Author’s Ramblings: Well, it’s been a wonderful Christmas for me. I’ve enjoyed the time with family and friends, especially those still visiting and whatnot. For that reason, I have held off on my posts a bit to get ready for the new year and spend some time with those I do see often enough. I’ve also had a request for “changing” my Christmas stories from fantasy to non-fantasy versions. It isn’t really a bad idea–or a hard one, but it might take some time. They might not show up right away, but if you found these fantasy pieces to be a bit too much, then keep an eye out for the others that will eventually appear here. ^_^ Also, please note, I am no longer taking any more song title requests-I have more than enough to work with–thank you, everyone! On a happy note, this one today is an episode from a favorite pair of characters, cousins Lana and Jackie. You can read about one of their first adventures together here.
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| This lovely painting was done by Liz Lemon Swindle |
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Disclaimer is at the bottom. I do not own the lyrics or the song, this is merely a bit of of creative fiction for the fun of it. The idea/plot/characters created are my own.
Title: Lana’s Christmas Adventure
Lana stomped into her bedroom, slamming the door as hard as she could “This Christmas is so stupid!” She glared at the shut door, struggling to resist the urge to kick it. Doing so would only result in a stubbed toe and possibly a scuffed sandal.
Dropping onto her desk chair, she reached down to yank off the strappy sandals. “It’s just a minidress and stupid shoes! Ugh, why do-”
“Merry Christmas, Lana.” Jackie spoke from the corner by the window where she’d been sitting, half-hidden by the burgundy curtains.
“Aie!” Lana yelped, stumbling to her feet and then sinking back into the chair, with her glare now directed to her crazy sister-like cousin. “Jackie!” She huffed, turning away, still fiddling with the sandal. “What are you doing here?”
“You wouldn’t take my calls and you kept telling your mom to tell me that you weren’t here.” She shrugged, rising to her feet. “Your charm was offline too, I was worried so I came over. Your dad let me in.”
“Worried? You just wanted to drag me along on another one of your crazy adventures!” Lana successfully removed the slipper and tossed it beneath the desk. “What do you want now?”
“They aren’t crazy adventures, they’re experiences that help to-”
“Yeah, well I didn’t ask you to do that for me!”
“I didn’t give you the option to refuse.”
“What?” Lana was on her feet, hands clenched at her side. “Excuse me, what did you just say?”
“I came to ask you if you wanted to see the Christmas story, I guess I should have been more clear about it.”
“About what? In fact, never mind. I don’t want anything more to do with you-you’re just like them! Get out! Get out of here and leave me alone!”
“I was going to ask if you were prepared, but it is obvious that you’re not.” Jackie walked forward, holding out one hand where the matching, shimmering cross dangled from a slender silver chain. “But judging from the way things are at the moment, I suppose it is a good idea to give you an option.”
“An option? What are you talking about?”
“Some things you can skip and I won’t be harping on you to keep up with it—but when it comes to something that is a part of you that shouldn’t be changing for the worse—I will speak up.” Jackie sighed. “You can put this on or I can put it on for you.”
“What-hey!” Lana tried to shy away from the insistent hands that came forward and caught her in a hug. She was vaguely aware of the coolness of the silver necklace as it was fastened around her neck as the once-familiar flash of rainbow blinded her.
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.
The song was playing in the air, somewhere in the back of her mind as the rainbows gave way to a tangle of blue and black. Lana tried to breathe, to recover from the transportation method. Instead, she heard her least-favorite Christmas song still playing in the back of her head. It wasn’t a very good feeling at all. She swallowed, willing her stomach to calm.
They appeared, as a pair, standing in mid-air over a choppy sea against the darkening backdrop of sky. Lana found her hands fisted in Jackie’s hoodie, clutching her arm tightly. “Where are we? Where did you take me?”
Her cousin merely turned with an expression of something akin to regret and sorrow. “I should’ve come after the first week.” Jackie murmured. “I didn’t think about it—I didn’t want to listen. I’ll definitely listen next time. I’m sorry Lana. Don’t worry, everything will be okay. You’ll remember this, I think. Just watch.”
“I don’t want to watch, I want to go home!”
“We’ll go home in a little bit. I won’t keep you long—promise.”
“You always say that!”
