literature

Merry Christmas

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Snow was slowly falling on the city. Small, shimmering flakes of winter were covering rooftops and pavements. They coloured human hair in silver, melting in their breath. It was Christmas Eve in London, Veille de Noël in Paris. Christmas.

Despite late hour and the snow, the streets weren´t completely empty. People were rushing home to their families, to visit their friends, to church to pray, or they just walked hand in hand with loved ones, enjoying the carols coming from the nearby stores. Children were playing chase between stands of Christmas market. Scent of mulled wine and chestnuts filled the air.

Angel was thoughtfully looking at the people with sky blue eyes, his golden hair curling in the wind. Today, he came to see once again how people celebrated the feast of peace. As every year, he walked through the cities of different countries, silently admiring the glittering decorations.

This year, his visit of the world was almost over. He never used to stay after the Midnight Mass, and it was starting in one hour.

A little disappointed, he watched Santa in the window of a store. Humans and their habits. They used to make gifts of fruit and sweets and enjoy the warmth of the family hearth. And now? Little wrinkle formed on his forehead. Christmas became holidays of material things, expensive gifts wrapped in tinfoil with gaudy ribbons. People watch movies, eat steaks and forget to appreciate family and friends.

Angel sighed sadly and passed a few more shops. Behind the glass, a fir decorated with hundreds of light bulbs blinked at him happily. He almost couldn´t remember when people began decorating Christmas trees.
 
He winced when a pair of hands hugged him from behind.
 
"Merry Christmas," a deep voice sang in his ear.

Angel shivered at the sound. "Do not touch me!" he said angry and broke free from the embrace.

"Well, well," purred Devil, "can´t be nicer to each other at least during Christmas?"

Angel turned to him, frowning. "What are you doing here? Aren´t you ashamed to tempt people today?"

"Oh, come on, let´s not be so hostile," Devil laughed and the flames flashed in his eyes. "Why are we always so touchy?"

Angel shook his head. "And you, why don´t you leave people alone? Do you know what day is today?"

Devil's lips stretched into a wide smile, revealing his pointy teeth. "The twenty-fourth of December," he retorted cheerfully.

Angel glared at him and turned to leave.

Devil followed him. "You shouldn´t falsely accuse me all the time," he said, when he caught up with Angel.

"Falsely?" Angel snorted. "So you just happened to walk around, and you weren´t planning to incite people to commit sins?"

"No, not really," Devil, said, shrugging. "I came to buy the chestnuts."

Angel stopped sharply. Devil didn´t notice and walked few more steps.

"What?"

Devil turned to his companion with a kind smile and shook a paper bag in front of his nose. "Roasted chestnuts. I like them. Wanna try?" he asked friendly when Angel didn´t respond.

"No."

"Are you sure? They are really good. "

Angel pouted. "Do you think that I would take something from you?"

Seemingly disappointed, Devil let the corners of his lips curl down. "I was hoping you would."

That made Angel raise his eyebrows in question. "Really?"

"Uhm." Devil put the chestnuts aside and began rummaging through the pockets of his long black coat. "I have something for you."

Frowning, Angel took a step back. "What," he asked suspiciously, while Devil pulled various items out of his pockets, studied them and then put them back. Finally, he found what he was looking for and with an enthusiastic smile, he handed it to Angel. "Christmas gift, of course."

Angel looked in surprise at the package in Devil´s hands. The gift was wrapped in red paper and decorated with a simple gold ribbon. The crooked bow at the top suggested that the Horned wrapped it himself.

After a moment of awkward silence, Devil coughed. "Merry Christmas," he said encouragingly, and then handed the package to Angel again. The other one finally woke up from the shock.
 
"Gift? For me?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes," confirmed Devil friendly.

Angel frowned even more. "I'm not interested."

"Why not?" Devil asked innocently.

"Why? You're the devil. I don´t want anything from you."

"You don´t want my gift?"

"No!" Angel was already beginning to get angry. What was Devil thinking? He couldn´t just give gifts to angels. They are natural enemies. Every day, they fight each other over the human souls. Devil betrayed the Lord, he troubles people and now he would like to play the good guy and give gifts?

"Go to hell," Angel said finally, before he turned on his heel and walked away.
 
"Why? After all, I've just came from there," grumbled the Devil and stuck the gift back to his pocket.

Angel angrily walked away. Such insolence! Mocking Christmas. Was Devil really unable to behave respectfully to God at least once a year? Would it kill him not to joke about one of the most important holidays? Gift! Sure!

Sadly, Angel meddled into the crowd. Maybe for humans, the gifts-giving to still meant something. Something more than just a habit or obligation.
 
From the side, a group of kids passed him. The sight made Angel gently smile. At least someone was sincerely happy about the Christmas.

