Princess Claus and the Great Escape

by J L Gillham

  When my eyes lock on that person, my heart fills with joy all over again. I keep the microphone in my hand, but move away from the front of the room. Everyone backs out of my way, but continues to stare to see who I am heading toward. I pass by my mother, and father. Then Cole and Nicky. Finally, standing before me is the one I was searching for.

  “Carly, you are the true meaning of Christmas. Will you accompany me on stage?” I whisper. She lifts her chin, readjusts the crown I gave her last night, and takes my hand.

  We reach the platform, climb the five steps, and stand in the center facing everyone. Finally, I speak into the microphone for all to hear. “I'd like to sing for you the most mature song I know called...”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  I hold the microphone up to Carly. She pulls the piece of paper out of a little purse. On the front is the note I gave her, thanking her. On the back are the lyrics so she could practice them.

  She speaks loudly as she says the title, “Candy Cane Hearts and Reindeer Farts.”

  On each side of us the walls are filled with the lyrics from a projector on the floor. Everyone joins in the singing.

  Smiles abound, except for the two mean girls I recognize from my birthday party last year. Both stand ramrod straight with their noses in the air. Grimaces are the only expression I see them make. It takes everything in me not to walk over to them and kick them out of Winter Wonderland once and for all.

  But I focus on the laughter of the children. Some of the grown-ups begin to chuckle as well. Then I move into the next song and ask everyone to continue singing along.

  Once done, I wish everyone a wonderful evening, give Carly a quick hug, and head into the crowd. Winter music is played for everyone to enjoy and the most adventurous to dance to.

  I make small talk with the waitress from the diner who served me this morning. Then a few kids approach and thank me for their gifts they got for Christmas. After they run off and I am about to make a beeline to the food table, I hear someone behind me.

  “How’s it going?” asks a voice I would recognize anywhere.

  “Cole!” I turn and give him a big hug. When we separate, his cheeks are flushed.

  “Hey, Princess.” He bows.

  I smack him on the shoulder. “Don’t you dare,” I tease.

  “You look...” he motions toward my dress. Instead of finishing, he shakes his head.

  I curtsy and spread my skirt wide to be admired. “Why thank you, my good sir.” Let’s see how he likes a taste of his own over-polite medicine.

  He bites his lip as his eyes meet mine. Then a huge grin fills his face. Without a word, he offers me his hand and I take it.

  “So, I see you took care of the big bad wolf without any help needed from me.” He has to shout so that I hear him.

  “I did, indeed,” I answer as we glide around. Although it’s been a year since we’ve seen each other, we fall right back into step together, like siblings separated when the eldest returns from a first year at college.

  We continue dancing, and I take a long look at Cole. Instead of his usual half-tucked-in button-down shirt and a pencil stuck behind his ear, he’s wearing a tuxedo. His blond hair is combed without a piece out of place. There is a look in his eyes I’ve never seen before and a hint of a smile that he can’t seem to get rid of.

  Although my heart is full of fondness for him, is there even a hint of romantic love? I know the answer in a second, and worry about hurting his feelings if he’s emotionally moved out of the friend zone.

  “Noelle, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you.” Cole stops dancing as he speaks and offers me his gift.

  I take what looks like a small perfume bottle. “You know, I was planning on switching scents after discovering mine is laced with a trigger to set off the alarms.”

  His eyes widen and he opens his mouth to ask a question. I hold up my free hand. “I’ll tell you all about that detail later.”

  “Thought you might like to add this to your utility belt,” Cole says, then shrugs his shoulders.

  “In case I need to mask my smell of sweat as I slide down the 999th chimney?” I tease.

  “Actually,” he borrows the gift and sprays a fine mist into the air.

  I inhale a slight scent of something familiar. “It’s aloe!”

  “Yup. Since poinsettias are your kryptonite for delivering gifts, I thought you should have an antidote on hand.” He returns the gift to me then tucks a piece of hair behind his ear.

  “It’s perfect. Thank you.” The song is over. As the next one begins, Finn approaches.

