The North Pole Versus Jeho: Part One; Nicky And The Bauble

“Nicky, can you go to the corner shop, we’re out of milk!!!” Mum called from the kitchen.
I was in the living room, watching what I liked to call Good Morning TV. “Why can’t you get it?!!” I called back.
“I could, but you’re quicker than I am!!!”
I sighed. Lazy cow. “Where’s your purse!!?”
“On the kitchen table. I haven’t got any change, so you’ll have to take a fiver out!!!”
I switched the TV off, and went out to the kitchen, where Mum and her purse was. She already had the fiver in her hand, waiting for me. I grabbed it, and made my perilous journey to the corner shop, telling Mum that if I didn’t make it back after ten minutes, then send out a suicide mission to look for me.
As I entered the shop, I smiled at the owner, Mr Perkins, who was working the till, and made my way to the back, where the freezers were.
I pulled open the door to pull out a milk. I picked up the first milk I saw, and as I did so, my eye caught sight of a red shiny bauble sat in behind. I picked it up, wondering if Mrs Perkins had misplaced it when she decorated the shop for Christmas. I pocketed it, and turned to pay for the milk, and give the bauble to Mr Perkins.
As I turned, I got a shock. I wasn’t in the shop anymore, but outside. There was snow on the ground. I was surrounded by a forest of Christmas Trees, decorated with tinsel, lights, fairies, snowmen, Christmas puddings and chocolate money; each was prettier as the last.
I stood looking at the trees for at least five minutes, awed, when I heard a crunching behind me. I turned, and saw an elf stood there, staring at me. At least, I think it was an elf. He was small, and was dressed in a green suit. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I said: “Hello.”
The elf’s face suddenly cracked into a big grin. “Oh, thank goodness for that. I thought maybe you were an enemy.”
“Why would I be an enemy?” I asked.
The elf shrugged. “Sometimes we get people wander down from the town of Jeho to talk us out of making toys for Christmas, and tell us not to celebrate Christmas.”
“Why would they do that? Christmas is great.”
“Well, they don’t think so.”
“So, hang on, then, are you telling me I’m at the North Pole.”
“Yes. I am Sam. I am one of the elves who works at Santa’s workshop.”
“But how did I get here? I was in a corner shop in a village in England.”
“Santa said someone from the South will be sent to make everything alright? How did you get here?”
“I picked up a bauble I found in someone’s freezer, and then I just found myself here.”
Sam the elf nodded. “Santa said that’s how the Chosen One would get here. Through the Bauble Door. I was sent out here to collect them when they arrived. What’s your name?”
I was so overwhelmed by the situation I was in, I’d forgotten to introduce myself.
“Sorry. I’m Nicky Atnas. So what am I doing here?”
The elf looked sad. “The town of Jeho I was telling you about. Well, the people there truly hate Christmas with such a vengeance that not only do they try to talk us out of Christmas, they actually try to stop it. This year, they’ve declared war on us. And you are the Chosen One from the magical land of the South to help us in the war.”
I was shocked. I was flabbergasted. And I was bewildered. I was just ordinary, plain Nicky Atnas who had never done anything fantastic in her life. I said so to Sam the elf, who smiled.
“You will now. Santa told us of a prophecy that tells of the Chosen One from the magical land of the South to help us in the war.”
“Yeah, you said that. But the South isn’t magical. It’s plain and boring and mundane. It’s this place-” I waved around me. “That’s magical. At least, I always thought so, when I was younger.”
Sam smiled again. “Come on,” he said. “I think it’s time you met the boss.”
He turned and walked in the opposite direction and I followed him. I followed him through the forest of Christmas Trees, and through all the snow, until we came to an igloo, into which Sam the elf entered. When I followed him into the igloo, Sam tapped on the wall three times, and the ground moved downwards, like an elevator. As we were going down, I noticed that the wall was really beautiful. Photos of elves hung on the wall, along with a bigger one of Santa. All the photos were framed with golden frames. There was also tinsel, all different colours, red, blue, green, purple. A Christmas Star that sparkled really bright silver. It all looked very beautiful.
Eventually, the elevator stopped, and Sam led me into a large room. It was decorated like the elevator, but there was also fairies, angels and snowmen as well. Bustling about the room were other elves like Sam, but they were smaller. Some were running about. Some were working at tables, but they were all doing the same thing. Working on children’s toys for Christmas.
In the middle of the room was a large Christmas Tree. Like the Trees outside, they were decorated with tinsel, lights, fairies, snowmen, Christmas puddings and chocolate money. It was even more beautiful. Except, unlike the Trees outside, there was a lifelike Santa sat on top.
I blinked, and the tree had disappeared. Walking towards me was a large, jolly looking man, wearing a red suit, a large white beard and an even larger smile, who could only be:
“Santa!!!” I called out, excitedly.
“Hello Nicky Atnas,” he said. “So you’re the Chosen One from the South.”
“Yeah, problem,” I answered. “I’m just a plain ordinary girl called Nicky Atnas. The only fantastic thing I’ve ever done was let an old lady take my seat on the bus. But that was once. And the Magical Land of the South isn’t so magical. It’s mundane and boring.”
There was a loud clatter and everything went really quiet. All the elves were staring at me, shocked. Some of the really little ones had started crying.
“It’s okay, she’s joking!!!” Santa boomed out. The elves went back to work. Santa bent down and whispered in my ear: “The elves never get to go anywhere outside of this workshop. They always ask what it’s like. So I tell them it’s like this place, to keep them happy.”
“So, this Chosen One business?” I asked, changing the subject. “What’s that about?”
“There’s a prophecy-” Santa began.
“That the Chosen One will help you in your war against the town of Jeho,” I finished. “Yeah, your elf, Sam, he already said that. But there’s got to be something more. And don’t say it’s because of the Bauble Door. Sam said about that as well. But there’s got to be something more than that as well.”
Santa grinned. “You’re right,” he said. “There is something more. What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“What’s your name?” Santa repeated.
“Nicky Atnas.”
“Right. Did you ever notice that your last name is backwards for Santa?”
I worked it out in my head. “Oh, yeah. I think I did know, but I never noticed it before.”
Santa nodded. “And can you name all my other names, apart from Santa?”
“Yes,” I nodded. “There’s Father Christmas. Erm, there’s also Saint Nicholas. And, I think Chris Kringle’s another one, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is. Your name’s Nicky, isn’t it? And do you have a middle name?”
“Yes. It’s Christina.”
“Well, there you go,” Santa smiled again. “You share three of my names. Santa. Saint Nicolas. Chris Kringle. And you’re telling me you’re not special?”
As I thought about it, my smile grew larger and larger.
“Okay,” I told Santa. “Maybe I am. But what can I do to help you in your war against Jeho? What are these people of Jeho like? I’d like to know more about them.”
I still had the bauble in my pocket. I pulled it out: “And this bauble? Did you deliberately put in that freezer? Did you know that I was the Chosen One all along?”