{"id":23831,"date":"2020-12-25T11:55:48","date_gmt":"2020-12-25T16:55:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=23831"},"modified":"2020-12-30T07:46:51","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T12:46:51","slug":"christmas-escape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/christmas-escape\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas Escape"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>Christmas Escape
\n<\/strong>
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>A Tale by Michael DeAngelo<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A baleful wind announced its presence by singing eerie tunes against narrow cracks and openings in the doors, the windows and the soffit.\u00a0 Everything was sealed shut, but the dog still held her eyes to the front of the house, wondering if the gusts would tear the screen door from its hinges.\u00a0 Maisie sat in the bed in the picture window, much happier to stand guard than either of her siblings\u2014although at that point, she had slumped down, and rested her head on the uplifted side of the fluffy bed.<\/p>\n

Behind her, the other dog sat on the ottoman, curled up so that her tail covered her nose.\u00a0 Zelda sat in the open light of the window, almost as though she was looking for some sunlight to come through.\u00a0 But the sun had only come out for a few moments that day, and it shone through the window there hours earlier.\u00a0 She waited there to pounce, because the moment Maisie found someone walking down the sidewalk, she grumbled and whined, and followed them to the back of the house, looking out the back window instead, ensuring that they kept on walking.\u00a0 She\u2019d find her sister in the bed in the window then instead, and would noodge incessantly to anyone who\u2019d pay attention to her, pawing at them and standing on their chest\u2014her way of saying without any words that the other animal had to be evicted from her window.<\/p>\n

Peanut, the morning sentry, had retired for her noonday nap, disappearing up the stairs some time before.\u00a0 Every hour or so, she took a groggy walk down the stairs for a drink of water or a stretch as she checked the perimeter of the house, but everything seemed to be in good working order.<\/p>\n

It had become routine.\u00a0 Over the year, the three animals had fallen into step, working together, perhaps without realizing it, to guard the house from the dangers outside.<\/p>\n

Taking a day off, Rhianna had shifted some of her own routine.\u00a0 The house filled with a delightful aroma.\u00a0 Baking became an escape from the bitter news that seemed to spiral out of the television and the internet.\u00a0 Cookies were a bit of a guilty pleasure, but they were also a worthy distraction.\u00a0 That batch was different though.\u00a0 They were celebratory cookies.\u00a0 It was a special day\u2014the one before Christmas Eve\u2014and the DeAngelo family was ready for the magic that was bound to come.<\/p>\n

Everyone needed it that year.<\/p>\n

The cat and the dogs didn\u2019t realize it, but there were far less visitors over the many months that passed.\u00a0 Nobody ventured inside the house except on one occasion in the summer, and even that one was fraught with stress and worry.\u00a0 The two pups hadn\u2019t visited anyone else either.\u00a0 The only interaction the DeAngelo animals had with other people was seeing a family member through the fence or grumbling at a delivery person or another person walking a dog down the road.<\/p>\n

That was, perhaps, one reason that the window had become such a coveted spot over the previous several months.\u00a0 It was an opportunity to see the world around them a bit more often, and it brought them together in some interesting and unexpected ways.\u00a0 It became less and less surprising to see all three of them together there\u2014more tolerable of one another\u2019s company, if not outright enjoying it.<\/p>\n

Rhianna, sitting on the couch and playing on her phone, couldn\u2019t hide a smile when she heard the little whine from the window.\u00a0 She leaned forward and saw Maisie\u2019s tail wagging\u2014as sure a sign as any that the final member of their family was home.\u00a0 Before the latest arrival even passed by the window, Maisie\u2019s whimpers had caught Zelda\u2019s attention, and they both dropped to the floor, staring at the door with gleeful expectation.<\/p>\n

Despite everything that the past few months had thrown at them, when they were together, the joys they had anticipated the year before were still present.<\/p>\n

The door opened, and Michael threw off his coat and his gloves.\u00a0 Maisie\u2019s whimpers turned to little squeals as she stood up and fell back down, twirled about and jumped from the ottoman to the floor in her little \u201ceveryone is home\u201d dance.<\/p>\n

\u201cHi little baby!\u201d Michael teased.\u00a0 \u201cGive me just one second.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pumped a glob of sanitizer into his hand, then.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter that he\u2019d already sanitized in the car before his ride home.\u00a0 Always a little bit of a germaphobe, those past months had really pushed the man\u2019s neurosis to the limit.<\/p>\n

Rhianna arrived at the doorway then as well and smooched her husband before giving him some room to enter the house.<\/p>\n

All the while, Maisie\u2019s happy noises continued.\u00a0 Soon after, though, they gave way to something different, which only came once a year.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026and I always miss you so much, and I\u2019m always sad when you leave, but I\u2019m so happy when you come back home, and why are you always gone for so long, and did anything fun happen, and also could you please get me some food?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael looked to his wife, a little confused by the sudden speech.\u00a0 She, too, couldn\u2019t hide her concerns.<\/p>\n

The talking animals around that time was normal, all things considered.\u00a0 But it seemed that the arrival of Maisie\u2019s verbosity came around seven hours early.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s kind of weird, right?\u201d\u00a0 Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not anywhere near midnight yet,\u201d Rhianna confirmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho cares?\u201d Zelda asked, excitedly approaching the tallest members of the family.\u00a0 \u201cMore hours to listen to us!\u00a0 Throw our toys.\u00a0 No, give us treats.\u00a0 Make toys out<\/em> of our treats and then <\/em>throw them to us!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cBut first, I want a hug.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaisie can give you a butt-first hug!\u201d Zelda cried as she ran to the kitchen, excited for treats.\u00a0 \u201cMommy!\u00a0 It\u2019s important that I tell you this while I can since you don\u2019t seem to understand me any other time throughout the year.\u00a0 It is always<\/em> dingo\u2019clock!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna sighed, and headed toward the kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u00a0 You sound like a regular ol\u2019 dog again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u00a0 No!\u00a0 I had so much to say!\u00a0 You had so much to learn!\u201d<\/p>\n

Crouching down, Michael held his arms out wide, indicating he still wanted the hug from Maisie.\u00a0 She stepped forward and smushed her head against his chest, balancing on one of his bent knees.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get you some food, alright?\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

Maisie pushed off him and spun around before her front paws landed on the ground.\u00a0 \u201cHurray food!\u201d<\/p>\n

As Michael stood up again, he saw Peanut in an almost regal pose on the stairs, looking over the kingdom that was their living room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHiya Peanut,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

She stuck up her nose at the comment.\u00a0 \u201cI see you\u2019ve failed to bring home an adequate feast again.\u00a0 Some hunter you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a different kind of hunter,\u201d he insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI hunt for the missing information in our systems.\u00a0 I <\/em>hunt for the truth.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth is I haven\u2019t had tuna in far too long,\u201d Peanut challenged.\u00a0 \u201cThis egregious oversight will not soon be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael sighed and shook his head, but stepped forward, further into the house.\u00a0 \u201cYou made the right choice taking the day off today,\u201d he told his wife as he made his way down the hall.\u00a0 \u201cThe weather was terrible.\u00a0 The snow hasn\u2019t really started yet\u2014just a few flurries on my way in this morning\u2014but the wind was so bad it felt like my car was going to fly off the road.\u00a0 And it\u2019s the day before Christmas Eve, so we know we\u2019ll be getting some snow.\u00a0 But if the snow is as bad as the wind and the frigid temperatures, I feel like the whole town is going to get swept into Tellest with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLess fraternizing, more foodernizing!\u201d Maisie demanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, hold on little doggie,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve got to change out of these clothes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI left pajamas on the bed for you,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cI figured we could eat cookies and drink eggnog while we wait for midnight!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, you mean I shouldn\u2019t walk out in front of the open window for all the neighbors to see?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot if they\u2019re all coming to the North Pole with us,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll show them a\u2014hey, should I wear my comfy socks too?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cDo you think I have enough time to do a little writing before we leave?\u00a0 We\u2019re just watching a movie and having dinner, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of us are still waiting for theirs!\u201d Maisie grumbled from the other room.<\/p>\n

\u201cDinner is cookies,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cCookies is dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael returned to the living room, and passed into the kitchen then, wearing the pajamas that his wife had set out for him\u2014black pants that had grey, white and red patterns on them, and a comfortable red throw over sweater.<\/p>\n

Rhianna, in her own holiday attire\u2014a dark pajama gown with green squiggly Christmas trees upon it\u2014held out the tray of cookies for her husband.\u00a0 Michael eagerly grabbed one along the edge of the tray that had a gooier set of chocolate chips in it.\u00a0 That first batch had cooled down enough to eat, but they hadn\u2019t quite solidified enough to maintain their shape when grabbed up.\u00a0 Rather than just take a piece of it and go back for the rest, Michael shoved the crumbling treat into his mouth.\u00a0 He tilted his head back and leaned to the side, ensuring Rhianna knew she had done well.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want some food<\/em>?\u201d he asked Maisie then, his words somewhat muffled by the chunk of cookie still in his mouth.<\/p>\n

Maisie spun about and stood up on her hind legs.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you think I\u2019ve been saying all this time.\u00a0 You can<\/em> hear me, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear you just fine,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 He reached up to the cabinet, grabbed a scoop of the dog\u2019s food, and poured some out into her bowl\u2014making sure to spill some on the floor when he did.\u00a0 \u201cHow about you, Zelda?\u00a0 Do you want some too?\u201d\u00a0 His question was a rhetorical one, as he reached up and grabbed a scoop for her as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I want food,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I want your<\/em> food.\u00a0 My delicate palate calls for only the most exquisite, the most gourmet, the most\u2026\u201d She huffed then and looked to Rhianna.\u00a0 \u201cMommy, make me some French fries!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know we\u2019re going to visit Santa,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s always got tons of treats for us.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you just wait a little bit and eat your dinner to tide you over?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael leaned closer to her then.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t want the French fries to smell like cookies do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not want the French fries to smell like cookies,\u201d she confirmed.<\/p>\n

Zelda stood up then, bracing herself on Michael and Rhianna\u2019s legs.\u00a0 \u201cFrench fry cookies sound like a great idea, and I don\u2019t think you are giving them serious enough thought,\u201d the pup said.<\/p>\n

Michael smiled, and reached for another cookie then, breaking off little pieces that were free of chocolate for Zelda and Maisie.\u00a0 The younger dog\u2019s eyes went wide, and she opened her mouth, a few pieces of kibble falling out while she went for the tasty morsel.\u00a0 Both dogs scarfed down their little pieces of the surprise treat, and that was enough to ensure that Zelda felt her hunger pangs.\u00a0 When she saw no more cookie bits coming, she went to her bowl and relented, conceding for dog food instead of glorious people food.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow tell me we have egg nog to wash this down with,\u201d Michael said, opening the fridge up to peer inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a swig,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWe want to make sure we fit into whatever outfits Santa has prepared for us this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you think he would know<\/em> if I was about to gain weight at the last minute?\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t he want me to have this?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, you bought the stuff.\u00a0 You\u2019re at least partially responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n

After he took a sip, she did too, but she made sure to put it back and close the fridge shortly after.\u00a0 It was about that time that Maisie finished up her food.\u00a0 She stretched for good measure\u2014her silent way of giving thanks.\u00a0 But she wasn\u2019t about to waste a good opportunity for a post-dinner nap.\u00a0 She jogged to the couch, and leapt up to the cushions, approaching the L-shaped side of the furniture.\u00a0 There, a giant-sized blanket sat in a heap, and she meant to get comfortable within its folds.\u00a0 She pawed at it, a pointless endeavor, for there was no way it would move on its own.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, blanket,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cMove.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know there wasn\u2019t any magic that Santa put on the stuff in our house, right Maisie?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, alright.\u00a0 But you can\u2019t get too comfortable under there.\u00a0 Midnight will be here before you know it, and I can\u2019t be digging you out of there.\u00a0 This huge blanket is starting to give me a sore back!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna brought another couple of cookies from the kitchen then and handed one of them to Michael.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s Christmas.\u00a0 There are no calories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her husband couldn\u2019t challenge that logic, so he took the second cookie, and they tapped the snacks together.<\/p>\n

Together, they both sank on the couch, and in time, Peanut and Zelda joined them there as well.\u00a0 The whole family was in grabbing distance of one another, though Maisie was hidden underneath layers upon layers of blanket.\u00a0 Michael, stuck beneath two animals, with Zelda huddled against his left leg while Peanut snuggled on his right, gently kicked the controller on the coffee table toward his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we going to watch today?\u201d Michael asked as Rhianna reached for the controller.\u00a0 \u201cWhich funny show are we going to laugh at for the hundredth time?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go with the greatest hits,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll watch\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Before she could finish her thought, the wind outside roared louder than ever.\u00a0 It was strong enough that she was worried it would rip the door open.\u00a0 Without thinking about it, she climbed from her spot on the couch, and hurried back into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Zelda, primed for panic whenever she heard any sort of weather event, turned about and stood atop Michael\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s going to blow the whole house down!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to get to the bunker!\u201d<\/p>\n

A sigh escaping his lips, Michael hugged the worried pooch tighter.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s alright Zelda-pie.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a little bit of wind.\u201d\u00a0 He smooched her on the head before tilting his own in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cWhat bunker are you talking about?\u201d\u00a0 Furrowing his brow, he thought of all of what he and Rhianna called her boom-holes.\u00a0 \u201cAre you talking about wanting to hide behind the toilet?\u201d<\/p>\n

The skittish dog didn\u2019t get a chance to answer before they heard an inquisitive noise from the back door of the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm, Michael?\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re probably going to want to look outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

That single, final word was all it took to wrench Maisie from her comfortable spot beneath the blanket.\u00a0 She struggled against the heft and the size of the gifted cover, but finally spilled out of it onto the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe just got all snuggly,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s fine,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, I don\u2019t think we have time to get comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael grunted as he climbed off the couch.\u00a0 Before he even stepped into the kitchen, he could see that a strange phenomenon was occurring outside.\u00a0 Snow whipped against the back door to the house, and it played a strange note as it found those cracks and crevices there as well.<\/p>\n

Rhianna swept the curtain aside and confirmed what her husband was expecting.\u00a0 The swirling vortex that was meant to come at midnight was already there, forming in the center of the backyard.\u00a0 As it did, it churned out a blizzard of snow, like a blender without a lid, casting the white, flaky stuff everywhere.\u00a0 The houses next to theirs retained their green lawns, and the adjacent street was untouched.\u00a0 Daylight was fading, but that was the earliest it had been when the portal took shape.\u00a0 As strange as that was, it also slowly grew from a small hole into a gaping maw.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad I moved the fire pit yesterday instead of waiting till today,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cSomething makes me think Santa isn\u2019t a huge fan of littering.\u201d\u00a0 He lingered there at the door as well, looking at the vortex.\u00a0 \u201cThis is the earliest that we\u2019ve ever seen this come through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the earliest the animals have ever started talking,\u201d Rhianna added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess we should get out there?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 \u201cShould we change out of our pajamas or anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d guess if we\u2019re already being summoned to the North Pole, it\u2019s more important that we just get there.\u00a0 We\u2019ve always been getting a spare change of clothes anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAlright then.\u00a0 Who\u2019s ready for another adventure?\u201d he asked, turning around to the fuzzy babies.<\/p>\n

Zelda and Maisie couldn\u2019t hide their excitement as they spun about or stood up against the window.\u00a0 Peanut, too, was ready, the others were sure.\u00a0 She sat patiently on her rump in the kitchen, as sure a sign as any that she was waiting for the door to open.<\/p>\n

With a smile on his face, Michael turned to Rhianna.\u00a0 \u201cWhenever you\u2019re ready, release the hounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman nodded, and grabbed the door handle, eager to see what wonders awaited them at the north pole that year.\u00a0 She pulled the handle down, and pushed on the door, but it didn\u2019t budge.\u00a0 She thought that perhaps the wind was pushing on the door, and she struggled to shove it open, but again, was unable to move it at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Muscles,\u201d Michael teased.\u00a0 \u201cAll that time in the workout tower this year hasn\u2019t paid off?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll have you know I\u2019m strong enough to lift an entire gallon of milk these days,\u201d she joked back at him.\u00a0 \u201cFine.\u00a0 I give up.\u00a0 You do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael snickered then as his wife shuffled out of the way into the crowded kitchen.\u00a0 \u201cYou just want to get your presents with no delay.\u201d\u00a0 He grabbed the door handle then and pushed the door forward as well.\u00a0 Once again, there was no give.\u00a0 Michael looked back at his family, a little embarrassed, and turned back to the door.\u00a0 With his muscles straining, he tried to push on the door with all his might, and again, couldn\u2019t accomplish anything.\u00a0 He turned back to his wife, confusion in his gaze.\u00a0 \u201cUm\u2026 Is it a push or a pull?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow long have you been living here?\u201d she asked, arching her eyebrow.\u00a0 She hummed to herself, taking her place in front of the door again.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe it\u2019s just not ready yet.\u00a0 It\u2019s still growing, and it\u2019s usually the size of the a big ol\u2019 pool by the time we go through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe.\u201d\u00a0 He leaned against the kitchen table, watching the slow expanse of the vortex outside.\u00a0 \u201cWell, I mean\u2026 I guess we\u2019ll just wait until it grows large enough to let us walk out of the house?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is weird, right?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cThe timing is all off, the door won\u2019t open.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost like Santa\u2019s got some silly trick up his sleeve this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, to be fair,\u201d Michael said, \u201cthis year hasn\u2019t exactly been known for its normalcy.\u00a0 Maybe it was so bad, even Tellest felt a little bit of weirdness.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Rhianna\u2019s turn to shrug.\u00a0 \u201cWell, either way, we can\u2019t let it get us down.\u00a0 Christmas is a magical time for us, and it should help us forget just how suffocating this year was.\u201d\u00a0 She tapped her finger against her chin and hummed to herself.\u00a0 \u201cWhy don\u2019t we each talk about what we think we\u2019re going to see when we get back to the north pole?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re going to see Svetlana!\u201d Zelda exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cLast time she said we were going to take a ride through the northern lights.\u00a0 At least, I think that\u2019s what she was saying.\u00a0 She was monching on a carrot at the time.\u00a0 Come to think of it, she could have said it\u2019s a good thing she doesn\u2019t have to squeeze into any tights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanna see our friends again,\u201d Maisie piped up.\u00a0 \u201cHalgrum and Beroras and Rurnar.\u00a0 Maybe we\u2019ll get another giant blanket!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cI wonder how those three are doing.\u00a0 Do you think they managed to keep things pleasant between the three of them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d Rhianna admitted.\u00a0 \u201cIf so, little a thing was able to set their greed to work against them, maybe something else urged them the rest of the way.\u00a0 I hope not.\u00a0 I think they\u2019d be much better friends to one another than enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael grinned.\u00a0 \u201cBesides, that little thing brought them together, didn\u2019t she?\u201d he asked, pointing toward Maisie.<\/p>\n

\u201cI make everything better,\u201d the little pup insisted with a smile.<\/p>\n

She basked in the thought of her heroics\u2014greatly exaggerated in her head\u2014of the year prior.\u00a0 Maisie hadn\u2019t exactly set out to save the relationship between the dwarf, the elf and the giant, but she was sure to take credit for it when she was able to.<\/p>\n

The family looked at Peanut then, who had yet to offer up any ideas of what she thought would happen.\u00a0 She rolled her eyes and tilted her head then, as though her answer would be more matter of fact than opinion.\u00a0 \u201cFiskeblugen warehouse,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a natural progression of my happiness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop trying to make yearly fiskeblugen a thing,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not a thing!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you imagine?\u201d Rhianna teased.\u00a0 \u201cYou won\u2019t even eat fish sticks after that one bad experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael sighed and shuddered.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s try and get back to happy thoughts, huh?\u00a0 Maybe our back door really is just sticking.\u00a0 Let me try the garage door.\u201d\u00a0 He walked through the house until he reached the garage, letting a tiny gust of cold air that had collected there into the rest of the building.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s weird,\u201d he called out.\u00a0 \u201cThis one\u2019s not opening either. \u00a0Maybe it\u2019s just because of how much wind there is.\u00a0 No, wait.\u00a0 This one is definitely a pull<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s important,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

Too far away to hear her, Michael climbed over old boxes and extra provisions then.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m going to try the front door.\u00a0 There shouldn\u2019t be as much wind on that side,\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael!\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

He appeared in the kitchen again a moment later.\u00a0 \u201cAm I in trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna pointed out of the window, gaining his attention, and summoning him back to his spot.\u00a0 He chose his steps just as carefully there, making sure not to step on any of the eager animals who congregated in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

When Rhianna moved the curtain again, he saw what had interested her so.\u00a0 The vortex had grown bigger then and still seemed to be picking up speed as it swirled.\u00a0 Snow erupted from it as though it was an icy volcano, and the blizzard covered the yard in moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething is really funky this year,\u201d Rhianna murmured.<\/p>\n