  “So, what I’ve been meaning to say is...” Cole speaks so quietly I can barely hear him.

  “Noelle, may I have this dance?” Finn’s eyes are on me, not noticing Cole.

  Cole looks from me to Finn, lowers his shoulders and takes a step back. I consider asking Finn to wait. But wait for what? For me to try and fall in love with Cole by dancing with him a little longer? For me to figure out how to let Cole know I just think of him as a friend?

  Cole begins walking away without a word.

  “Let’s catch up more tomorrow!” I shout to Cole.

  “Of course,” he turns to face me as he answers, but the smile he gives me doesn’t meet his eyes.

  Before I’ve had a moment to worry about his feelings, Finn pulls me close. “Wait.” I’m getting a headache with my hair being so tightly wound. I lead Finn toward my mom, who is talking to the elf manning the projector to the left of the stage. After removing the hair pins, then the crown, I give a quick shake of the head, letting my hair fall. I also hand her the gift from Cole. “Can you keep these safe?”

  Mom nods, then gives me a wink. My cheeks flush. I give myself a moment for the intensity of the blush to lessen. Then I let Finn lead me a short distance away. He’s wearing slacks and a thermal top, but I wouldn’t change his outfit or shaggy hair.

  As we begin to move, Finn twirls me around. Then, when I least expect it, he dips me. A giggle escapes my lips. As I rise, for a brief moment I lock eyes with Cole. His shoulders are slumped and he stuffs his hands into his pockets. Our connection is broken when Finn finishes lifting me. Then Finn touches my neck. All my attention returns to who I am with, not who I’ve always assumed I was supposed to be with.

  Finn lifts the snowflake charm, letting it hover above my neck. “Do you like it?”

  “So, it’s from you?” I ask, even though I’ve already figured it out.

  “Of course.” It takes everything in me to not glance toward Cole. But Finn deserves this moment. Then he pulls me closer, and we resume dancing. Finally, able to set my sights again on Cole, I catch a glimpse of him exiting the banquet hall.

  Suddenly, Dad is in my line of sight. He is making a beeline toward me. My first impulse is to worry—that is, until I see his countenance. The relaxed expression he wears fills my heart with joy and relief.

  “Excuse me, but I need a moment with my daughter,” Dad says to Finn, although my father is staring at me. Finn nods, turns away, and heads toward the drink table.

  “Is everything alright?” I can’t help but ask.

  “Never better,” is the only response Dad gives. This confirms I have nothing to fear, but I can’t help but wonder what this is all about.

  When we get to the east exit, Nicky waves at me. Mom stands at the door holding a fuzzy coat for me to slip into. I also opt for boots instead of heels since we are about to make a trek outside. Once properly dressed, the four of us step outside.

  “The suspense is killing me,” I say as we walk in the direction of where the sleigh barn used to be. “A hint please?” I ask imploringly.

  “The best view will only take a minute more to get to,” Mom says. She is holding gloved hands with Dad. Nicky and I trail behind. As I watch my parents, I hope when I do end up with someone that we’ll be half as happy as my parents.

  True to her word, sixty seconds later both of my parents and Nicky stop. I look around, letting
my face screw up into a confused look. “There’s nothing here to see,” I state. Nicky has a knowing look on his face, and I realize he’s already aware of what’s going on. He turns his attention to Mom and Dad.

  Both parents switch from staring at me to tilting their heads back, looking up. Nicky follows their lead, so I do the same.

  And I cry out in joy when I finally realize what we came outside to see.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  I look up to the ceiling of the magical dome. When Dad and I returned from delivering gifts on Christmas morning, the cracks had made their way to the bottom of the dome.

  And to my delight, I was correct in my theory. Whatever happens to the snow globe will also happen to the dome, just a day or two later. I watch as the small section of fractures directly above us slowly fade like fog. Another few minutes and the dome will be whole again.

