The Magic of Christmas

The nicely decorated Christmas trees had attracted the attention of the remaining police officers, who on seeing the predicament of their colleagues trapped in the car, tried their best to free them. One went as far as getting an axe from Mr Simons and tried to chop down the tree blocking the car from driving away. Oswald smiled, “these humans knew nothing, only an idiot would try and chop down a Christmas tree put there by Christmas Magic,” he thought ruefully.

‘You two,’ Charlie shouted pointing to the elves, ‘Shut up and be quiet. You,’ he rounded on Travis, ‘Start explaining or so help me God, I’m, I’m,’ he repeated himself in frustration, ‘I’m going to add murder to that kidnapping charge.’

‘Who did you kill Boss?’ Oswald asked as if murder was an everyday pastime of Travis’s. ‘I didn’t think you could kill someone in your erm, suit.’

‘Yeah, who did he murder?’ James asked Charlie, confusion, bewilderment and the flashing lights of the trees outside turning his brain to mush.

‘What have you done to him?’ Charlie hissed in anger seeing the blank open-mouthed expression on his partners’ face.

‘Nothing Charlie,’ Travis replied jovially. ’He’s a bit confused at the moment, It’ll pass, don’t worry.

‘I can summon the doctor if you wish,’ Arnold offered, ‘but by the time she gets here I would imagine we will have long gone and James will be more of his usual self.’

‘Erm, Charlie,’ Travis said, ‘Tell your friends out there to stop touching the sleigh, it has a defence mechanism that probably won’t hurt them, but it might, it’s designed to keep inquisitive children away, although I’ll have to get it looked at when we get home, young Pearl shouldn’t have been able to come anywhere near it never mind sneak in my sack.’

‘What!’ Oswald exclaimed, ‘she actually got inside your sack?’

‘Yes,’ Travis replied. ‘it’s a good job it was empty and not filled with magic.’

‘Arnold, I said magic,’ Travis said in wonder, ‘and it came out as magic.’

‘Enough, enough already,’ Charlie whimpered. ‘Please, will someone tell me what the hell is going on?’

’Boss, did you say you are out of magic? Arnold asked.

‘I did,’ Travis replied, ‘Why?’

‘Try telling him who you are. If there is no magic about, it can’t stop you, can it?’ Arnold smiled.

‘Charlie, listen to me,’ Travis said to the policeman who was in danger of having a nervous breakdown. ’I can only tell you this once, I might not be able to again. OK? Charlie nodded his head. ‘In case you haven’t guessed, I’m Santa Claus,’ Travis stopped with a beaming smile spreading across his face amazed he could say what he was saying. ‘These two,’ he indicated Arnold and Oswald, ’are pumpkins (the magic was coming back). Pearl snuck into my sack, I didn’t kidnap her and the reason I was so long in bringing her back; my big hairy dog (magic) ran out, and I had to recharge before the reindeer could swim again.’

‘Santa Claus, Elves, swimming reindeer,’ Charlie muttered. ‘The judge is gonna love this one; you’ll be telling me next the Tooth Fairy is back home waiting for you.’

‘Now why would I say something like that?’ Travis asked, warily watching Charlie. ‘She can be a right pain in the backside, so I hope she isn’t waiting for me.’

‘That’s it,’ James suddenly shouted. ‘I’ve had enough of this garbage. Credit where it’s due Santa, you had me there for a minute or two. You should have stopped before the Tooth Fairy, that was the killer and way over the top. What type of idiot believes in a Tooth Fairy? Don’t know how you did the tree trick, that had me really confused, but you can stop everything now. You’ve been arrested and that’s that; get rid of the trees or I will throw the book at you.’

‘What book?’ Oswald asked in all seriousness. ‘Do you usually get books thrown at you? I would have thought it was illegal.’

‘You,’ James shouted pointing at the puzzled Chief Elf. ‘Get out of the car before I arrest you for obstructing justice.’

‘You can’t arrest him,’ Arnold stated matter of factly, ’He is a pumpkin (elf) and not subject to the laws of humans. Only chocolate bars (other Elves) can punish him if he misbehaves.’

‘You two are making things worse here,’ Travis smiled at the elves. ’I’ve enough Rhubarb Pie (magic) to send you home. Ask Sandea or Rosie to make me a nice cup of tea, I shouldn’t be more than ten minutes behind you.’

‘No one is going anywhere,’ Charlie and James shouted in unison. ‘Sit there and be quiet until I can get this mess with the trees sorted out,’ Charlie growled.

‘See you in ten,’ Travis said waving his hand. Two Elves winked out of existence, leaving Travis on his own with two spluttering police officers. ‘If you gentlemen are nice until my magic recharges again, when I go I will take the trees with me, but any more shouting and they stay till the morning.’

Charlie and James looked at each other; both frightened to voice their feelings or opinions. “Something strange was going on, but Santa,” thought Charlie. “who would believe him.” The captain was bound to think he and James had been drinking if they went back to the station with a tale like this.”

‘Where did they go?’ Charlie asked puzzled, bewildered and a little scared by the events happening in the car.

‘I can’t tell you, Charlie,’ Travis replied, ‘the magic is recharging and I can’t tell you any more.’

‘Listen Santa, or whoever you think you are, I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but you’re coming to the station. The sooner I hand you over to the detectives the better. I just want to be rid of you.’

‘I’m sorry you feel that way Charlie.’ Travis replied with a jovial smile. ‘Give my regards to your wife Carol, and make sure you get her that perfume she has been asking for.’

‘How the hell…’ Charlie began to growl.

‘Get your two little ones to believe in me before Christmas,’ Travis interrupted him with a booming voice, ‘and I’ll make sure they get the bikes they are both after; but tell little Eric if he continues to bully and pull the pigtails of Jennifer Pritchard, I’ll knock him off the Christmas list forever.’

‘This is getting scary,’ James said in an awed whisper. ‘Who are you, how do you know the names of Charlie’s wife and kid’s?’

‘I did tell you a while ago,’ Travis smiled at him, ‘but sorry guys, I have to go now. I hope the paperwork on this isn’t too demanding. If you want my advice, you’ll tell the captain Pearl went for a walk in the woods. Bye guys, it’s been fun.’

Travis thought of the village; in the wink of an eye he and the sleigh were there, Sue and a handful of elves pacing up and down, ready to take care of the reindeer, and then fussing over them because they had been away from home for hours without food or water. As he materialised Sandea ran up with a hot cup of drinking chocolate, while another young elf stood by with a ready smile and a chair for him to sit on. Also waiting were Arnold and Oswald, both standing with arms folded and their best unhappy face at the ready to give Travis a telling off.

‘I know, I know, I know,’ Travis said holding his hands in the air as the two elves sidled up to him. ‘I made a mistake, and I realise I should have been more careful.’

‘Santa,’ Arnold said with a fixed stare at Travis, ‘The mistake wasn’t being trapped outside, it was letting the magic in here dwindle to dangerous levels. You should have returned home as soon as you felt the magic dip.’

‘I was returning home,’ Travis answered. ‘I just miscalculated the amount of power I was using.’

‘Santa,’ Oswald said with a hint of exasperation in his voice. ‘Flying with the reindeer takes a lot of magic power, you should have transported back instead of flying, even if it meant leaving the reindeer and sleigh in the hills somewhere. We could have always gone back for them.’

‘Huh,’ Travis responded, ‘Now you tell me,’