Almost as though the portal had heard her words, the snow stopped funneling out of it.\u00a0 Its frenetic spin never ceased though, and even looked as though it might have been continuing to pick up speed.\u00a0 The ring of snow surrounding it began to take on a bright red glow, almost sparkling, even in the fading evening light.<\/p>\n

The husband and wife inside the house realized that the shining ruby light was emerging from the vortex.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid Santa bring his own fire pit this year?\u201d Michael joked.\u00a0 He looked at his wife with a glimmer of pride in his eyes, but Rhianna shook her head, ensuring he knew he had botched that attempt at being amusing.<\/p>\n

While they looked at one another, the door flung open, letting a howling wind enter the house.\u00a0 The curtains flew to the side, leaving a path to the portal before them.<\/p>\n

Zelda, the most eager of all them, sprinted out into the yard.\u00a0 She, too, felt the odd sensation surrounding that year\u2019s events, and she skidded to a stop just before the portal.\u00a0 The pup felt rumbling far beneath her feet and lifted her head to investigate the twisting cyclone that led deep into the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cZelda!\u201d Michael cried, running out into the snow in just his socks.\u00a0 He scooped up the pooch then, and turned to look back at the house, where the rest of the family still observed from the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Maisie, the bravest of the bunch and a bit concerned, took a step from the doorway, and sniffed at the air.\u00a0 Her tail wagged as Michael pushed through the fierce wind.\u00a0 With one hand clutching Zelda against his chest, he brought his other hand up to stave off the wind and the snow, blinding him to the rest of his loved ones.<\/p>\n

Even through the blustery gust of white powder, Michael could see as the curtains in the house were drawn out through the open door.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t as though the wind whipped it one way or another though.\u00a0 He could see the constant pull, like something grasped it and gave them a fierce tug.<\/p>\n

He felt the pull on himself then as well, like a rope had been looped around his midsection, and slowly pulled him backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Rhianna yelled.\u00a0 \u201cGet back in here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t!\u201d Michael cried.\u00a0 \u201cSomething\u2019s wrong!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll save them,\u201d Maisie shouted, charging into the yard.<\/p>\n

Whatever deep-seated, distant shepherding genetics Maisie had in her background emerged as she gripped at Michael\u2019s pajama pants and started trying to pull him back toward the house.\u00a0 Her little body, closer to the ground, didn\u2019t seem to be affected by the power that seemed to draw Michael toward the portal.<\/p>\n

His notion was further confirmed when he watched as the curtain was torn from the house and fluttered into the air before the portal snatched hold of it and inhaled it like some voracious beast.<\/p>\n

While Maisie tugged at his pant leg, her efforts seemed fruitless, as Michael could feel the pull drawing him back further.\u00a0 He bent low, tossing Zelda forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo on, both of you!\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be right behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda skittered away, but Maisie lingered a bit.\u00a0 The man realized that the dog was pulling in the wrong direction then and knew that the portal\u2019s reach drew her in then as well.\u00a0 Michael fell to his knees to fight against the powerful pull of the vortex, giving him just enough strength to carry on.\u00a0 He reached under the dog\u2019s chest then, and urged her forward, back toward the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can help you!\u201d she insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know you can,\u201d Michael replied.\u00a0 \u201cGo ahead back inside so that when I get back in, we can try to shut the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

She did as she was told, but she tucked her ears back, feeling as though she wasn\u2019t strong enough to help.\u00a0 When she and Zelda arrived back into the house, they stood on the threshold, looking back with worry upon their face.<\/p>\n

Michael dropped to his chest then, trying to crawl across the snowy ground with all his strength.\u00a0 It was too late then, however.\u00a0 The portal had too firm a grasp on him, and he couldn\u2019t gain an inch.\u00a0 He dug his fingers into the icy ground, desperate not to relent.<\/p>\n

Maisie wasn\u2019t the only one who ventured forth with heroics.\u00a0 Rhianna emerged from the house, grabbing hold of the door frame while she offered up some means of escape for Michael.<\/p>\n

He saw the broom then, it\u2019s yellow handle like some golden beacon among the blinding snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat thing is like ten feet too small!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no depth perception!\u201d his wife explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet me something like a rope or a cord!\u201d<\/p>\n

She disappeared back within the house, but the two dogs appeared at the doorway again.<\/p>\n

\u201cCatch!\u201d Zelda cried.<\/p>\n

One of their toys, a long, stuffed caterpillar, flew from the house, and Michael instinctively lifted his arm to catch it.\u00a0 He hugged it tight, more to keep it from flying back into the portal.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe brought you a rope!\u201d Maisie exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you both,\u201d Michael said, fighting with every ounce of strength.\u00a0 \u201cBut I can\u2019t do anything with it when both ends are over here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda looked at Maisie then, her eyebrows furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cYou were supposed to hold onto your end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell how was I supposed to know?\u201d the little black and white dog replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy, just hold on!\u201d Zelda cried.<\/p>\n

As Rhianna ran around the house, navigating the same mess in the garage that Michael had, she finally found what she was looking for.\u00a0 She grabbed hold of it, charging through the untidy area until she reached the kitchen once more, where the cat rested on the runner leading toward the living room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re just going to sit there, Peanut?\u201d Rhianna asked, shuffling past the cat so as not to disturb her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m supervising,\u201d Peanut said.<\/p>\n

Michael could feel his foot dangling into the portal, and his fingers left deep gouges in the solidified snow where he had been dragged backward.\u00a0 Though he could not see it, he knew that the red glow that shone out of the vortex had grown bright indeed, as he could see ruby sparkles across the snow in front of him.<\/p>\n

His wife emerged from the house, the vacuum in hand.\u00a0 She plucked the cord from the side of the device and threw it in front of her.\u00a0 But looped around as it was, only the first length of the cable cast out.<\/p>\n

Michael sighed, and let his head bow into the snow.\u00a0 \u201cJust leave me,\u201d his muffled voice called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no I can do this!\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 She bit on her tongue as she set to work on the rest of the vacuum\u2019s cord.\u00a0 The woman unraveled the lot of it, and she looked up, watching as the crimson glow of the vortex grew in intensity.\u00a0 A loud roar seemed to echo out of it, as though it was a ferocious monster meant to eat their whole neighborhood, starting with them.<\/p>\n

She shook her head and tossed the vacuum cord again.\u00a0 That time, it reached her husband.<\/p>\n

But as Michael lifted his hands from the ground to catch the cable, the portal\u2019s grasp grew too strong to fight. \u00a0He caught the cable but couldn\u2019t keep himself from being sucked into the chasm in their back yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Rhianna cried.\u00a0 On reflex alone, she lunged forward, and at once she felt the fierce pull of the portal.\u00a0 She grabbed the cord, and to her surprise, it went taut.<\/p>\n

She knew that her husband clung onto it still.<\/p>\n

Inside the house, Maisie and Zelda stood on the vacuum cleaner, helping to keep it held down.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet over here and help us, Peanut!\u201d Maisie ordered.<\/p>\n

The cat, still sitting on the runner, simply looked at the two of them.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got it covered.\u00a0 There\u2019s not enough room for all three of us on that growling machine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Maisie conceded.\u00a0 \u201cBut there might not be enough room for you on that runner much longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut paused for a moment and looked to the side.\u00a0 \u201cIs that a fat joke?\u201d she wondered.\u00a0 But she looked down upon the runner then, and realized that it, too, was being pulled from the house, and at a much quicker pace than she would have liked.\u00a0 She turned about, and began running in the other direction, but the runner slid from the house faster than she expected, and faster than she could handle.\u00a0 Before long she tumbled from the lip of the doorway, unable to remain on her feet as the long run slid out from under her.<\/p>\n

The disoriented cat heard a gasp as Maisie stepped off the vacuum.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Zelda asked.\u00a0 \u201cI need your help keeping this in place.\u00a0 You\u2019re the heavy one!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry!\u201d Maisie said, as she hopped forward.\u00a0 Peanut looked up at her with big eyes as she felt the pull of the portal behind her.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry!\u201d Maisie cried again, leaping toward the cat.\u00a0 With just a sliver of hesitation, she chomped at the scruff behind her neck, eliciting a growl and then a dejected meow from the downtrodden feline.\u00a0 \u201cAhm thorry!\u201d she said as she struggled to bring Peanut back into the house.<\/p>\n

Maisie let out a little yipe as the vacuum rolled out the door, Zelda atop it.\u00a0 Her little sister let go of Peanut, who skittered back into the house, shivering from the snow upon her coat and her feet.\u00a0 Maisie lunged for Zelda as she passed, but she moved too quick upon the rolling part of the vacuum.<\/p>\n

A moment later the vacuum hit Rhianna in the back of the hand while she was still struggling to hold onto the cable and keep her husband from sinking into the unknown.\u00a0 Zelda rolled from the vacuum then, and it took the woman a moment to realize who was barreling toward the portal.\u00a0 She reached out\u2014with both hands\u2014but it was too late, and the auburn-furred dog fell away from her grasp.<\/p>\n

\u201cZelda!\u201d Rhianna cried.<\/p>\n

\u201cAhh!\u201d she heard, though it was not the dog who yelled.<\/p>\n

Rhianna realized she had let go of the cable.\u00a0 As she grasped at it again, the upright part of the vacuum rolled forward, and she caught it beneath her arm.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t deny, though, that she was also being drawn into the glowing red maw of whatever strange portal had come to claim them that year.<\/p>\n

Behind her, Peanut licked at her paws to try and stave off the cold.\u00a0 A moment later she was joined in the house by Maisie once more, who shook her body, sending flying droplets over at Peanut, who sighed at her futile attempt to ty and warm herself up.<\/p>\n

While she was looking up though, her eyes went wide at the sight of the table slowly sliding toward the doorway as well.\u00a0 She bumped into Maisie, guiding her out of the way so that neither of them would be hit.<\/p>\n

Outside, Rhianna couldn\u2019t fight against the current any longer.\u00a0 She slid on her rump until her feet nearly hung over the lip of the strange and frightening chasm.\u00a0 With one last effort, she kicked with all her might, digging in her heels into the ice and snow.\u00a0 Her top half kept going then, and it was only by pressing the handle of the vacuum into the ground that she stopped her endless fall toward the portal.<\/p>\n

She looked over the side then, seeing the bright red color below\u2014like a violent strawberry milkshake, she thought.\u00a0 But there, hanging on for dear life with his hand wrapped around the vacuum cord, was Michael\u2014and he once more had Zelda held tight against his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Santa just really<\/em> wants to spend time with us this year!\u201d he called out.<\/p>\n

Up above, in the house, all the smaller items in the kitchen slid across counters and fell to the floor as the vortex drew them out.\u00a0 Peanut hid in the corner of the room, just out of reach of the suction.\u00a0 As courageous as ever, Maisie wore a determined gaze as she stepped toward the center of the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody better touch my blanket!\u201d she grumbled.<\/p>\n

The roar of the portal grew so loud then that the family thought it might have been a dragon instead of some festive holiday phenomenon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are the neighbors not going to notice this year?\u201d Rhianna muttered to herself.\u00a0 As she spoke though, she heard the struggles of the other two animals who remained in the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeanut!\u201d Maisie cried.<\/p>\n

Both animals struggled against the pull of the vortex, but the cat\u2014the lightest member of the family\u2014had already been drawn outside.\u00a0 Even with her claws, she couldn\u2019t dig her feet into the snow, and without any traction, she hurtled toward the chasm.<\/p>\n

Rhianna reached out, and Peanut wrapped all her limbs around the woman\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let me go!\u201d the cat pleaded.<\/p>\n

Without Rhianna\u2019s second arm on the vacuum, it shifted, and Michael shouted in surprise down below.<\/p>\n

Rhianna dared a glance over her shoulder, back to the door to the house.\u00a0 Maisie was outside their home then too, sprinting with all her might, though every step seemed to bring her further and further toward the portal.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep running,\u201d Rhianna called out.\u00a0 \u201cWhen you get to me, I\u2019ll grab hold of you!\u201d<\/p>\n

That time came sooner than later, with Maisie running out of energy and stumbling.\u00a0 The dog collided into Rhianna\u2019s chest, ensuring that all five members of the DeAngelo family were together on the precipice, or hanging down into the schism in the earth.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael, I don\u2019t think we\u2019re getting out of this one!\u201d Rhianna called out.<\/p>\n

She heard him cry out below, but contending against the loud groan of the vortex, she couldn\u2019t discern what he said.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t matter anyway, she soon realized, for the ground beneath her had solidified in the sudden icy cold.\u00a0 She watched as cracks formed around her, as though she lay upon a broken, frozen lake.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold on, you two,\u201d she said, resigned to whatever fate would take them.<\/p>\n

She felt Maisie shiver against her chest, and she winced as Peanut dug her claws into her arm.<\/p>\n

Then, the ground gave way beneath her, and the three of them tumbled into the seemingly endless pit.\u00a0 Rhianna heard Michael\u2019s shout then, and the rest of family added their own\u2014a chorus of surprise and worry following them into the vortex.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A shout rang out from between his lips even as he felt gravity shift around him.\u00a0 Michael knew that he no longer flew down toward the portal, but he clenched his eyes so tightly that he wasn\u2019t aware he was moving skyward rather than careening toward the ground.<\/p>\n

For a while, anyway.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy,\u201d Zelda said, a calm in her voice.\u00a0 \u201cDaddy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael opened his eyes, just in time to see a slow fall back toward the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cDaddy!\u201d Zelda cried, for she was not so calm anymore.<\/p>\n

The man worked at spinning his body, angling it so that he wouldn\u2019t squish the poor dog when they smacked into the snow.\u00a0 They landed with a thud, a gasp of air expelling from the poor fellow\u2019s lungs as a cloud of snow splashed into the air.\u00a0 Zelda bounced off his chest, and skittered into the snow, thankful not to be faced with the roaring monstrosity of the vortex that had taken them.\u00a0 She sniffed at the ground but kept quiet.<\/p>\n

Silence only persisted for another moment as Michael groaned and rolled to his belly, the snow covering his face as he thanked the solid ground beneath him.\u00a0 Straining to climb to all fours, he traced Zelda\u2019s footprints with his gaze, following them until he found her.<\/p>\n

He arched an eyebrow, for she stood at a familiar fence.\u00a0 Michael turned his head to the side, confirming what he had thought.<\/p>\n

They were once again in their backyard, for their house was there before them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the\u2026?\u201d Michael muttered.<\/p>\n

As he sat upon his knees, an object fluttered into the air behind him.\u00a0 Though there was no sunlight to cast a shadow, he felt its presence.\u00a0 He looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the runner from the house flying across the yard.\u00a0 It landed beside him, unfurling as it struck the snow.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the only other item that emerged from the portal.<\/p>\n

A new choir of shouting rang out, and Michael watched as the rest of his family\u2014and a vacuum cleaner\u2014shot out from the gaping hole in the ground as though they were shot forth from a cannon.\u00a0 They reached the apex of their flight a moment later, several feet in the air.<\/p>\n

Michael clambered to his feet and spun about, hoping to help his loved ones down gently.\u00a0 As soon as he turned, the vacuum flipped and landed on the ground beside the man, and its cable whipped about.\u00a0 Michael ducked underneath, just avoiding a nasty lashing.\u00a0 When he rose again, Peanut was the first to drop from the sky.\u00a0 He held out his hands to catch her, but when she reached him, she sprang off him with her back legs.<\/p>\n

\u201cRude,\u201d he said, stumbling back a step.<\/p>\n

By the time he watched the cat scamper away and he looked back up, Maisie was on her way down as well.\u00a0 She collided into him with the same heft as a medicine ball, and unprepared as he was, Michael groaned and hunched over.\u00a0 He knew that his wife wasn\u2019t far behind, and he put Maisie down and urged her away.\u00a0 Just as before, he had no further warning when he looked up.\u00a0 Rhianna slammed into him, both falling to the ground then.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just going to stay here for a while,\u201d Michael said, groaning as the snow soaked into his pajamas.\u00a0 \u201cThe ground wants to be my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna moaned as well, sitting up and reaching for her back.\u00a0 \u201cWhy couldn\u2019t you break my fall a little softer,\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cOuch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just played human trampoline to our three fluffies.\u00a0 I\u2019ve lost some of my elasticity already.\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife noticed what he had, moments before then.\u00a0 The portal had sent them in a circle, it had seemed, for they were right back to where they started.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the heck?\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cThis isn\u2019t the North Pole.\u201d\u00a0 As she stood\u2014leaving her husband on the ground the recuperate\u2014she faced the back of their house.<\/p>\n

All three of the animals rested beside the door, closed since they\u2019d left.\u00a0 Maisie, who had the shortest hair, stood against the glass, pawing at it to be let inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe there were some technical difficulties,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWe did know that the timing wasn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that doesn\u2019t happen ever again,\u201d Michael grumbled as he sat up.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think I could bear it.\u00a0 When I was hanging on the cord, it felt like it I was being stretched farther than my body could bear.\u201d\u00a0 He twisted his body and swung his arms out wide, trying to get rid of the aches that persisted in his back.\u00a0 \u201cI know I asked Santa to make me taller when I was younger, but I never had that kind of nightmare in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean you didn\u2019t have violent vortex possession on your 2020 apocalypse bingo card?\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

Michael stood then.\u00a0 \u201cCan\u2019t say that I\u2026\u201d His words trailed off as he watched the portal close before him.\u00a0 It had already shrunk considerably since his wife and the other two animals came through, and he found himself watching it until it disappeared completely.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, you could have watched the portal close from inside the warm house!\u201d Peanut grumbled, gaining Michael\u2019s attention.\u00a0 \u201cIf we have to go through with this again<\/em> later tonight, you four can go on without me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think anybody was expecting that, Peanut,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s never been like that before, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda tilted her head.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u00a0 I don\u2019t remember seeing Santa or Svetlana or anyone.\u00a0 And we don\u2019t have any presents.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think we went at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI crawled out from under my giant, comfy blanket for this,\u201d Maisie added.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, alright,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 She turned to look over her shoulder then.\u00a0 \u201cCome on Honey,\u201d she said to her husband.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re all soaked.\u00a0 Let\u2019s change out of our clothes and see what happens closer to midnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael did as he was told, but before he walked toward the house again, he picked up snow-dusted runner, the vacuum, and a few stray papers that had followed them through the portal.\u00a0 He paused to look at the neighborhood, and it seemed that nobody had reacted to the explosive vortex at all.\u00a0 He shrugged and hummed to himself as he hurried to his wife\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks dark in there,\u201d Michael said as he grabbed the open door and nodded for his wife to venture inside with the vacuum in tow.\u00a0 \u201cI hope the force of the suction didn\u2019t break the lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure Santa would help us out with it if that were the case,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we just didn\u2019t have them on when we were looking out the back door?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought the TV was on or something,\u201d Michael replied.<\/p>\n

Together, the husband and wife entered the house, and were surprised to see all three of the animals waiting for their arrival in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cI thought for sure you would be on the living room floor, you would be in the window, and you would be under your massive blanket,\u201d she said to Zelda, Peanut, and Maisie, respectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too dark,\u201d Zelda said.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t see well enough to go in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as Michael slammed the door shut behind them\u2014hoping that the portal wouldn\u2019t return to rip it open once more\u2014the lights in the room turned on.<\/p>\n

The lights were not the same recessed lights that they\u2019d had in their house for nearly five years.\u00a0 They burned red, and they blasted heat from their specialized glassware.\u00a0 At once, the family felt the strange increase in temperature in the room.\u00a0 Michael spun about to open the door, hoping that he could help his family escape into the outdoors again.<\/p>\n

Just as before though, the way out wouldn\u2019t open, despite all his efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you waiting for?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cGet us out of here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying,\u201d her husband said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s stuck again.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cried out and jerked his hand away.\u00a0 His family heard a harsh buzzing coming from the door then, and the handle rattled as though it was electrified.\u00a0 In only a moment, the handle retracted into the door\u2014a feature that the husband and wife were sure didn\u2019t exist in the original model.\u00a0 With Michael safely away from the back exit of the house, a klaxon sounded.\u00a0 Rhianna instinctively looked to the dogs, who shivered against each other due to the unexpected noise.<\/p>\n

Though anxiety already coursed through them, another noise soon followed, as thick metal shutters dropped from the ceiling.\u00a0 They reached the ground with an echoing thud, and Zelda whimpered, the pitiful little noise distinct between klaxon reports.<\/p>\n

Before anyone could say anything to one another, the red lights burned a little brighter, and the DeAngelo family could feel the heat bearing down upon them.\u00a0 The receptacles they fit within expanded further then, displaying some sort of caged ring.<\/p>\n

Peanut, the only one closer to the ground who was still able to think straight, noticed that similar rings had emerged within several of the tiles on the floor, including one right beneath her stomach.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, what are these?\u201d the cat asked.<\/p>\n

As though the house had become sentient and wanted to answer her question, a gust of air blew out from the receptacle on the floor.\u00a0 The other wider holes in the ceiling\u2014including others that were not around the heat lamps, they soon realized\u2014also blew out air.\u00a0 An almost comforting hum accompanied them, and Michael and Rhianna realized they were like some sort of industrial-strength dryers.\u00a0 A moment later, their clothes and hair were dry.<\/p>\n

