THE MAGIC CHRISTMAS TREE E-Book

Anthony Marchiori

• Herausgeber: BookRix
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

This is an exciting story of a young boy who is on the verge of finding the meaning of christmas and has some strange and exotic experiences to find the answer.

Leseprobe

Anthony Marchiori

THE MAGIC CHRISTMAS TREE

For all the free world BookRix GmbH & Co. KG81371 Munich

The first step

The Magic Christmas Tree.

The room was silent except for the loud rush of wind that blew against the two storey weather beaten house. Looking out of the window the air was dark and gloomy as the rolling black clouds moved in from a distance, heralded by the intermittent clasp of thunder.

Tom lay huddled under the covers of the single bed as Tibbles his small black dog lay curled up on the rug with his droopy eyes closing slowly. As his grandma sat by his bed side in the rickety old chair, her sunken but beautiful face was lighted by the desk lamp that sat on top of the old wooden desk. Tom's family was not very rich and even if he could not afford all the toys that the other children had, he was still happy, he had a mother and father who loved him deeply and he felt comfortable and safe.

"Grandma, please tell me a story" Tom pleaded

"No, its too late, and tomorrow you have to go to school" "No please Grandam only a short one" pleaded Tom. "No Tom."

"Please?"

"Oh very well only a short one."

As Tom closed his eyes listening intensely, Grandma sat back in her seat looking up towards the ceiling. Outside the clouds were almost overhead as the small droplets of rain tapping against the window rhythmically lulled Tom to sleep.

"Now, where shall I begin?"

As she took a pause she looked down at Tom and his comfortable smile.

"When I was a little girl we were very poor, and our family could not afford all the things that you have today. We had to use everything that we had in order that we would be able to survive. One day my mother and me were out shopping and as we walked past a store window we saw this lovely dress. It was so beautiful and I could see in my mothers eyes that she had instantly fallen in love with it. There was also another dress that I loved but I knew we could never afford. We would watch as the wealthy women walked into the store with their daughters and tried on the dresses my, how I wished that we could do the same.

I asked my mother and she said "Come on dear, there is no way we could ever afford that" But as we walked home together, I could not get that dress out of my mind and I knew that there must be a way. That night a strange thing happened. When I went to sleep I dreamt of a man that was selling these Christmas trees. Anyway a few day's latter I was walking past a yard when this man pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted to buy a Christmas tree, he said this was a magic tree and that if I bought it, it would bring me good luck and anything I desired.

At the time, I as on my way to the shop to buy a birthday present for my mother but he persisted and finally he convinced me. I was so happy that I gave him all the money that I had. I took the shabby tree home and when I walked in the door my mother asked me where I had gotten it. When I told her the story she forced me to take the tree back. I pleaded with her telling her how the man had said it was a magic tree but she took me back to the yard. When we got back, the man and the yard had disappeared.

"Are you sure this was the place?" my mother asked. "Yes mother, it was right here."

There was only the vacant lot with a for "Lease" sign.

"Well, I guess there's nothing we can do, and you spent all the money"

As I nodded my head I could see the disapproval in my mothers eyes, I don't know what to tell your father." my mother said.

I took the little tree home and placed it in the best vase I could and put it under the window and after that you know what happened?"

Grandma looked down at Tom his eyes were shut and his. breathing was very slow" "Tom, Tom" called his Grandma softly, but he had gone fast asleep.

"Never mind, Tom we'll finish the story later, night Tom sleep we'll." and leaning down she gave him a kiss on his forehead.

Switching off the light grandma silently walked to the door and closed it behind her. As the morning sun broke over the horizon the day was crisp and clean the night

rain left the morning grass coated in a layer of fine mist. The green and red coloured rosellas sang in the tree just outside Tom's window.

 "Tom, hurry up You'll miss breakfast" yelled out his mother from down stairs. Tom awoke from his sleep and yawned. Looking at the time on the digital clock next to his table he jumped out of bed and quickly dressed in his school uniform, he fought to put on his black shoes as he ran to the door.

"Tom hurry."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." he called out.

Running down the stairs he sat down at the breakfast table. His parents and grandma were already well into the meal.

"Quickly, sit down or you'll be late for school"

His mother placed a delicious plate of natural cereal and juice for him to eat.

Anne, Tom's mother had long golden blonde hair and perfectly shaped green eyes that shone whenever she smiled. Tom was the only child she and her husband Jack had. "Jack, what have you planned today?" Toms mother asked.

"Well I don't know the manager wants to call a special meeting of all the employee's" "Dad I bet its a big promotion." Tom said eagerly"

"I don't know about that but its definitely serious, and with the current economy the way it's going."

"Come on Jack it'll be fine, and besides its coming up to Christmas you're been a loyal employee for years now, very thing will be all right." Tom's wife said as she gently squeezed his hand.

"Of course darling your right." he said forcing a smile but there was no denying the heaviness he was feeling in his heart.

"Want to hear a great story that grandma told me?" asked Tom trying to lighten the mood. "Sure why not" Tom's father said

"Tom I thought you were asleep

"Only half a sleep Grandma"

"Grandma told me about this Christmas tree that has magical powers..."

"Hold on Tom stop it right there as a scientist I can tell you categorically that there is no such thing."

"Jack come on its only a story" Anne said.

"Still, I don't want Jacks head being filled with such nonsense the quicker that he realised what a tough world this is the better."

"But dad. No butts that's it. And mum I would appreciate it if you could stop filling Tom with such stories."

"It's true grandma tell him its true" pleaded Tom as he poised his hands on the table. "That's enough Tom." Jack yelled.

"Jack have you really forgotten how to be a child again." his grandma said looking at him compassionately.

"Stop it Tom there is no such thing as a magic tree its not logical and I won't hear of it any more, understood, understood?"

