“Grandpa!” Joe yelled as he saw the old man sitting on the couch. “You’re home!” He ran to him, wrapping him in a hug.
“You have a talent for stating the obvious, Joe.” The old man smiled.
“Huh?”
“Never mind. I am here. Tell me about this problem your mother said you wanted to talk to me about.”
Joe explained the battle with the trees, and his trick with the glow stick. He told him about the progress they made with building the sleigh. Then he told him about the book’s disappearance.
“It’s my fault. Chrissy told me not to take it home, but I didn’t listen to her.”
“I see. Well, Joe, just a little advice. Unrelated to our immediate problem, but a little secret to remember as you grow up. When someone who cares for you, especially a nice little girl like Chrissy, gives you advice it would make your life much happier if you listened. But you’ll figure that out later.
“Now, we have to get the book back. I know where it is, and who has it, but getting it from them will not be easy.”
“I don’t care what it takes, I lost it and I will get it back.” Joe stood in front of his grandfather waiting to hear what he had to do.
*****
“Are you sure your grandfather knows what he’s talking about?” Chrissy asked.
“He said we had to walk to the north side of field. One we got there we’d know what to do.”
“But how, Joe, how?”
“I don’t know yet, but he told me to pay attention to the things you say and listen more to your advice.”
“Well, it would seem your grandfather is a smart man. Let’s do this.” Chrissy moved past Joe, striding through the snow to the edge of the woods.
A light, dim but visible, flickered from within the woods. Shadows moved between the trees. Then the voice of the specter called out to them. Raspy and cold, the chilling words carried on the wind.
“Soooo, yoooou’ve coooome foooor thaaaa booook haaaave yooou? IIIII doooon’t thiiink yooou haaaave thaaa couuuurage tooooo taaaaaake iiiiiiit.”
“Chrissy, you stay here. I’ll go get it.” Joe started into the woods, but Chrissy grabbed his arm.
“And what did your grandfather say about listening? We will both go. I know the power behind this thing is fear. If we are not afraid, it will be afraid of us.”
She took his hand and the two slipped behind the trees and walked toward the light.
The flickering shadow of the specter fluttered back and forth. The book lay on a fallen tree stump. It was the magic within the book lighting the woods. As the specter passed by, the book would fade then reappear, a little dimmer each time. Chrissy understood what was happening. The specter was drawing away the magic.
“Joe, you go one way, I’ll go the other. We have to act fast before all the magic is gone.”
“I don’t know about this, Chrissy. That thing looks strong.”
Chrissy pulled him closer. “Remember what your grandfather told you, listen to me and don’t let doubt control us. I’m telling you what we should do and that’s doubt right there in front of us. We can do this, Joe.”
The light dimmed once again.
“Now, Joe, now.”
Chrissy dashed to one side, Joe to the other. The specter, surprised by the sudden movement, pulled back. Joe grabbed for the book, but the specter recovered and blocked his way. It enveloped the boy in the swirling darkness.
Chrissy saw her chance. Grabbing the book, she ran toward the field, then stopped. Looking back at Joe she knew she couldn’t leave him.
“Run, Chrissy, run. I can take care of myself.”
But she was already on her way back. Running straight at the specter, holding the book out in front of her, she screamed, “Let my friend go. You can’t stop us.”
The light from the book grew ten times brighter. The specter fled from the light back into the shadows. Joe collapsed to the ground. Chrissy ran to him.
“You okay?”
“I am now, thanks.”
“C’mon, Joe. We need to get the book back where it will be safe. I’m glad we’re done with that specter. ” She helped Joe to his feet, and the two headed out of the woods.
“Not that we’re keeping score. But that it the second time I’ve saved you. See, your grandfather is right. Listen to me and we’ll be fine.”
As the two made their way back to the barn, the specter trailed behind them, hiding in the shadows. Thiiiiiisss isssss faaaaar froooom ovvverrr, we’eeerrr juussst geettttttting staaarrrted.
P.S. If you’re interested in the previous one from Christmas Past here’s a link. Please share this and this new story with all your family and friends.
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