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Part 02: www.deviantart.com/phyrexianre…
Part 03: www.deviantart.com/phyrexianre…

[Part 01 / 03]

    — Another christmas eve alone…
    I Sighed, looking at the corner of the living room, where my Christmas tree would be if I cared for such trivialities. Since I had moved to another state because of work, I’ve never put the effort to decorate the house anymore, nor did I put in the effort to travel and meet my dad and mom on the other side of the country.
     Friends, family and even coworkers would often call by that time to wish me a merry christmas and lots of happiness, but I was tired of all of that. For quite a few years I had just muted the cell phone so nobody would bother me.
    — Christmas is silly…
    I poured myself a glass of whiskey, trying to find a bit of joy or at the very least get dizzy enough to forget everything and sleep before depression hit me.
    The neighborhood was full of lights and people singing and chatting loudly. Everybody seemed to be partying and having fun, except for me.
    — Christmas is just a fabricated holiday to boost sales — I said to myself for the seventh time — This is just a regular day like any other.
    There was no point in celebrating when my family was miles away and my friends had their own houses to attend to... Besides, I would never accept being invited out of pity!
    I swallowed the rest of the whiskey, burning my throat as tears rolled down.
    “These are tears of pain from the drink! Not tears of sadness! I’m not sad!”
    — D-damn it! — I bit my tongue, trying to hold my cries — It’s fine! Everything is fine!
    I poured myself another full glass, shaking my hands and causing droplets to fall on the carpet, wondering if I should take it slowly or just chug it until I blanked out. My own reflection stared back at me from the glass, full of judgment.
    — I’m better than this!
    The glass shattered against the wall.
    — Crap! — Regret filled me.
    “Maybe I should just go upstairs and try to sleep before I destroy anything else.”
    I fell on the bed, covered by three layers of blankets, closed my eyes and started thinking about anything unrelated to christmas. But it didn’t matter how much I tried, the annoying music playing outside kept reminding me of the holiday.
    — Stupid neighboors and their loud music!
    I jumped from the bed and went for the window, which I had probably forgotten to close. That thick double glass was bought specifically because I didn’t want to hear any outside noise in my bedroom!
    But the window was already shut…
    The music was coming from inside the house…
    — Did I forget to turn off the TV?
    As I began going downstairs, it became clear the music was coming from the living room. Also, the lights were flickering in a repetitive pattern. Probably an electrical problem.
    — Great! This day never stops giving...
    Then my jaw dropped.
    At the corner of the living room was a fully decorated christmas tree almost touching the ceiling, with yellow lights on and a golden star on top. At its foot was a single lively green present box, with bright red ribbons around it.
    — Am I dreaming?
    I read the label:
    “For Emily”
    — For me?
    Was that a prank?
    Did my family decide to surprise me with a visit?
    How did a tree that large came in without waking me up?
    — Is someone here? — my voice sounded scared — You guys are freaking me out!
    No answer…
    The music was louder than before, coming from within the present box. A joyful melody of bells and piano, similar to most christmas songs. I raised an eyebrow and opened the box. The interior was filled with snow, except for a pure red envelope sitting on top. Inside it was a letter saying:

    “Merry christmas, Emily.
    Since you are alone this year, you’ve been summoned to help with present delivery tonight if you wish to spend the holiday in good company.
    I assure you this is not an obligation, merely an invite.
    If you want your christmas night to be different from every other you’ve had so far, all I ask you is that you wear the item inside the box.
    However, if you are fine and truly enjoy things as they’ve been for the past few years, just close this box and go back to sleep. I promise we won’t bother you ever again.

    Merry Christmas!

    Elvish Delivery Team.”