  “So, tell us how you figured out what to do to fix the dome?” Dad says in a curious voice, with no hint of annoyance or blame. Mom drops his hands and begins rubbing her arms to keep warm. Nicky shifts his weight from one foot to another, but doesn’t offer an explanation to me.

  That’s when I realize I never shared my theory with my family. By the time we put a stop to Ebenezer I’d temporarily forgotten about the dome and my theory of healing it. “Before I answer that, there is something you must know.” I look down at me feet. “I was the one who cracked the dome in the first place.”

  “But how?” Mom tentatively reaches toward Dad. He takes hold of her hands again. Then they both turn their gazes back to me. Nicky grins and nods his head. He already knows about this, but I appreciate the moral support he’s offering by not telling on me.

  “I know everyone thinks there’s no place more magical than Winter Wonderland.” I pause and force myself to stand tall. “But for me it was a prison.”

  Dad turns to Mom and gives her a knowing look. She gives him a hint of a smile. I wonder if Mom told him about the conversation she and I had earlier about both feeling trapped.

  “I spent the past year trying to escape.” I close my eyes, not wanting to see the look of disappointment on their faces.

  “And all this time the only thing you needed to do was borrow Dad’s sleigh.” Nicky crosses his arms, then chuckles.

  “That’s not accurate.” Dad faces Nicky. “My sleigh isn’t able to pass through the magical barrier without my letting it.” Even though Dad already told me this, he must’ve forgotten to mention the information to Nicky.

  “So how did the four of you get out when you went to the beach? And crack the snow globe?” Mom raises an eyebrow. Both Dad and Nicky turn to me.

  “Shortly before our day in the sun, I’d failed yet another attempt to leave undetected.” I look down at my feet as I continue. “When I returned to my room, I let out a scream. It cracked the magical snow globe that was in my room.”

  All eyes are on me so I gather my courage and continue. “When I eventually saw the fracture in the dome, it only took a moment to realize just how connected the two magical objects are.”

  “Of course.” Mom touches her hand to her cheek and looks pensive.

  “I brought the snow globe with me to the ocean. However, it wasn’t until a few days ago when I realized that’s how the four of us snuck out to the beach.” I decide not to go into detail about walking through the barrier by the ice caves.

  “It was by taking with me the essence of the dome, the snow globe it was created based on.” All three stare at me now. I look from one to another, then continue, deciding to get everything out all at once. And that means confessing to the last secret.

  “On the morning of Christmas Eve, I finally left for good. Well, so I thought.” I pause for a moment and bite my lip, remembering the hope mixed with fear as Tiny and I rode toward town early that day. Then I continue.

  “But after singing with Carly and finally understanding that Christmas is about passion and sacrifice, and that I finally had a choice for the first time in my life...” I ramble but don’t stop myself. “I saw for myself for the first time how others see me, the future Santa, and you, Dad, and Grandpa, and all the Santas before us. And I chose to give being Santa a try.”

  I keep to myself how Finn helped me. The conversations I had with him don’t need to be shared. Even though Finn’s words changed everything, I keep them close to my heart, and far from my lips.

  “I’m glad you finally decided to step into your legacy.” There is hesitation in Nicky’s voice. “But was that what fixed this? You finally deciding to choose your legacy?”

  “No,” I answer, then have to laugh at myself. “It was when I sang.” All three had mirrored expressions of shock. “You see, about a week ago my shout in anger fractured it. But, when I, well, not just me but everyone at the diner in town, sang out of pure hearts, the snow globe was healed.”

  “So that’s how you knew the dome would heal.” My dad had a gleam in his eye. Then he gave Mom a knowing look.

  “Dad, I have to ask.” I pause for a moment then keep going. “What would’ve happened if the snow globe and then the dome shattered? Would it just be that the rest of the world could find us?”

  He glances at Mom. Her look is one of hesitation, and I don’t like it. How many secrets are they still keeping from me and why?

  “That is part of it.” Dad opens his gloved hand, palm up. A few flurries drop into it. “You see, the magical dome has hundreds of thin layers. Some of them allow a certain amount of snow into Winter Wonderland, but keep out a downpour from something like a snowstorm.”

