Awakening a Star

I awake with a fright as I hit the side of my box.                                                                                

 “Careful you don’t drop it!” a distant voice calls, as I slide helplessly, back, and forth within my cardboard abode. Feeling scared and groggy, I wonder where I am, what is happening.

“Watch out! The lid is falling off,” someone shouts. In an instant, a dazzling light blinds me, even though I keep my eyes shut tight.

“Pass the box down to me,” says a voice I now recognise as Mrs Tapley’s. Surely, it is too soon to wake me. The cardboard floor beneath me drops down like an elevator. My stomach feels weightless. I gasp for breath, peek through half-opened eyes, and see the ceiling hatch recede as I descend in my open box into the hands of Mrs Tapley. Still dopey, I close my heavy eyelids for just a second.

Upon opening them, I realise I must have dozed off. I inhale the wonderful, crisp, outdoorsy smell of pine enveloping me. How quickly the year has passed, I muse, as I happily dangle from a branch of the Tapley’s Nordmann Fir Christmas tree. I stretch and feel energised. It is exciting to be here again.

The Christmas tree lights twinkle but everything else is quiet. The Tapley family must be in bed, I realise. I look at the other hanging decorations, still dormant. I take another look; it hits me that something is very wrong. My heart races. This is not right. I should not be here, so far down the tree, next to old Elvis Elf and Roly Rocking Horse. I am born to be up high. Frowning, I release myself from the wire hook holding me and determined, start to climb upwards.  The branches are strong and their dark green needles unusually soft, so I make steady progress, feeling happier the higher I climb. A smugness overtakes me as I slowly and stealthily move up, zig zagging past the Gingerbread House, Red Robin, Candy Cane, and Cyril Squirrel, careful not to wake them. I smile at the thought of soon being able to look down on everyone.

“Nearly there,” I mutter to myself, as I grasp one of the top branches and pull myself up. While taking a moment to look at the great view, I hear an awful crack and feel the branch giving way under me. Filled with dread, my heart thumps, I wobble, lash out and grab hold of the nearest thing. It feels soft and silky. Oh, no! There is an ear-splitting scream as I drag someone down by the hem of their satin dress. Down, down, and down we fall. I think I am going to die. Fear paralyses my vocal cords as we twist and bounce through the thick, bushy branches, colliding as we go with startled animals, frightened figurines, and shouting baubles.  Bruised, battered, and scratched, I land with a thud on the carpet together with a dazed Angel Bella. Tumbling down on top of us are Cyril Squirrel, Harry Hedgehog, White Snowman, Red Fox, and Sugar Mouse.

All the tree is awake, cursing and screaming. What a ruckus. My survival instinct kicks in and taking advantage of the chaos I crawl out from under the hysterical angel and squawking animals and sneak behind the tin of biscuits under the tree. Hidden from view, I watch as four Nutcracker soldiers and their Captain appear on the scene.

“Quiet!” the captain shouts but nobody hears him. The arguing and shouting continue. The captain puts his rifle to his shoulder. I gasp. He fires twice over the top of the tree causing me to flinch. There is an immediate hush.

“What is going on here?” the captain inquires in a stern voice.

“I was pulled off the top of the tree. I didn’t see who it was,” weeps a trembling Angel Bella, her wings bent, and dress torn. “As I fell, I knocked my friends off their branches. I could not help it.”

“That is true.” squeaked Sugar Mouse.

“Who would do such a wicked thing?” ask the tree decorations, looking aghast at the thought.

“That’s what I intend to find out. Nobody moves!” bellows the captain. “I suggest the villain makes it easy on himself and gives himself up.” The decorations look at one another. I crouch down even further behind the biscuit tin.

“Why are you in charge?” challenges Elvis Elf. “I am the most senior person here. I have served three generations of the Tapley family. You and your Nutcracker soldiers are brand new.”

“Most senior,” repeats the captain slowly. “That sounds like a motive to me. Did you have ambitions to sit at the top of the Christmas tree?”

