Woah.

I stumble into the Holiday House, tripping over--something, I don't know--and pause in amazement. What is this place? And why has it taken me so long to find it? 

The place seems to be empty, so I take a seat by the warm, welcoming fireplace in a squishy red armchair. My periwinkle hair, which I was too lazy to put up today, is covered in snow, but it is rapidly melting.

(Hope it's okay if I join this! I mostly said it was empty because it was y'know, dead for a year. If everyone's still here disregard that, please!)

~ 2021 ~

~ ~ ~

Starflight and I wing across the pale grey sky.  Pale specks against the backdrop of snow laden clouds.  It is windless, with a waiting stillness that hangs in the atmosphere.  Starflight pulses worry in my mind, a constant reminder to scan the endless forests below in search of a place to weather the night.  She senses the pressure of oncoming snow.

This whole place feels strangely familiar, and I pick at the nagging feeling in the back of my mind as my falcon eyes watch the ground move backwards below us.  I've been here before.

Starflight drops under me and circles.  I start, preoccupied with my feeling of recognition I hadn't paid attention to what my eyes were seeing.  Below us is a tight clearing among the trees; a small cabin with the roof hidden in snow sits in the center almost covered by the outstretching branches of fir trees.

The feeling of familiarity grows as we sink down to the clearing.

A gust of wind whips down from the otherwise windless sky and pushes us down, under the porch roof.  We swoop towards the closed door, propelled by the guiding wind.  Panic flashes across our minds as we grow nearer to the closed green door.  It swings open just before we collide and we glide into the welcoming room.  The wind leaves us with a last parting breath.

I drop to the woven mat placed in front of the door, rising upwards as I change my shape from falcon to girl.  Automatically extending my arm and Starflight settles on my gloved hand.

People are already here.  Sitting grouped around the crackling fire conversing; laughing as tiny dragons escape in all directions.  But everything is silent, and the laughter and words cannot be heard.  A duplicate of myself sits points to a dragonet and speaks.

Slowly, as I watch, the ghosts of the presences from last year fade.  Their edges stay defined, but they turn transparent, then translucent.  Until with the softness of falling snow they vanish; and for a breath I am standing in a frigid room.  Desolate and empty, with cobwebs and dust: the signs of abandonment hanging about the room.

As silently as everything had disappeared it reappeared, suddenly.  Except Starflight and I are alone.  No ghostly presences now.  The cabin waits for this year's gathering.  I smile with the happiness that swells through the room.

Behind me the still open door taps gently against the wall.  I turn to close it; glancing one last time out into the cold windless night.  Snow is drifting softly down in large flakes.  I breath in deeply, feeling the peacfulness of the quiet night.  Just before the latch clicks I feel a small tendril of wind brush against my cheek.  I smile again, softly like the snow, warm like the flame of a candle.

"Coldcoldcoldcoldcoldcold, OH SO VERY COLD WHERE IS THE NEAREST-- Oh, there's a place." I say, as I adjust my cloak.

I burst in the door, and slam it shut behind me, facin' the other Cbers.

"Hey, y'all. Sorry I'm late, the Royal Kitten Carrage shut down, so I tried to take my motorbike, but that got stuck in the snow, and yada yada yada, and I had to walk." I say, as Wreeboo walks over to me.

"Why aren't you taking your cloak off?" They say.

'Rats. Knew this was gonna be the ONE question that had to be asked...' I think to myself.

"Um, 'cause I don't want to?" I respond, shurggin' my shoulders.

"Oh, come on, Em, it's too warm for a heavy cloak!" Majestic Mary says.

'Ok, they want to know my secret. Yikes...' I think.

-------------------------------------------------

WHAT'S THE SECRET?!

~-- 

Again, I'm an SI...

~-- 

I step into the room, softly, quietly, hood down. I don't want anyone to reveal my identity...I've had a bet with a friend that I could keep my identity secret for a bit. 

There seems to be an ongoing conversation, and I sink down into a chair, pulling up a hot cocoa mug and lifting my hood ever-so-slightly, just to take a single sip. I have deathly pale skin and rosey lips, but that would never be enough to guess me... 