Rhianna looked down toward Peanut and Zelda, whose long fur had puffed out, leaving them looking quite silly indeed.\u00a0 She couldn\u2019t keep herself from snickering.<\/p>\n

The cat looked up at her, her eyes narrowed and her ears back.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll forget this ever happened, I\u2019m sure,\u201d she insisted.<\/p>\n

Before Rhianna could react, the lights and the dryers went off, leaving the place eerily silent.\u00a0 And with the shutters dropped behind them, the strange rendition of their house went dark indeed.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, I\u2019m really starting to think this isn\u2019t our house,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cStarting?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

Ahead of them, a new light began glowing.\u00a0 Soft and inviting, it came from their living room, like the gentle flickering of candles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that over there?\u201d Rhianna wondered.<\/p>\n

Their silhouettes just barely visible in the darkness, the three animals spun about to look in that direction as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this rate, I\u2019m not sure if I care what it is,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a very tiresome ten minutes and I could use a real good sit about now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll share my blanket with you,\u201d Maisie said.\u00a0 \u201cBut just this once!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPfft, you take every opportunity you can to snuggle with us,\u201d Michael teased.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re the least furry one in the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie shrugged and tilted her head, not prepared to fight against that rationale.\u00a0 \u201cWell\u2026 Last one to the couch has to lift the blanket!\u201d she cried as she skittered forth.<\/p>\n

Weariness apparent in the way they held themselves\u2014even with the now comfortable warmth in their clothes, hair and fur\u2014none of them were a match for Maisie\u2019s pep.\u00a0 Together, the older members of the family continued toward their living room.<\/p>\n

When they entered the room, however, they realized it was not the one they had been living in all those years.\u00a0 The way opened into a beautiful library, wider and longer than their living room would have been.\u00a0 Bookshelves lined the walls on the sides of the room, and across the way, a strange glass case shielded a large ornate mirror.\u00a0 Michael couldn\u2019t help but picture how it would have looked in their house.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis would be where the window would be,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Maisie looked to him with excitement in her eyes then.\u00a0 \u201cWindow?\u201d she repeated.\u00a0 She charged across the large room, only skidding to a stop as she noticed the glass enclosure that protected the mirror.\u00a0 She stood up as she reached the area, setting her front paws in place there.\u00a0 When she did though, she noticed the peculiar sight before her.\u00a0 \u201cHey!\u00a0 Who\u2019s that dog think she is getting in my window!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a reflection,\u201d Rhianna tried to explain.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d Maisie exclaimed.\u00a0 \u201cA reflection of injustice!\u201d\u00a0 It took her a few moments to realize that the dog on the other side of the glass was aping all her movements and mannerisms, and a few more to realize that it wasn\u2019t some rude pup making fun of her.<\/p>\n

Michael was already observing other parts of the room.\u00a0 The library was tremendous\u2014possibly bigger than the entire first floor of their house.\u00a0 But it was also full to the brim, with many books and furnishings to make it come alive.\u00a0 A pair of pictures framed the glass box on the opposite side of the room.\u00a0 When he looked to his right, he saw another enclosed painting on the wall beside them, a lovely gold border that sparkled in the flickering light of the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling.<\/p>\n

As he considered those candles, he saw other flickering to his left.\u00a0 He noticed a Christmas tree there, already adorned with decorations like tinsel and multicolored glass ornaments.\u00a0 Frosted etchings were fashioned on their surfaces, and he found himself drawn to them at once.<\/p>\n

While he found himself just as distracted with the tree as Maisie was with the mirror, Rhianna spent time scrutinizing all the other aspects of the library.\u00a0 Peanut and Zelda sat at her side, following her gaze\u2014there was a lamp-lit table just a little to the side of the room\u2019s center, sitting beside a gorgeous sepia-toned globe, encircled by a golden ring.\u00a0 More books sat on the other side of the room, in other bookshelves that stood taller than she or her husband.\u00a0 The library looked as though it was owned by someone with a passion for books\u2014not just a collector, but one who enjoyed reading at regular intervals, and who had perhaps the same sort of distracted personality as she and Michael.\u00a0 The books on the shelves weren\u2019t ordered in any fashion, it seemed, with authors and entries in series scattered from one bookcase to the next.\u00a0 Some were aligned upright with the spines facing outward; some were stacked sideways, and some of those had their pages displayed instead of their spines.\u00a0 None of them, it seemed, shared their space with any other trinkets or baubles, or even bookends, however.\u00a0 The only semblance of d\u00e9cor besides the beautiful old covers was the silver garland that hung below the top shelves of the bookcases, and the ornaments that were hooked upon the various strands.\u00a0 Both sets of decorations seemed to be the same ones that were strewn on the tree that Michael investigated.<\/p>\n

As he circled the small Christmas tree\u2014a young but healthy-looking spruce that stood shorter than the man\u2014Michael came to face the way they had come in through.<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026 Things keep getting stranger in here,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a lock on the door we came through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat door?\u201d Rhianna asked as she stepped further into the room, observing everything with a look of whimsy upon her face.\u00a0 She was finally able to reign in her excitement, and when she turned to look at Michael, she followed his gaze to the door he spoke of.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, there was a wall behind them, and a door beside it.\u00a0 No such obstructions existed in their home, furthering the idea that some trickery was at play.\u00a0 Moreover, Michael\u2019s indication that a lock sat upon the door was a bit of an understatement.\u00a0 The husband and wife both approached the door and realized that there was no handle, yet a hefty padlock that was nearly as large as Michael\u2019s head rested on a length of chain there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t even hear a door shut,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna pushed on the door, wondering if the lock and chain were just for show, since it didn\u2019t appear to be keeping anything fastened shut.\u00a0 There was no give, however, and she stepped back a moment later, shrugging at the confusing situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s worse rooms to be locked within,\u201d she admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeak for yourself,\u201d Maisie whined as she stepped away from the glass enclosure.\u00a0 \u201cI see no food anywhere here.\u00a0 And that guy in the window won\u2019t tell me anything!\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael sighed then.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m starting to think that this might not be part of the adventure Santa may have had planned for us this year.\u201d\u00a0 When his wife sent him an inquisitive gaze, he shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYou don\u2019t think he\u2019s been keeping tabs on us over the last nine months?\u00a0 Do you think he believed us being stuck in a room was a great idea?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI see your point,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut if Santa didn\u2019t bring us here, who did?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we not going to see any of our friends this year?\u201d Zelda asked.\u00a0 Her voice was pitiful as she considered her first Christmas without visiting some of her favorite people.<\/p>\n

Though both Michael and Rhianna opened their mouths to speak, they were not the first to offer words of consolation.<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta wouldn\u2019t forget about us,\u201d Peanut said.\u00a0 She set one of her paws upon Zelda\u2019s back, sending a mixed feeling of relief and panic through the dog\u2019s body.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure everything will work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell for things to work out, I think we need to get out,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 She tugged on the large padlock to see if it would release, but there was no sign of escape from there.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s no use.\u00a0 It won\u2019t budge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it a push or a pull?\u201d Michael asked, a teasing reminder of his earlier brain fog.<\/p>\n

His wife rolled her eyes and bent low to the ground, seeing that there was indeed a keyhole for the lock.\u00a0 She hummed to herself.\u00a0 \u201cWhat kind of person locks someone in a room with the padlock on the inside?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael looked at her and arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you thinking?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

She grinned, rubbing her hands together mischievously.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019re in an escape room.\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s Santa or someone else entirely, well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs a \u2018scape room kind of like a \u2018scape goat?\u201d Maisie asked.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I think that would be fun to play with!\u00a0 Or eat!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be no eating of any sort in here,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cMostly because there\u2019s nothing to<\/em> eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut leaned over and whispered to Zelda then.\u00a0 \u201cJust give Maisie a minute,\u201d she muttered.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019ll find something\u2014even if it isn\u2019t food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda snickered to hear the little tease about her younger sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright everyone,\u201d Rhianna said, clapping her hands together.\u00a0 \u201cIf this is an escape room, we\u2019ll only have about sixty minutes to escape.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight,\u201d Michael said, as though the rules of typical escape rooms were finally dawning on him.\u00a0 \u201cAnd unlike the normal ones we\u2019ve done, we don\u2019t know if we\u2019ll be let out if we don\u2019t win in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie\u2019s eyes went wide as she turned to look at him.\u00a0 \u201cBut I have squirrels to watch from the window!\u00a0 If not me, then who?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly!\u201d Rhianna pressed.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve got to start looking for clues, and we\u2019ve got to start now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can just ask him,\u201d Maisie said, spinning about to look at the mirror again.\u00a0 She stood more to the side then, though, and she didn\u2019t notice her reflection in the glass then.\u00a0 \u201cWait a minute.\u00a0 Where did he go?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael took a few steps forward and tapped her on her rump, pointing toward the lower end of the bookshelves on the closer side of the room.\u00a0 \u201cLook for anything that\u2019s out of place, alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Peanut joined them there and peered from one outward-facing spine to the next.\u00a0 \u201cHow are we to know what\u2019s out of place if we\u2019ve never been here before?\u201d she muttered to herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAha!\u201d Zelda called out.\u00a0 \u201cI see a clue!\u201d\u00a0 She hopped up on the chair next to the table in the center of the room and looked at the lamp that sat upon the furniture.\u00a0 Covered in a dark maroon shade, there were etchings that looked like some sort of fancy script upon it.\u00a0 \u201cLook!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 \u201cThe sun!\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael smacked his forehead and turned about to look at the ornaments that hung from the garland that spanned the lengths of the bookshelves.\u00a0 They were etched too, it seemed, with more angular symbols, almost as though they had been carved with sturdy stones.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh,\u201d he said to himself.\u00a0 \u201cThese look like runes.\u00a0 I really should have focused more in my old dwarven classes.\u201d\u00a0 Michael chuckled to himself at that thought.<\/p>\n

Rhianna only gave a cursory glance at things as she moved alongside the bookshelves on the opposite side of the room.\u00a0 She noticed some of the titles that faced her.\u00a0 Most were old\u2014classics among literature\u2014although some were unfamiliar to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Poor Man and the Lady, Cardenio, Don Quixote, White Nights, Fortunata, Middlemarch.\u201d\u00a0 She hummed to herself as she looked at the covers, every now and then picking one out of their spots to shift it and get a better look at them.\u00a0 None of the covers was thoroughly illustrated; no matter how old one seemed, they were all emblazoned with a simple gilded symbol, and an etched title, but not much else.<\/p>\n

She shook her head and moved along, until she reached the wall beside the glass enclosure.\u00a0 A pair of paintings was there, each of them showing old constructions of castles and fortresses.\u00a0 One of them was no longer anything but a pile of ruins, an almost still stream depicted before it, and some autumn trees in the corner of the work.\u00a0 The other showed a more distant building in the background, sitting upon the sea, spiked parapets reaching toward the heavens while a woman sat on a blanket and pondered her life in the foreground.<\/p>\n

\u201cPfft, this is boring,\u201d Maisie said.\u00a0 She spun back to look for the other dog in the so-called window, but once again couldn\u2019t see her reflection from that angle.\u00a0 She did see the mirrored image of the globe though, and she grew interested in it.\u00a0 \u201cWait a minute\u2026 That\u2019s a big ball!\u00a0 Somebody, throw it for me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody paid attention to her request, all enthralled in their own searches\u2014except for Peanut, who chose to observe everyone else\u2019s failed endeavors in finding any sort of clue in the room.\u00a0 Maisie was undeterred though, and she ran to the table, jumping onto the chair that Zelda stood upon while she sniffed at the old lamp before her.\u00a0 The pup was momentarily distracted by her sister\u2019s interest in the other nearby objects, but she hopped up on the table a moment later, careful to avoid stepping on the opened tome that rested on table.<\/p>\n

Her shadow danced across the old pages of the book, and in the warm light of the lamp, the flicker across the yellowed sheets caught Zelda\u2019s attention.\u00a0 She looked to the book then, choosing to ignore the script upon the lamp.<\/p>\n

The older dog\u2019s focus fell to the pictures on the opened pages first.\u00a0 At the top of the left page, a red rectangular sat centered on the page, with two dark blue perpendicular lines running through it.\u00a0 Ancient, browning ink was written in the pages, and upon that one, strange shapes were made that meant nothing to the little dog.\u00a0 She looked to the other side and noticed an illustration of a golden lion standing proud with an axe clutched in its hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I found Peanut\u2019s ancestor,\u201d Zelda attempted to tease, though she knew better than to let the cat hear it.<\/p>\n

She thought that Maisie had caught the joke though, for the black and white dog began wagging her tail, smacking Zelda in the face every few moments as she did.\u00a0 Zelda blinked her eyes and turned her head away to avoid the surprisingly sturdy tail\u2019s momentum.\u00a0 She ventured a glance toward the globe, which Maisie pawed, sending it spinning about in its stand.<\/p>\n

Zelda almost joined her atop the table to look at the sepia-colored sphere as it rolled endlessly, producing a satisfying sound that calmed her.\u00a0 But as she stretched her legs to prepare for her jump onto the table, she spotted something on the pages in front of her that kept her rooted where she was.<\/p>\n

\u201cAha!\u201d she cried.\u00a0 When her family all stopped to look at her, they caught her enchanted by her discovery.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t read!\u201d she deduced.<\/p>\n

The rest of the DeAngelo family returned to their own searches then.\u00a0 Michael moved onto the tree in the corner of the room close to where they had entered.\u00a0 Not much jumped out at him there, but he did notice that the ornaments clinging to its branches were of the same variety as those that hung from the garland on the bookcases.<\/p>\n

Peanut, in the same predicament as her canine siblings, couldn\u2019t really help to identify any of the writing on the spines or covers of the books.\u00a0 Every few moments though, she would step closer to the shelves and sniff at one of the many volumes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m making a mental note,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThat one smells like fish. \u00a0I will return to that one later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna switched to the opposite side of the room then, looking at another two paintings of old architecture.\u00a0 Nothing particular looked interesting to her on either of those\u2014one displayed a castle town amidst a snowy landscape, and the other showed a long fortress battlement that spanned the length of the painting, with an opened portcullis in the background that led toward a beautiful pink and blue horizon.\u00a0 But without any clues jumping out at her, she chose to look around, under and even behind the paintings instead.\u00a0 Still, it didn\u2019t seem that there was anything about the paintings that were worthy of note.\u00a0 She thought to count the merlons on the castle walls, or the birds that flew in the skies.\u00a0 But of the four paintings she saw, some did not have either of those features.<\/p>\n

The woman recalled the painting on the other side of the room as well then, and she turned to gaze upon it.\u00a0 Even with her contacts in, Rhianna couldn\u2019t see across the room, and she merely shrugged, figuring she\u2019d be back there in a moment anyway.\u00a0 But as she turned her body back toward the wall beside her, she spotted something peculiar within the glass enclosure.\u00a0 The mirror that Maisie had been fascinated with sat upon rails, it seemed, able to be shifted back and forth.\u00a0 More interesting, however, there seemed to be a beam of light that fell behind it, falling from the ceiling of the room to land behind the mirror, and none had seen it before her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s interesting,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019m not getting anywhere,\u201d Michael piped up then.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve been looking at these ornaments for what feels like forever.\u00a0 I feel like I\u2019m going to have to focus on the books soon, and that\u2019s going to be a lot of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me about it,\u201d Zelda huffed.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t even get past this single page.\u201d\u00a0 The rest of her family thought she was making a statement about the subject matter, or her inability to decipher human writing, but they could hear her shuffling to the next page, and they could hear her sign then as well.\u00a0 As they turned to look at her, she offered up some clarification.\u00a0 \u201cIt just keeps coming back to this page!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, as she swatted at the pages again, even holding the book down for a moment afterward, the book worked some mysterious magic, and returned to its previous placement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not normal,\u201d Michael said, leaving the books and baubles behind.<\/p>\n

Rhianna moved over to the table, too, and both she and her husband looked down at the book in front of Zelda, noting the same things that she had seen\u2014although they could also see the words a little more clearly.\u00a0 Though it was written with what looked like the common alphabet, they could see that the language wasn\u2019t English, with a few umlauts scattered about here and there.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s Norge?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

Michael looked to the items on the page, not feigning for a moment to be able to ready any of the writing.\u00a0 But he closed his eyes as he searched for something in their past that was just on the periphery of his memory.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you remember a couple of years ago when Santa gave us that book?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah!\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cSo, does that mean\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the book is trying to tell us about Norway.\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, but neither of us can speak Norwegian.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr read it,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 His eyes lit up, and he grinned as he looked at his wife.\u00a0 \u201cBut maybe we don\u2019t have.\u00a0 Maybe this was just a small clue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe globe!\u201d Rhianna said, excited as she thought they were on the way to figuring out the first riddle in the escape room.<\/p>\n

Throughout their conversation, Maisie continued to swat at the globe beside the table, panting in excitement as she watched it spin.\u00a0 Michael and Rhianna arrived beside her then, and they stuck their hands out to slow the rotation of the sphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Maisie cried.\u00a0 \u201cI was having fun with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re supposed to be helping us figure out how to get out of here,\u201d Rhianna laughed at the pup.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s spinning the globe going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

While she distracted Maisie, Michael slowly shifted the globe into place beneath a magnifying glass upon the golden railing that circled it.\u00a0 Before long, he had found the country of Norway on its surface, and he situated it beneath the lens.<\/p>\n

They heard a little shift from inside the globe then, and a red light cast out upon the floor.\u00a0 At once, the fifth member of their family ceased what she was doing and hurried beside the table.\u00a0 Peanut was entranced by the red dot on the floorboards, and she tilted her head as she studied it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, what did that accomplish?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey! The page is changing!\u201d they heard Zelda say then.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, as they turned to regard the dog and her book, they saw that the sheets flowed forward, away from the original picture of Norway, its coat of arms, and the unfamiliar writing upon its entry.\u00a0 Stranger still, even though the pages moved, it didn\u2019t seem to diminish the number of pages, or add to them on either side of the tome.\u00a0 Michael shook his head as he watched the magic work, failing to understand it.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, what does it say now?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Rhianna shrugged as she looked over the book.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s still in a language I can\u2019t read, but there\u2019s another picture.\u00a0 It looks like there\u2019s some sort of symbol near the peninsula of Norway, if that is the same country we were just looking at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we have to\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He paused, for when he looked at the globe, the rest of the continents were gone, with only an enhanced map of Norway and its surrounding countries displayed on the sphere instead.\u00a0 \u201cWhat the\u2026?\u201d Michael murmured.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, I guess it is<\/em> magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t hesitate any longer, shifting the globe a little bit at a time.\u00a0 Maisie reached out and swatted at it as well.\u00a0 Michael chuckled and pet her behind her ears.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m helping,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, you are,\u201d he agreed.<\/p>\n

As they altered the position of the globe, the little red dot that emerged from the globe moved as well.\u00a0 Peanut took great interest in it, following it as it moved across the floor, and eventually onto the shelf.\u00a0 It took all her effort to keep herself from leaving into the air to swat at the little light.<\/p>\n

None of the others on the table realized that Peanut investigated the light that cast out from the globe, too interested in ensuring the globe was positioned as it was intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes that look right?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little to the left,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe right,<\/em>\u201d Zelda corrected.<\/p>\n

Rhianna paused to consider which way she meant, and then pointed toward the right.\u00a0 \u201cThat way,\u201d she conceded in agreement.<\/p>\n

As Michael moved along the coast of Norway, words began emerging from within the tan-colored globe, the text colored in a bold red tint.\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t certain, but it seemed that they were likely the names of towns and cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere!\u201d Zelda said.<\/p>\n

Michael had already felt the globe shift into place, and he watched as the name of the city came into view.\u00a0 \u201cEgersund,\u201d he read then.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that mean?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

Michael shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure, but something had to have happened, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

When they turned around, they could see that the light was no longer on the floor, but three shelves up\u2014just about eye level for the humans, but a sizable leap for the interested cat.\u00a0 Peanut already lined up her jump, her legs shifting into place, her muscles tensing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute, Peanut,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

If the cat seemed at all like she was concerned with being reprimanded, it didn\u2019t show.\u00a0 She hopped up to the third shelf with ease, and swatted as she landed there.<\/p>\n

But Peanut didn\u2019t calculate that taking a swat at the book that the red dot sat upon could have consequences.\u00a0 When her claw came down, it poked between the pages there, and when she felt that sudden change in her poise, she panicked.\u00a0 The cat kicked off of the base of the shelf, and began falling back, taking the book with her.<\/p>\n

Michael was there a second later, catching the spooked feline.\u00a0 The book fell away from her paw and landed on the ground below with a thud\u2014and a stronger one than would typically come from a book, the family noted.<\/p>\n

