Christmas Wish

The remote town Xue was coated in snow, looking entirely white. Big snowflakes danced through the icy breeze and turned the town into a winter wonderland.

Grey smoke floated out from the chimney of a very small house. The house had one floor and was only half the size of the neighboring houses, looking shabby in comparison.

"Mum~~!" shouted a little boy.

He was running towards the house, huffing and puffing. The air escaping his deep breaths looked like smoke in the freezing air.

Snot flowed down his red nose and he sniffed every now and then. Wiping the tears from his reddened eyes, he shot the door open and threw his clothes and shoes to the side.

In hurried steps, he ran into the kitchen and cried, "Mum~, the kids threw snowballs into my face again!"

The gentle-looking woman who stood before the stove turned around. She wore an apron and her braid flowed down her left shoulder.

A warm smile blossomed over her sweet lips and she squatted in front of him, being on same eye-level.

In a lovely voice no songbird could match, she said, "Come here," and opened her arms for a hug.

The boy jumped into her arms and closed his eyes. Being in her warm embrace, he already felt safer and that everything will be okay.

She stroked his head and suggested, "How about you write your list for Santa, and I bake some cookies for you, hm? Cookies and a hot chocolate with cream."

The boy left the hug, sniffled, and nodded in his approval.

Clumsily, he grabbed paper and pen from the table and waddled towards the fireplace. Lying down on the cozy rug before the fireplace, he listened to the crackling of the gentle fire. He stretched his feet into the air and dangled them before the fire, warming them up from their stiffness.

In shakey letters he wrote and said every word out loud that he wrote.

"Dear Satan, I was bullied today again. And I realised what I need the most in such times: a friend. I heard that dogs are humans best friends, so I only wish for a dog to christmas."

"Your Ba Bu."

With satisfaction he grinned over both ears and folded the paper together.

"Mum, I'm finished," he said and ran into the kitchen to give her the christmas wish letter.

"Thank you," she said, took the letter, and gave him a full plate of delicious cookies. "Here are your cookies. The hot chocolate is already on the table."

…

…

The days stormed by and finally Christmas eve arrived.

The boy and his mum stood before the decorated christmas tree and sang a song. His mother was clearly talented in singing. She sang better than anyone the boy ever heard. In his eyes, she was a star who only sang for him.

When they ended the last high note of the song, the mother patted the boy's head and said, "Go ahead. The big present right there is yours."

A big grin flashed onto his lips and showed his angel-white teeth. He hurried before the colorfully wrapped present and teared the wrappage apart. The ripping of paper echoed through the room.

Below the wrapping was a carton with holes in it. He teared it like a savage apart and opened it.

*ruff* *ruff*

The barking of a dog came from the opened carton. Ba Bu started at the dog, clearly shocked and mindblown.

The dog had three heads!

It looked like a rottweiler, yet he had three heads! Saliva drooled down of every of his three mouths and it showed its ugly fangs. Three big, grey tongue stuck out from the heads and licked synchronously over their snouts.

Suddenly, it leaped out of the box and jumped at Ba Bu. His eyes widened in shock and he fell backwards while the beast landed on his chest. Before he could scream, the dog licked with all tongues over his face. It was clearly happy to be here.

"Hahaha, stop it. Hahaha," the boy laughed and patted one of the dog's heads.

They evening went by cheerfully and the boy and the dog bonded. The next morning, Ba Bu went outside to play in the park again. But this time he took his new dog, Ba Bo, with him.

Kids were playing in the park and it was bustling with activity. And out of nowhere, two boys bigger than Ba Bu grabbed him from behind.

"Yo, Ba Bu-'llshit'! Ready for another ball of icy goodness into your ugly face? Hahahaha!!" one bully said and laughed loudly.

"Yo, Ba-'stard' Bu! Should I shove another snowball into your jacket?! Hahahaha!!" the other bully followed up.

Ba Bu gritted and grinded his teeth in rage and howled, "Ba Bo! Get them!"

The dog's eyes flared up in a hellfire-red and pounded at one of the bullies. All its three maws teared the bully's clothes apart and left him naked in the snow.

Being finished with the first one, it shot its glance at the second bully. He shivered in fright from the dog's appearance alone. Something yellow wetted his pants and dripped into the snow, coloring it yellow.

"No - no -no~~!!" he screeched and ran away.

Ba Bu thrusted himself at his dog, Ba Bo, and gave him a tight hug. Gently he whispered into its six ears, "You're the best that happened to me. You- You are my truest friend."

*ruff*