"Oh shit, oh shit..." The words uttered hoarsely when the thud-thud comes from above. The leaky black rein-demons seem to freeze. The elves fall frozen in place and Oakheart feels herself start to sweat. Something is about to happen and it wasn't good. All she can hear is her heartbeat in her ears but and she seems to notice how thirsty she is. If only she could have a drink-
Reindeer...real reindeer!
"Oh thank you sweet baby Jesus!" She throws her heard back in an almost maniacal laugh as the big red man comes into view. His distracts the Grinch, Oak can feel the tension and hate burning and the oxygen feels like it was sucked out of the room. Santa laughs jollily but there is strength behind it, almost mockingly. With a smirk the gift-giver announces that he is heading back to the North Pole and must be caught. He turns to Oakheart and explains that she must follow with teleportation. The now stone sober woman reels at the idea of teleportation. I thought that was only in movies. Obviously not. There is magic here, duh.
Oak feels her legs moving without effort and little hands shoving her along. With each step the world blurs and she tingles. They are moving so fast, fast, fast. Images melt and time evaporated till in the blink one of her pretty eyes and she finds herself standing in a parking lot. She shakes her head as she tries to clear the confusion that swells inside like a black mist. Her senses tell her she is some place warm, the goosebumps once there now gone. "Ugh." Groggily she looks up to see a massive check make on a sign..."In n Out?" Hell yes! California!
All around her there are people fighting. Some against the nasty fake reindeer and others with elves. Oakheart takes her chances to head towards the fast food place and dashes inside. The place is trashed. Napkins, ketchup? Oak runs behind the counter to look for some sustenance. Eyes darting and listening to the war raging outside. She looks to find some fries still in the bin and feebly grasps a few and shoves them into her mouth. This bit of normalcy makes her eyes prick with tears.
Smash!
The windows are broken and glass flies as the elves pour in calling in their small voices for Oakheat- "Oak! Oak!" Frantic and sharp. The woman finds new strength in her legs and stands to meet them. Their little hands pushing and shoving. Oakheart realizes she is the key, the magic carpet back to the North Pole. And again as they run out of In n Out, the world falls into a blur of faces and snow, like static on an empty television station.
But not before long they stop again but Oak knows they have yet to make it to the Pole. It is far to warm to be the North Pole. She recognizes the humidity, the tall bamboo, the white sand beach. She's in Guam. Fucking Guam. "Oh for shit's sake..." More of a groan than anything, she is on the tiny island. By now her little companions are growing weary but they must press on. Oak pushes her hair off her forehead and looks around frantically. Here she remembered that wild packs of dogs roamed. Eyes widen as she looks around. The sounds of growling seems to reiterate her fear...
A group of three canines stand bristled and snarling. They foam rabid but the drool foams green like the color of the Grinch. Their eyes are empty and dulled. The Grinch has stolen their minds. They begin to advance. In a blink one has lunged upon an elf, another is trying to fight it -blink- another is attacking two other elves -blink- one is advancing on Oakheart. A struggle is ensuing with the elves and she is left to deal with the green foaming animal.
It lunges.
It seems as if certain death is imminent and Oak is about to be eaten like a zebra carcass on the Serengeti but suddenly snowflakes begin to fall. The dog stops and looks about with stupid eyes and Oak has enough time to grab the largest rock she can possibly find. When the feral creature turns to catch her movements, it is met with a crushing blow. Oak manages to get back to the elves. At this point, two are bloodied and others are injured but the wild dogs have been subdued with a rather large stick that had been plunged deeply into their throats. The woman can not help but feel bad. She did not want this to happen but she could not think of another way...
Oak gathers the elves to finish the last leg of journey. She was so weary. And with her mind and soul, she imagines Christmas and the smiles and lights and presents and tree. She imagines family and hugs and laughter and love. She slams her eyes shut and does what we all secretly wish we could do since it works in movies. "There's no place like...the North Pole. There's no place like the North Pole. There's no place like the North Pole..."
And with a fizzle pop a familiar chill sends her senses ballistic. Long lashes lift and she is knee deep in snow. Finally! But she is cold, freezing in fact. The elves look to her with renewed strength. The magic has healed their wounds. Their cuts and bruises gone. The tears in their clothes now stitched. But they had to find Santa. Thankfully there was magic here. She snaps two fingers and a snow white unicorn appears alongside three reindeer. The elves quickly scramble upon the deer as Oak stands flabbergasted at a unicorn! The mare whickers and bobs be beautiful head, beckoning. Oak doesn't understand at first. "Get on the unicorn! We're wasting time, dumb ass!" An elf spells it out as politely as possible. So off they go!
The elves and Oakheart race towards the workshop. Snow swirls around them as the unicorn gallops so smoothly it's as if she never touched the ground. Oak snaps her finders to give herself some warmer attire- gloves, jackets, boots. Finally the workshop comes into view and Oak readies herself. This would be it but her magic is strong here. A smirk touches the lips of the wiry woman in thought of the next events to come. Good WILL triumph!
oakheart
manhattan x october