Christmas

"Christian, I would like to tell you how sorry I am," Saniya said.

"I am so glad to see you now if anything," I answered.

Saniya sits by my bedside while I am being tended to by her conjured doctors, everything aches, but I am glad I somehow survived a jealous man's beatings.

"I didn't know he was going to completely do that…" Saniya commented, "Anyways."

"Anyways?" I ask.

"You can work on this issue alone I think." She says.

"Gee…thanks."

"You eventually need to accept Colton, Christian." She states.

"He seems completely different from me," I argue.

"You want to know what I saw on your palm?" Saniya asks, "You won't be the same in the future."

"What do you mean?"

"Colton is who you will embody fully…trickster servants are hard to come by," Saniya explains.

"Colton is a trickster?" I shout.

"He is you, idiot!" She spouts.

"I see…"

"Meanwhile, there has been a paper going around!" Saniya announces.

She brings out a folded poster with my face printed on it, I give her a blank look. A large number is printed under my face. Saniya takes out another smaller one similar in tone.

"So you've been collecting my missing posters…" I say with a loud sigh.

"I thought it might interest you," Saniya said.

"It really doesn't…"

The door opens to Katherine and Chara peeking through the crack, one head on top of the other gazing up at me and Saniya.

"It looks like you attracted another friend." Saniya declared.

"Katherine! Why are you here?" I yell.

"I didn't want to stay with that tyrant," Katherine smiled.

"I think Everett would like her a lot, Master Christian!" Chara adds.

"More for us I guess." I laugh.

"For now you will recover in the household before going on your next mission," Sanya affirms.

"Next mission? So sudden?" I dispute.

"You will do as I say, Christian! Next red is coming and you aren't prepared at all!" She bickers.

"Can't you be kind, Saniya?" Chara squabbles back.

"He has something important to do soon…I won't have him muck this up." Saniya warns us.

"Are we allowed to go with him?" Katherine asks.

"He is going alone Katherine, Chara you have to stay this time." Saniya chides.

"I don't get any say in this?" I inquire.

"You don't, but…I was told something and I would like you to come to the living room…" Saniya said.

Chara takes one hand, Katherine takes the other leading me to the living room to find a large Christmas tree dressed in paper green and red chain links. Homemade felt ornaments and candy canes lined the tree's large branches.

"Chara told me you miss Christmas…" Saniya said blushing.

A crudely made cake and the small feast were lined up on a table. I noticed the bandaids on Saniya's fingers. I could feel the tears well up in the side of my eyes.

"Saniya…thank you." I replied happily, "How long did it take you to get it in?"

"A couple of hours at the very least. We worked super hard on the ornaments!" Saniya boasts.

Bending down I look at all the silly faces made in felt or paper ones done with simple popsicle sticks, glue, and googly eyes. I could see all the love being put into the tree and decor.

"I am not much of a baker, I appreciate everything you do and want to show I care." Saniya illustrates.

"I never thought I would ever hear you be nice Saniya." I laugh, "I am really happy."

"Christian! Let's have some cake!" Katherine says.

Chara starts to cut the small cake sitting by the tree, handing one to me I pass it to Saniya kissing her on the forehead. She says nothing more. I stroll over to be Katherine and Chara.

"I told Saniya I could handle the cake, but she insisted," Chara reveals.

There is a knock on the door, Katherine opens it to meet face to face with Dominique. She reddens taking his hat and scarf.

"Greetings, I have heard you are coming, Master Dominique," Katherine says softly.

"I heard you quit the Latrell residence to live here, looks like it's true." Dominique grins.

"Would you like cake? Or food or…" Katherine stopped.

"Or? Are you okay?" Dominique answers.

"Stupid love birds, join us!" Saniya shouts.

The two sit down on the floor by me and Chara, Dominique hands me a bottle of wine smirking at me. I attempt to scoot away.

He grabs me by the neck clinking glasses together, raising them high in the air, the clamor of excitement makes me feel so comfortable again.

Maybe this is truly where I belong and not with Alice and the Everett clan? I guess I have time to decide where I belong. Nagging in the back of my mind keeps pushing me to abandon everything even after I carry out Saniya's wishes.

Dominique hands me one of the glasses pouring messily into my cup and his, we bang the glasses together drinking in gulps.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Chara says.

Chara gets up leaving our little party behind, I am starting to feel the effects of the alcohol leaning into Dominique. He would pour more even when I would object.

A scream is heard down the hall, jumping to my feet. I and Dominique stumble to our feet bumping our heads into each other.

Woozily we wobble the halls in search of the scream, Katherine comes up at the rear propping us up when we angle the slightest. At the door of the bathroom, we rap our knuckles sluggishly.

No one answers, Katherine gets angry at us. We only giggle back, she knocks harder.

"Chara sweetie, are you there?" Katherine asks.

I shift to the side intoxicatedly, Dominique reclines against me. Katherine kicks the door in as we lollygag. Chara stands at the mirror in shock.

Her face was pale, pointing to her reflection. We saw nothing else. Katherine checks around to make sure nothing was a miss.

"You idiots did nothing, go back to the living room!" Katherine scolds.

"I-it was Alice's face, but she looked much older." Chara clarifies.

"Alice? Impossible!" I shout, "She is with her stupid vampire boyfriend!"

I slur my words in anger, I thought perhaps Chara was seeing things. Possibly she was homesick?

"Christian, why would you not believe me?" Chara replies upset.

"They are drunk Chara like dolts." Katherine responds.

"Why are you all out here?" Saniya asks.

"Chara saw something in the mirror." Katherine states.

"What did she see?" Saniya quizzes.

"I saw Alice, Saniya!" Chara says, "I swear!"

"Get out of the hallway and go back to the fun and games please!" She shouts.

"Way ahead of you!" I yell.

"We could party in the hallway!" Dominique announced tipsy.

"No! Get out now Dominique!" Saniya shouts at us.

Saniya stayed behind despite sending us back into the living room while we carried on our drunken activities. I didn't want to ruin the happiness of the day.

Her fist flung into the nearby wall, what Chara saw was an illusion right?