“You are no detective if you think a ninety-five-year-old elf can climb that height,” laughs Elvis Elf as he points to the top of the seven-foot tree. Peeking out from behind my tin, I can see the captain is not laughing. In fact, with his scowling red face, he looks quite angry.

Cyril Squirrel and Harry Hedgehog start chuckling. The captain turns on them. “A ninety-five-year-old elf is also too old to be in charge. Where were the two of you when the crime happened?”

“I was asleep halfway up the tree. I like to stay hidden in between the branches, not exposed at the top,” blurts Cyril Squirrel shaking. “I was brought tumbling down from the tree by Angel Bella and the unseen villain.”

“So was I” whispers Harry Hedgehog. “I like to bury myself in the foliage near the bottom of the tree. I was knocked onto the floor.”

The captain stares at the decorations. “If the culprit does not come forward now, the death penalty will be imposed when I eventually find them,” The decorations look horrified. My body starts to shake uncontrollably. What have I done? What will the captain do to me if I confess? Everyone will hate me. I decide I need to stay silent and duck down again.  

The captain waits, jaw clenched. It is soon clear to him no one is coming forward. His beady eyes search for another suspect and settle on Red Fox. A cruel smile spreads across the captain’s face.

“Guards seize Red Fox. All foxes are sly. He is obviously the culprit. Strip him of his red coat and black boots and tie him to the tree to face the firing squad. Blindfold him if necessary!” Red Fox tries to run but the four Nutcrackers are on him before he can shout crackers.

“It was not me!” yells Red Fox. “I love Angel Bella, we all do.” His pleas are ignored, and I watch anxiously as the Nutcrackers remove his boots and coat. I am ashamed of myself for being such a coward and not owning up, but I am frozen to the spot with fear.

“Stop what you are doing immediately! hoots Mr. Owl bravely, looking down from his branch. “You have not got one shred of evidence. I will report you to Santa if you hurt one piece of fur on his coat. I am the wisest here, I will find the real culprit.” All the tree decorations cheer and surge forward in support of Mr Owl.

The captain hastily backs down, seeing that he is outnumbered and has lost command over the crowd. “Release Red Fox,” he orders. “Let us see if you can do any better, Mr Owl,” he snaps. Angel Bella runs to Red Fox and hugs him tight. I let out a sigh of relief.

“Now, who would have most to gain if Angel Bella had an accident? asks Mr Owl. I cringe and put my head in my hands.

“Sam Star would be the only on who could replace me at the top of the tree,” remarks Angel Bella. Everyone looks about for Sam Star. “Where is he?” she asks.

“I am here,” I say, as I reluctantly come out of hiding.

“It cannot have been Sam Star,” observes Elvis Elf. “I can vouch for him. I woke for a few seconds while I was being placed on the tree and I saw Sam Star low down, next to me.”

I look at Elvis Elf, Mr Owl, and the others and realise that they stood up to the captain while I hid. They have shown themselves to be better than me, I need to tell the truth and not let anyone else be wrongly blamed.

“It was me,” I confess. “But it was truly an accident. I just wanted to be like a real star shining up high. The branch snapped and…”

“Seize Sam Star. Execute him! interrupts the captain.

I think nothing can save me now, then I hear Ho! Ho! Ho! and Santa Clause steps into the hall. He stops in his tracks when he sees the chaos.

“What is going on, a mutiny on Christmas Eve?”   Mr Owl tells Santa all that has gone on. Elvis Elf and a few others fill little Tommy Tapley’s stocking with presents from Santa’s sack while Santa also listens to my side of the story. I then wait quivering while Santa decides my fate.

“Well, we cannot let a mischievous and unhappy Sam Star stay on the tree,” exclaims Santa seriously. My heart sinks and I feel tearful. Santa then winks at me. “As a punishment, I shall have to send you up high into the sky to work with the other stars to light my way.” I stare at Santa in disbelief, He must know this is a dream come true for me. “It is Christmas Eve,” says Santa as he waves his hand and with a whoosh, I feel myself shoot up into the sky. And here I am. So, when you next look up at the night sky see if you can spot me, the new star in the sky.

,

 .