While Peanut squirmed, Michael was quick to place her on the ground, knowing that to do otherwise was to risk an unceremonious spring from the cat where her claws would dig into his chest or stomach.\u00a0 She hopped away from him anyway and began licking at her paws as if her fall was nonchalant\u2014everyone knew she was licking away her embarrassment, however.<\/p>\n

Rhianna moved to grab up the book, and when she plucked it off the ground, she noted that it felt a bit heavier than she would have expected for a hardbound piece of literature.\u00a0 She turned it about and looked at the title on the spine.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough the Looking Glass,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t have the author\u2019s name\u2014only the publisher emblazoned across the bottom of the spine in gold text\u2014but Rhianna was certain that it was the sequel to Lewis Carroll\u2019s adventures of Alice.\u00a0 She looked at the front as well, where there was no title at all.\u00a0 Instead, only the symbol of a crowned queen rested there.\u00a0 Those with little knowledge of Carroll\u2019s work might have otherwise been underwhelmed with the find, but Rhianna couldn\u2019t hide her excitement.<\/p>\n

She cracked the book open but was surprised (and a bit disappointed) to see that it was a false book, meant to look like one, but fashioned to open to a specific point that displayed a very specific bit of information.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at this,\u201d Rhianna said, showing the inside to Michael.<\/p>\n

The contents of the book showed a runic symbol that looked almost like a table flipped upon its left side.\u00a0 It was encircled by a ring of brown ink, similar in color to the text of the book that Zelda continued scrutinizing at the table.<\/p>\n

Michael hummed to himself.\u00a0 \u201cI think I\u2019ve seen this before.\u201d\u00a0 He raised his finger, and turned back to the shelves, looking from one hanging decoration to the next.\u00a0 \u201cI know I have.\u00a0 I saw it on one of the ornaments on the garland.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he began looking from one colored ball to the next, Rhianna held the book open and began looking toward the tree.<\/p>\n

All the while, Maisie resumed swatting at the globe.\u00a0 The little red light danced across the bookshelves, the floor and even on Peanut.\u00a0 She was insistent that she would no longer be caught up in any dot-chasing antics, and she made a point of looking away as it flung this way and that.<\/p>\n

Rhianna pointed from one ornament on the tree to the next as she worked her way around and from the top down.\u00a0 Every few moments she looked back to the book to remind herself of how the rune was composed.\u00a0 Finally, she saw one that matched upon the tree.<\/p>\n

\u201cAha!\u201d she said, gaining Michael\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

He turned, and she held an open hand beneath a blue ornament upon which was etched the strange rune.\u00a0 She presented it with great pride, though she left it where it was upon the tree.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s so strange,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m certain I saw that same rune hanging from one of the strands of garland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cJust know that I<\/em> won.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael furrowed his brow and looked to the garland as though it had betrayed him then.\u00a0 But he arched his eyebrow in curiosity then as he looked to the other side of the room then.\u00a0 He grinned and pointed there, past the table where Zelda and Maisie still played with the book and the globe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI knew that I had seen it somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, forget you and your good eyes,\u201d Rhianna grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cBut if there\u2019s two of them, maybe one is right, and one isn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno,\u201d Michael replied with a shrug.\u00a0 He crossed the room and plucked a red ornament off the string of garland, observing it a little more closely then.\u00a0 It seemed just the same as all the others: a white etching of a rune within one of the colored spheres.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe the color of the ornament is important?\u00a0 What color is the rune made of in the book?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just brown, like old ink,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

The two converged near the center of the room then, along with their pets.\u00a0 Even Peanut had hopped onto the table then, looking about the room for more items that might have been of use to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s look at them side by side.<\/p>\n

As he and Rhianna brought the two ornaments together, they were surprised to watch the pair of them disintegrate from their hands.\u00a0 Both baubles turned to colored dust and scattered away from them as though a gust of wind had entered the room\u2014though neither of them felt it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat just happened?\u201d Rhianna gasped.\u00a0 \u201cI promise, I didn\u2019t break anything!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t either,\u201d Michael insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI think that something was supposed to happen when we brought them both together.\u201d<\/p>\n

As though the room itself was listening to the conversation, it seemed to moan as a scrape of glass on stone reported in the room.\u00a0 Everyone looked about then, trying to determine where the noise came from.\u00a0 Rhianna, however, was already familiar enough with the glass case that surrounded the mirror, and she looked in that direction.\u00a0 Maisie realized what she was looking at then as well, and she ceased paying attention to the globe to spring down to the chair, and subsequently the floor.\u00a0 She and Rhianna both reached the glass enclosure while it still sank into the ground then.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friend!\u201d Maisie said, spinning about in excitement as the last several inches dropped into the hollow area beneath the floor.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re free!\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael, Zelda and Peanut lingered by the table, wondering what it was that the other two had discovered.<\/p>\n

Rhianna continued forward, until she was reflected in the mirror then as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a second,\u201d Maisie said, ceasing her spin while her eyes grew wide.\u00a0 \u201cMy friend has a mommy too!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s you, you nitwit!\u201d Peanut grumbled, exasperated.<\/p>\n

While Rhianna circled the mirror, looking for anything else that might have appeared off, Maisie sat down in front of it, lifting one paw, and then the other.\u00a0 Finally, she realized that the dog on the other side of the looking glass was indeed just her mirror reflection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI knew that the whole time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what happens when we get no social interaction all year,\u201d Zelda said, glancing at Michael and looking for sympathy.<\/p>\n

Rhianna hadn\u2019t heard the comment, but even if she had, the idea of being stuck in an unfamiliar place held precedence in her mind.\u00a0 She focused on the task ahead and cast her gaze once again to the rails that the mirror sat within upon the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed those earlier,\u201d she said, more to herself than to the dog by her side.\u00a0 \u201cI think the mirror might be able to move.\u201d\u00a0 She reached the looking glass and placed her hands against the sides of the stand that kept it upright.\u00a0 Then, with all her strength, Rhianna began pushing upon it, budging it forward inch by inch.<\/p>\n

She felt it relent a bit more, and she noticed that Maisie joined her there, pushing against the mirror as well as she stood upon her hind legs.<\/p>\n

A moment later, the golden light that shone from the ceiling cast down in front of the mirror rather than behind it, and Rhianna knew she had succeeded in her latest undertaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she said, shaking her fist in the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurray!\u201d Maisie cried.\u00a0 \u201cUm\u2026 What did that do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt made that light come down from the ceiling.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both stared at each other in silence then, for the truth of the matter soon became apparent.\u00a0 The light casting down meant nothing without further context.<\/p>\n

They both heard a sigh from behind them then.\u00a0 Michael made his way from the table, passing them on their side.\u00a0 He grabbed the mirror and gave it a little push at its top.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s got little bolts to keep it in place, but it\u2019s meant to be angled.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to look at the direction where he was sure the light would go, and let out a little whistle, catching the attention of the older pair of animals.\u00a0 \u201cZelda, Peanut, slide out of the way.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to blind you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before either of them could think of a silly or snarky comment, he shifted the mirror backward.\u00a0 The golden light fell upon the bottom of the mirror as it tilted upward, and the reflected illumination radiated beneath the table and then upon it before hitting the opposite wall.\u00a0 The light dispersed as it shone further, but Michael already realized what was going to happen.\u00a0 As the widened beam of light\u2014nearly imperceptible from that distance\u2014fell upon the painting near the door they had entered from, it caused a reaction in the painting.\u00a0 The white sky above the fortress on the canvas turned black, except for a few stray lines that even Michael couldn\u2019t see from that far away.<\/p>\n

Rhianna hurried to the other side of the room and studied the revealed secret.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a constellation!\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know which one?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what a constellation is going to tell us otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife tilted her head as she considered the question.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s the Big Dipper,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cBut it might be the Little Dipper.\u201d\u00a0 She hummed to herself.\u00a0 \u201cEither way, it\u2019s a<\/em> dipper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael hummed to himself again, trying to make sense of why such a combination of symbols would show up within the painting.\u00a0 As best he could tell, there were no ornaments fixed in such a way that would show a similar layout as the constellation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, the book changed again,\u201d Peanut said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how to read any better than this one,\u201d she went on, nodding toward Zelda.\u00a0 \u201cBut it looks at least a little more like the stuff you<\/em> two know how to read.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna converged on the table once more, and their sight settled on the book.\u00a0 Sure enough, the pages finally showed something in a language they understood.<\/p>\n

The two pages seemed to be broken down into sections.\u00a0 The writing had diminished in size, but there was much more of it.\u00a0 There were numbers, too, centered at the top of each of the pages, with category classes underneath.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh wow,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cI haven\u2019t seen these in forever.\u00a0 I think I need to get to a library more often.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that the Dewey Decimal System?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sure is,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cLook for astronomy.\u00a0 Maybe there\u2019s some books here that have some relevance to the Big Dipper.\u201d<\/p>\n

The left page focused on the last several entries of science.\u00a0 570 was biology, 580 was plants, and 590 belonged to animals.\u00a0 The right page, on the other hand, showed the first few categories of the technology classes.\u00a0 600 was general technology, 610 was medicine and health, and 620 was engineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright there\u2019s something particular we\u2019re looking for here,\u201d Rhianna said, looking at all the books in the shelves before them.\u00a0 \u201cDo you see anything about astronomy or astrology in there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael peered at the technology classes, tracing down each of the categories.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not seeing anything in here.\u00a0 What else could we be looking for?\u201d\u00a0 He bowed his head and tried to understand what it was that the Big Dipper was trying to tell them.\u201d\u00a0 He snapped his fingers as he made a revelation then.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is the Big Dipper part of?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pausing for a moment to try and remember, Rhianna tilted her head.\u00a0 \u201cThe Bear?\u201d she guessed.<\/p>\n

\u201cUrsa Major,\u201d Michael agreed.\u00a0 \u201cSo maybe we aren\u2019t looking for stars or anything related to science, but\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He moved to the first displayed page of the book and stopped his finger upon the category for animals.\u00a0 \u201c590 should be the one we\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c590 what?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cIt isn\u2019t like\u2026\u201d Her voice trailed off then as she looked to the shelves in front of them.\u00a0 \u201cThey weren\u2019t there before, were they?\u201d<\/p>\n

She pointed to the bookcases, even looking over her shoulder.\u00a0 There were gold etchings within the wooden cases, each shelf corresponding, it seemed, to a different numbered category.\u00a0 The shelf associated with animals was across from the one on the others side of the room that held the false book for Through the Looking Glass<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna made her way in that direction, perusing the titles displayed on the spines of the books from left to right.\u00a0 \u201cMoby Dick, The Call of the Wild, The Tale of Peter Rabbit\u2026\u201d She paused then as she looked at a book with a green cover, with little animals drawn down the spine in gold.\u00a0 \u201cBaloo is a bear, right?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 It was a rhetorical question, but she heard Michael confirm her thought.\u00a0 With no further hesitation, Rhianna reached up to grab the book.<\/p>\n

The woman was surprised, then, to feel no give between it and the other books surrounding it. Going even further than the single false book on the opposite side of the room, she realized that every book on the shelf before her was fake.\u00a0 With a grin on her face, she reached up, and pulled on the top of The Jungle Book.\u00a0 It tilted toward her, but never left its spot in the bookcase.<\/p>\n

A rewarding tone sounded, like a distant trumpet that heralded the family\u2019s victory.<\/p>\n

Rhianna expected some other kind of reveal then, but she wasn\u2019t expecting the bookshelf itself to push backward, away from her before shifting to the side.\u00a0 The work that she had done to unveil the secrets of the library had revealed a brand-new room, it seemed, though it was still shrouded in darkness.<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 I would have expected to find a key for that padlock or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we still do have to get back out by going that way.\u00a0 But perhaps the key is deeper within that room.\u00a0 The only thing is, I can\u2019t see further than my hand in there.\u00a0 Do we have any light to brighten it for us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mirror only pivots backward and forward,\u201d Peanut said then.\u00a0 \u201cAnd I don\u2019t see anything else in here that you can use as a light source.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just gotta be brave!\u201d Maisie yelled, running into the darkness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, Maisie!\u201d Rhianna cried, reaching out as the little black and white dog sprinted past.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t know what\u2019s in there!\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie\u2019s quick dash stopped when she disappeared within the dark veil.\u00a0 But within just a few seconds, a distant light in the room offered the DeAngelo family the way forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?\u201d the pup called out from within the next room.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just like back home with the sleepy lights that wake up when I\u2019m there!\u201d<\/p>\n

All the other members of her family could see her then, and they could see her tail wagging vigorously as she took account of everything that was there in the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow this is what I\u2019m talking about!\u201d she said.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take long for her to charge deeper into the room then, out of sight from the rest of her family.<\/p>\n

Rhianna was quick to follow her, but the others remained by the table in the library.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cThis room is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael looked to the other two animals and shrugged a bit.\u00a0 \u201cWell, there goes my hope that it was just one last little room that had the key to the padlock,\u201d he said.\u00a0 He tousled the other dog and the cat along their backs before he started after his wife and Maisie.<\/p>\n

Peanut jumped down from the table and moved on ahead of Michael, but Zelda turned about to use the chair as another step on the way down.\u00a0 Before she did though, she noticed something peculiar on the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, shiny,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

That caught Michael\u2019s attention, and he looked over his shoulder to see that the older dog was entranced with the book that had given them little clues throughout their time in the library.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s got you so spellbound?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 He returned to Zelda then, and knew the answer to his own question a moment later.\u00a0 The tome was devoid of any writing, then, but it almost looked as though a rolling golden wave cast over the pages.\u00a0 \u201cI think the book wants to come with us,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

Zelda nodded excitedly, and she pawed at it then.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going to have to get it though.\u00a0 I don\u2019t have thumbs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laughing, Michael scooped her up first.\u00a0 He pecked her on the head before setting her on the ground, and then he turned back for the book.\u00a0 Another glimmer of gold seemed to travel from one corner of the book to the opposite side, perhaps a little more fervently then.\u00a0 Michael grabbed the tome and closed it, half surprised that it let him.<\/p>\n

The front cover of the book was just as mundane as the others that he and his family had seen in the library.\u00a0 An evergreen tree was framed in a small circle about the size of a quarter, though it had been emblazoned in golden ink.\u00a0 Just beneath it, the title of the book stated that it was called Yuletide Stories<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, this certainly will be one we\u2019re going to tell,\u201d Michael said as he gathered up the book.<\/p>\n

He heard a chorus of excitement and contentment coming from the other room then, and he hurried along to join the rest of his family there.<\/p>\n

Their reactions were well-earned, it seemed, for that room seemed even grander than the library.\u00a0 Its reach stretched far and wide, a roaring fireplace much further to their side, along where the looking glass was in the previous room.\u00a0 Along the way there, however, was a feasting table that was filled to the brim with hearty and savory food, glasses of eggnog, and a few festively shaped cookies scattered about here and there.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis looks just like last year!\u201d Maisie cried in excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd with no magical gemstones you can swallow in sight,\u201d Rhianna teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was a tasty dessert!\u201d Maisie grumbled.<\/p>\n

While the rest of his family looked about at the food upon the table\u2014for not enough cookies had been eaten at home\u2014Michael continued to inspect the second room they had found their way into.\u00a0 It almost seemed as though the feast for them was a reward, but Michael thought otherwise.\u00a0 It was a distraction, and yet another room to escape, he was sure.<\/p>\n

On the opposite side of the room sat a medieval kitchen, with stone-laden walls, a brick oven that had more char marks within and around it than the fireplace on the far wall, and some indentations in the wall where food or wood storage would remain.\u00a0 Pots, jars and small barrels lined shelves against the wall, no doubt filled with baking goods or herbs or the like.<\/p>\n

Above them, it looked as though a thatched roof rested atop the room.\u00a0 Michael narrowed his eyes, knowing that if it was accessible, they\u2019d likely be able to tear through it, and escape to safety.\u00a0 But he was certain that there was some treachery afoot.\u00a0 They wouldn\u2019t be allowed to leave\u2014not without completing the game.<\/p>\n

Still, he wasn\u2019t about to jump to conclusions without testing his theory.\u00a0 He walked to the feasting table, and grabbed warm, baked roll off a plate near the center.\u00a0 The way he walked up to that single piece of bread with purpose was not lost to his family either.\u00a0 They turned and looked to him while he gazed up at the ceiling.<\/p>\n

Then, without hesitation, he threw the roll into the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would you do that!\u201d Maisie cried while everyone else looked on in confusion.<\/p>\n

But Michael\u2019s hypothesis was correct, he realized, for the roll slammed against an unseen layer of glass that protected the thatched roof from would-be escapees.<\/p>\n

He caught the hunk of bread on its way back down, and he tore off a piece in his mouth, humming as he considered the trap in which they remained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell that was odd,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cAnd yet, not the oddest thing that has happened to us today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The members of the DeAngelo family picked at the food on the table then, realizing that all of it was quite warm and fresh.\u00a0 It appeared the person who had set it out for them had quickly set it all upon the table as they were finishing the puzzles in the library, and somehow disappeared from the room before they could be spotted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSolving puzzles is hard work,\u201d Rhianna said with a shrug, before she reached for a glass of eggnog.<\/p>\n

Michael nodded, and picked at a few of the various appetizers upon the table.\u00a0 \u201cJust make sure we don\u2019t lose sight of our real goal here.\u00a0 We need to get out of whatever this place is, and if there is a time limit, the clock is still ticking.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he spoke, he moved to the other side of the table, and pushed the chairs there closer, helping the animals get a better spot to determine what they wanted.\u00a0 Maisie was the first to jump up to the banquet table, her eyes growing wide at the sight of all the food before her.\u00a0 Peanut and Zelda joined her a few moments later, each curious to see what options they had.<\/p>\n

The cat sniffed discriminately from one dish to the next but didn\u2019t take a bite of anything while her sisters noshed on a few items they could reach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see any<\/em> fish,\u201d Peanut said.<\/p>\n

Rhianna looked about, noticing that none of the dishes present qualified as what she would consider a main course.\u00a0 That included the prized food choice for the persnickety puss.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe these aren\u2019t the full meals,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s practically criminal not to have fish on Christmas Eve,\u201d she argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cChristmas Eve, Eve,\u201d Michael corrected.\u00a0 \u201cAnd maybe the entrees haven\u2019t been brought out yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie stepped up a little higher against the table, her eyes gleaming at that point.\u00a0 \u201cYou mean there will be more?\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda, quiet until that point as she savored the food she carefully selected, tilted her head.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we have to find our own dinners,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Rhianna grinned.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s right!\u00a0 And maybe when we do, we\u2019ll find the key that gets us out of the library, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family heard a scraping toward the library then and turned to regard it.\u00a0 The bookcase that opened into the second room slid shut again, as though the feasting hall had been listening to the conversation.\u00a0 Far enough away from it as they were, none of DeAngelo family even made a move to stop it.<\/p>\n

Michael turned back to his loved ones and sucked the flaky crumbs of the bread off his fingers.\u00a0 \u201cSomething makes me think we\u2019re not going to be going back to the library.\u201d\u00a0 He felt a rumbling along his side then, and reached for his pajama pocket, as though he was looking for his phone.\u00a0 When he recalled that he hadn\u2019t had it with him when he\u2019d gone through the portal, he arched an eyebrow, wondering what he had felt.\u00a0 The sensation moved through his arm then, and he realized that it was the book in his hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Rhianna asked when she saw him open it.<\/p>\n

Her husband\u2019s reaction grew stranger when his eyes displayed a reflection of flames.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m thinking the book is trying to tell us something.\u201d\u00a0 He swept some of the dishes, cups and baskets upon the table to the side, and set the book down upon it.<\/p>\n

From there, the rest of his family could see that a new image was shown in the open tome, the left page in motion with a crackling, faded red flame.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it mean?\u201d Zelda asked.<\/p>\n

Rhianna shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cThe only fire we\u2019ve seen in here at all is the hearth over here,\u201d she said, pointing to the fireplace.<\/p>\n

She looked in that direction, looking at the mantel above it.\u00a0 Some strange trophies\u2014drinking steins and stone carvings\u2014rested there, lending the room some extra personality.\u00a0 They kept up with the Scandinavian feeling that they had experienced through the library\u2019s clues.\u00a0 Still, looking at them, Rhianna couldn\u2019t think of anything over there that would lead to a revelation of any sort.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, look!\u201d Peanut said, leaning closer to the book then.\u00a0 Even her excitement was apparent as she spoke, though when the others looked at her with appreciative smiles, she shrank back and looked away.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, it\u2019s interesting if you\u2019re into that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time the others shifted their glances to the tome instead of the cat, they noticed what she had as well.\u00a0 Words began to show in the fiery picture on the left side of the page.\u00a0 The right page remained blank, even after the message was displayed.<\/p>\n

Michael placed his finger to the page, noticing that even the depiction of the fire within the book seemed to emanate with a strange heat.\u00a0 He shook his head, dismissing the interesting notion as he read along with the words that shimmered in the dark brown ink that seemed to appear from thin air.<\/p>\n

