20/12- Joy- Pink And Light

Fantasy?

(Yes. That question mark is meant to be there.)

Within the Advent candles, Joy is special. It's always a different colour. Hope, peace and love are always (or most of the time) purple. But Joy is always pink. Why is Joy 'special'?

Magdalen knew better than anyone. She had experienced it first-hand, many years before, as a young girl.

Think the early 2010s. A teenager, maybe 13 or 14. The least eager girl you’ve ever seen.

Christmas, to her, was a time to get gifts, and nothing more. Need something? Wait for Christmas. Want some time off from school? Wait for Christmas. She would wait for Christmas so that people would stop telling her to wait for Christmas!

But Christmas would just mean she gets to sit on the couch and watch shows until late. Who was she to fangirl over a baby and celebrate with her whole ridiculous family? Jesus was born over 2000 years ago!

Her family was very Catholic, which didn't help matters. So many traditions, and church and all the things Magdalen didn't like. Everyone stressing and making weird things or restricting food for one reason or another.

On Christmas Eve, Magdalen was, to no one's surprise, sitting on the couch scrolling through the channels. But each one had something Christmassy on. Everything from ghosts with Santa hats to news about some sort of crazy decoration extravaganza.

She shut it off.

Please just let Christmas be over.

It's too much pretending to care for her liking.

A crackling came from outside, like a bonfire was set off in the front yard. Too lazy to get up, she tried to peer out of the window, where she found nothing. Another crackle and a bang.

"Grandpa?"

No reply.

"Anyone?"

Still, nothing.

Magdalen propped herself up on her elbows before creeping over to the door. A bright light shone from outside, popping out of the darkness.

Was this the end of the world?

The door swung open on its own to reveal a shimmering figure dressed in a white robe. His form was ghostly, yet seemed like the realist person Magdalen had ever seen.

"Night." She spun on her heel to go to bed because she must have been dreaming. Or hallucinating. Or something.

A soft, not-wind urged her to spin back around and look at the man again. Magdalen looked and looked, but he refused to disappear.

"Do not be afraid." His words were soft yet stronger than any she had ever heard before. A fire burning all around her. The very air grew still -- though simultaneously excited -- as He spoke.

He blinked slowly, arms extended with robes dripping off them. His smile was gentle, so much so that you wouldn't have noticed it at first glance.

"Do you know who I am?" An arm reached out towards her.

"Are you Jesus?"

"Yes, my child."

"But why here? Why? Aren't you meant to be dead?"

Magdalen would have expected Him to look at her funny, or maybe start laughing. But she guessed that wasn't suitable for the King of Humanity and all that.

"You are never truly gone with My Father in your heart."

"Not to be disrespectful, but if you have some wisdom to give me, sooner would be better than later."

He took His hand away.

"My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Only one light will shine this night, and only in heart."

Each word was enunciated fully before He blew, and all the light, and His image dissolved into the night.

"I'm going crazy! Officially!" Magdalen shouted incredulously into the darkness.

*

The power must have gone out at some point in the night, because when everyone woke up, they were stumbling in the dark. The sun wasn't up yet, and Grandad was trying to reconnect the wires and whatnot. But they had exploded completely, and all that was left was smoking metal.

Great! Merry Christmas, everyone! We have no light.

"We could just... wait an hour for the sun to rise," Mum suggested.

That would have been a great idea, if she had been right. All the technology was out of use, and it was pitch-black, so they were too afraid to ask the neighbours what time it was. If their power was still working.

"Oh, wait! I have the time on my watch..." Grandad squinted at it. "Ten?! We went to bed at eleven! It can't be ten in the morning."

"Oh, Dad, just let me light the candle. You probably just can't see in the dark. Do you have your glasses on?"

"It's so dark I couldn't find them!" "Where's the lighter?"

So they were all for the hunt for a lighter in the pitch-blackness, with nothing but Mum's random muttering to guide them.

"Wait. I had the candle. Where is it now?" A collective groan ensued.

Magdalen had an idea. A crazy one based on her crazy hallucination yesterday.

She stumbled -- practically crawled -- to the kitchen and felt for the portrait on the wall. And knocked a candle off the shelf.

Oops.

Picking it up, Magdalen felt around the shelf. There were three candles on the shelf, and a lighter.

"Found it!" she called out.

"Where are you?"

"Kitchen!"

"But I checked--" Mum started.

"Clearly not well enough." Grandad decided.

Magdalen turned the lighter on, and before Mum could even pull it away from her, the small fire jumped onto the three candles on its own. Putting back the candle she had been holding, Magdalen turned to see her mother for the first time that day.

"Wasn't me."

Hundreds of other candles started to light up on the pathway to the living room, each flame jumping to the next wick, without causing any crazy explosion.

"Wasn't me either." Grandad laughed. "Oh, Lord!"

The whole house was lit up with candlelight, and the family followed the path to find the Christmas tree also lit up with candles. Because there weren't enough fire hazards before.

Mum suddenly hugged Magdalen so hard she couldn't breathe. But Mum didn't say anything. Fine by Magdalen, because that meant she wouldn't have to reply, and Mum wouldn't hear the happiness in her voice.

Ok, so maybe her weird vision came true. It didn't mean she suddenly loved Christmas. But... it was a sudden peak in excitement and joy.

Who knows if that was the real Jesus? They all got their Christmas, so it's a happily ever after.

Thank you for reading. I hope you got a little Christmas joy from this story. Here, for anyone who wants it, is the maintenance.

If you enjoyed this story, please, please, please (I can add a cherry if necessary) like, comment, rate and share. It really helps me out and allows others to see these (hopefully decent) stories. Thank you, and Merry Christmas.