“Have I ever broken my word?”
“You-!” Lana broke off, abruptly. There wasn’t an actual answer to that question, because she couldn’t recall a time where Jackie hadn’t done exactly as she’d promised.
Sharp sea air blew through them and Lana shivered. She was surprised to realize that she was hovering barefoot—and still clad in her party minidress. “I don’t like this. It’s cold. We shouldn’t be here, it’s dangerous.”
“Sorry. There won’t be any wardrobe changes since we won’t be interacting in this environment.” Jackie hesitated for a moment, then tugged her hoodie off. “Here, put this on. It’ll help.”
“W-what about you?” Lana could feel her teeth chattering. “Why is it so cold?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry, I’m used to this.”
“J-jackie?”
“What?”
“I’m seeing a ghost.”
Jackie suppressed a chuckle. “Really, now?”
“Don’t you see it?” Lana grabbed her arm again, her eyes wide with terror. “I can see it! I can really see it, it’s coming close. It’s coming to that boat over there and-” She stopped. “When did that get there? There’s people in it. Oh my goodness!”
Jackie merely smiled, watching as her cousin stared from the white-robed figure to the boat and its occupants. “They’ll be fine. Calm down.”
“How can I possibly be calm when—oh wow.” Lana shut up, staring. She watched as the man walking on the water called out to one of the men in the boat. The fellow stepped out, attempting to manage the same feat of walking on the boisterous water. He began to sink when his gaze shifted to the waves and suddenly, the man in white was there to help him back.
Lana’s hand went to her mouth and Jackie’s smile widened. “Know that one?”
“Jesus walking on water?”
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.
The scene changed.
Lana heard Jackie’s muffled squeak when her grip on her cousin’s arm tightened even more. They were still hovering in mid-air, this time over a street lined with buildings of a yellowed-stone, the road itself consisting of packed dirt. It was warmer than the previous adventure and the sunlight gave a slightly relaxing tone to the busy atmosphere.
“What’s going on?” Lana squinted to see.
Jackie reached towards her neck, brushing the silver cross charm. Their position shifted, lowering them closer to the street, at a vantage point where they could see a man walking along the street, surrounded by several others. They stopped before a blind beggar in the street and spoke amongst themselves.
“Hey, wait a minute…” Lana’s hand went to her mouth. “Jackie, isn’t that-?”
The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.
The scene changed again.
In a series of blinding flashes, punctuated by real-life cut-scenes, Lana stared. She watched the stone roll away from the grave, she saw a man in wrapped in white walking out to two weeping women. She saw a man lying by the pool, unable to move—rise with his bedroll. She saw dozens of those healed, shouting, running and walking, singing their praises to the heavens.
She saw and she cried.
Jackie let her.
The last scene change brought them to a small stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Lana scrubbed her face with the sleeve of the borrowed jacket. Telltale black smears showed that her mascara was now running. For once, she didn’t care. The scene drew closer until Lana realized they were standing just inside the stable where Mary and Joseph stood with the shepherds, surrounding a manger, where a baby lay—fast asleep.
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding is the great I AM.
The last verse of the song echoed in her head and Lana turned into the welcoming arms of her cousin. She cried for reasons she couldn’t put into words. Jackie rubbed her shoulder and smiled through a few stray tears of her own. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“How can she sit there?” Lana looked towards the stable as the scene began to shimmer, signaling the end of their adventure. “How can she sit there so calmly and-”
“It’s not her, it’s us.” Jackie corrected. “It’s how can we sit so calmly and act like it is nothing when we know the whole story? She didn’t know. If she did, perhaps it changed a few things, but I don’t think anyone really could ever understand something like that, Lana. Maybe it’s because we’re human, maybe we’re not supposed to know. It could be a hundred different things, but this thing that it is—remember this. Remember tonight. Remember Him.” She hugged her tight. “I have to get going, I have some…stuff to do. Merry Christmas, cuz.”
“Wait-! You’re just going to-?”
Jackie smiled and faded away in a shimmer of rainbow sparkles.
Disclaimer and rights. © Sara Harricharan. I do not own the lyrics, the song or anything of the sort, only the original characters I have created and the plot, which are solely my own creation and any resemblance to an actual event, person or place, is entirely coincidental as this is a work of fiction.