\u201cFind the page bare, and then prepare,\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA secret note, the bill of fare,\u201d his wife spoke the next line.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the text revealed by flames,\u201d Michael said next.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudy close and watch the names,\u201d Rhianna finished.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll say the next line!\u201d Maisie announced, unaware that there wouldn\u2019t be another one.\u00a0 She looked at the two rhyming couplets, and imagined it saying something she would understand.\u00a0 \u201cMaisie has a grumbling belly.\u00a0 Give her a peanut butter and jelly.\u00a0 A sandwich is fine, but if you can\u2019t tell, she\u2019ll eat from the jars, just as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna paused before they looked at each other and laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell that was adorable,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any peanut butter and jelly here.\u00a0 We\u2019ll just have to try and see if we can make our way through these puzzles.\u00a0 Besides, there\u2019s plenty of yummy stuff here for you.\u00a0 In the meantime, let\u2019s see if we can\u2019t figure out the riddle we just read!\u201d<\/p>\n

The five of them broke from the table then, each going in their own direction.\u00a0 Michael headed around the table, back toward the kitchen, while his wife moved closer toward the fireplace.\u00a0 Zelda and Peanut looked on opposite sides of the room but found the walls mostly unremarkable\u2014with the one separating them from library mostly too dark to see anyway.<\/p>\n

Maisie pushed aside one plate after another, saying \u201cnothing under that one,\u201d each time she discovered no hidden clues.\u00a0 And each time she found that nothing was present, she rewarded herself with a little snack.<\/p>\n

Beside the fireplace, Rhianna took closer account of the statuettes and curios that rested upon the mantel.\u00a0 She looked at them from right to left, noticing the strange, ancient-looking items.\u00a0 There was a stone tablet upon which had been etched a dagger; an old hammer-shaped trinket with the tree of life emblazoned into its side rested upon its blunted head; a bowl sat in the center of the mantel, just above where flickering flames made their way up toward the chimney.\u00a0 The bowl was as antiquated as the rest of the items, but it looked a little less worn.\u00a0 Two heads extended from either side, fashioned to look like horses or dragons, though the finer details were lost to time.\u00a0 Though it seemed to be fashioned out of old wood, a closer inspection found it made of stone that had a wood-like appearance.\u00a0 Rhianna noticed a strange circular depression in the bottom of the bowl, and shrugged, thinking whatever liquid it had held over its history had left it dilapidated.\u00a0 A statuette beside it illuminated some old god, but just as the figureheads leading off the bowl, a great deal of the features had eroded with time.\u00a0 An ale tankard rounded out the group of items atop the mantel, the old cup losing some of its luster, but preserving much of its character.<\/p>\n

Rhianna tried to get a better look of the horn-shaped tankard, but she found that it was fastened to the mantel.\u00a0 One by one, she confirmed that each of the five items there were stuck firmly to the stone shelf above the fireplace.\u00a0 She grumbled as she turned her attention elsewhere, knowing that time was proving to be against them.<\/p>\n

On the opposite side of the room, Michael returned to the kitchen. \u00a0With a little more focus and attention, he scrutinized every inch of the place.\u00a0 Special utensils\u2014ladles, a large whisk, and a baker\u2019s peel hung from the wall by the room\u2019s masonry oven.\u00a0 Michael wore a confident grin as he opened the oven, thinking that it would be the perfect place to hind some sort of clue.\u00a0 When he looked inside though, there was nothing special about it.\u00a0 A smaller slot was fashioned beneath the main gate, where wood or coal could be ignited to heat the area above.\u00a0 There was nothing there either, as though all the fuel had been stripped of the place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess they don\u2019t want us baking anything in here,\u201d Michael muttered.<\/p>\n

As he continued to peruse that part of the kitchen, Peanut walked behind him, looking at a bench that sat against the opposite wall.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t meant for sitting, adding to the aesthetic instead, as it held lengthy brown containers of different shapes upon it.\u00a0 The cat stood up on the bench, sniffing at the containers, but judging them unremarkable.\u00a0 Before she could look away though, she noticed a peculiar item squeezed between two of the tubes.<\/p>\n

\u201cUmm, servant?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 When she didn\u2019t hear a response from Michael, she looked in his direction.\u00a0 He was still busy looking at the objects near the oven, and he didn\u2019t hear her.\u00a0 \u201cHey, you,\u201d she said, but again was ignored.<\/p>\n

Peanut sighed, then, and reached up trying to grasp the object\u2014a piece of parchment, it seemed\u2014between two of her claws.\u00a0 It was just out of range, and she struggled to stretch a little further.<\/p>\n

The cat lost her balance then, tipping forward and tapping one of the tubes.\u00a0 She meowed in fright as the container fell to its side and rolled off the bench.\u00a0 With the fur on her spine sticking up, she took off back toward the feasting table.<\/p>\n

Michael finally turned around then.\u00a0 His interest was piqued by the strange sounds that had rang out behind him.<\/p>\n

As he took a step toward the fallen container, the parchment that it had leaned against fell without the support of another object holding it upright.\u00a0 Michael watched as it landed on the bench and noticed that there was nothing written on its face.\u00a0 It almost seemed as though it had been pulled out of the magic tome they had taken from the library.<\/p>\n

In order to be certain, he plucked the page up from the bench, and looked at the opposite side then as well.\u00a0 Sure enough, it was also blank there.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, look what I found,\u201d he announced to his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou?\u201d Peanut grumbled.\u00a0 \u201cThis should be my glory.\u201d\u00a0 She slinked beneath the table, looking at the rest of the family through narrowed eyes, as sour a puss as she could muster.<\/p>\n

As Rhianna hurried toward him, he was already on his way over to the fireplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe \u2018page bare\u2019, right?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cNow it\u2019s time to see if a little heat gives us a message of some sort.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me see that?\u201d Rhianna asked, peering around Michael\u2019s arm to look at the blank page.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing on it,\u201d Michael said as he turned it to better face his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cAha!\u201d she shouted, snatching the paper from his hand.\u00a0 She hurried over to the fireplace; her eager anticipation was apparent to the rest of her family.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore power to you,\u201d her husband said.\u00a0 \u201cJust remember, whenever a kitchen and heat intermingle, you seem to have a bad time!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna hesitated before she reached the fireplace and considered Michael\u2019s words.\u00a0 Her shoulders slumped and she pouted a bit before she held up the parchment, awaiting her husband\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n

\u201cGimme that,\u201d he said, snatching it back from her.<\/p>\n

He leaned over and kissed her on the head before he nudged her closer to the fire, ensuring that it was an experience they would both witness together.<\/p>\n

Even Michael hesitated to let the flames touch the paper; he didn\u2019t want their latest clue to go up in smoke.\u00a0 But as he pushed it further toward the hearth, he was excited to see brown-tinged words appear on the parchment.\u00a0 Even when the fire seemed to flicker against the back of the page, it was safe from any harm, not even a charred smudge appearing across its face.\u00a0 A moment later, the reaction was complete, with a plentitude of new clues revealed.<\/p>\n

Michael held it out to Rhianna, who grabbed it in her hands once more, as though she was the one who had unlocked the latest mysteries.\u00a0 She reviewed it for a moment before tilting her head in confusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

Maisie lowered her head and turned around, wondering if perhaps she was in trouble for sampling all the different foods upon the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cApple-crusted Meatballs?\u201d she read aloud.<\/p>\n

Michael arched an eyebrow then.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, I wouldn\u2019t be opposed to trying that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRutabaga Roulade,\u201d his wife said next.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, you lost me,\u201d he said, throwing up his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cOlle\u2026 Ollebrod?\u201d Rhianna said, trying her best to find the correct pronunciation.\u00a0 \u201cSmoked salmon, eel bisque\u2026\u201d her words trailed off then, but even Peanut had grown interested.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone called my name, right?\u201d the feline asked.\u00a0 \u201cI distinctly heard my name.\u00a0 And something about feeding me all the fish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have any fish,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cJust a\u2026a weird menu.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna sighed.\u00a0 \u201cIt can\u2019t just be a menu, right?\u201d\u00a0 She looked at the page, pointing at some of the other items she saw there.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t even know what some of these things are.\u00a0 Nesselrode?\u00a0 Emmenthaler?\u00a0 Are these foods or cartoon characters?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at the names,\u201d Zelda said then.\u00a0 When her family brought their attention to her, the little red-haired dog looking up at them with adorable eyes.\u00a0 \u201cLook at the names,\u201d she said again.\u00a0 \u201cWasn\u2019t that what the riddle said?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStudy and watch the names,\u201d Michael recalled.\u00a0 \u201cBut I don\u2019t see how that will\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He paused then and turned the page slightly to the side.\u00a0 The man blew out a sigh then and handed it to his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cDid you figure it out?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at the first letter of every item,\u201d Michael said, unable to prevent a grin from stretching his lips.\u00a0 \u201cThink Shakespeare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShakespeare?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cShe pointed along the left margin of the page then, and followed it along, realizing soon after what was being spelled.\u00a0 \u201cA rose\u2026by\u2026any other name,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWell I feel silly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt got us both,\u201d her husband insisted.\u00a0 \u201cBut it didn\u2019t get smarty pants Zelda apparently,\u201d he said, gently tousling her hair, earning a few happy pants from the pup.\u00a0 \u201cBut here\u2019s something important: just because we know the idiom, I don\u2019t know what to do with that information.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s just look around and find the flower, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m certain I haven\u2019t seen any around here,\u201d Michael replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve been all over this room, and I haven\u2019t seen any flowers at all, roses or otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s a garnish?\u201d Rhianna wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cBut usually you only see that with main courses.\u00a0 What about salads, maybe they snuck a flower in with all that green?\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife turned to regard their pets.\u00a0 \u201cThis is where you three can come in handy, you know.\u00a0 Have any of you seen a pretty flower or anything in here?\u201d<\/p>\n

When neither of the dogs or the cat could offer up an idea, Michael turned back toward the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime to consult the tome!\u201d he cried out.\u00a0 When he arrived at the table and adjusted the book so that he could observe it a little more clearly, he could see that the riddle they had seen had not changed.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t get it, though,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

Almost as though the page Rhianna held in her hands felt pity on the man, she felt a slight vibration between her fingers.\u00a0 She noticed a faint glimmer within some of the writing, then.\u00a0 Before long, a short line stretched beneath several of the words.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy any other name,\u201d she read aloud.\u00a0 \u201cFlower, right?\u201d\u00a0 Rhianna passed by the table, holding the page out almost as though it was a dowsing rod.\u00a0 She reached the kitchen, and looked about, seeing the oven, the implements used to bake, and the containers on the bench upon the opposite wall.\u00a0 \u201cThis is where you found the menu, right?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

While Michael looked up from the book, Peanut let out an uncharacteristic little growl.<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/em> was the one who found it,\u201d she muttered, turning away from everyone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you getting at?\u201d Michael wondered.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh nothing,\u201d Rhianna said, though a wide grin stretched across her face.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just that I\u2019ve figured out the riddle with ease.\u201d\u00a0 She set to work on the cannisters upon the bench, pulling their lids off and inspecting the insides.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve worked on enough cookies this year to know what flower the book and the page are talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026flour,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, that\u2019s pretty clever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAha!\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 The last cannister she grabbed\u2014the others filled with oats, sugar, and salt\u2014had the right consistency of flour.\u00a0 When she knew she had the proper container she shook it about and could hear a clunk<\/em> within.\u00a0 \u201cI think we have a winner.\u201d\u00a0 As she spoke, little clouds of flour rose out of the cannister after it was aerated.<\/p>\n

Rhianna tried to reach her hand into the container, but its neck was too narrow.\u00a0 She considered, for a moment, asking one of the animals to lend their hand instead, but she knew that they wouldn\u2019t have the reach needed to grab whatever item was hidden inside.\u00a0 Dejected, she pursed her lips, and tapped her chin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

She shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI just feel bad for whoever is going to have to clean this mess,\u201d she said, looking to the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, just remember that even though we\u2019re sort of having fun with all this, we are kind of their prisoners right now,\u201d her husband said.<\/p>\n

Rhianna shrugged in the opposite direction then, nodding in agreement.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, you\u2019re right.\u00a0 Well then\u2026 Sorry, floor!\u201d<\/p>\n

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman flipped the cannister, letting the flour pour to the ground. \u00a0More seemed to come out than she expected, and both she and her husband stepped back from the mountain that landed upon the floor.\u00a0 They watched as a small iron object dropped into the white stuff that had hidden it just moments before.\u00a0 Though more of the powder continued to fall from the container, Rhianna set it aside, placing it back upon the bench.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what was our little prize?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

He and his wife both heard an excited gasp behind them then.<\/p>\n

\u201cSnow!\u201d Zelda cried.<\/p>\n

Before Michael or Rhianna could let her know that it was not, in fact, snow, she sprinted from her spot beneath the table and leapt into the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Rhianna protested.<\/p>\n

But it was too late.\u00a0 Zelda crashed into the mound of flour, sending plumes of powder flying in every direction.\u00a0 The dog\u2019s coat was covered, and it coated her face as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is some weird snow,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her family could see her eyes begin to narrow and knew what was about to happen.\u00a0 Zelda let fly a shaking sneeze as she fought against the tickling sensation in her nose.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I hope they don\u2019t try to bake anything with that,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time anyone gets in here, we\u2019ll be well past the five-second rule,\u201d Michael insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I found something,\u201d Zelda said.\u00a0 She started digging in the flour, sending little puffs flying behind her.\u00a0 A moment later, she buried her head in it, only to rise a moment later with the once-hidden object clutched in her teeth.\u00a0 She tossed it into the air then, and Michael caught it on reflex alone.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s getting in the way of all my snow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna chuckled and shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cZelda, it\u2019s not\u2026 You know what?\u00a0 You do you, puppy.\u201d\u00a0 She turned her attention to her husband then, who observed the small iron object.\u00a0 \u201cSo, what have we got?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael smiled, and opened his hand, displaying the old key that they now had in their possession.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019ll be home before too long,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

They both looked toward the library then, waiting to see if, perhaps, the bookcases would slide back out of the way to let them try their hand on the lock.<\/p>\n

Rhianna tilted her head and glanced at her husband.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe the key doesn\u2019t go to that<\/em> lock?\u201d she suggested.<\/p>\n

Furrowing his eyebrows, Michael lifted the key, taking a better look at it.\u00a0 It was certainly an antiquated item, with a dark brown color and a few rough spots.\u00a0 Still, it looked plenty sturdy, with the strangely shaped teeth intact.\u00a0 Michael moved his fingers, looking at the hilt of the key, which was flat and emblazoned with what looked like a tankard of ale.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s take a look at our drinking mugs,\u201d Michael suggested.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there was a cool-looking horn on the mantel,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

Together they returned to the familiar parts of the room and set to work investigating the objects they had mentioned.\u00a0 Try as they did, though, they couldn\u2019t find any keyhole to insert their newly found clue.<\/p>\n

They heard a burp from across the room, and saw Maisie flump down on the table after having eaten her fill of the feast before her.\u00a0 \u201cThis is very hard work,\u201d she said.\u00a0 The little pup had fallen upon the open tome then, and as she fought off a food coma, she watched as the writing beneath her changed shape and size.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d she called out.\u00a0 \u201cSome new stuff is showing up in the book.\u00a0 I can\u2019t tell if it\u2019s tickling me or if that\u2019s just my stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell you ate enough for all of us,\u201d Michael said, handing off the key to his wife before he reached the well-fed dog\u2019s side.\u00a0 \u201cNow how am I to see what\u2019s been written while you\u2019re over here laying all the pudge all over the pages.\u201d<\/p>\n

She lifted her head to glare at him, but she gave up on the action just a moment later.\u00a0 \u201cWas gonna grumble,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cToo much work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael took a seat behind her, and scooped her off the tome, eliciting a mighty groan from the pup who was about to pop.\u00a0 He set her down in his lap, not completely ignorant to the small bit of extra weight she\u2019d acquired since their captive stay.<\/p>\n

Before he could even pull the tome a little closer toward him, he could already hear her snoring as she went limp and drifted off to oblivion.\u00a0 He smiled as he stroked her back, but he turned his attention to the book shortly after, lifting it up to see the new clues.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, you ready for this?\u201d he asked Rhianna.\u00a0 \u201cI go through a door, but never come out; come look on the floor and you\u2019ll find me about.\u201d\u00a0 He arched an eyebrow, looking to his wife across the way, who was busy brushing off Zelda\u2019s fur\u2014and to no avail, for the dog immediately jumped back into the white powder.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a strange one,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, whatever we\u2019re looking for is on the floor,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t that seem to be something our lovely little fluffs could help us with.\u201d\u00a0 He gave Maisie a loving little nudge to try and rouse her.<\/p>\n

The sleepy pup stretched and moved away from him then.\u00a0 \u201cGive me five more minutes.\u00a0 I\u2019m not ready for school.\u201d<\/p>\n

He fought against every instinct to laugh at the silly comment, but he couldn\u2019t hold it back entirely.\u00a0 As his body shook from his chuckling, Maisie began to slide out of his lap.\u00a0 He caught her at the last moment, placing her down upon the ground with a gentle touch.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, none of you are gonna help?\u201d Michael asked a moment later, seeing Peanut still giving him the cold shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a minute!\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe one of them already is helping.\u201d\u00a0 The words were spoken just as Zelda took another flying leap into the air, only to crash back down upon the pile of fluffy flour.\u00a0 She held her hands out, displaying the dog in all her glory as she dug her paws into the pile of flour.\u00a0 \u201cZelda\u2019s got the right idea,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cIf we\u2019re trying to find something on the floor, the flour will definitely help us see if anything is out of place, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could work,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cBut of all the things we have in here, a broom is not one of them.\u00a0 I guess we\u2019re going to be on our hands and knees sweeping flour everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna had a mischievous grin upon her face before he even finished speaking.\u00a0 \u201cBefore you come over here, grab one of those table settings.\u201d<\/p>\n

He knew better than to question her motives, as he could hear the confidence in her voice.\u00a0 He grabbed one of the settings, just an old rag, really, and tossed it to his wife from the other side of the pile.<\/p>\n

She bent low, ensuring Zelda could see her.\u00a0 \u201cHey puppy, do you want to play tug of war?\u201d\u00a0 Rhianna let the piece of cloth hang from her hand then and watched as Zelda\u2019s tail began wagging\u2014slowly at first, and then quicker with excitement.\u00a0 \u201cI betcha can\u2019t get it!\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

Zelda was ready and willing to prove her wrong.\u00a0 She leapt into the air as best she could with the unstable mound beneath her feet, but she caught hold of the rag, nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Rhianna pulled on the lead at once, lightly dragging the dog across the floor.\u00a0 Zelda whipped her head back and forth, the only fight she could give as she slid forward.\u00a0 Rhianna turned about and Zelda remained playful and eager as ever, still a puppy at heart.\u00a0 Before long, the entire floor in front of the oven was covered in a fine layer of flour.\u00a0 But without anything seeming to jump out at them, Rhianna kept up her game.<\/p>\n

With a splash of white, she and Zelda tore through the larger pile that remained in the entrance to the feasting area.\u00a0 Zelda growled a little louder, but she didn\u2019t relent, and her tail continued to wag.<\/p>\n

Michael hopped out of the way as Rhianna used her makeshift mop to spread a mess instead of cleaning one up.\u00a0 As she and Zelda continued to play, though, Michael looked and saw something peculiar on the ground.\u00a0 It was a place that seemed untouched by the flour.\u00a0 As he drew nearer to it, he understood the riddle a little better.<\/p>\n

\u201cA keyhole,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what goes in a door but doesn\u2019t come out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Satisfied that their game had been a good idea, Rhianna released the place setting, conceding the game to the lively pup.\u00a0 Though she no longer had an opponent, Zelda shook her head, whipping the cloth back and forth in victorious celebration.<\/p>\n

Michael fell to a knee, and framed the keyhole with his hand, but he swept away the surrounding flour in the hopes that no more would fall into it.\u00a0 It wouldn\u2019t do to have the keyhole jammed, he thought.\u00a0 When Rhianna reached him there, she too drew close to the floor, inserting the iron key, which entered the aperture without resistance.\u00a0 As she turned the implement, she felt a pop beneath her, and she watched as the floor rose, revealing a hatch that had been hidden into the tightly packed floorboards.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a little unsettling,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cAre we off to the dungeon next?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna climbed to her feet and moved about to the front of the hatch, noticing the wooden steps that descended into the darkness down below.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you go down first?\u201d she asked Michael.<\/p>\n

He arrived beside his wife then, looking into the abyss with her.\u00a0 Together they noticed as a frightening fog seemed to lift from the hidden compartment.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we\u2019ll go down together?\u201d Michael wondered aloud.\u00a0 \u201cNo?\u201d\u00a0 He bowed his head in defeat before Rhianna offered up any sort of verbal protest.\u00a0 \u201cAlright.\u00a0 You three, stay right where you are, okay?\u00a0 This could be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie had fallen asleep once more, snoozing upon the floor beneath the table.\u00a0 Peanut continued ignoring Michael and Rhianna, taking time to lick her paws and swipe them across her head.\u00a0 Zelda still played with her new rag, chewing on it between vigorous shakes of her head.<\/p>\n

