I Didn't Know That Santa Has Red Skin - Ninth Place

[Date: 19 December]

[I'm Liana. 15 years old. Have no life, no friends, no love.]

A beautiful girl sat in front of her desk, writing something. This is her first time writing a diary. Some people may think that what she wrote was exaggerated. But it wasn't far from the truth.

[I have a little brother, I hate him, he made my life miserable, he shouldn't have been born!]

That was what she wrote, her heart wrenched with phantom pain from the thought of how much precious moment she lost since the day her little brother was born. Tears began to fall on her newly bought journal.

When she was 8; her brother was born, she thought she was the happiest girl alive. She got a cute little brother and she have someone who she can love and protect, someone who will accompany her when she was lonely.

But that dream was shattered as her brother was diagnosed with Autism when he was 4 years old.

[Brian has all of Mom and Dad's attention! My friends bully me because of him!]

Liana gripped her pen tightly. They were not the richest family. Her parents have to work here and there, too busy because of their financial situation. When they are home, all they ever asked about was Brian! Brian! Brian!

In the end, she was the one who had to take care of Brian.

[I wish he will disappear]

She didn't mean it. Deep down she knew it. But she needs a way to vent out her frustration when she has no one willing to listen to her.

"Big Sister!" Here comes her brother. She could hear him scream while running all the way from the living room. She sighed heavily and wiped away any traces of tears.

BANG!

A seven years old boy rushed in while holding a cute Lion plushie. He quickly climbed on her bed and began to jump on it while shouting something only he understands.

Liana stared at his feet. He was wearing his sandals.

"Brian! How many times do I have to tell you to not wear your sandals in the house!" Liana pulled her own hair in frustration. But in reply, Brian giggled and jumped higher.

"You- Get down!" Liana effectively caught her brother and brought him down with little difficulty. She had years of training; she was used to this, even when Brian angrily clawed at her face and kicked her with all his might.

She endured the pain when her brother's leg managed to make a hit land on her side. It was a fierce fight. One trying to break free, and one trying to restrain.

It was then that Liana noticed a black slimy spot on Brian sleeve and neck. She fought harder to restrain Brian, and when Brian finally calmed down in fatigue, both of them were gasping for breath.

Liana took this chance to take a look at that slimy black thing on Brian. She touched Brian's neck and smell the black substance.

It was Soy sauce!

Brian was tickled when Liana touched his neck. He broke into hysterical giggles. Then he fought to get away from his sister's hold. He somehow managed to break free, he ran while laughing happily as if they were playing tag. But he forgot to take his favorite Lion with him.

Liana glanced at her bed cover and saw the dreadful black substance. In a flash, she ran after Brian. She won't let him make more mess than he already did!

She found him in the kitchen. He was hiding from her but didn't stop giggling. He hid himself behind the freezer's opened door.

She spotted the messy kitchen pieces of bread, ketchup, opened juice bottle, and of course

Soy sauce!

She closed the freezer's door harshly, causing the freezer to shake from the force. But before she could grasp Brian's arm and drag him to the bathroom, she was stunned by the object that Brian was holding.

It was a plate with two slices of white bread, on it was ketchup and line of black soy sauce. Brian beamed at her, he ran past her then put the plate on the table. There was two glass of juice. The table was messy. No doubt he poured the juice himself. It was all over the table.

Brian turned back to her, he happily approached her and pulled her to the table. He forcefully pushed her to sit down and pushed the plate in front of her. Brian clapped excitedly and began to sing a weird version of a birthday song.

"Birthday to big sister~! Birthday to you~! Birthday! Birthday! Yay! Blow candles!" Although he said to blow the candle, there are no candles to blow. Liana decided to blow the thin air to humor her brother. Brian clapped loudly; he took a bread and shoved it into Liana's mouth. She ate it.

It tasted super weird. She grimaced at the taste, she almost choked, but she held it in and swallowed the bread.

Her heart was overcomed with a warm feeling. Today is not her birthday.

It was yesterday. Their parents came back home late, and they were too tired to remember such an insignificant day. She understood that. But that doesn't mean she didn't wish for a simple family time. And probably a small cupcake with a candle on it. It's all she wanted. But they forgot about it.

They were tired, and she didn't blame them for that. But she couldn't avoid the sad feeling that overcomes her. She cried herself to sleep. And Brian probably noticed since they slept in the same room. What did you expect? Their house was only a contracted house with only two rooms.

"This kid," Liana mumbled to herself. Tears began to make its way down to her cheek. She doesn't understand how he knew. But Brian had always been a clever little boy. He might be hyperactive, often throw tantrums, angry for no reasons, often lose controls over his own emotion. But he was always a sweet boy.