    — This has to be a joke!
    I put the letter down and checked the rest of the box. Atop the pile of snow was a small red bridle.
    — No way…
    The warm music was still playing, filling the house with a happy atmosphere, but I was too unsettled to enjoy any of that. I took the bridle out of the box and started to dig into the snow, trying to reach the source of the music so I could turn it off.
    I dug and dug, but there was always more snow. The box seemed to continuously fill again as if it was bottomless. I tried to flip the box over, but it was impossible to lift.
    — I’ve drunk too much… That’s it!
    I tossed the envelope and the bridle back into the box and closed it, muffling the music and making it sound distant and ethereal again.
    — I’ll go back to sleep and tomorrow all these things will just disappear.
    I walked upstairs again, still hearing the music, closed the bedroom’s door and fell on my bed, trying to get some sleep. However the music was still playing…
    I burrowed my head into the pillow…
    But the music was still playing…
    I stuck a finger on each ear…
    But the music was still playing…
    It wasn’t in the box anymore…
    It was playing inside my head like a catchy jingle…
    — C’mon, Emily! Quit being stupid!
    I shut my eyes tight and tried to ignore the music in my thoughts. However the melody was soothing enough that maybe it could lull me into sleeping. In fact, I was starting to like that happy song. It reminded me of childhood, when I had christmas with my whole family. The house was full, the food was plenty, there was music and beautiful decoration everywhere. I could hear the lively chatter and smell the delicious food being served. My heart filled with warmth and joy…
    I woke up…
    Alone in my bed…
    Alone in my house…
    All those good feelings suddenly vanished, except for haunting the music.
    I sighed and changed positions, fighting my tears and trying to fall asleep again.
    The tree was filled with presents. Everyone was rushing to open theirs, including me. I was a lot shorter, the same height as the other kids around. I was wearing a large green sweater and couldn’t stop laughing. I opened my present box to find a cute handmade pony plushie inside it, sewed by my mother. I loved it! I ran towards my parents and hugged both of them. Their embrace filled me with love.
    I woke up…
    Alone in my bed…
    Alone in my house…
    Everything in my dreams vanished, except for the music.
    I sniffed and a single tear rolled down my cheek.
    — I don’t want to be alone…
    I turned over and hugged a pillow tightly, pressing my face against it in a desperate attempt to find a bit of warmth and softness in that inanimate object.
    — Mommy…
    I wanted all those years back…
    When christmas was fun…
    When my family was around…
    I missed everything!
    I wasn’t fine alone!
    I hated living so far away!
    I rushed downstairs, following the melody. I kneeled in front of the present box and opened it, releasing the music into the house once again, louder than before.
    — I don’t want to be alone!
    The bridle moved on its own, jumping from the box and wrapping itself around my head as if it was alive.
    — W-what!
    I immediately grabbed one of the laces and tried to take that thing off, but the more effort I put, the tighter it became, shrinking quickly until it was the exact size of my head, fitting perfectly like a customized piece of gear. The size and shape was, in fact, so perfect that I couldn’t take it out no matter how hard I tried. There was no zipper, no buckle, no button, nothing I could open!
    That thing exerted such a pressure that my mouth and nose were pushed outwards, slowly elongating, as if my body was made of clay and someone was squeezing it out.
    — Mmfffhhh… H-help!
    I desperately held my evergrowing face with both hands and pushed it back with all my strength, which seemed to work at first, as it stopped growing. I released a sigh of relief and continued to push my face back to its normal size, undoing whatever strange phenomena had just happened, however…
    Sproink!
    Pushing my face back only moved the changes to other places! Both ears sprang into a longer shape and moved closer to the top of my head. Besides that, two long antlers sprouted from my forehead. To top it out, a round red cherry sized sphere escaped from between my fingers exactly where my nose used to be.
    I yelped and involuntarily reached for my antlers.
    Sproink!
    Without my hands holding those changes, my face simply pushed out like a released spring, quicker than before, becoming a short snout ending in a bright cherry nose. The elongation was so fast that my face wiggled a bit like pudding.
    Antlers...
    Red nose...
    Snout...
    Red bridle..
    Christmas...
    Present delivery...
    “I’m becoming a reindeer!”
    Snow gushed from the box, dancing around me like a floating river, causing the room temperature to quickly drop. An instant later, two red ropes with many colorful lights also came out, seemingly as two enchanted snakes moving in spirals alongside the snow.
    I yelped as the freezing snow ran past my legs, pulling down my pants and... Pop!... revealing a tiny ball of fur between my buttcheeks! My fingers brushed against it and, by reflex, it moved! My eyes didn’t believe what they saw! It wasn't a prop! I had an actual tail!
    The music turned even louder, consuming every other sound until I could only hear the melody blasting inside my head as I involuntarily began singing along.
    — Jingle bells, jingle bells...
    — Jingle all the way...
    — Oh, what fun it is to ride...
    — S-shut up, E-emily!
    I fell on my knees, overwhelmed by the music, holding my head and having flashes of colorful parties, delightful banquets, and mother’s embrace. Those feelings took over me as the snow continued to cover the living room until it was completely white.
    A large belt with a dozen golden bells came out of nowhere and strapped itself on my waist, feeling loose at first, then the serpentine ropes quickly knotted themselves to that thing on both sides. My torso expanded and pressed against the belt, reshaping into a barrel like equine form. My back hunched and my thighs moved away from one another, suddenly shifting my balance. I was forced to put my hands on the floor so I wouldn’t fall on my face.
    I tried my best to stand up, but legs and arms were already changing shapes, gaining muscles, bending, shortening in some places and elongating in others, forcing me to stay on the ground. I stared at my fingers with a horrified look as they became stiff and merged together into a single round stump that I soon realized were my new soft hooves. Those same transformations also happened to my feet, but I didn't want to look. I closed my eyes and prayed to wake up from that nightmare!
    Short fur began to grow on my skin, starting from the tail, covering my butt and my thighs, then moving to my waist and legs, spreading all over me with a tickling sensation that quickly became unbearable! I rolled on the snow trying to alleviate it, helplessly scratching myself with those useless hooves, releasing desperate laughs from the tickling, tears rolling down.
    As I continued to struggle and fight against the changes, those two red ropes attached to me stretched out and pulled in opposite directions, forcing me to stay in place, unable to run away. I was bound to something behind me and another ahead of me! The room was pure white and the reins disappeared after a few meters as if sinking into the fog. Those things looked a lot like what was used to connect reindeers to a sled. I was a reindeer in a sled!
    — This can’t be real!
    Suddenly the whiteness around me vanished with the wind…
    But I didn’t like what I saw...
    It wasn’t my living room anymore.
    I was in a snow covered field with tall mountains in the background.
    A trail of candy-like canes formed a long line in both directions, marking the outlines of a road covered by snow. The reins that were holding me in place were attached to many other reindeers, connecting us all to a big sled with a bag full of presents. I was surrounded by reindeers curiously looking at me!
    — This must be a dream!
    A friendly hand wearing white gloves gently squeezed my red nose and laughed.
    — You ain’t dreaming, girl! — the small person wearing red clothes smiled — Welcome to delivery station three hundred fifty seven!