Michael sighed and began the slow descent into the unknown, with Rhianna daring to follow behind him, her hand gripping his shoulder.<\/p>\n

As they went, they couldn\u2019t ignore the frigid cold that they seemed to freeze their skin.\u00a0 Michael breathed out a deep breath, and even in the darkness, he saw wisps of steam leave his lips.<\/p>\n

At the bottom of the steps, he stumbled forward, expecting to keep drawing further beneath the feasting hall.\u00a0 Rhianna\u2019s fingers dug into his skin, keeping him upright and close to her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was going that for me,\u201d she admitted. \u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t want to be all alone down here in the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Michael took another step forward, two torches burst into flame upon the walls framing the bottom of the steps.\u00a0 Rhianna cried out in shock, and hopped forward, burying her face against Michael\u2019s back.<\/p>\n

Her husband couldn\u2019t keep himself from giggling then.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we have anything to worry about,\u201d he offered up then.\u00a0 \u201cLook: it\u2019s just a cooling room for ale and eggnog and water.\u00a0 Or maybe that\u2019s vodka.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna ventured a glance over Michael\u2019s shoulder, and saw that against the back wall of the cellar, a few crates were stacked, with long glass pitchers there atop them.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that everything?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no way out or anything?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could move those boxes,\u201d Michael replied.\u00a0 \u201cBut no, I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to be able to find a way out from down here.\u00a0 My guess is that the next clue is in one of those big pitchers, or the crates beneath them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shrugging, Rhianna stepped forth.\u00a0 \u201cIt would have to be in the eggnog pitcher, right?\u00a0 We would see something in the ale or the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, that\u2019s a solid guess,\u201d her husband said.\u00a0 \u201cBut there\u2019s no guarantee it isn\u2019t in the crates instead.\u00a0 And I\u2019m not planning on sticking my hand in all that eggnog\u2014though I\u2019m not completely opposed to the idea of drinking it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of eggnog,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lot<\/em> of eggnog,\u201d Michael agreed.\u00a0 He hummed to himself, and then looked to Rhianna then.\u00a0 \u201cHold on.\u00a0 What if we just do what you did with the flour container?\u00a0 If there\u2019s something in the pitcher, and we shake it, we should hear something thumping against the side, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d Rhianna said, not quite so sure about that thought.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s pretty thick stuff.\u00a0 We might not be able to see if anything was there at all.\u00a0 But it\u2019s worth a try.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat else have we got going on?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 He stepped forward and grabbed the tall container, lifting it and grabbing its neck in both hands.\u00a0 The man swirled it around, and brought it higher, turning it about so the torchlight illuminated it for his wife to see.\u00a0 \u201cAnything?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see an object inside,\u201d she replied.\u00a0 Rhianna leaned down and looked up from the bottom, but she shook her head a second later.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s nothing there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael lowered the oversized pitcher and walked it back to the crate, but he took a sip of the eggnog before he set it down.<\/p>\n

\u201cHoo\u2026 That\u2019s some powerful stuff.\u201d\u00a0 He smacked his lips and shook his head then.\u00a0 \u201cI did not expect that to be an alcoholic eggnog.\u00a0 That\u2019s not going to make looking for clues any easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr maybe it is,\u201d Rhianna suggested.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we just need to be in the right state of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded.\u00a0 \u201cIf it\u2019s true for the year, it might be true for escaping this place.\u201d\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t tell if his wife was joking, and when he looked at her, he could tell she was waiting to see a reaction from him as well.\u00a0 \u201cI mean, it is that kind of year,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Still he turned away, back toward the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cLook, we know there\u2019s a clue down here, otherwise we wouldn\u2019t have been told to look for the key.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go get the animals to see if they can help us and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael\u2019s words trailed off when his wife spotted something along the wall.\u00a0 He followed her gaze then, noticing that a stack of smaller boxes sat along that part of the room.\u00a0 But it was the object upon one of them that stood out\u2014not least of all because of the small flag that rose out of it that had their surname upon it.\u00a0 A small round cake that had been lightly dusted with powdered sugar sat beneath the flag.<\/p>\n

With it in her hands a moment later, Rhianna removed the flag, and handed it to Michael to keep in one of the pockets of his pajamas.\u00a0 \u201cOne more yummy treat,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She split the cake in half and handed a hunk of it to her husband.\u00a0 As she separated it though, she noticed that it had a green coloring inside, and she froze as she considered it.\u00a0 Michael caught onto it a moment later, and grabbed his wife in a loving embrace, kissing her on the forehead.<\/p>\n

Though Rhianna contended with her memories, and how they left her feeling, she emerged from her introspection with a smile upon her face when she looked back at the green cake in her hand.\u00a0 She placed her head upon Michael\u2019s shoulder, and took a bite of the cake, noting and enjoying the familiar taste.<\/p>\n

Michael moved to take a bite out of his side of the cake as well, but as he brought it toward his lips, he noticed that the flag was not the only thing that was found inside of it.\u00a0 A scrap of paper, folded over several times, hung out of the green, spongy texture.\u00a0 Michael pulled out the parchment as he took a bite of the cake, and he worked at unfolding it with a single hand.<\/p>\n

Before long, the message, written on the same material as the other clue that Peanut had found, flashed before his and Rhianna\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of looking for what you can see,\u201d Michael said, \u201cfind what you can\u2019t, invisibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna turned the parchment toward her as well then and read the next lines.\u00a0 \u201cHiding in plain sight, unable to see it about, you must turn over its home, and pour it all out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we were on the right track with the pitchers, I think,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cIt was just that the eggnog one wasn\u2019t what we were looking for unless we wanted to straight up pass out under the table up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each of them placed their pieces of the cake back upon the plate behind them, and they returned to the other two pitchers, with Michael grabbing the one filled with ale while his wife grabbed the colorless liquid.\u00a0 They both swirled around the contents of their container, and in time, they heard a sound within one of the pitchers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s mine,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I can\u2019t see anything inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the clue did mention that we wouldn\u2019t be able to,\u201d Michael replied.\u00a0 \u201cAnd it also said we\u2019d have to pour it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI still can\u2019t help but feel bad about the mess we\u2019re about to make.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a basin upstairs in the kitchen,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cThat should help us keep the mess down to a minimum.\u00a0 And even if it doesn\u2019t, again, we\u2019ve kind of been kidnapped here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, you\u2019re right,\u201d his wife said.\u00a0 She handed the pitcher to Michael after he placed the one which contained ale back upon the stack of crates.\u00a0 Rhianna picked up the cake plate then before heading back up the stairs.<\/p>\n

After Michael followed her up the stairs, he felt eyes upon his back, and he turned about to look behind him.\u00a0 All three of the animals were there to the side of the hatch, looking upon him and Rhianna.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything alright?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were gone forever<\/em>,\u201d Maisie said.\u00a0 \u201cYou can\u2019t just go and leave us!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you we were going down there,\u201d Michael protested.\u00a0 \u201cYou were mad at us, you were having a full-belly nap, and you were busy playing with your new toy.\u201d<\/p>\n

While her husband had a full conversation with their pets, Rhianna placed the cake on the bench beside them, and grabbed hold of the water pitcher while Michael wasn\u2019t paying attention.\u00a0 She moved to the basin then, and slowly emptied the container.<\/p>\n

As the water poured out, the inside of the pitcher flowed back and forth, and every few moments, Rhianna thought she saw the torchlight flicker a little differently upon the item inside.\u00a0 Once it was empty of liquid, she tilted it toward her open hand, and caught the object that had been hidden inside.\u00a0 She found herself looking at a small glass orb, sturdy enough that it could survive rolling about inside the container.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey look,\u201d Rhianna said, turning around to catch Michael\u2019s attention.\u00a0 \u201cI found a ball.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before she even finished saying the final word, she understood what mistake she had made.<\/p>\n

Zelda\u2019s eyes went wide, and she stood on her hind legs in excitement.\u00a0 \u201cBall?\u201d she cried and hurried toward Rhianna.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo puppy, I can\u2019t give you this one,\u201d the woman said, a little dejected that she would be disappointing the playful pup.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to use this for whatever puzzle comes next.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026 do you want a little bit of cake?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t give them that either,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cIt has pistachios in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt might,\u201d Michael said, but they\u2019re crushed so fine that they wouldn\u2019t cause any belly problems for the animals.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust a little bite for them then,\u201d his wife said.\u00a0 \u201cBecause I plan on eating the rest of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She did as she said she would, splitting up small pieces of the green cake for the animals who knew she had something they didn\u2019t.\u00a0 Rhianna tousled their fur after she gave them their portions, as sure a sign as any that they weren\u2019t about to get any more.\u00a0 She sat there on the bench for a while, savoring the taste of the dessert\u2014whoever had baked the confection was keen on the familiar recipe, and she supposed she knew who would have been aware enough to have watched in been made.\u00a0 She held the plate out for her husband then, who took another small chunk of the cake for himself, though he did sneak two more small pieces for Maisie and Zelda, and another even smaller one for Peanut, who demonstrated that she\u2019d already had her fill by sniffing at the crumbs for a few moments before moving on.<\/p>\n

Rhianna found herself looking from one part of the room to the next, wondering what the point of the glass sphere was.\u00a0 As she looked past the kitchen, to the feasting area, she felt a chill upon her neck, leaving her to think about the flickering flames in the hearth.\u00a0 Her eyes went wide with anticipation, and she placed the dish on Michael\u2019s lap, slapping his knee for good measure as she rose.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know where this is supposed to go,\u201d she said, rolling the ball about in her palm, though she cupped it somewhat to keep it protected.\u00a0 \u201cIs everyone ready to solve the next puzzle?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael groaned as he stood, stretching sore muscles and a bulging belly.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019re all so full of food and drink that it\u2019s difficult to answer such a question.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell too bad,\u201d Rhianna said, proudly striding toward the fireplace.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m ready to show that we\u2019re not going to be stuck here much longer.\u00a0 And as much as I like the nice little experience that\u2026whoever is forcing us through, I\u2019m ready to just relax, and if that means pushing a little bit further while we\u2019re here, I\u2019m okay with that.\u00a0 So come on, the rest of you.\u00a0 Let\u2019s get moving so we can get find our way to Santa and help like we do every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda perked up at the name of the jolly fellow they saw every Christmas.\u00a0 \u201cYou think we\u2019ll really see him?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cAnd Svetlana and the elves?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been four year\u2014this will be our fifth,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWe haven\u2019t missed him yet, and I don\u2019t think he would want to skip out on us this year.\u201d\u00a0 She continued along, but she could hear the rest of her family tagging along as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s right you know,\u201d Michael encouraged.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to finish these puzzles not just for us, but for Santa, just in case he needs us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie\u2019s tail was wagging then as well.\u00a0 \u201cHe made my first Christmas a really happy one,\u201d she mused.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll always make sure I do well for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even Peanut followed in step then, although she did it accompanied with a roll of her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIf for nothing else, he\u2019s let me voice my concerns once a year.\u00a0 I just wish we\u2019d had a little less of a hectic ride this year\u2014I had planned on teaching you<\/em> how to speak cat.\u00a0 Why should I do all the heavy lifting all in this single day?\u201d<\/p>\n

They followed Rhianna to the hearth then, surrounding her, and watching on with curious gazes.\u00a0 She dropped the glass orb into the bowl that sat at the center of the mantel, and sure enough, it fit into place with a subtle thunk<\/em>.<\/p>\n

All at once, the flames in the hearth blew out, leaving the feasting hall immediately darkened.\u00a0 The lantern light behind them didn\u2019t offer much in the way of illumination, but they could still see the shadowy outline of the hearth.<\/p>\n

And they saw as it shook before they felt the trembling beneath their feet.<\/p>\n

A new light shone as the chimney split in two, separating and pulling bricks one way or another.\u00a0 Even the bowl slid away from half of the mantel, and the family could see that it had sat fixed upon the mantel as part of the puzzle.<\/p>\n

Before them, yet another staircase rose into a new room, that one glowing with a subtle blue light.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s be careful going up there,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t know what strangeness awaits us next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inspired by her words and her eagerness, however, the animals rushed forth, bounding up the steps, with Maisie leading the way, and Peanut trailing behind, more curious than anything.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you feel brave enough to venture up this one first?\u201d Michael asked his wife.\u00a0 \u201cOr do you need me to lead the way?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy babies are up there, and if anything were to happen to them, I would never forgive myself,\u201d Rhianna replied.\u00a0 \u201cYou can meet us up there when you catch up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Michael wasn\u2019t about to let the rest of his family go without him, and he hurried up behind his wife.\u00a0 They climbed the steps, seeing a twilight blue wash over the higher steps.\u00a0 The staircase turned abruptly to the side, rising toward whatever new clue-filled room awaited them.<\/p>\n

Much to their surprise, the DeAngelo family saw windows on their right side when they arrived there at the top of the steps.\u00a0 The room was dark still, with the only light coming from the nearly full moon that peeked out from behind the clouds.\u00a0 There were tables set up at all four corners of the main room, with what looked like a small study on the opposite side as the stairs, a few sparsely filled bookshelves on either side of the opened area.<\/p>\n

The clouds slid aside, allowing the moon to shine into the pair of windows without obstruction.\u00a0 With new illumination, subtle though it was, the recent arrivals were able to see the strange objects upon the tables there.\u00a0 Open books that appeared much older than the one which provided them their hints and riddles sat upon the workstations.\u00a0 One of the tables had a slew of herbs and plants that lay upon the workspace or hung from strings set up above or against the wall.\u00a0 A mortar and pestle lay to the side, next to a scrap of paper that had been folded many times and bore the stains of many powders that had been muddled against it over what looked like years.\u00a0 An old candle was melted down to its final inch or so.<\/p>\n

To its left, the second workstation that was brightened by the moon caught the white light a bit differently.\u00a0 Scattered atop the old wooden desk was an array of glassware.\u00a0 Bulbous flasks and decanters held tremendous amounts of colored liquid, and a tiered set-up upon the corner was filled with a translucent fluid that allowed the visitors to see the various flora that were floating inside.\u00a0 Little wisps of steam emerged from the top of the central device and were it not for the moonlight seeping in from the cold outside, the DeAngelo family might not have noticed them.\u00a0 Tiny plants in equally tiny pots were situated about the desk as well, leaving it looking oft used and appreciated by whoever called it their own.<\/p>\n

Across the room, the other two tables were a little more difficult to see, though every few moments, a stray flash of light seemed to emerge from the far corner.\u00a0 With enough attention drawn to that part of the room, one of the DeAngelo family members was bound to identify the cause of the intermittent illumination, but none expected Maisie to be the one to spot it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that a firefly?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cOh, I remember warm times.\u201d\u00a0 As she spoke the words, she shivered at the thought of the bitter cold that they had emerged from.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not quite fireflies I don\u2019t think,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cIt looks like they might be lumibugs,\u201d he said, speaking of their multicolored Tellestian equivalent.<\/p>\n

The table closest to the family was also the one that went with the least amount of light.\u00a0 But, due to its proximity, the members of the family could see the outline of the table a little better.\u00a0 It had strange devices on and around it, which no one could clearly identify.\u00a0 It looked as though some kind of mad inventor made that workstation their home, as it looked as though it was put together by someone with no grasp on their sanity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, look at it this way,\u201d Rhianna said. \u00a0\u201cThis is the smallest room we\u2019ve run into, so we might not need to spend as much time here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe,\u201d Michael replied.\u00a0 \u201cBut it\u2019s also by far the most confusing-looking room we\u2019ve run across.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve got to say, I didn\u2019t exactly do so well in chemistry back in high school\u2014you know, almost before this latest millennium.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s alright,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWe have our little book of clues to help us with any trouble we may periodically find ourselves in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael lowered his head and smacked the heel of his hand against his brow.\u00a0 \u201cLook, we\u2019re all getting tired here, and if this year has done anything to us, it\u2019s already made us a little stir crazy,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cSo why don\u2019t we all look around and see if there\u2019s anything we can figure out.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne question,\u201d Peanut said, alternating glances between the rest of her family, and the center of the room.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna both took another step forward, spotting an object that seemed to rest in the center of the room, but which was miniscule in size.\u00a0 With the moon landing upon it, they had missed it, for it looked like a brightly lit pyramid which sat within a flowerpot that was only about the size of Michael\u2019s thumb.<\/p>\n

Zelda, typically a little apprehensive of things she didn\u2019t understand, took a courageous step forward, hunching down low on her approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhoa,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s with the brave new Zelda?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s getting late, and I\u2019m sleepy,\u201d the pup admitted.\u00a0 \u201cThis is too much excitement for me for one day.\u00a0 I\u2019m gonna find out what this thing is!\u201d\u00a0 When Zelda arrived there before the strange object, she tilted her head, looking under the pyramid as best she could.\u00a0 She sniffed at the air there as well, trying to get a sense of what the item was.\u00a0 \u201cI think it\u2019s just a jar of dirt,\u201d she speculated.<\/p>\n

Rhianna felt brave in the dog\u2019s presence then, and she approached the miniscule flowerpot as well then.\u00a0 She bent low to grab it, but even though she thought she had a firm grip upon it, she found that she couldn\u2019t pull it from the ground.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is this?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cThe world\u2019s heaviest twig?\u201d\u00a0 She turned to her husband then, who stood watching from the top of the staircase still.\u00a0 \u201cDo you want to get over here and use your muscles?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNah, you\u2019ve got this,\u201d Michael teased.\u00a0 \u201cHonestly though, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s worth the effort.\u00a0 We\u2019ve seen that when something\u2019s not supposed to move here, it won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell someone is going to trip on this, and it\u2019s probably going to be me,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cAlright, well where are we supposed to start?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere more of us than there are tables,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe we can each take one, and one of us can double up and help someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n

All three of the animals were already on their way to the table with the herbs upon it.\u00a0 Maisie hopped upon the chair in front of the desk and leaned closer and closer to a string of plants, parting her lips as she neared it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaisie, you\u2019re not supposed to eat anything in here,\u201d Rhianna warned.\u00a0 \u201cThat was the whole point of the last room, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0 We feed you until you can\u2019t eat anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know what she\u2019s capable of,\u201d Zelda said then.<\/p>\n

While the two dogs sent each other challenging glares, Peanut jumped up on the chair and bounced higher up, onto the desk.\u00a0 The cat almost knocked the mortar and pestle off table for her effort.\u00a0 But she ignored that near mistake, standing on her hind legs to sniff at the highest strand of herbs which were hung to dry.\u00a0 That mix of green and purple seemed to call to the feline.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing, Peanut?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

The cat abruptly turned to regard him, her eyes going wide as if in embarrassment.\u00a0 Peanut didn\u2019t waste any time leaping away from the desk to land on the floor.\u00a0 She took off running, toward the darker side of the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cOk, Peanut, you take one of those tables I guess,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cThe doggies have this one over here\u2014Zelda watch Maisie and make sure she won\u2019t eat anything she shouldn\u2019t.\u00a0 And then Rhianna, is there one you\u2019re looking at with a little more excitement?\u201d<\/p>\n

His wife pointed toward the desk in the better-lit back corner.\u00a0 \u201cThat one looks like it\u2019s got all kinds of little succulents and potions.\u00a0 If I was working here, that would be my desk for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell then I guess I\u2019ll have Peanut as my cubby mate,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 As he stepped forward, he saw that Peanut sat underneath the farthest, table, where the lumibugs seemed to dance around in a rather large flask.\u00a0 \u201cAnd it seems it\u2019s my role to play the mad scientist.\u00a0 Better get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other members of his family set to their tasks, looking at the odd objects in front of them\u2014except for Peanut, who watched with curiosity as the bugs in the flask before her bounced from one side of it to the other, their thoraxes flashing intermittently.\u00a0 Michael grinned before opening the book as he planned on placing it down on the desk he designated as his own.\u00a0 The pages glowed a bright gold, though no words of wisdom were written on them.<\/p>\n

He hummed to himself, confused by the lack of direction.\u00a0 Still, he used the extra light offered by the tome, and set it into place on the desk between some of the odd devices that were in place there.\u00a0 Michael also had enough light, then, to see the strange loop that sat on the floor\u2014a perfect circle that had a wire running from one of its ends, which escaped beneath the carpet.\u00a0 Confused as he was, he simply shook his head, turning his attention back to the tome to see if he could get an idea of where to start with things.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cWhenever you\u2019re ready, tell us what we have to do first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael stared a while longer but was certain that nothing was changing within the book.\u00a0 \u201cI think we might be on our own for this room,\u201d he said.\u00a0 The book isn\u2019t giving me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got an idea,\u201d Maisie said.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s go back downstairs and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cNo more food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not what I was going to say!\u201d the little pup argued.\u00a0 \u201cI was going to say we could get my friend from the mirror and introduce him to my new friend in that glass over there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna leaned back, noticing that the decanter on her desk was spotless, a bulbous reflection of Maisie easily seen in its face.\u00a0 The woman chortled and shook her head, unable to ignore the cute, silly antics of the little pup.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like this needs some kind of power,\u201d Rhianna suggested.\u00a0 \u201cDoesn\u2019t this thing look like it\u2019s meant to heat up?\u00a0 But there\u2019s no place to turn anything on as far as I can tell.\u201d<\/p>\n