It stopped snowing. Angel turned his face to the sky, even though he couldn´t see the stars through the clouds. Staring into the gray void, he recalled the bright comet accompanying the kings and shepherds during one night over two thousand years ago. How many people would follow a falling star now?

A lonely snowflake landed on his cheek. With a sigh, Angel lowered his head. The evening was slowly turning into the night and people started to go home. He walked in the opposite direction, to the slender church towers of the Dome.

Like every year, he came primarily to attend the Midnight Mass. It was one of the few things that almost haven´t changed over the years. One of the few places where people still believed in the Christmas spirit, despite the so-called modern times.

***

The doors of the church quietly squeaked when Angel slipped inside, but no one noticed. The Mass has begun, the people sat on wooden benches and the artificial candles shined on the walls. Strong smell of incense floated in the air and Angel smiled. He liked the silent prayer, the quiet atmosphere and colourful church window panels.

"Are you having fun?" deep voice asked him from behind, and he winced.

When he turned sharply, he saw Devil standing there with hands in the pockets of his coat and a grin on his lips. At first, Angel just opened his mouth voicelessly, not knowing what to say.

"You?" He blurted out when his voice returned. "How dare you!" he hissed in angry whisper. "Get out! Now! You mustn´t be here."

Devil raised an eyebrow. "I thought that everyone can visit the church."

"But not you. Who ever saw this? This is the church!" Angel was shaking with resentment. It wasn´t enough that the scum made fun of gifts-giving habit, he even had the guts to come to a holy place.

"I came in peace," said the Devil quickly when he saw Angel´s expression. "Don´t beat me."

Angel frowned. "I beg you, leave," he said quietly and a little breathlessly.

Devil bowed his head sadly. "I just wanted to look," he whined. Right then, he looked up and smiled playfully. "I can stay, right? After all, it's Christmas."

Angel shrugged wearily. What he was supposed to do? To commit a murder in the house of the Lord? "If you stay quiet and you won´t do anything ..."

Devil tilted his head to side. "Why are you always so suspicious?"

Angel glared at him. "Because I know you," he said and walked away to sit on the bench. Of course, Devil followed him and sat down next to Angel. "Why are you sad?" he drawled, and Angel had to catch the edge of the bench not to retort something inappropriate for this place. Slowly, he turned to Devil with a look that was far from angelic. "Angry?" Devil asked carefully and shifted further, just I case.

"You know… yes, I am."

For a moment, they looked at each other in silence. Devil spoke first. "You shouldn´t frown so much," he said quietly, leaning towards Angel. "You're going to have wrinkles," he said softly and stroked Angel´s forehead with his index finger.

Angel flinched and pulled away. "Why are you here?" he asked quietly.

"I walked around," Devil retorted, shrugging.

"And you decided that you´d stain this place with your presence?" Angel mused with a hint of sarcasm.

Devil laughed scornfully and his companion gave him a surprised look. "I would stain this place? What about them?"

"Pardon me?"

Devil´s glance slid over the praying people and stopped on the priest. "Do you really think that they came because of your God?" he asked in suddenly cold voice. He spat the last word out like a curse. "Can´t you see that they just came out of obligation? Only to silence the voice of their conscience?"

Angel stood up angrily and Devil turned back to him. "How can you say something like that?" Angel growled out.

Devil also stood up. "Because unlike you, I see things as they are, not as they should be. They," he continued, pointing to the people, "are just ordinary hypocrites who want to fall asleep with the feeling that they have nothing to regret. They came because it´s a habit. Most of them would rather be at home in the warmth."

Angel raised his hand to slap Devil, but the other caught his wrist before the blow landed.

"How dare you," Angel raised his voice. "This is a blasphemy!"

Devil smiled. "Come on, I thought that telling the truth is no longer a sin. Or the medieval habit persisted?" Angel tried to break out from the Devil's grip but without success. "Just look around. They do not pray. They´re just thinking about things they want. They are so shallow-"

"Shut up!" Angel's voice wavered. He took a deep breath. "Shut up. You can´t know what they´re thinking.”

Devil grinned, revealing his fangs. "If I didn´t know, how could I offer them what they dream about?" Moment the words left his lips, he had to step back to avoid a pair of snow-white wings. Angel breathed erratically and feathers on his wings trembled.

"Take. That. Back," he whispered threateningly.

For a moment, both of them just stood there, silent and motionless. Then Devil shook his head. "There's nothing to take back. It's true- just look." With those words he turned to the altar and whistled loudly. The people in the front rows turned in surprise. "See? No one seems to be surprised that there´s a winged angel in front of them," Devil said quietly and people turned forward again, probably thinking that the sound came from the outside.

