5. Dario

Chapter 5

Dario

The alarm blasted its sing-songy message, but I’d been up for a while. Couldn’t sleep, going over the last-minute details for the Christmas Spectacular.

Today was the day, and I had to be at the community center early. There were stalls inside and out, with activities and competitions going on throughout the day.

Santa’s house in the center of the grounds was set up waiting for him to arrive. There were no chimneys, and I made sure there was easy access in case he turned up with a sleigh and reindeer.

I hope they want to be here and are not captive.

I assured my beast there were rules about farming reindeer, and he quietened. He was peeved he couldn’t pull Santa’s sleigh when I explained I had to be present in human form.

The spectacular was starting at two, but Santa wasn’t arriving until three, so I’d have time to mosey around, greet people, and be an extra pair of hands to flip reindeer burgers or sell hand-made Christmas cards.

Reindeer burgers? My beast almost took his fur and ran off until I pointed out they were shaped like a reindeer but were vegetarian.

Like me! He didn’t eat meat, so that calmed him.

I got to the center an hour early but volunteers and stall holders were already milling about, their cars laden with goodies. The next few hours passed in a blur as I lost count of how many times people shouted, “Dario, I need your help.”

You can’t meet Santa in a shirt smudged with dirt . My reindeer was appalled.

After a quick shower and wearing clean clothes, I stood before a crowd and officially opened the spectacular. People swarmed the popular stalls, and the air filled with delicious smells.

Inside, one of the local teachers was reading stories to kids in a cozy corner, while other sedate activities such as painting and decoration were also in the building.

Sipping a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows melting on top, I mentally patted myself on the back for putting on a successful spectacular.

Don’t spill it , my reindeer pointed out.

Wandering around, I sampled eggnog, Christmas cookies in the shape of a tree, attempted to knock over as many cardboard elves as I could to win a prize, and tried my hand at making a snow globe. Turned out I was better at eating than I was at creating. I wouldn’t be going into the snow-globe-making business.

Where’s Santa? My beast was impatient. I want to meet him .

I checked my watch and Santa was due to greet kids and hand out presents starting in ten minutes. Damn. I should have followed up with him. Or bought that ill-fitting Santa suit for myself.

Scrolling through my phone, I dialed Santa’s number, hoping Ryfon would pick up. His voice trilled through my phone, telling me they were out of the office and I could leave a message.

Damn those pretend Santas. Why were they so sketchy?

“Oh my gods, it’s Santa,” voices chorused.

Swinging around, Santa was sitting on his chair in the middle of the house surrounded by heaps of presents. There was a sleigh parked outside but no reindeer. How did that get here? It was almost as though it had appeared by magic.

How’d he do that without me seeing him? Crafty. He must have learned a few tricks on the job. And he had an elf with him. Maybe Ryfon.

I pushed back my hair, and using my phone, I checked I didn’t have hot chocolate on my face. Hurrying toward the Santa house, I was grabbed on the arm by one of the committee members, saying there was a cookie disaster in the community center.

Damn. We’d been doing so well and had avoided the pitfalls I’d anticipated. I tried to imagine what a cookie catastrophe would look like. Did someone’s puppy knock over the display, eat dozens of cookies, and throw up over the rest? Ewww! Why did they need me?

“Okay. I’ll be there in a minute.”

We can’t leave before meeting Santa . My beast sort of imagined if he’d been a wild beast and not attached to me, he might have led Santa’s sleigh.

I told him Santa wasn’t going anywhere, but I couldn’t help staring at the guy. Kids were clustered around him, others were patiently waiting in line, and parents were snapping pics. The elf was fluttering around chasing presents and adjusting Santa’s cap.

He might be gone when we get back . My reindeer was stamping his hooves inside me. Who cares about cookies?

My gaze honed in on Santa, talking to a young child on his knee. The kid whispered to Santa, and the elf placed a gift in his outstretched hand. The boy opened it before he moved from Santa’s lap.

“A toy train.” He hugged Santa. “It’s just what I wanted. Thanks, Santa.”

Santa caught my eye as I stood in front of the community center door.

How did he do that? A lucky guess, perhaps? The child was five and kids of that age loved trains.

He might give me a present . My reindeer was anticipating a gift of lichen or maybe a warm coat he could wear when he shifted during the coldest nights. I didn’t point out the huge problem with the latter; how would he get it on when I wasn’t there to help?

But I couldn’t look away from Santa. Who was the man behind the white beard and the red suit? I should ask him where he got his clothes in case I ever had to step into the role in future.

Hurry and fix the cookie problem so we can meet him . As well as receiving a present, my beast was hoping to hear tales of Santa flying across the sky, his reindeer prancing through the air and them and the sleigh outlined against the night sky.

You do know this is a stand-in Santa, right? I had to let my beast down gently. This was just a guy in a red-and-white hat.

And he was human. There was no leaping into the air, being pulled along by a team of reindeer.