As another group of clouds moved out of the way of the moon, a brighter ray of light shone into the window beside her.\u00a0 She could see the brass tubing that made its way up into the ceiling, almost making the device before her seem like a strange oven.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like a chimney\u2026\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least you have some idea of what you\u2019re looking at,\u201d Michael said then.\u00a0 \u201cLike, what are these things?\u00a0 Whoever was working on these is either bad at what they do, or they like working in the abstract, and I\u2019m just looking at some very strange art projects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna turned to her husband and narrowed her eyes, trying to see the objects around him.\u00a0 But the only item illuminated was the strange ring that was on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, they\u2019re not all strange and confusing,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cWhat about that treadmill on the floor?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael tilted his head in confusion.\u00a0 \u201cTreadmill?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Rhianna said, pointing toward the ring.\u00a0 \u201cThat thing is basically just like a hamster wheel that fell on its side, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her husband took a step to his side, observing the ring a little more closely.\u00a0 \u201cHow could you tell that by looking at it once, and from all the way over there?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

She shrugged, flashing a knowing grin.\u00a0 \u201cMaybe I\u2019m just working in the abstract.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Rhianna worked at trying to understand the items on her desk a little better, Michael plucked the ring off the ground, and set it upright.\u00a0 Sure enough, the device was a set of two rings that worked conceptually just like a treadmill would.\u00a0 The outer ring remained stationary, and kept the device secure and in place, while the inner ring rotated.\u00a0 Michael ran his hand around it a few times, noticing the quiet whirr it made as the treadmill spun.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, what just happened?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

Michael stopped, and looked across the room to his wife\u2019s desk.\u00a0 \u201cIs everything alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever I did, this thing was working for a moment.\u00a0 I saw some bubbles forming in the water here, and a little puff of steam came out of this little vent here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you said you needed power?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI must have turned something on only to turn it off a moment or two later,\u201d Rhianna suggested.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll just try and do whatever I was doing again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael nodded, and set to work on his own item once more.\u00a0 He spun the wheel around once again, the little buzzing sound it made drawing forth curiosity from the dogs, who left their station.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you two think?\u201d he asked Zelda and Maisie?\u00a0 Do either of you want to go for a spin?\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda hunched down low, trying to appear as pitiful as possible in an effort not to be placed in the unfamiliar situation.\u00a0 Maisie, on the other hand, simply walked away, not willing to be used in Michael\u2019s odd experiments.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d he teased while he spun the inner ring a few more times.\u00a0 \u201cWe all have a lot of food to work off after that last room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are no calories at Christmas,\u201d Rhianna reminded him, though she kept her focus on the cannisters before her.\u00a0 She gasped as she saw more bubbles then, and another puff of steam.\u00a0 \u201cWait!\u00a0 There it is again!\u201d\u00a0 Just as before though, she noticed as it stopped when she looked upon it.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n

She looked toward her husband, exasperated.<\/p>\n

Michael, though, arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re not the only one who notices things!\u201d\u00a0 He began spinning the inner ring again, as steadily as he could, and sure enough, even from where he stood, he could hear the buzz coming from the cannisters on her side of the room.\u00a0 \u201cThis treadmill must power your machine,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s a wire that goes under the floor, but I didn\u2019t think it would have gone all the way over to there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell keep it up,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cI think we\u2019re on the right track here.\u201d\u00a0 For the first time, she could see that the water-filled cannisters bubbled with heat, and she watched the herbs that sat inside them dance back and forth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is kind of tiring,\u201d her husband said as he kept spinning the treadmill.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how much longer I can keep doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna looked at the device a little more thoroughly, for as the heat ran through it, she watched as the very water inside turned brighter.\u00a0 More puffs of steam flew out from the vent in the front of the machine, but she wondered instead if the remnants of the liquid needed to push up through the longer chimney stack that rose into the ceiling.<\/p>\n

She noticed, then, in the light, that there were some things on her side of the room that she hadn\u2019t quite made sense of either.\u00a0 The device sat upon a spinning dais, and when she turned the machinery about, she realized that it had been facing the wall for some reason before.\u00a0 Rhianna was certain, then, that it was facing the correct direction then, for two large round handles sat near the face of it, on either side of a gauge that had a red needle but no clear numeration.\u00a0 Still, she figured that the needle had to move toward the right side of the gauge, and whatever Michael was doing wasn\u2019t accomplishing enough, the needle only flicking back and forth for a split second.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething\u2019s not right,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cI think we have to vent the heat from the cannisters into the main flue.\u00a0 But these handles here might be too difficult for me to turn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael stopped what he was doing then and approached her table.\u00a0 Zelda and Maisie had given up on their desk, finding herbs mostly boring when they couldn\u2019t be eaten.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, what am I looking at?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think you can open these up?\u201d Rhianna wondered.\u00a0 \u201cI feel like it\u2019ll be just like a jar of pickles.\u00a0 You\u2019ll have an easier time with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael shrugged, understanding the logic in it.\u00a0 As he worked on opening the handle on the right side, his wife continued to look about the desk, the glowing cannisters lending enough light to see far enough beyond the wooden surface.\u00a0 She hummed to herself as she walked behind Michael studying one end of the table and then the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some weird material here, too,\u201d she insisted.\u00a0 \u201cIt almost looks like fireplace bellows, just without the handles.\u00a0 And they\u2019re built right into the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael ceased turning the handle, and looked beside the desk, spotting what she had.\u00a0 But once he let go of the wheel, it began rotating backward the way it had been set.\u00a0 Michael reached for it, but it was already moving too fast, and he couldn\u2019t fight against the inertia.<\/p>\n

\u201cCrud,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re not going to be able to do what you want to do and <\/em>move the treadmill at the same time.\u00a0 These wheels are going to need both of us to do our part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI think all of us are going to need to work together here in order to make this machine do what it\u2019s supposed to.\u00a0 You and I are going to have work on the wheels, but the animals can push down on these things.\u00a0 Watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman stepped on the upright, extended bellows on the right side of the desk then, flattening it. \u00a0Sure enough, on the opposite side, the other set of bellows extended then.\u00a0 Still, it wasn\u2019t clear what was happening, as Michael couldn\u2019t see anything change on the gauge in front of him.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, my dad was a boiler operator,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cI can figure this out.\u00a0 So, it needs power from the treadmill over there.\u00a0 But power is just heating things up, and we need to stoke the heat by using the bellows.\u00a0 But even if we do that, the heat doesn\u2019t go anywhere unless we open access from the cannisters into the central unit.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you and I need to work on the wheel handles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI might need you to help start the wheel off for me,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cThat first twist is going to be a problem for me I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can help you with that,\u201d Michael assured.\u00a0 \u201cBut we still need to figure out how we\u2019re going to work the bellows and the treadmill at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDoggies,\u201d his wife beckoned.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re going to need you both to listen very carefully.\u00a0 This is going to be a fun game for you.\u00a0 Maisie, you\u2019re going to go on this side, and you\u2019re going to step up and push down on this.\u201d\u00a0 Rhianna demonstrated what it would look like, and the little dog\u2019s eyes went wide with anticipation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Zelda,\u201d she went on, \u201cyou\u2019re going to be working on this side of the table.\u00a0 See how it\u2019s up on this side now?\u201d\u00a0 The pup didn\u2019t quite understand the idea of one side having anything to do with the other side, but she, too, grew excited when she saw Rhianna push the bellows down into the floor.\u00a0 \u201cCan you do that?\u201d Rhianna asked.<\/p>\n

Zelda nodded enthusiastically.<\/p>\n

Over on the other side of the desk, the bellows had already extended again, and Maisie looked from them to Michael and back again.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo ahead,\u201d the man said.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re allowed to jump on them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The little black and white dog didn\u2019t waste any time once she had permission, and she pushed down on the extended accordion shape, pushing it down to the floor.<\/p>\n

Zelda gasped when she saw the one on her side stretching up once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce it expands all the way, you can push your side down again,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

When the two dogs found their rhythm, playing with the bellows like a game, Michael looked to Rhianna and bobbed his head in appreciation.\u00a0 \u201cI have to say, I wasn\u2019t expecting that to go so well.\u00a0 But we still have a problem.\u00a0 How do we get the treadmill going from all the way over here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna grinned, and looked at the finicky feline, who still sat beneath the desk across from them, faintly illuminated every time the lumibugs\u2019 thoraxes flickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo keep the treadmill going, we need someone who is persistent.\u00a0 We need someone who is balanced, and poised, and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot interested,\u201d Peanut said then.\u00a0 She licked her paw and dragged it across her brow then, ignorant of the last part of the puzzle that the DeAngelo family was faced with.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Rhianna asked, surprised at the idea that Peanut wouldn\u2019t want to help after everything they had gone through that night.\u00a0 \u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause now I<\/em> have all the power,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cYou have to listen to me now, and I have a few demands that we\u2019ll need to agree on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeanut,\u201d Rhianna protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, every morning, I shall have one barrel of fish delivered to the room of my choosing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are we going to find a barrel in 2021?\u201d Rhianna asked as she looked toward her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cSecond, it shall be written officially in the DeAngelo family bylaws that whenever Maisie lays under a blanket, I may step on her at my leisure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty sure you do that anyway,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but it will now be official!\u201d Peanut said.\u00a0 She cleared her throat, and sat up straight, looking a bit more regal as she made her declarations.\u00a0 \u201cFinally, the window shall be mine again, henceforth called Peanut\u2019s domain, banned and stricken of the foul presence and fouler odor of those two.\u201d\u00a0 She sneered a bit upon the completion of her demands.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey!\u201d Maisie said, pausing her game with Zelda as the words reached her.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t very nice,\u201d Zelda said, bowing her head, a little hurt by the words.<\/p>\n

Peanut looked at everyone and hunched down a little lower to the ground, realizing that perhaps she had gone a little too far.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cWe can\u2019t keep the pups out of the window.\u00a0 That\u2019s the only way we\u2019re seeing the world this year.\u00a0 But maybe what we can do is give you a nice, big bag of\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His words trailed off, as he recalled Peanut\u2019s reaction when they\u2019d first entered the room and began exploring around a bit.\u00a0 \u201cI think catnip would work wonders in this case,\u201d Michael proceeded to say.\u00a0 \u201cOr in this case, catmint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna leaned over to Michael and spoke out of the corner of her mouth.\u00a0 \u201cBut we already got Peanut catnip as one of her Christmas presents,\u201d she quietly explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut she doesn\u2019t know that,\u201d Michael replied out of the opposite corner of his mouth.<\/p>\n

He approached the table that Maisie and Zelda had first been looking at, ignoring many of the herbs there, as well as the mortar and pestle.\u00a0 He was mostly concerned with the blue and purple plant that hung on a taut string above the table.\u00a0 There were a few other herbs that were set up that way, but he was less concerned with those ones.\u00a0 The string was long, with an excess amount hanging far beyond where the knots were tied, and Michael was certain that he\u2019d have enough slack to enact his plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you up to?\u201d Rhianna asked her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiving Peanut some incentive to help.\u00a0 Come over here and grab one of the ends of this string.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna was happy to help, and she did as she was instructed.\u00a0 The couple then walked the string of hanging plants to the opposite side of the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cNow if we tie your side of the string to the front leg of that desk, and we put it through here\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Michael continued his thought process then, ensuring that the string of herbs passed through the rings of the treadmill.\u00a0 He tied the other end of the string to the back leg of the desk where the strange devices had been found, and once the catmint hung in the air, he adjusted the treadmill so that the hanging herbs were nearly touching the back of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019re just missing one piece of the puzzle,\u201d Michael said, looking at Peanut, who had watched with curiosity as the two humans set up their incentivized machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome here, kitty,\u201d Rhianna said, scooping the cat into her arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Peanut said, trying to leap away to no avail.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is this?\u00a0 Unhand me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna was already setting her down again, though that time it was closer to the treadmill.\u00a0 Peanut sprang off the woman\u2019s chest before she could be lowered to the floor, and she came to a stop just to the side of the two rings.<\/p>\n

The cat harrumphed to herself and looked at the two humans alternately.\u00a0 \u201cThere will be no further negotiating until\u2026until\u2026\u201d\u00a0 She paused, and then turned about, sniffing at the plants that Michael and Rhianna had strung up.\u00a0 \u201cUntil after I figure out what this delectable smell is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael quietly stepped around to the other side of the treadmill ring, and gently urged Peanut into the treadmill.\u00a0 The cat was so entranced by the smell that she wasn\u2019t even aware that she had been shepherded into place. \u00a0Before long, she put one paw in front of the other, trying to draw closer to the enchanting scent just inches away from her.\u00a0 Likewise, she wasn\u2019t cognizant of the wheel drawing her back.\u00a0 She had found the perfect placement to keep up with the pleasant aroma, and she couldn\u2019t be bothered to pay attention to anyone else.<\/p>\n

Rhianna waved Michael over as she tiptoed back to the other table.\u00a0 Her husband moved in step with her, and together, they rejoined the two dogs over on that side, who had shirked their duties in their people\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d Rhianna said, pointing toward the puffs of steam that emerged from the vent at the top of the device\u2014though it was placed along the back side after she had rotated it.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s working.\u00a0 The power is on and it\u2019s heating up the insides.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright you two,\u201d Michael said when he arrived there, looking at the two dogs.\u00a0 \u201cGet right back into it okay?\u00a0 Zelda, push down on your side, and Maisie, when it comes all the way to the top, that\u2019s your cue to push down on the bellows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGot it,\u201d Maisie said, hunching down, and poised to jump up on the accordion-like expanded item.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the rest is up to us,\u201d Michael said, grabbing his wheel handle.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna struggled to get her side started, but as Michael turned his, hers became easier to manipulate.\u00a0 Whether it was due to inspiration or had something to do with the way the machine reacted to whatever he had opened within, she managed to turn it all the way.<\/p>\n

They could hear the flow of water and watched as the liquid in the capsules began to lower.\u00a0 The gauge rotated until it nearly passed the other side of the dial meter, and Michael worried that he was going to have to let the animals know that would need to work a little less hard.<\/p>\n

But all at once, the DeAngelo family realized what their hard work and critical thinking had achieved.\u00a0 A small grate was situated in the ceiling, so nondescript that none of them had noticed it without the light shining directly upon it.\u00a0 But when the glowing water poured down from it, they knew at once it was there.<\/p>\n

The water that they had forced up through the pipe cast down, all of it seeming to land upon the pyramid that shielded the flowerpot.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep at it,\u201d Michael said.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know what it\u2019s doing, but something is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, the pyramid seemed to pulse, and\u2014Rhianna was nearly certain\u2014it started to grow.\u00a0 She blinked her eyes, trying to make sense of it, but as exhausted as she was, she felt she couldn\u2019t trust what she was seeing.<\/p>\n

Zelda helped her to clear her mind though.\u00a0 \u201cYou could use whatever this stuff is on our houseplants at home,\u201d the dog suggested.\u00a0 \u201cLook, it\u2019s even making the little pot grow bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sure enough, what Zelda claimed to see what right.\u00a0 Both the pyramid and the pot were growing as more of the glowing, iridescent liquid rained down from above.<\/p>\n

As the pyramid soaked up more of that water, it changed to a darker color, and the pulsing grew more pronounced.\u00a0 A few moments at a time then, the family could see that it was not some meager plant that was growing, but a bushy evergreen tree.\u00a0 It was already nearly the size of the one that had been placed within the library downstairs.\u00a0 And as the enchanted water fell from the grate above, it continued to expand.<\/p>\n

The gauge whistled for a moment, and Michael turned to regard the machine.\u00a0 He could see that all the water had drained out of the capsules, and he let his wheel shut, prompting Rhianna to let go of hers as well.\u00a0 They both stopped the pups on their closer side of the desk, for it wouldn\u2019t do to have the bellows pumping if there was no water left to move.<\/p>\n

Still, as they all stopped, and moved away from the growing tree, they knew that the water still traveled through the pipes up above.\u00a0 Though the sound of the tree\u2019s expansion was audible and gripping, they could also hear the flow of liquid up above.<\/p>\n

Michael hurried around the tree to the other side of the room, tearing the string of catmint away from the two desks, and plucking Peanut off the treadmill.\u00a0 As inebriated by the herbs as she was, the cat didn\u2019t realize her experience had been halted, even as Michael squeezed her against his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want you to get squished,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut like\u2026aren\u2019t we all a little<\/em> squished?\u201d she queried.<\/p>\n

Under normal circumstances, Michael would have chuckled at the strange statement, but even stranger things were happening.\u00a0 As the crown of the tree tapped against the ceiling, Rhianna gasped.\u00a0 She ushered the dogs back to the entrance to the room, with the trio of them stopping just before they reached the stairs.\u00a0 Michael dared to stand a little bit closer, but he took a step back here and there as the tree kept expanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at all the stars,\u201d Peanut said, and for a moment, Michael thought that the tree had shorn right through the ceiling.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t looking at a twilight canopy, but the large bottle of lumibugs that flew about on the far table.<\/p>\n

Finally, it seemed, the water from the device stopped flowing, and the tree, in turn, stopped growing.\u00a0 The family breathed a sigh of relief, but they realized that they weren\u2019t certain what had been accomplished.\u00a0 There was still no way out, and as huge as the tree was, it didn\u2019t seem to alter much except the amount of room that was in the latest area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we doing now?\u201d Rhianna asked.\u00a0 \u201cThat can\u2019t be it, right?\u00a0 Is there anything on the tree that you can see?\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael shook his head, but he found that he, too, was drawn to the sight of the jarred lumibugs.\u00a0 Rhianna tiptoed around the tree to find her way to his side, and she followed his gaze there, where she noticed that all the lumibugs seemed to be congregating toward the top of the large bottle that they were held within.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they know something we don\u2019t,\u201d Michael suggested. \u00a0He set Peanut on the ground, letting her drop to her side and enjoy the feel of the carpet beneath her. \u00a0\u201cLet\u2019s let them out and find out where they go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna hesitated for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cUnder normal circumstances, I would say \u2018absolutely not\u2019 to something like that.\u00a0 But lumibugs are kind of cute, so I\u2019ll make an exception.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, let\u2019s go liberate some multicolored lightning bugs,\u201d Michael said. \u00a0When he reached about halfway around the tree, he looked back to see that his wife was still near the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cWhat are you doing over there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna folded her arms across her chest.\u00a0 \u201cI said release them.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t say I wanted to be anywhere near them when you did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael chortled, but he understood her concerns.\u00a0 With the lumibugs assembling near the neck of the container, he knew their exodus would be swift.<\/p>\n

As he neared the table that they sat upon, he noticed that they blinked faster and for longer, almost looking as though they were trying to be persistent in lending their many-hued glow.\u00a0 None seemed frightened by his proximity either, even when he reached for the large bottle they sat within.<\/p>\n

Breathing out a little sigh, Michael grabbed the container, and placed it beneath his arm, pointing it toward the side of the room away from Rhianna and their animals.\u00a0 Grasping the cork that kept the lumibugs trapped inside the bottle, he tugged on both sides.\u00a0 A satisfying pop<\/em> sounded, and the insects took to the air\u2014not in a furious escape, but in an almost serene show, as though they were like little snowflakes that were returning to the sky.<\/p>\n

Even so, it didn\u2019t take long for them to find what had excited them so.\u00a0 One by one, the lumibugs landed on branches of the tall tree.\u00a0 The liquid that had poured from the ceiling had them as excited as the tree, and for a moment Michael felt a sympathetic panic for his wife, wondering if the bugs, too, would grow to an immense size.<\/p>\n

After a few moments had passed, and they remained tiny in stature, he felt a small wave of relief wash over him.\u00a0 He did notice that the tree or the residual liquid had at least one effect on them.\u00a0 Their lights diminished far less then, as though the scent of the mixture left them with a feeling of peace and contentment.<\/p>\n

When Michael returned to his wife, he spotted the smile on her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey look like Christmas lights,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

From that vantage, a bit farther from the tree, she was right.\u00a0 The scores of liberated insects left the huge tree looking a bit brighter, and it seemed that might have been what they were intended for.<\/p>\n

Still, it didn\u2019t seem to answer any questions, or unlock any doors.<\/p>\n

The family heard a strange creaking above them then, and they looked to the ceiling, wondering what it could be.<\/p>\n

All at once, the tree burst skyward again, empowered perhaps by the last remnants of liquid that dripped from the ceiling, or by some hidden magic that the lumibugs possessed.\u00a0 Rhianna bent low and scooped the distracted kitty from the floor, while Michael ushered the doggies away to the safety. \u00a0The lot of them leapt onto the steps, hurrying to the landing at the halfway point below.<\/p>\n