"If they believed even a little bit, they would be able to see you," continued Devil still staring at the backs of the mortals. "Isn´t it irony? Out of people who pray to your God, not even a priest can see you. Me, who sees you without problems, you wanted to throw out of here."

Angel´s knees buckled and he sat back on the bench. Devil once again sat down next to him and this time, Angel didn´t tried to push him away.
 
"That is impossible," he whispered horrified.

Devil leaned to him and hugged him around the shoulders. "It's not like this everywhere. In another church, people would probably see you."

Miserably, Angel hung his head down. "Do really this few people believe nowadays?" he asked quietly.

"Don´t be sad," Devil tried to comfort him. "They really came to pray. They just feel that angels only live in fairy tales."

Angel laughed bitterly. "No one believes the fairy tales today, right?"

Devil kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I do believe. Both in the fairy tales and the angels."

"Oh, great. The only person in the church who believes in angels is the devil himself, how encouraging," Angel said sarcastically.

"Well, well, we aren´t going to cry, are we?"
 
Devil softly ran his lips along Angel´s cheek. He covered the curve of his jaw in butterfly kisses and with his free hand he pushed Angel´s wing aside to lean closer. He gently put a palm to Angel's cheek and turned him face towards himself. Without hesitation, he leaned to Angel´s lips, as if it was the most normal thing to do. The moment they almost touched, he stopped and pulled back growling.

Angel blinked and focused on him.

"Mortals," grumbled the Devil and moved to his original position on the bench. "You´re blaming me that I´m walking around on the Christmas Eve, but it´s humans who calls me. It´s always humans."

"I don´t understand," Angel whispered uncertainly, tilting his head to the side.

"They´re calling me," Devil said, sighing. "Even now, there´s someone willing to sell their soul just to get something in exchange." A wicked smile appeared on his lips. "I wonder what they want. "

He stood up and with moves of a busy businessman, he smoothed his black coat. "I have to go, reacting to the call is a part of the contract," he said matter of fact. Hastily, he bent down to Angel, grabbed his chin and kissed him on the lips. "Good-bye," he called over his shoulder and walked away.

Devil supposedly never sleeps. When could he? People call him all the time to give up the heavenly glory for the joys of earthly life. And he´s busy even without that. To decide the punishment for all the sinners, who are sent to him, that means hours of slave labour with the Criminal Code and calculator.

Angel  slouched on the bench. People slowly begun to leave, some hastily, some slowly walked past him to the door. No one saw him. He still had his wings carelessly spread out, but no one gave him a single glance.

A little girl curiously look at him, but then she scurried after her rushing mother.

Angel stayed alone. With a sigh, he got up and folded the wings, so they wouldn´t bother him. From the corner of his eye, he caught a golden glimpse behind him, and when he turned, he saw a carelessly tied package placed on the end of the bench. In his mind, he recalled a similar package, which he saw only a few hours ago. It was wrapped in red paper too.

Curiously, Angel walked over to the gift and picked it up. He sat down again and hesitantly pulled the end of the ribbon. He let it slip to the floor and ripped the top cover. Eagerly, he lifted the lid and peered inside.

A smile appeared on his lips. The package concealed a handful of sweets, a mandarin, two nuts, a lollipop and a wax card saying Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everyone! :santa:

This story is christmas present for all my dear watchers. I´m really happy that you like my writing and I appreciate your support and lovely comments. Thank you that you´re here. :hug:

PS: Stories will come randomly during Christmas, depending on how much free time I´ll have. But I´ll probably spent most of it with my family and friends. That´s also reason of this soon gift. Anyways, don´t forget to be kind to each other all year around, not only on Christmas. :heart:

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Also entry for :iconfav-o-rama: winter contest.

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English isn´t my native language so please excuse any possible grammar mistakes (and feel free to correct them).
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UPDATE: I wrote another "part" of this: Spirit of Christmas. Hopes that you´ll like it.:)


© 2012 - 2024 lulu-illussions
Comments14
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Montemarte's avatar
:star::star::star::star::star-half: Overall
:star::star::star::star::star: Vision
:star::star::star::star::star-half: Originality
:star::star::star::star::star-empty: Technique
:star::star::star::star::star: Impact

Beautiful, I was hooked from the first line. The idea is quite original, the idea of the devil and the angel exchanging words on Christmas but you took it a step further with the expanding views of the protagonist and antagonist. The preconceived notions of the devil prevent the reader from accepting his kindness, almost like the angel is feeling. Doubt, suspicion and surprise are all felt by both the reader and the story's hero. This piece is a brilliant conveyance of tones and emotions, wrapped up in beautiful descriptive layers. Whilst there were a few grammatical and spelling errors, they can easily be ignored thanks to the overwhelming amount of story this short piece has to offer. Thank you for writing this, it has truly been an experience.