  “Some of the layers are there so that if a plane flew overhead all it would see is the land, no buildings,” Mom says as she takes a step toward me and puts an arm around my shoulder.

  “And the other layers?” I can’t help but ask, even though something tells me I won’t get the answer tonight.

  “Let’s just say that Winter Wonderland truly is the most magical place on earth,” Dad states with a finality that informs me this conversation is over, at least for tonight.

  Dad wraps his arm around Nicky’s shoulder. “Come on, son.” Nicky glances at me, gives me a quick wave, and then heads off with Dad.

  Mom begins pulling pins out of her hair. She makes a pile in her right hand. It reminds me of the sticks that made our bonfire at the beach. She slips the pins into her pocket, then casually tilts her head back again and gasps.

  I look up just in time. As I watch the fractures disintegrate, I notice the Northern Lights dancing in the sky above. Seeing the shades of green whirl and swirl in the sky above through the cracks reminds me of looking into a kaleidoscope.

  Too bad Jolly can't imitate those lights in the ceiling of the Simulation Center. Finally, the last piece of the spider-like web slowly disintegrates and the dome is whole again.

  Mom gives me a hug. She whispers into my ear, “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks,” I whisper back. “I think I’ll stay another minute or two and take it all in.”

  After a few more seconds, Mom lets go. She cups my face in her hand and her smile expands. Then she heads toward Homebase.

  “Be there in a bit,” I say wanting a moment to not only relish in the satisfaction of the wholeness of the magical barrier, but also to fortify myself for what’s next.

  I bite my lip, not wanting to think about all the extra work needing to be done in the next twelve months, not only the housing for both sets of grandparents and the elves, but the insufficient number of toys, too. I think about all the damage I not only caused directly but indirectly, too. I wonder how cramped all of the elves were last night when they moved back into the basement.

  At least once the elves’ home is rebuilt it’ll have twice the space and some new additions, like a fireman’s pole in the center that the elves can slide down from any floor. However, construction on the elves home won’t start until we’ve managed to at least make a dent in creating the toys needed for next Christmas.

  The fire destroyed e
very last item in the future gifts barn. I am not sure how the quota for next year’s gifts will be filled in time. I’ll need to encourage my family to take their trips in spite of the mess.

  Then I realize I don’t cringe at the thought of being Santa. Part of me revels in it. I think back on the fun my father and I had racing across the sky, testing out treats, and laughing.

  I allow myself to think on the positive side. Both sets of grandparents leave tomorrow for a long vacation while their log cabins are being rebuilt. And Mom and Dad are going to take their honeymoon soon. Plus, I can come and go from Winter Wonderland as much as I please.

  Although, I should wait on having any fun until I’m sure next Christmas will be a success. My list of touristy things to see and do is already four pages long. And the theme of some of them revolves around singing.

  Maybe Finn will offer to be in the front row of every cafe with an open microphone night. My only stipulation will be that the crowd can’t be bigger than one person, him. That is, at least for now, while I build up my courage for sharing my voice with the world.

  I enjoyed stepping into my Santa role. But I can’t deny that thrill matches the thrill of singing at the diner yesterday and the party tonight. At least it did once I temporarily got over my stage fright. But, for the first time I can have one boot in Winter Wonderland and one boot out in the world.

  Ebenezer is locked in a cell in the caves. And our entire family is free to pursue more than one dream. However, tonight there is only one dream I want to fulfill before my head hits the pillow.

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  I make my way to the banquet hall. “I’m glad you didn’t leave yet,” I say as I approach Finn.

  “Not when there’s still free food.” He winks.

  “Will you walk with me?” I work hard to keep my voice from trembling. He falls into step by my side. I want to make small talk as we move, but I’m nervous. Too soon we round the corner. My shoulders slump as I realize someone took down the mistletoe. I still lead him to the spot directly under where it used to be and glance up to make sure there isn’t a tiny piece left. No such luck.