The Gift

It was the night of Christmas eve and I decided to take a walk while the snow was coming down. I love to do that during the Christmas just to see all of the beautiful decorations and lights that lit the city which normally was quite dull and lugubrious and low key due to the small population of the city that I lived at that time. Christmas was the time when the city came to life and I loved it. As I arrived in the town, it was busy due to all of the shoppers that were picking up those last minute Christmas presents, as I glided past the Christmas carolers that stood on the side of the sidewalk singing. There voices beautifully echoing about here and there as children played nearby, laughing and having snowball fights added more of that christmassy feeling to the jolly atmosphere. As my eyes glanced upon the icicles that hung from the leafless tree overhead I decided to cross the street to get me a cup of eggnog that was being sold at one of those stands.

As soon as I started to cross the street out of nowhere came a large red pick up truck, speeding past me, coming mere inches away from hitting me. I have been found myself flat on my back being helped up to my feet by no other than Santa Claus himself or should I say a man dressed like him. "Thank you Santa", I said to him and he gave a little smile and then reached into his large red bag and pulled out a box that was wrapped beautifully in gold Christmas paper. I thanked him and headed home.

When I was halfway home, I heard bells in the sound of hooves pounding the pavement behind. When I turned around there was Santa on his sleigh with reindeer leading the way and up they went overhead vanishing quickly in thin air. I must have been a little shaken up from my fall and was hallucinating. " Santa Claus"? "Flying I a reindeer?". When I finally arrived home, I tossed the present under the Christmas tree and headed off to bed. Christmas morning had arrived and I was excited to see the contents of the gift that Santa had given me. I ripped open the gift as if I were a five year old child again but all that was inside was a piece of paper, some kind of a certificate. When I read it, the look of horror displayed on my face. It was a death certificate that was dated the night prior and it had my name on it. I dropped the box as my eyes shifted towards the mirror that hung above my fireplace. There was no reflection of me not even a shadow.

I was dead. I had been struck by that truck last night and did not even know that I had died. Suddenly there was a knock at my door, so I opened it, there stood the same Santa that helped me up and gave me the present. I yelled at anger at him. His mouth opened as his raspy voice told me that I had to come with him. He then removed his Santa suit, revealing his true identity - The Grim Reaper!