There are cookies. I love cookies! I take one, gently, and lift up my hood again, ever-so-slightly, and take a tiny bite, setting it down on a platter that seemingly appeared on the arm of my chair. 

I enjoy the warmth of the fire. It's rather comforting. 

~--  

~2022 y'alllll~

I'm shivering as I explore the forest, hoping to find a clearing to sleep in tonight. Out of nowhere, I spot a cozy-looking cabin. The lights are on inside, and I swear I see movement. Maybe the owners would be kind enough to lend me a room for the night? Slowly, I crunch through the pristine snow toward the door. Bells jingle as I open it. A sign above the door reads, 'The Holiday House'. Sitting on the floor, at tables and chairs, even on a rug by the fire, are CBers, but they seem to fading. As if a strong wind knocked them over, they disappear, and suddenly I'm alone.

I explore the rest of the house, nerves racking my brain like fireflies. If no one's here, then...

Eventually, I decide to sit by the fire to warm myself. I'm still ice cold from the outdoors, and any spot of warmth would help. After a few minutes, my fingers begin to thaw. A present from underneath the Christmas tree flies toward me unexpectedly. The box is shaped like a rectangle, and I tear into it expectantly. Inside lies a thin cell phone, which, when I turn it on, has power. A sticky note is stuck onto the front of the glass. PIN: 2413119 I peel off the note and discard it in a nearby trash can. Typing in the code, I realize I have wifi! Excitedly, I call some of my friends. Maybe they could meet me here for a gathering. First on my list is Moonwatcher. She doesn't pick up, but I leave her a voice mail. (FYI I do not know your pronouns, so please let me know what they are! thx) 

Pancake picks up, though, and I tell her to meet me here. Somehow, she knows exactly where I'm speaking of. 

A few calls later, I'm relaxing at a table, munching on a plate of sugar cookies, while I wait for my friends to arrive. I realized that I'd heard of this place..that it has some sort of magnetic pull. With that information, I can just wish that some new CBers will come as well. 

Sorry if it's long! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make some new posts! I do not want to be all alone in here.  

I'm walking along a lonely road, my boots sinking deep into the snowbanks. My hands are frozen solid, and I can just barely see the tip of the sun before it descends into the mountains. I'll have to find somewhere to stop before it gets dark. 

Just as I think the thought, a cozy-looking cottage seems to pop up out of nowhere. Smoke curls out of the chimney, and warmth glows from the windows. I creak open the door and the smell of freshly-baked cookies wafts into my nostrils. My breath catches in my throat when I realize there's only one person sitting by the fire, and I've never seen them before in my life! I go into Small-Talk-Avoidance Mode, tip-toeing to the other side of the room. A small, shiny gold envelope with a fancy red seal drifts into my hand. My curiousity piqued, I break the seal, and inside find a hastily-written note that reads, "Your present is on the roof."

Still tip-toeing, I find the trap-door that leads to the roof, and pull down the ladder. When I reach the top, I gasp in delight. Fairy lights and an ivy-covered trellis surround a full-size grand piano, and not just any grand piano, but a Steinway. I walk over to the Steinway and sit down. For some magical reason, it is a perfect temperature on top of the roof, unlike the rest of the frigid outside. I pull off my gloves and begin to play Christmas carols. I realize I forgot to close the trapdoor and the person in the cottage can probably hear me, but I am too happy to care.

Snowflakes drift down around me, but the trellis keeps the piano safe. I play all my favorite Christmas songs. The sun finally creeps below the mountains when I am playing The Holly and The Ivy, and the only thing illuminating the keys are the fairy lights and the moon. I keep playing for a long time, reluctant to return to the cottage. 

I'm walking through the snow, freezing, when suddenly I see a majestic house through the trees. it has a menorah in the window, and I can smell latkes frying inside. I walk in the door, and before i can even greet the other CBers, a present jumps into my arms. I open it, and a small blue, orange, and purple frog jumps out onto my shoulders. "What should I name her?," I say.