Writer's Muse Magazine December 2012
Sumiko Saulson
Writer’s Muse Magazine – The Christmas Edition
Writer’s Muse Group
Copyright 2012 Writer’s Muse Group
Each Contributor Maintains His or Her Individual Copyright
Cover & Layout by Sumiko Saulson
Writer’s Muse Magazine
First Issue – First Year
Holiday Issue
December 2012
Contributors:
Victoria Tomlinson – “A Christmas Gift” © 2012
Kateryna Fury – “The Cat Who Danced With Elves” © 2012
Michelle Gent - Santa's Little Helper - A Dusty the Demon Hunter Story © 2012
Gretchen Steen - "The Christmas Picture - 1961" © 2012
Richard Cotton – “T’was The Night Before Christmas” © 2012
Susie Bennet – “Christmas Poem (Untitled)” © 2012
Kateryna Fury – “The Girl Who Did Not Believe In Christmas” © 2012
Carol Bird – “Murder Mystery” © 2012
Philip Nork - Holidays Remembered by a Child of Divorce © 2012
Sumiko Saulson – ”Illustrated Principles of Kwanzaa” © 2012
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If you wish to contact the editor, Sumiko’s email is [email protected]
Writer’s Muse Magazine is published by the Writer’s Muse Group. All Rights Reserved.
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© 2012 All Copyrights Retained By Each Individual Author
Published by Writer’s Muse Group Publications
Table of Contents
First Issue – First Year
Welcome
The Cat Who Danced With Elves
Santa's Little Helper - A Dusty the Demon Hunter Story
The Girl Who Did Not Believe In Christmas
The Christmas Picture - 1961
T’Was The Night Before Christmas
Christmas Poem
Featured Story: A Christmas Gift
Murder Mystery
Holidays Remembered by a Child of Divorce
The Illustrated Principles of Kwanzaa
Connect with Us!
Welcome
Welcome to the first issue of ”Writer’s Muse” Magazine! It is a compilation of the works of the Writer’s Muse Page, an online writer’s group started by Richard Cotton. You can find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/writersmusepage/
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The stories and poetry included in the first Writer’s Muse Magazine issue, our Christmas 2012 issue, are participants in a contest on the page. The contest was to see who created the most beloved Christmas story, as determined by votes on the page. It was a hard decision to make, figuring out which story was the winner, with so many truly inspired submissions. Congratulations to Victoria Tomlinson, who won the contest with her heartwarming tale of the innocence of children and the true spirit of the season, “A Christmas Gift”.
We hope you enjoy all of the submissions in this, our first issue!
The Cat Who Danced With Elves
by Kateryna Fury
Once upon a time in a land right down the street, there was a cat named Sylvani. This cat was smart but shy of al the people he met. He had not found a place that he felt was home, and continued to wonder if he would. He was a silvery gray cat, with stripes that were lighter than the rest of his fur, bright green eyes that reflected the moon, and despite his trepidation with people he was a curious creature. As it grew colder, the cat knew he needed to find food and shelter. It was so cold even the mice had begun to hide. While Sylvani was a great hunter not even he could hunt the mice if they were tucked up in their warm dens, inside the walls of the houses. So he waited one day until he saw an open door, to a barn and darted inside. He could smell the mice there, his whiskers twitching as he inhaled the scents of horses, people, and to his joy mice. Little furry creatures that he could eat. It would be enough for this winter.
He took time in his barn to make a nest, it was warm there and as the snow outside fell he felt safe. The humans who kept the horses never saw him, as they came in and cared for their friends. He watched them, laughing and playing and wondered at their winter clothing, the thick sweaters. Did humans not get fur? He wondered. Time passed and the humans put up lights on the outside of the barn, he heard the sounds of laughter and singing. Even Sylvani knew it was nearly Christmas. He waited with glee for that night knowing that Santa might share his milk with him. SOmetimes, you see, Santa does. He had waited all year long to purr and get a belly rub from the jolly man, and with excitement he began to count the days. The humans made a great clock for this, gathering up earlier and earlier, singing their holiday songs... it was never really a silent night until after Saint Nick had come.
Finally it was Christmas Eve! Sylvani decided to leave a gift for the humans this year, and spent his early part of the day hunting up a few mice and laying them in the door way. The humans came, and one commented on his gift. "We have a cat?" They asked. He felt guilty and foolish having forgotten they did not know he was here. He hid and did not hear the response to his present, missing the little girl with the humans who perked up, "Really? Where is he momma? I would like to pet him! Can I give him some of our ham?" Sylvani instead began to hide, his fear of the humans overriding his sense. If the humans knew he was here could he wait for Santa? Could he wait until spring? A part of him wanted to stay but the humans he had known had not liked having a cat. He decided to hide in a different spot, abandoning his nest in his panic, he went deeper into the shadows of the barn, where the scents of humans no longer made his whiskers twitch. It was colder... and for a moment he admitted to himself that it was lonelier too without the sounds of their singing and laughter. Did he, he asked himself, want to live with the humans?