Continues...

Part 02: www.deviantart.com/phyrexianre…

Description

Part 02: www.deviantart.com/phyrexianre…
Part 03: www.deviantart.com/phyrexianre…

[Part 01 / 03]

    — Another christmas eve alone…
    I Sighed, looking at the corner of the living room, where my Christmas tree would be if I cared for such trivialities. Since I had moved to another state because of work, I’ve never put the effort to decorate the house anymore, nor did I put in the effort to travel and meet my dad and mom on the other side of the country.
     Friends, family and even coworkers would often call by that time to wish me a merry christmas and lots of happiness, but I was tired of all of that. For quite a few years I had just muted the cell phone so nobody would bother me.
    — Christmas is silly…
    I poured myself a glass of whiskey, trying to find a bit of joy or at the very least get dizzy enough to forget everything and sleep before depression hit me.
    The neighborhood was full of lights and people singing and chatting loudly. Everybody seemed to be partying and having fun, except for me.
    — Christmas is just a fabricated holiday to boost sales — I said to myself for the seventh time — This is just a regular day like any other.
    There was no point in celebrating when my family was miles away and my friends had their own houses to attend to... Besides, I would never accept being invited out of pity!
    I swallowed the rest of the whiskey, burning my throat as tears rolled down.
    “These are tears of pain from the drink! Not tears of sadness! I’m not sad!”
    — D-damn it! — I bit my tongue, trying to hold my cries — It’s fine! Everything is fine!
    I poured myself another full glass, shaking my hands and causing droplets to fall on the carpet, wondering if I should take it slowly or just chug it until I blanked out. My own reflection stared back at me from the glass, full of judgment.
    — I’m better than this!
    The glass shattered against the wall.
    — Crap! — Regret filled me.
    “Maybe I should just go upstairs and try to sleep before I destroy anything else.”
    I fell on the bed, covered by three layers of blankets, closed my eyes and started thinking about anything unrelated to christmas. But it didn’t matter how much I tried, the annoying music playing outside kept reminding me of the holiday.
    — Stupid neighboors and their loud music!
    I jumped from the bed and went for the window, which I had probably forgotten to close. That thick double glass was bought specifically because I didn’t want to hear any outside noise in my bedroom!
    But the window was already shut…
    The music was coming from inside the house…
    — Did I forget to turn off the TV?
    As I began going downstairs, it became clear the music was coming from the living room. Also, the lights were flickering in a repetitive pattern. Probably an electrical problem.
    — Great! This day never stops giving...
    Then my jaw dropped.
    At the corner of the living room was a fully decorated christmas tree almost touching the ceiling, with yellow lights on and a golden star on top. At its foot was a single lively green present box, with bright red ribbons around it.
    — Am I dreaming?
    I read the label:
    “For Emily”
    — For me?
    Was that a prank?
    Did my family decide to surprise me with a visit?
    How did a tree that large came in without waking me up?
    — Is someone here? — my voice sounded scared — You guys are freaking me out!
    No answer…
    The music was louder than before, coming from within the present box. A joyful melody of bells and piano, similar to most christmas songs. I raised an eyebrow and opened the box. The interior was filled with snow, except for a pure red envelope sitting on top. Inside it was a letter saying:

    “Merry christmas, Emily.
    Since you are alone this year, you’ve been summoned to help with present delivery tonight if you wish to spend the holiday in good company.
    I assure you this is not an obligation, merely an invite.
    If you want your christmas night to be different from every other you’ve had so far, all I ask you is that you wear the item inside the box.
    However, if you are fine and truly enjoy things as they’ve been for the past few years, just close this box and go back to sleep. I promise we won’t bother you ever again.

    Merry Christmas!

    Elvish Delivery Team.”

    — This has to be a joke!
    I put the letter down and checked the rest of the box. Atop the pile of snow was a small red bridle.
    — No way…
    The warm music was still playing, filling the house with a happy atmosphere, but I was too unsettled to enjoy any of that. I took the bridle out of the box and started to dig into the snow, trying to reach the source of the music so I could turn it off.
    I dug and dug, but there was always more snow. The box seemed to continuously fill again as if it was bottomless. I tried to flip the box over, but it was impossible to lift.
    — I’ve drunk too much… That’s it!
    I tossed the envelope and the bridle back into the box and closed it, muffling the music and making it sound distant and ethereal again.
    — I’ll go back to sleep and tomorrow all these things will just disappear.
    I walked upstairs again, still hearing the music, closed the bedroom’s door and fell on my bed, trying to get some sleep. However the music was still playing…
    I burrowed my head into the pillow…
    But the music was still playing…
    I stuck a finger on each ear…
    But the music was still playing…
    It wasn’t in the box anymore…
    It was playing inside my head like a catchy jingle…
    — C’mon, Emily! Quit being stupid!
    I shut my eyes tight and tried to ignore the music in my thoughts. However the melody was soothing enough that maybe it could lull me into sleeping. In fact, I was starting to like that happy song. It reminded me of childhood, when I had christmas with my whole family. The house was full, the food was plenty, there was music and beautiful decoration everywhere. I could hear the lively chatter and smell the delicious food being served. My heart filled with warmth and joy…
    I woke up…
    Alone in my bed…
    Alone in my house…
    All those good feelings suddenly vanished, except for haunting the music.
    I sighed and changed positions, fighting my tears and trying to fall asleep again.
    The tree was filled with presents. Everyone was rushing to open theirs, including me. I was a lot shorter, the same height as the other kids around. I was wearing a large green sweater and couldn’t stop laughing. I opened my present box to find a cute handmade pony plushie inside it, sewed by my mother. I loved it! I ran towards my parents and hugged both of them. Their embrace filled me with love.
    I woke up…
    Alone in my bed…
    Alone in my house…
    Everything in my dreams vanished, except for the music.
    I sniffed and a single tear rolled down my cheek.
    — I don’t want to be alone…
    I turned over and hugged a pillow tightly, pressing my face against it in a desperate attempt to find a bit of warmth and softness in that inanimate object.
    — Mommy…
    I wanted all those years back…
    When christmas was fun…
    When my family was around…
    I missed everything!
    I wasn’t fine alone!
    I hated living so far away!
    I rushed downstairs, following the melody. I kneeled in front of the present box and opened it, releasing the music into the house once again, louder than before.
    — I don’t want to be alone!
    The bridle moved on its own, jumping from the box and wrapping itself around my head as if it was alive.
    — W-what!
    I immediately grabbed one of the laces and tried to take that thing off, but the more effort I put, the tighter it became, shrinking quickly until it was the exact size of my head, fitting perfectly like a customized piece of gear. The size and shape was, in fact, so perfect that I couldn’t take it out no matter how hard I tried. There was no zipper, no buckle, no button, nothing I could open!
    That thing exerted such a pressure that my mouth and nose were pushed outwards, slowly elongating, as if my body was made of clay and someone was squeezing it out.
    — Mmfffhhh… H-help!
    I desperately held my evergrowing face with both hands and pushed it back with all my strength, which seemed to work at first, as it stopped growing. I released a sigh of relief and continued to push my face back to its normal size, undoing whatever strange phenomena had just happened, however…
