The cottage was quiet when Lacey woke up the following morning. The landscape was still completely dark, although the barest beginnings of dawn were visible in the distance. She supposed she could thank the fact that there was light at all to Santa’s Village being in the Cosmic North Pole Space and not the actual North Pole. If Peter, Mathilda, and everyone else were telling the truth, of course. Lacey touched the tips of her ears. They remained pointy and very real.
When they had gotten home last night, Mathilda had hustled her straight to bed, insisting that Lacey needed to rest even though there was no concussion. Initially, she had resisted, but once she was in bed she fell asleep so fast that she didn’t even remember closing her eyes. Now, in the morning, she could appreciate her surroundings better. Her bed had a jolly quilted coverlet with images of striped candy and peppermint sticks. It suited the cosy little cottage, which was decorated throughout in peppermint stick, holly, and mistletoe patterns.
Had Jinxy been found yet? Lacey hoped so. Even though nobody else seemed worried, she certainly was. Not having known Jinxy that long, she didn’t share the familiarity with Jinxy’s habits that the other elves did. But from Jinxy’s little secret, Lacey found it hard to believe she would abandon her post in the middle of a toy. And to do what? Wander around? Look for the Abominable Snowman? It didn’t seem likely. Lacey wished she had paid more attention to Jinxy in Santa’s workshop, but she had been absorbed in crafting her toys. And then, if Lacey’s theory about her own abduction was true, Jinxy’s disappearance was even more alarming. Had she been gotten rid of? Was she being held somewhere else for a more sinister purpose?
She sighed. All these possibilities brought her to the point where she’d have to decide what was real. Was she truly recruited as a Helper for Santa? Or was she an abductee being indoctrinated to be a good little sweatshop worker? Either she started living her best elf life or she needed to keep looking for a way to escape. The choice would’ve been easier if Jinxy’s life weren’t also in the balance. Or maybe it’s not. Perhaps she did run off somewhere and is having the time of her life doing whatever she did when she disappeared.
Which leads to the question of what she really knew about Jinxy. Counting the facts, she knew Jinxy was a fellow workshop worker who took great pride in her toys. She has a strong relationship with Melo, loses track of time easily, and has disappeared before. She was also trusting, as evidenced by sharing her secret with Lacey, a total stranger. Perhaps even a bit naive. Although, if this truly is Santa’s Village at the North Pole, Jinxy would have no reason not to be. Then there were also all the people connected with her: Melo, her boyfriend, and Jinxy’s other friends, Bethy, Cynthie, and Danji.
Lacey was still running through her facts when Mathilda called, ‘Lacey? Are you up yet? I’m going to start breakfast for us!’
‘Morning Mathilda, I’m up, and I’ll be down in a minute!’ Lacey called back, getting out of bed and dressing. Downstairs, the cottage’s little kitchen was snug, hot, and smelled like heaven. Lacey didn’t know how she would leave to go to work in the workshop. If this was captivity, it was the most stunningly pleasant prison in the world. She could understand why none of the other elves were the least bit troubled about their employment here. Then Lacey realised what she had just thought. If? Am I willing to believe this is real? She gave herself a little pinch. It hurt, just like it was supposed to.
Breakfast was a satisfyingly normal combination of eggs, bacon, and flapjacks with maple syrup. Lacey had just inserted a slightly too-large forkful of the deliciousness into her mouth when the back door slammed open. Peter entered, face pale and cheeks flushed, stomping his feet to remove the snow from his boots. Pulling his gloves off, he dropped onto an empty chair at the little square table.
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‘Goodness Peter, go easy on the door and good morning!’ Mathilda said with a laugh and added another place setting.
‘Good morning to you too, and you, Lacey,’ he replied. ‘Feeling any better today?’
Lacey mumbled something behind her hand, trying to chew and swallow in a ladylike fashion. Mathilda dropped a heaping plate of food in front of him, almost like she had expected him.
‘You look like you’ve been up for a while,’ Mathilda remarked.
‘Oh yes, another reindeer foaled last night. You should stop by and look at the little lad later today.’
‘How wonderful, indeed I will.’
‘That sounds so cute,’ Lacey added. ‘And have you found Jinxy yet?’
Mathilda looked quizzically at Lacey, then said, ‘Oh yes, Jinxy went missing again yesterday. I almost forgot. Has she turned up yet, Peter?’
‘If only I were so lucky. No, unfortunately she has not. But you know how many times she’s done this before. She’ll probably be back in time for lunch.’
It was the same phrase Lacey had heard half a dozen times by now from different people, and it didn’t sit well with her. She decided to push a bit.
‘I know people keep telling me she’ll turn up, but I can’t help worrying. She left behind a half-made toy on her workshop bench. I don’t think she’d do that…’
‘Probably got distracted fetching a part or something,’ Peter interrupted. ‘I wouldn’t worry too much.’
‘I hope so, but it still bothers me. Where does she normally go when she disappears?’
A flash of irritation darkened his tired eyes before he replied, ‘I don’t know, but how would you like to have walked every five of our five village trails in the dark last night? Because I did. Or check the most popular outlooks, including Petracki’s deer hideaway and Melo’s birding treehouse? Because I did. Anything else you’d like me to do, Miss New Elf, when she’s probably fine anyway? Just like the last five times she’s put me through this?’
Lacey took a breath to calm the angry response bubbling in her.
‘Okay, look, I’m sorry if it sounded like I thought you were not doing your job. It’s just that I’m worried, and no one else seems to be.’
She instantly regretted the last part. It was unnecessary and sounded patronising even to her.
‘And you thought that you, being a brand new outsider, know better when to worry than we do. Sure, why don’t you go ahead and find her? Be my guest. In fact, why don’t you take over my position entirely? I’m sure you’d make a fabulous town guard.’
She instantly retracted her regret and substituted it with frustration. Sure, her words weren’t diplomatic, but she didn’t deserve to be talked to like this.
‘You know what? Fine. Maybe I should be the town guard instead of you. Especially since you’ve just told me she’s not to be found in any of her usual places, and you’re still not worried. You don’t think that should concern you?’
For a moment it looked like he might snap another wise-ass answer at her, but then he sighed and leaned back just as suddenly as he had gotten his dander up.
‘Actually, it does. But I don’t know what else to do at this point. The problem is, she’s done it so often it’s hard to take it seriously.’
‘If only Jinxy were kind enough to let us know and provide a location every time she went off,’ Mathilda said while rolling her eyes. She didn’t appear the least bit alarmed at the way they had just snapped at each other.
‘Indeed,’ Peter said with a tired laugh. ‘Well, I’d better get back out there. Sorry for snapping Lacey. You’re right, I am worried, but I’ve done all I can for now. Once everyone is up, I’ll start asking around the village too. A merry day to you both. Be safe out there.’
‘The same to you. Be a reindeer, sure-footed and resourceful, and we’ll do the same,’ Mathilda rejoined.
And today, I won’t slip up, Lacey silently promised herself. Whether it was keeping her footing or being more aware of her surroundings, she would not miss something as crucial as Jinxy disappearing again. Also, if Peter was going to talk to villagers, she supposed she could chat to some of the workshop workers. Maybe they had noticed something. It sure couldn’t hurt. Whatever Santa wanted from her as a “Helper” would have to wait. Finding Jinxy was her priority for now. She ignored the part of her that whispered how impressing Peter by helping him wouldn’t be so bad either. She cared about Jinxy, not about assisting her possible kidnappers.
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