Night fell and the lights came on outside of the barn, the humans left to their warm house across the field and he stared up at the cloudy sky, looking for the glowing nose that heralded the annual return of Santa. He could smell the snow in the air, and he imagined it the next morning, covering the ground. The red of the barn would stand out and he knew it would be beautiful. It would snow enough to hide the tracks of Santa's sleigh on the roof, leaving the children in the house to wonder further at his magic. As he took a deep breath, there was a strange smell. It was faint, almost coppery but it was in the air. There was something wrong with the lights they had hung on the barn. Sylvani climbed up into the rafters and looked for the cause of the smell, and heard the faint buzz and saw the sparks as they fell onto the hay. A little mouse was chewing the wires. Sylvani knew he was too late to stop it, and to his horror the hay below him began to crackle, the faint odor of the electricity lost under the cloying scent of smoke.
He knew the humans would be in their house, too far away to save his horse friends from the flames. They spread quickly and he made his choice. He ran out of the hole in the barn and began to yowl with all his might. The smoke made him choke some, his meow turning to a faint rasp. He ran through the snow, it stuck to his paws and made him cold. Shivering he bashed himself against the door. The humans inside, he could hear them laughing and singing and continued his caterwalling wailing, "My friends need you! Please? Come!" It was the little girl who heard him. She looked up from the game they were playing and said, "Look mommy!" Pointing at the panicked cat. The adults rushed to the door and then saw the smoke. Sylvani lead them back to the barn, running to it. He could hear the panic of his friend horses inside. They called for help. He was so afraid for them, as the heat of the fire pushed the humans back. A big male human threw the d
oor open and ran inside...
Morsmordre Furman: Moments passed and as the smoke grew thicker, Sylvani began to wonder if the human had been lost to the flames. Then the horses began to run out into the snow, running for their lives. He could feel the earth shaking under their hooves and watched them run to the field. The snow turned brown under their soot covered hooves. At last the human made it out, coughing on the smoke as had the cat. "That is the lot of them!" Sylvani edged closer to the human and gently rubbed on his leg, before he ran off after the horses, to make sure his friends were alright. He huddled with them, while the humans made a new shelter, knowing not only had his horse friends lost their place to sleep but so had he. He felt for himself now fear. Night came, and the horses huddled together, the silvery grey cat sleeping between their feet. It was cold but the humans had covered them in blankets. It had begun to snow. Sylvani woke with a start at the sound of distant bells, jingling through the cold air.
Morsmordre Furman: Santa had arrived. The jolly man finished taking care of the children in the house and then climbed down the roof. He moved to the horse pen and looked over each animal, warming them with his magic. The oldest mare bowed to him, "Our dear friend, " She said, "Thank you for this gift..." Sylvani felt the shyness he did with all people and stared up at the man, his eyes wide, as Santa lifted him into his arms, and pulled him into his coat for warmth. "Come, Sylvani," HIs voice rumbled like a purr, and he lead the cat off carrying him to his Sleigh. Sylvani was stiff with fear and meowed heistantly, "Yes, sir." This caused Santa to chuckle, "Not sir, Just Nick!" They climbed up the roof, and Santa, keeping Sylvani warm in his coat began his journey again. It took hours, and they visited every good little boy and girl. Santa was quiet as he worked. The cat had never seen so many houses, and Santa took him into each house and he saw all the different human children as they slept.
"Sylvani," asked Nick, "Have you ever considered staying with a human? They will feed you, care for you and you never have to be alone." Sylvani wondered how Nick had known he was so often lonely. "What if they don't want me?" Santa laughed again, "You did something wonderful today, you could have just fled, but you saved your friends. You risked yourself, and pushed yourself out into the world. You were afraid, and you were brave." Sylvani curled up more, as his friend began to the drive the sleigh to his home. "My dear friend, you were a hero. How could anyone not want a hero?" Sylvani wondered about this, "I do not feel like a hero. I just feel relieved that they are alright." Santa smiled and let his friend think as they flew home. Sylvani watched as they began the descent over the northpole.
It wasn't like the cities full of people or even the isolated farm houses, it had almost no light at all, not a glaring harsh light anyway. There were little glowing spaces, that lined up a path, it was like he was going to land between a thousand moons that lined the path. He was awed by this. The sleigh landed with ease and the reigndeer lead it to a safe stop. Santa climbed down and waved his hands, then the ground began to shake. Sylvani found himself a bit afraid again, as out of the ground rose a door. There were no walls, it was just a door. IT was clear like ice but held the magic sparkle of the stars around the moon. In the fading night, longer in the North Pole, Santa asked him, "Sylvani, will you come into my home? We have not yet had our Christmas party and you wouldbe most welcome." He didnot hesitate, "Oh yes!" So it was that SAnta opened the door and showed him the entire town of North Pole.