    Sproink!
    Pushing my face back only moved the changes to other places! Both ears sprang into a longer shape and moved closer to the top of my head. Besides that, two long antlers sprouted from my forehead. To top it out, a round red cherry sized sphere escaped from between my fingers exactly where my nose used to be.
    I yelped and involuntarily reached for my antlers.
    Sproink!
    Without my hands holding those changes, my face simply pushed out like a released spring, quicker than before, becoming a short snout ending in a bright cherry nose. The elongation was so fast that my face wiggled a bit like pudding.
    Antlers...
    Red nose...
    Snout...
    Red bridle..
    Christmas...
    Present delivery...
    “I’m becoming a reindeer!”
    Snow gushed from the box, dancing around me like a floating river, causing the room temperature to quickly drop. An instant later, two red ropes with many colorful lights also came out, seemingly as two enchanted snakes moving in spirals alongside the snow.
    I yelped as the freezing snow ran past my legs, pulling down my pants and... Pop!... revealing a tiny ball of fur between my buttcheeks! My fingers brushed against it and, by reflex, it moved! My eyes didn’t believe what they saw! It wasn't a prop! I had an actual tail!
    The music turned even louder, consuming every other sound until I could only hear the melody blasting inside my head as I involuntarily began singing along.
    — Jingle bells, jingle bells...
    — Jingle all the way...
    — Oh, what fun it is to ride...
    — S-shut up, E-emily!
    I fell on my knees, overwhelmed by the music, holding my head and having flashes of colorful parties, delightful banquets, and mother’s embrace. Those feelings took over me as the snow continued to cover the living room until it was completely white.
    A large belt with a dozen golden bells came out of nowhere and strapped itself on my waist, feeling loose at first, then the serpentine ropes quickly knotted themselves to that thing on both sides. My torso expanded and pressed against the belt, reshaping into a barrel like equine form. My back hunched and my thighs moved away from one another, suddenly shifting my balance. I was forced to put my hands on the floor so I wouldn’t fall on my face.
    I tried my best to stand up, but legs and arms were already changing shapes, gaining muscles, bending, shortening in some places and elongating in others, forcing me to stay on the ground. I stared at my fingers with a horrified look as they became stiff and merged together into a single round stump that I soon realized were my new soft hooves. Those same transformations also happened to my feet, but I didn't want to look. I closed my eyes and prayed to wake up from that nightmare!
    Short fur began to grow on my skin, starting from the tail, covering my butt and my thighs, then moving to my waist and legs, spreading all over me with a tickling sensation that quickly became unbearable! I rolled on the snow trying to alleviate it, helplessly scratching myself with those useless hooves, releasing desperate laughs from the tickling, tears rolling down.
    As I continued to struggle and fight against the changes, those two red ropes attached to me stretched out and pulled in opposite directions, forcing me to stay in place, unable to run away. I was bound to something behind me and another ahead of me! The room was pure white and the reins disappeared after a few meters as if sinking into the fog. Those things looked a lot like what was used to connect reindeers to a sled. I was a reindeer in a sled!
    — This can’t be real!
    Suddenly the whiteness around me vanished with the wind…
    But I didn’t like what I saw...
    It wasn’t my living room anymore.
    I was in a snow covered field with tall mountains in the background.
    A trail of candy-like canes formed a long line in both directions, marking the outlines of a road covered by snow. The reins that were holding me in place were attached to many other reindeers, connecting us all to a big sled with a bag full of presents. I was surrounded by reindeers curiously looking at me!
    — This must be a dream!
    A friendly hand wearing white gloves gently squeezed my red nose and laughed.
    — You ain’t dreaming, girl! — the small person wearing red clothes smiled — Welcome to delivery station three hundred fifty seven!

Continues...

Part 02: www.deviantart.com/phyrexianre…