Christmas Eve

Joseph watched the animated Christmas special on the TV and sighed. He was all alone this Christmas, and this was how he was spending it? Pathetic. He sat back, blankly staring at the screen as the familiar characters danced and sang their cheerful holiday songs. Despite the loneliness, it was a classic he never missed, and he wasn’t going to break tradition now. It was comforting in a way, especially on a night like this.

Suddenly, a low rumbling sound interrupted his thoughts. It was distant at first, almost like thunder, but it seemed to be coming from… the roof? Joseph furrowed his brow in confusion. What could that be? Was someone playing a prank on him?

Before he could wonder any further, his eyes widened in shock. A fireplace—yes, a full fireplace—appeared out of nowhere, right in the middle of the common area of the dorm suite. Joseph blinked in disbelief, his mouth falling open. But it didn’t stop there. A pair of black boots and red pants slid down the newly formed chimney, followed by a large man who stepped out with a sack slung over his shoulder.

“Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas, Joseph!” the man boomed.

“Who… who are you?” Joseph asked, completely stunned.

The man chuckled deeply, his snowy white beard shaking. “Why, don’t you recognize me? I’m Santa Claus.”

“Sa… Santa Claus?” Joseph stammered. “You’re real? How do I know you’re not just some madman?”

The large man chuckled again. “Well, I just made a chimney and fireplace appear out of thin air in the middle of your dorm. I think that’s enough proof, don’t you?”

Joseph blinked, still processing the strange situation. “True,” he finally agreed, though still not entirely convinced. “I guess that’s good enough proof.”

“You guess?” Santa raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

“I mean… I can’t think of any other possible explanation for what just happened,” Joseph replied, trailing off. “But why are you here? I thought you were, you know, known for not revealing yourself to anyone.”

“Ho, ho, ho!” Santa laughed. “Correct you are! But this year is special, Joseph. I’ve got a very special present for you that requires a little explanation.”

With that, Santa dropped the sack to the floor and opened it. He reached inside and pulled out a large, oddly shaped gift wrapped in festive paper. It looked like a human form, almost like a Christmas mummy.

Joseph eyes widened in disbelief. “What the…?”

“Well? Unwrap her!” Santa urged with a grin.

Joseph hesitated, a sense of unease creeping up his spine, but he slowly approached the strange gift. His fingers searched for a seam near the head and carefully pulled at it. As the paper unraveled, Joseph jumped back, his breath caught in his throat when he revealed the serene face of Therese Lang, his crush.

“Ho, ho, ho,” Santa chuckled, clearly enjoying Joseph reaction. “Shocked you a little, didn’t I?”

“Is… is that…” Joseph voice faltered as he stared at the stiff form of Therese.

“Therese Lang, the one and only,” Santa confirmed. “Frozen in time with my special Christmas magic dust. She’s yours, to do with as you please. I won’t judge.”

Joseph heart raced as he looked at Therese’s face—her heart-shaped features still beautifully preserved, but frozen, her eyes vacant. She was still dressed in the clothes she had worn to class earlier that day, a blue sweater, black jeans, and bright blue sneakers. This was real, he realized. She was here, and she was his—frozen, completely still.

A gnawing thought tugged at the back of Joseph mind. Was this right? He had just taken a girl he had a crush on, frozen her, and now she was a gift from Santa, just for him—essentially a doll, a piece of furniture, to use however he wished.

Santa’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Having second thoughts?”

“I mean…” Joseph hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

Santa’s smile didn’t waver. “Don’t worry about anyone missing her. I’ve erased her from everyone’s memory, everyone but yours. In fact, you don’t even need to hide her. Everyone will think it’s completely normal for you to own a frozen woman.”

Joseph blinked. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Santa assured him. “Now, here are some of her clothes from her dorm, for… accessories,” he added, pulling a few more packages from his sack. “She’s fully posable and usable. Go wild. She’s mindless, doesn’t know a thing, and there’s no guilt involved.”

Joseph stood frozen, processing what he had just heard. Therese was his. Frozen. Forever. He could do whatever he wanted with her—no consequences.

“Is this real?” he asked, barely able to believe it.

“Of course it is,” Santa said with a wink. “Now, have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.”

With a final chuckle, Santa turned, touched his nose, and shot up the chimney. Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the fireplace vanished, leaving Joseph standing alone in his dorm, staring at the frozen form of Therese Lang.

For a long moment, Joseph much like Therese, couldn’t move, his mind reeling. Then, with trembling hands, he turned to her. Her body was stiff, unblinking, and unmoving. His heart thudded as he lifted her arms carefully, then tugged at the hem of her sweater.