find no issues in fitting in despite his obvious differences from his peers. After all the young boy was very much the same person he'd always been. He would make himself a new life…just as if it were normal. Living as if nothing had ever happened…without a care in the world.