Liana felt small clumsy fingers wiping away her tears. She looked at Brian's confused face.

"Don't cry. Brian protect big sister! Who is the mean guy?" He asked her innocently.

"God..." It didn't stop, the tears come down faster than before. Liana threw the piece of bread back to the plate and engulfed Brian into a tight embrace. "How could I ever think that I-" she stopped in mid-sentence. 'Hate you' was left unsaid.

As if he could tell that Liana was feeling better than yesterday, Brian happily hugged her back.

After the messy late birthday party, Liana took Brian to the bathroom to bath him. Then she left him in the living room alone while she cleaned up the messy kitchen.

Liana was feeling lighter than ever. She decided to make a sandwich for Brian.

After she was done, she put a plate of sandwich on the table in the living room. Brian was staring at a blank paper. He looks conflicted.

"What are you doing?" Liana questioned curiously.

"Writing to Santa"

Liana was never the one to believe in Santa... All the kids have always send a letter to Santa by putting it under the Christmas tree.

She knew all the gifts were actually bought by the parents. She never put a letter under a Christmas tree, since their family was too poor to even afford a Christmas tree, so she never gets any gift.

Half an hour passed by peacefully, and somehow Brian managed to convince her to make a wish letter.

Her wish is very simple. For her family to have a good health.

She had asked Brian about his wish, but he had a hard time deciding. Ah, it's almost the time for dinner. Their parents won't be home for a few days. She still has enough money to buy Brian his favorite food.

She dressed him in a warm clothing and took him out. The small restaurant is only five minutes away from their home, so Liana proceeded to buy the food.

"Brian?" She only looked away for seconds and he was gone! A feeling of panic surged and then it almost blocked her throat. Without thinking twice, she began to shout for him and ran to look for him.

She doesn't know whether she was fortunate or not. She found him quickly, but it wasn't the most pleasant situation.

Brian was being cornered by a boy a year older than her. And as a sister, she didn't hesitate to protect Brian. She spotted a bruise on Brian's cheek. Anger overcame her and she slapped the boy. The boy was angered and he managed to land a punch on Liana before a middle-aged man passed by and chased the boy away.

They were saved.

On 23rd December, Liana took Brian to the shopping district to put their wish letter under the Christmas tree.

"What did you wish for?" She has some savings, maybe it was enough to buy what Brian wanted.

"For Rawr to become big and protect big sister!" Brian held up his Lion plushie with a big smile. He was shocked to silence a few days ago. That boy. If Liana sees him again, she will beat him to death! He was back to normal now. But Liana still cannot forget what happened.

They put the letter under the big Christmas tree. Now, how can Liana grant that wish? And she should have to take a look at his letter. After all, the letter has a typo and was not addressed to Santa, but to Satan.

Two days passed by, it was Christmas, But their parents still can't come home because their boss needed more help.

Liana took Brian out again to buy something he might want so he won't ask about his Christmas gift from Santa. But life was just so cruel. On the way to the shopping district, Liana and Brian bumped into a group of older boys.

Their leader is the boy who Liana slapped a few days ago. They dragged the siblings to an empty alleyway. Liana was not stupid and she knew she couldn't win.

She blocked Brian from their view to protect him. She pulled Brian into a tight hug and her back was exposed vulnerably to their beatings. She only felt a hit when it was suddenly stopped by a loud boom right beside them. The wall was crumbled down, and big, red, muscle being complete with a sharp eye and a very big horn on its head stepped out.

The big being eyed all of them, then his sight landed on Brian, he was holding a small blue paper. Then with a hair-raising voice, the being spoke.

"You are Brian?"

The silly boy in her embrace nodded stupidly, his eyes wide in curiosity, not even afraid of the being. The being snapped his fingers and a big lion with a blazingly red fire fur stepped out from the being's behind.

During the process, the boys finally managed to move their leg and ran with their tails tucked in between their feet.

The being approached them and handed Brian the paper. Without saying anything, he disappears as if he was never there, leaving the big Lion with them.

Still in shock, Liana read the letter over Brian's shoulder.

[I never receive a request during Chrismas, you are the first.

Hahahaha, maybe I could beat that Santa in conquering the children's heart one day. You will be my first step! So I will grant you that one wish. That is hell Lion, he will be loyal to you. Take care of it!

-Satan-]

"I thought Santa only wear red clothing, not his whole body is red," Brian exclaimed in glee, he happily hugged the oddly obedient Hell Lion. It's fire fur isn't even hot to the touch.

Liana only sat on the ground in silence. Too shocked to even react.