"Yes sir" Tom said.

"And mother tell Tom that you made the story up" he said looking at her, she hesitated, "Well, tell him"

"That's right, there is no such thing as a magic tree, I made the whole thing up" she said with her lips clenched tightly together.

"No" called out Tom, "I won't believe it" he said running from the table "Tom come back" yelled out his mother.

"It's okay, let him go" Jack said, "he'll be okay."

"And mother please stop filling Tom's head with such nonsense" Jack said. "There was a magic tree, I wasn't lying"

"Look mother I'm a scientist and in all my years I have never seen or heard of such a thing as any magic."

"Yes my son and you never will until you believe."

"I'm not listening to this any more," Jack said as he slammed his table cloth down. "Bye darling" he said and kissing his wife goodbye he left the home.

As Tom ran to the school bus he was crying he could not get the thought of how his father had been so mean and how he would prove them all wrong his grandmother had not lied there was such a tree and one day he would find it. The bus arrived and Tom stepped abroad. He sat looking out, with his hot breath condensing on the window, Tom drew the outline of a Christmas tree with his fingertip.

At dinner that night Tom's father was absent from the table. When Tom asked what was the matter he was told his father was sick. Tom knew that there was something more but he could not understand what. As Tom prepared for bed that night, a loud bang came from downstairs the force of which shook Tom.

"Stop it Jack, or Tom will hear" said Tom's mother from downstairs.

"How could they do this to me." after all the years that I put into that company, its not fair." "Don't worry Jack, it will be all right, you'll get another job"

"What, with my age and this recession and the way the economy is going."

"Don't worry Jack" Anne said putting her arm around Jack's shoulder. He broke from her hold and slammed his fist hard down on the bench.

"Damn it, how could they ever do this to me, and just before Christmas."

"I'll never find another job, how will pay for the bills, how are we ever going 

"Don't worry, we'll find a way."

"Oh sure and the fairy godmother will come down and save us." "Now Jack"

"Just leave me alone!"

"Shh stop shouting, Tom will hear you"

"Look, just leave me alone, and go to bed," he pushed her away. Anne stood back shocked. Suddenly she no longer knew this man.

"Jack I was just ."

"I said leave me alone!"

As the shout carried to Tom's room Tom stood at his slightly open door, listening and for the first time he was frightened and felt so helpless, his parents had never fought before.

"Get the hell out of here" Jack yelled. Tom heard his mother crying as she raced upstairs and slammed the door to her bedroom shut.

As Tom crawled in between the covers, there was an errie silence. He suddenly felt cold and alone he wanted to help there was nothing he could do. As he looked up at the ceiling, the thought of the magic tree drifted through his mind and he thought with its magical power he would be able to save his family. By the time he fell asleep Tom was determined to find the magic tree.

Christmas was just a two weeks, away and so far Tom had not been any nearer to finding his tree he had searched all the shops in the neighbourhood but no matter how many he tried there was no sign of a magic tree. The shopkeepers all tried to convince him that theirs was the magic tree but Tom knew that when he found it there would be no mistake. He had spent every afternoon for the past week looking for the tree and he had to admit that even with all his persistence he seemed to be no closer to finding it than when he had started.

As Tom made his way home that evenings sun had started to slowly decent and the sky was filled with a bright red and crimson shade, as the voluminous clouds did a graceful dance past the blazing orb. Tom waited for the last bus, he was in no hurry the fights between his parents had grown more violent, there seemed that nothing else could be done but to stay away as much as possible.

As Tom sat at the isolated bus stop he wished that he could leave for a distant land and never come back and as he pulled the jacket of his coat in tighter the night and cold gathered around him. Tom sighed deeply he knew it was hopeless he would never find that tree and as the last bus for the night approached with its wide beam of light Tom had decided that he might as well just give up.

From out of the shadows stepped a man he was old and ragged looking, dressed in a haggard jacket he sneaked up behind Tom until he was almost above him. The man put his hand on tom's shoulder. Tom sprang from the seat and when Tom turned terrified to look at the figure he was barely able to move his mouth.

"What...What do you want?" Tom asked terrified and gasping between breathes.

When the man smiled his mouth revealed teeth that had an unequal look some were blacked and some were missing. He slowly lifted his long knotted skeleton index finger and pointing it at Tom. Curling it back he summoned Tom with eyes that had a strangely glassy ancient stare as if he had seen it all and were sunken behind the deep farrow of his forehead. As his smile grew bigger it crinkled his chin and expanding his stubbled white beard.

Tom took a step back and took a 

"I understand you're looking for a magic tree." he said. "That's right, but how did you know?" Tom asked bewildered.

"Lets just say, I have my ways, so come" he said curling his finger once again. "I don't think so" Tom said.

Tom looked quickly up and down the street, strangely there seemed to be no-one else around. Suddenly the bus had arrived the doors opened and Tom was about to step aboard. "Don't you want the magic tree" the man smiled.

His mother had told him never to trust strangers but there was something different about this man, he knew not what. Suddenly Tom had a desperate choice to make either step abroad the bus and lose the opportunity or risk going with the old man suddenly his mind was spinning in confusion.

"How do you know that your telling the truth?"

The man smiled. Suddenly the doors of the bus closed and as the roar of the motor fade down the now very dark street Tom knew that he had made his choice.

"Ok, but where are we going?" "Not very far only down the street"

"Ok but you first" he said to the man. Tom watched as the man slowly turned away and as he walked crookedly down the street, there was nothing to fear Tom thought he could easily escape. As they walked along Tom could feel the darkness engulfing them and Tom wondered how much his parents would worry now that he would be so late. Just then the man stopped and turned around Tom took a step back afraid of what would happen next. "Don't worry Tom you won't be late for your parents" he said and slowly he turned and continued walking down the street.