The town was situated so that the magical door between their realm and ours was on a high hill. There were lights gleaming off of a giant evergreen that had grown in the center. The town was the tree. Each ornament was a house and at the top of the glistening tree was the house where Santa lived. He began to walk over a bridge of the same ice as the tree that lead him up to the tinsel towers, each was a waystation between a magical train that would let him reach his home in record time. The candy cane tracks smelled delicious to the cat, their peppermint smell sharp in his nose. The ride was smooth and soon he was stepping off at Starlight house, as Santa told him the house was called. IT was massive, the entire town could fit inside the home, the inside of the trunk being where the magical toys were made, "Welcome to my home, Sylvani!" Said Santa, as he took him inside. He lead him down simple halls, to a large room where Mrs.Claus was leading the elves in a conga line to a very different christmas carol. It sounded like one of the singers on the radio to the cat but, it was a man with tall hair who curled his lip and after he was done with the song said.. "Merry Christmas and Thank you Very much!"
Sylvani was in awe. He had never seen so many people in such a space and the decorations had grown out of the very walls! The garlands that he had seen the humans use were mirrored here as the tree wove the walls for the house. He carefully jumped down from Santa;s arms and walked over to Mrs.Claus, and bowed. "Oh Madame Claus, your house is magnificent!" She smiled and crouched down giving him a gentle pet, "You must be Sylvani! Nick told me you were coming. Not Madame Clause dear, but simply Clara. " Clara Claus gestured to the buffet table where a myriad of elves were eating, "ARe you hungry?" He was... but hesitantly shook his head no. He did not want to impose. She scooped him up startling him, "Oh nonsense, you worked with Nick all night, come along... would you like Salmon, Tuna, or something else? I think we have a food everyone likes and if not I will make something in the kitchen just for you." Sylvani mewed, "Oh... Salmon is my favorite! But... Clara... how did Nick tell you I was coming?" She smiled in the way a person smiles when they have a secret, "Magic dear, we have our own special magic you see being family. Sometimes, it is as if we just know." She made him a plate and set him at the table. He had never eaten in a chair before, and mimicked the elves, holding his bit of fish in his paws.
It smelled divine, the rich scent tickled his nose and his belly roared like a lion the ferocious hunger he had felt escaping him. He took a bite of the fish as the elf next to him glanced over, and put a cup of cream out for him. "Oh hello! I'm Richard!" Sylvani gave a dip of his head but was so hungry he just ate. The elf grinned some and got him more fish. Once Sylvani was done eating, he asked him, "Would you care to dance? After the long year of work therei s nothing the elves like more than a good dance!" Sylvani frowned, "Can cats dance?" The elf laughed, "Of course, just move to the music." So he followed him to the crowded dance floor and began to wiggle his tail to and fro. He shook his back legs and the elf mimicked him... soon another did and then even Santa and Mrs. Clause were wiggling about like Sylvani. The cat began to giggle after a time realizing the absurdity. He had gone from sleeping on a horse to dancing with elves! He wondered at this as they partied. Hours passed and at last Santa came for him. "Sylvani, you cannot stay in North Pole... its time I take you home." Sylvani frowned, "Santa... the barn burned down!"
Santa gave a knowing smile, "Oh no that is not your home, I will show you." They took the special Sleigh santa had for shorter runs, one of his auxillery reigndeer took them, a young buck that was joyfilled that he got to do so. They went back to the house, with the smouldering ruins where the barn had been. They landed on the roof and as before Santa took him inside. No one was awake yet. "Sylvani... this is your home. You have your horse friends outside, and inside you have people who saw you today and know you are their hero. Here..." He tucked him into the bed with the girl, "Her name is Katya, and she has need of a friend like you. SOmeone who will always be there for her." Santa stood up as the girl shifted and wrapped her arms around the cat. He did not feel afraid.. Sylvan iinstead purred and curled closer. "One thing you need... though before I go." Santa put a bow around him like a collar, a little card attacked that said... Katya... this is your new friend Sylvani. He gave a bit of a wave to the cat, and Sylvani returned this with his tailbefore he closed his eyes, the warmth of his human... HIS... human... it was such a joy. He purred and soon was asleep. When he woke it was not to a loud noise but the gentle gasp of the girl, "Oh! Hello Sylvani!" She gave him a gentle pet and climbed out of bed, carrying him with her as she ran to wake
up her mommy and her daddy. He stiffened seeing the man who had run into the barn, and waited to be thrown out. "Mommy! Daddy!" Katya called. They sat up with tired smiles of parents who had waited "Look, he came back! The cat from the door! My friend is back!" Sylvani knew then he really had found home... and thus is the story of the cat who danced with Elves. A cat sitting beneath my Christmas tree, as I tell you his tale.
