Butter Pecan 1; Roasted Chestnut 9
Author: Marina
Story: Shifts universe (pre-Tremors)
Challenge: Butter Pecan 1 (hard), Roasted Chestnut 9 (a lump of coal)
Toppings: Butterscotch (Abraham as a teenager), Hot Fudge
Word Count: 516
Rating: G
Summary: Abraham receives his yearly joke present.
Notes: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! :D
“Very funny,” said Isabelle, waving the silk rose tagged From Your Secret Admirer at the rest of the family. “I suppose you all think you’re so clever.”
Abraham grinned. He and his mother had masterminded the rose, though Isabelle’s firm protests that she would not even think of marrying or dating seriously until she had graduated from college had made choosing her joke present easy. “Love you, Izzy,” he said sweetly. She shook her head in an attempt at disapproval.
“Abe’s turn!” Isabelle’s father, Glenn, passed him a small box. The green wrapping paper bore a label that read: To Abraham, From Santa.
“What’s this?” Abraham rattled the box playfully and ripped open the paper and the little cardboard box that lay with in. Inside, a sizeable lump of coal lay nestled in festive tissue paper. “No!” he cried, sending the rest of the family into gales of laughter. “I tried extra hard to be good this year, too!”
“Have you been smoking behind the house again, Abe?” his father asked, cheerfully pounding his wife’s back when she choked in surprise.
Glenn smirked. “More likely Santa knows about the times Abe missed training this year.”
Abraham gasped in pretend horror and faked a sob, because he was expected to, and after another round of laughter, they moved on to his mother’s gift.
Later that night, after the parents shooed him and Isabelle upstairs so that they could get the living room ready for the next morning, Abraham lay on his bed with his hands tucked behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He usually found it hard to fall asleep on Christmas Eve, anticipating the excellent gifts he would receive in the morning. A lump of coal as a joke present probably meant that he would really like his presents.
He remembered his uncle’s comment about training and glanced over at the box on his desk. I didn’t skip that many sessions, he thought, frowning a little. He sat up and reached for the box. For a minute, he cradled it in his hands in agitation. A sudden idea tingled in his mind, and he removed the lump, letting the box fall to the floor.
The next morning, he walked downstairs to find Glenn making coffee. No one else had left their rooms, though he doubted that meant they were still asleep. “Merry Christmas, Abe,” said Glenn. “It’s about ready, would you like a cup?”
“I’ll trade you for this,” said Abraham, offering him the simple figurine he had constructed from the coal. The only thing that betrayed his intent was its shape, and he had had to work hard to get it to look like an angel at all. Abraham was used to working with dirt and mud, which were extremely malleable in comparison to the unyielding coal, but once he had proved that molding it was possible, he did not stop until he was satisfied.
Glenn looked between him and the angel, a proud smile forming on his face. “Nicely done,” he said. “Just for that, you get to open the first present.”
Story: Shifts universe (pre-Tremors)
Challenge: Butter Pecan 1 (hard), Roasted Chestnut 9 (a lump of coal)
Toppings: Butterscotch (Abraham as a teenager), Hot Fudge
Word Count: 516
Rating: G
Summary: Abraham receives his yearly joke present.
Notes: Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! :D
“Very funny,” said Isabelle, waving the silk rose tagged From Your Secret Admirer at the rest of the family. “I suppose you all think you’re so clever.”
Abraham grinned. He and his mother had masterminded the rose, though Isabelle’s firm protests that she would not even think of marrying or dating seriously until she had graduated from college had made choosing her joke present easy. “Love you, Izzy,” he said sweetly. She shook her head in an attempt at disapproval.
“Abe’s turn!” Isabelle’s father, Glenn, passed him a small box. The green wrapping paper bore a label that read: To Abraham, From Santa.
“What’s this?” Abraham rattled the box playfully and ripped open the paper and the little cardboard box that lay with in. Inside, a sizeable lump of coal lay nestled in festive tissue paper. “No!” he cried, sending the rest of the family into gales of laughter. “I tried extra hard to be good this year, too!”
“Have you been smoking behind the house again, Abe?” his father asked, cheerfully pounding his wife’s back when she choked in surprise.
Glenn smirked. “More likely Santa knows about the times Abe missed training this year.”
Abraham gasped in pretend horror and faked a sob, because he was expected to, and after another round of laughter, they moved on to his mother’s gift.
Later that night, after the parents shooed him and Isabelle upstairs so that they could get the living room ready for the next morning, Abraham lay on his bed with his hands tucked behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He usually found it hard to fall asleep on Christmas Eve, anticipating the excellent gifts he would receive in the morning. A lump of coal as a joke present probably meant that he would really like his presents.
He remembered his uncle’s comment about training and glanced over at the box on his desk. I didn’t skip that many sessions, he thought, frowning a little. He sat up and reached for the box. For a minute, he cradled it in his hands in agitation. A sudden idea tingled in his mind, and he removed the lump, letting the box fall to the floor.
The next morning, he walked downstairs to find Glenn making coffee. No one else had left their rooms, though he doubted that meant they were still asleep. “Merry Christmas, Abe,” said Glenn. “It’s about ready, would you like a cup?”
“I’ll trade you for this,” said Abraham, offering him the simple figurine he had constructed from the coal. The only thing that betrayed his intent was its shape, and he had had to work hard to get it to look like an angel at all. Abraham was used to working with dirt and mud, which were extremely malleable in comparison to the unyielding coal, but once he had proved that molding it was possible, he did not stop until he was satisfied.
Glenn looked between him and the angel, a proud smile forming on his face. “Nicely done,” he said. “Just for that, you get to open the first present.”