The Thing in Christmas Town by Iseult Murphy
Diane hadn’t reached Christmas Town, but she hated it. She stared down at her clenched fists in her lap as Stephen parked the car.
“Wow,” Jennifer and Stephen said in unison from the front seat.
“Mam, you have to look at this,” Alex said. He reached across the middle seat and touched her arm.
Diane slowly raised her head and looked out the car window. Stephen had turned off the engine, so she felt safe to look. The car park was packed with vehicles. Over the car roofs, Diane caught sight of an old-fashioned train station on the other side of the lot. The walls were painted a deep green, while the highly decorated trim on the porch overhang and the spindles were a bright glossy red.
The sky above Diane was grey and overcast. Recent rainfall formed puddles between the cars. In the distance, past the train station, the sky shone clear blue. Most striking of all were the fields of pristine snow that stretched to the horizon.
Diane’s anxiety grew more acute.
“You didn’t tell me there’d be snow. You need to take me home now,” she said.
Alex squeezed her hand. “It’s alright, Mam. It’s not real snow. Christmas Town has snow all year round.”
Diane’s eyes narrowed. “How do they have snow in June? Who’d even want that?”
“It’s all part of the magic. It’s Christmas every day in Christmas Town,” Jennifer said.