Above, the entire roof ripped off the building, revealing the starlit sky high above.\u00a0 The DeAngelo family listened as the roof fell somewhere beside the house, a loud report sounding outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the heck is going on?\u201d Rhianna cried.\u00a0 \u201cWe were supposed to do all that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat else were we going to do?\u201d Michael replied, raising his voice as he contended with the strange echo of the scattering debris outside.\u00a0 \u201cHey, we wanted a way out, now it looks like we have one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we supposed to do\u2014climb?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I have troubles getting on the couch,\u201d Maisie said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, look, why don\u2019t you stay here with the animals, and I\u2019ll go check to make sure it\u2019s okay,\u201d Michael said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Rhianna said, shaking her head.\u00a0 \u201cIf we go, we go together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her husband looked up toward the tree, wondering if there was even a way around it then.\u00a0 \u201cFine. \u00a0But stay behind me just in case anything is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was going to happen whether or not you warned us,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

Michael snickered to himself, even though he felt a bit apprehensive about ascending the steps once more.\u00a0 Still, he convinced himself to continue forth, and before long, he found himself before the large tree again.<\/p>\n

In the time that they had reconvened on the steps, snow had begun to fall into the room, dusting the top of the tree\u2019s branches in white.\u00a0 Some of the lumibugs had flown away, eager for the chance to explore even further from their earlier trappings.\u00a0 Many of them remained, however, leaving the tree looking even more festive.<\/p>\n

As Michael circled around the tree again, keeping to the side of the room that he and Peanut had set to work within, he noticed a strange rhythmic rumble outside that seemed to shake the house every few moments.\u00a0 He tried to follow it whenever he heard it return, and it seemed to come from the side of the room opposite the stairs.<\/p>\n

When Michael looked in that direction though, he paused, and he arched an eyebrow.\u00a0 With Rhianna and the animals close behind, then, he held out his arm to stop them from overtaking him.\u00a0 He pointed toward the back of the room and made sure that Rhianna saw what he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose steps weren\u2019t there before, right?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Rhianna narrowed her eyes, trying to see the faraway area of the room.\u00a0 \u201cSteps that would have led to nowhere while the roof was still on this building?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think they were there before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael clicked his tongue while he considered his wife\u2019s snarky tone.\u00a0 \u201cYou just lost one of your presents this year, because you were mean<\/em>,\u201d he teased.\u00a0 He also walked ahead, braving the open air behind the tree.\u00a0 The man marched on, taking his first strides up the new set of steps.<\/p>\n

When he arrived at the top, he froze.<\/p>\n

His wife, the cat still curled up in a ball upon her arms, waited for some sort of sign for her to follow, but he didn\u2019t seem to be offering up any indication that she should.<\/p>\n

\u201cMichael?\u201d she called out.<\/p>\n

He finally turned about, looking at her and placing a finger to his lips.\u00a0 He paused to consider whether he should urge her onward, but he felt comfortable with the decision a few moments later and waved her toward him.<\/p>\n

The dogs fell in line behind her, carefully circling around the giant tree.\u00a0 They all noticed the caution that Michael exuded, but he continued to wave them on regardless.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll have to be very quiet,\u201d he warned then.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know how she managed to sleep through the roof falling off the house, but then, here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who is she? <\/em>Rhianna wondered, though she kept silent as Michael had recommended.\u00a0 Zelda and Maisie hunched low to the ground and waited at the bottom of the steps as Rhianna ascended.<\/p>\n

She, too, stopped in her tracks when she saw what was before her.<\/p>\n

The steps led to a rocky crag, though the path before the DeAngelo family seemed to be flat and level.\u00a0 The further back the route before them went though, the rockier and more uneven the sharp stones seemed to rise.<\/p>\n

None of that concerned Michael and Rhianna then, however.\u00a0 Not so far away, its snores shaking the crag and the house it nearly connected to, was a towering black dragon.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that\u2026?\u201d Rhianna whispered.<\/p>\n

Michael nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure it is.\u00a0 We haven\u2019t seen her in over five years though.\u00a0 And yet, she doesn\u2019t look any worse for wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hearing them talk about someone they were familiar with, Zelda hopped up the few steps then, and peered ahead.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t realize at first what Michael and Rhianna were looking at.\u00a0 But when she saw the dragon shift a bit, she took a few steps closer and sniffed at the air. \u00a0Peanut, sleeping off the effects of the catmint then, purred in satisfaction as she rested in Rhianna\u2019s arms.\u00a0 But the woman tousled her belly fluff a little bit, rousing her from her slumber.<\/p>\n

Peanut blinked away her stupor and stretched while she was in her arm hammock.\u00a0 But when she came to, she looked at Rhianna, who smiled and pointed down the path.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook who we have over there,\u201d Rhianna said.<\/p>\n

The cat turned her head to the side and spotted the dragon in the distance.\u00a0 She sprang out of Rhianna\u2019s grasp, and landed on the stony path, though she took a few steps forward and sat beside Zelda then.<\/p>\n

Down below, the last member of the DeAngelo family remained apprehensive.\u00a0 She could feel the rumbling a little clearer, then.\u00a0 Though Maisie wasn\u2019t one to shy away from things that were unfamiliar or even typically frightening, there was something about that noise that left her a bit uneasy.<\/p>\n

Still, she crept up the steps, looking up at Michael and Rhianna, who had their arms wrapped around the other\u2019s waist or shoulder.\u00a0 For once, Zelda and Peanut also sat close by one another, not irked by the other\u2019s presence, it seemed.<\/p>\n

Maisie couldn\u2019t help but feel as though there was something odd happening, and she was sure that she would get to the bottom of it.\u00a0 She strode forward, pushing between the other dog and the cat, and she sat down at the forefront of the family\u2014completely oblivious to the large black dragon on the other side of the path, whose dark scales blended somewhat into the uneven stones and the starlit sky.<\/p>\n

The dragon took a deep breath then, and her chest rose as she filled her lungs with air.<\/p>\n

Her eyes growing wide, Maisie finally understood what had caught the rest of her family\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the heck is that?\u201d she cried.\u00a0 The little dog immediately sprang back up and ran behind Zelda and Peanut, hiding behind her older siblings.<\/p>\n

A moment passed that seemed long indeed.\u00a0 Yet when all seemed quiet\u2014the dragon\u2019s slumbering breaths slowing\u2014the recent arrivals to the stone path knew that they had roused the frightening beast.\u00a0 Maisie shivered and ducked her head, hoping that she might have the means to turn invisible if the monster decided to gobble her up.<\/p>\n

The dragon uncurled her body, digging her front claws into the ground while she stretched her chest and neck toward the sky.\u00a0 She rolled the end of her neck one way and then the other, before she gave a little shake and steadied her gaze, looking toward the house.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is<\/em> you,\u201d she bellowed, her voice rich and deep.\u00a0 \u201cJust as he said it would be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe meet again,\u201d Michael said, smiling as he addressed the massive black dragon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t believe it\u2019s been half a decade already,\u201d Rhianna said, stepping forward.<\/p>\n

Bringing its wings up and back, the dragon settled into a more comfortable position a little closer toward the path.\u00a0 \u201cIt was a blink of an eye, and the gaze of eternity,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I suppose that\u2019s the sign of a life most enjoyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna grabbed each other a little closer, then, and they looked at the rest of the family they had made over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you little ones,\u201d the dragon went on.\u00a0 \u201cYou seem to be well and content also.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zelda sat a little taller, and bobbed her head at the assessment, a little grin upon her face.\u00a0 Peanut shrugged and tilted to the side, believing it to be a fair judgment.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, but it seems we\u2019ve added a member to the family,\u201d the dragon said, peering between the cat and dog that she was familiar with.\u00a0 \u201cAnd who might you be?\u201d<\/p>\n

The younger dog still cowered a little bit behind her siblings, but she ventured a glance up to the mighty dragon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m Maisie,\u201d she squeaked.<\/p>\n

\u201cA wonderful name for a splendid addition to the DeAngelo household.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure that if you\u2019re on this journey with the rest of these travelers, you\u2019re in good hands, and well looked after.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael stepped forward and fell to a knee beside Maisie, scratching her side.\u00a0 \u201cWe found each other, just like the rest of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to see you,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cBut how have you come to be here?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dragon smiled, giving her tremendous wings a flap and sending a loud sound through the air.\u00a0 \u201cOur mutual friend went through a lot of work to find where you were, and to ensure you would be able to free yourself from the grasp of the prison behind you.\u00a0 But it took more work than he was able to muster in one day and\u2026\u201d\u00a0 The dragon stepped forward, shaking the rocky bridge leading to the family.\u00a0 \u201cI think it might just be easier if he explained it to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta?\u201d Zelda asked, wagging her tail in excitement.\u00a0 \u201cIs he here?\u201d<\/p>\n

The dragon shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cNo.\u00a0 But I can bring you to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhianna smiled and began forward.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s been a strange night, but it\u2019s been nice to see a familiar face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friends,\u201d the dragon said, \u201cit has been a strange year.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad to see you doing so well after all the difficulties that it brings, however.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Peanut and Zelda followed in Rhianna\u2019s footsteps, Maisie still hesitated.\u00a0 Michael felt some small shivers emanating from her, and he scooped her up, holding her against his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright puppy,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s just our marriage dragon.\u00a0 She may look a little scary at first, but she\u2019s truly magical and majestic, and she\u2019s never let us down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maisie nuzzled against Michael\u2019s neck, still unsure about the approach toward the mighty creature.\u00a0 But Michael noticed that her shivers had subsided, and he rubbed her back for further encouragement.<\/p>\n

Behind the dragon, a small rising outcropping of rocks served to help the DeAngelo family upon her back.\u00a0 Peanut made the leap on her own, but Zelda needed a little help, Rhianna scooping her up and taking a long stride to step upon the creature\u2019s dark scales.\u00a0 When she had cleared the gap, she set the pup down, and Zelda scampered into place not far from where Peanut had settled.<\/p>\n

Michael was not far behind then, and he joined the family upon the dragon\u2019s back a moment later, setting Maisie down in front of him.\u00a0 She peered up, and breathed out a sigh, happy to be on the dragon\u2019s back instead of in her gaze, feeling as though she\u2019d make a quick snack.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold tight, everyone,\u201d the marriage dragon warned.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get you out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the DeAngelo family was ready for her wings to flap and lift them into the air, they were still surprised by the forceful gust of wind she produced.\u00a0 Rhianna leaned forward, holding onto Zelda and Peanut, who had already dug their claws into the closest dragon scales beneath them.<\/p>\n

As they rose higher into the air, Michael and Rhianna looked down at what had been their strange prison for the night.\u00a0 From their vantage, they could see that it was a strange building indeed, surrounded by only a few other buildings that helped to make a convincing illusion that it had been their house.\u00a0 But even those other constructions were only quickly put together, and not fully realized\u2014more like set pieces than real structures.<\/p>\n

Rhianna leaned back and arched her eyebrow.\u00a0 \u201cI wonder who set all this up to trap us here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell it wasn\u2019t Santa,\u201d Michael said, reminding her of what the dragon had said. \u00a0\u201cIf he was looking for us, that means someone else got to us first this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about to get a bit bumpier,\u201d the dragon warned as she began flying forward.<\/p>\n

The world around the strange house below seemed naught but a snowy wasteland, with nothing else except strange dark mountains dotting the landscape.\u00a0 The DeAngelo family felt the powerful wind that blew through the area, especially on the downbeat of the dragon\u2019s wings.<\/p>\n

She let a powerful roar tear past her mouth, and Maisie\u2019s shivering resumed.<\/p>\n

But far ahead of her, a new portal opened in the sky, and the others understood that they were going to leave that land behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be there soon, my friends,\u201d the dragon said.\u00a0 \u201cHold each other close and prepare yourselves.\u00a0 You\u2019ll see Santa before you know it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael reached forward, holding Maisie around her chest while he grabbed hold of Rhianna\u2019s shoulder with his other hand.\u00a0 She turned her head and kissed his hand before she reached out and touched Peanut and Zelda, creating a chain between the family members.<\/p>\n

The dragon flew higher and higher, until she was far above the portal she had summoned, though still several hundred feet back.\u00a0 Without further warning, she tucked back her wings, almost brushing them up against the family she held on her back.\u00a0 She dove forward, racing toward the portal, which already looked as though it was beginning to close.<\/p>\n

As fiercely as the family held on, they felt a weightlessness began taking hold.\u00a0 Peanut and Zelda fell back a step, and Rhianna bent lower, ensuring they wouldn\u2019t go anywhere.\u00a0 Michael scooched forward, making sure that the rest of them were stable, while Maisie buried her face against the large black scales beneath her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we go!\u201d the dragon bellowed.<\/p>\n

They passed into the eye of the portal then, leaving their strange Christmas prison behind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The door to the workshop opened, letting a gust of cold wind inside, along with a dusting of snow that cast about the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, Revan,\u201d the fellow in the bright red jacket said as he whittled away at a design at his desk.\u00a0 \u201cIs the sleigh ready to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are still some more modifications I have to make, Santa,\u201d the elf said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I came here to give you better news than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he turned about, the man saw that five new guests had arrived.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy friends!\u201d he shouted out, lifting his hands in cheer.\u00a0 \u201cI knew that you would escape that blasted house before long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re sorry if we missed any of the festivities,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cThen again, we weren\u2019t expecting to be sucked into a dummy portal to a world that looked like our own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNor should you be punished for that,\u201d Santa said, waving the DeAngelo family over toward his desk.\u00a0 \u201cI have a gift for you that I was hoping to give you a little bit earlier in the day, but it seems we\u2019ve lost a bit of time.\u00a0 Take hold of these, but don\u2019t open them until we reach our destination.\u201d\u00a0 He handed two boxes and a bag to Michael, who grabbed them, but already wore a confused look upon his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cDestination?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cBut Santa, we just arrived here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m happy that you did, but we\u2019re already running late.\u00a0 And unfortunately, I spent a good deal of the last week trying to help you where I could to make sure you wouldn\u2019t spend all the way through next <\/em>Christmas in the prison house.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that was <\/em>you,\u201d Michael replied.\u00a0 \u201cWe thought that was you leaving us clues.\u00a0 But why didn\u2019t you just spring us out when you were setting things out for us to discover?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome along,\u201d the spirit of Christmas said.\u00a0 \u201cWe can certainly talk about it on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Together, the six of them left the workshop, and Santa waved his hands before the doorway ahead of closing the way behind them.\u00a0 The DeAngelo family watched as the lights dimmed in the building, and by the time they turned, Revan, the elf, had brought Santa\u2019s sleigh out into the snow, a team of reindeer leading the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cSvetlana!\u201d Zelda cried, rushing up to meet her reindeer friend.<\/p>\n

Santa let a loud belly laugh escape his lips as he slapped his chest.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s my lead reindeer this year,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cI kept hearing you sing her praises, Zelda, and I knew she needed a chance to shine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Revan hopped away from the driver\u2019s seat then, hooking the reins upon the pommel at the front of the sleigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all primed and ready for you Santa,\u201d she assured.\u00a0 \u201cLeoden made the changes to the navigation system as you requested, and you should be able to make it across the world even faster this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful,\u201d he replied.\u00a0 \u201cAnd the reindeer are ready to take flight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been difficult to keep them to the ground,\u201d Revan said with a smile.\u00a0 She turned to the family members then and offered up a little bow.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sorry we didn\u2019t get to spend more time together this year, but I\u2019m sure next year will be better.\u00a0 And it was nice to meet you, Maisie!\u201d<\/p>\n

The little dog\u2019s tail wagged as she spun about in excitement.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo we get to come here every year?\u201d she asked Rhianna.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing could keep us away,\u201d the woman replied with a smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, in we go,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 He shuffled into the driver\u2019s seat of the sleigh while he waited for the others to move into the rear seat.\u00a0 Peanut and Maisie were quick to join Michael and Rhianna there, but Zelda still chatted with the reindeer at the front of the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on Zelda!\u201d Michael called out.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d they heard the little dog say.\u00a0 \u201cBye!\u201d\u00a0 At once, she came bounding over to the rest of her family, and she joined them there in the sleigh.\u00a0 The animals sat between the two humans in the back seat, who leaned over and shared a Christmas kiss.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp we go!\u201d Santa cried, giving a light snap of the reins.<\/p>\n

At once, Svetlana led the way, marching forward for a few steps and urging the other reindeer on.\u00a0 Together, they sprinted ahead in step, and once they\u2019d picked up enough speed, they burst into the air, lifting the sleigh along with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you wanted to know why I wasn\u2019t there with you?\u201d Santa asked as they reached a steady pace.\u00a0 \u201cWould that I could have,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cBut I had been there before you.\u00a0 Once I realized that you weren\u2019t joining us for some reason this year, I went on a search to find you.\u00a0 I reached out to all our mutual friends to find you, but it was your family\u2019s guardian dragon who finally helped me locate you.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems that faux house was set up for you for months, at least by my estimations,\u201d he went on.\u00a0 \u201cOver the years, you\u2019ve been dependable allies for me and indeed for all of Christmas, and it seems that\u2019s been learned by those who would wish to cause trouble for us instead.\u00a0 But I couldn\u2019t have just left you there, so I had to hatch my own plan, but I needed plenty of time to do it.\u00a0 With your dragon\u2019s help, I made my way to the house, but I went there days ago, using some of my Christmas magic.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t adjust my plans this close to the big day, so I needed to give myself more time to help you.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you found the tome, and why I left some extra clues around to give you a leg up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t be there in person, so you were there in spirit,\u201d Peanut said, stepping up to lean on the back of Santa\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right, little one,\u201d he explained.\u00a0 \u201cAs much as I would have preferred to spend most of this day with all of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut who would have wanted to trap us?\u201d Rhianna wondered.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m sure there could have been others who wanted to ruin Christmas who could have done so with much more nefarious means.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I don\u2019t think our impish adversary was prepared for anything besides mischief this year.\u00a0 After all, none of what you experienced was dangerous, and even when I had made my way through the puzzles he\u2019d set up for you, I thought it was all to benefit you and your sense of imagination and whimsy anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSanta, do you know who it was who captured us?\u201d Michael asked.<\/p>\n

He paused for a moment as he turned toward the brightened moon.\u00a0 \u201cI have my suspicions.\u00a0 You read the book I\u2019d given you all those years back, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did,\u201d Rhianna said.\u00a0 \u201cAre you saying it\u2019s\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m almost certain it\u2019s my brother,\u201d Santa said.\u00a0 \u201cAfter all these years, he\u2019s managed to find me, but he\u2019s still playing his games.\u00a0 And I imagine he\u2019s a bit hurt that it turned out I was alive when he\u2019d thought me dead for centuries upon centuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brother?\u201d Michael said, surprised and excited by the idea of one of Santa\u2019s siblings introducing himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn any case, he\u2019s interrupting some of my most trusted associates,\u201d Santa said, offering a wink as he turned about in his seat to look at the DeAngelo family.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have to be ready for him next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the meantime,\u201d he went on, \u201clet\u2019s talk about this year for a moment, shall we?\u00a0 As I understand it, you spent a considerable amount of time in your own home before you were whisked away to the fake one, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Rhianna said, bowing her head.\u00a0 \u201cAlong with nearly everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Santa nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWord of this year\u2019s troubles reached me long ago, and I knew that you could use a moment of reprieve.\u00a0 After my tasks this year, I wanted to bring you someplace special.\u00a0 Well,\u201d he said with a laugh, \u201csince you were wrapped up in my brother\u2019s traps, I managed to have some of my other friends help me about the north pole.\u00a0 But it would seem a waste not to give you the gift I\u2019d intended.\u00a0 What do you say?\u00a0 Are you ready to take one last journey this Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Zelda said, jumping for joy in the back of the sleigh.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d Maisie shouted.<\/p>\n

With a smile upon his face, Santa turned back to face the front of his sleigh.\u00a0 He reached forward, flicking a switch on the dashboard of their vehicle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s new, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Michael asked.\u00a0 \u201cWhat does that dooooooooooo!\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could finish speaking, a roar from behind them explained the answer to the man\u2019s question as the new navigation system on the sleigh flickered to life.\u00a0 In the blink of an eye, the sleigh and the reindeer zipped forward across the sky, leaving the north pole behind them.<\/p>\n

Far below where they had been flying, a dragon soared above the frozen plains, swooping down on tremendous, icy worms that burst from the snow.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The warm sands were a pleasant change of pace, and the gentle lapping of the waves was almost enchanting.\u00a0 Zelda and Maisie ran toward the receding waters and sprinted back away from them when they came rushing back onto the shore.<\/p>\n

Michael and Rhianna, sitting a little further upon the golden sands, spent their time crafting an impressive sandcastle that watched out over the rest of the beach.\u00a0 It felt strange to be in such a balmy place in the middle of December, and even stranger to be there in bathing suits\u2014the outfits that Santa had gifted to them that year.\u00a0 But just as Father Christmas had said, it had been a stressful year indeed, and they weren\u2019t going to miss a chance to finally sit back and relax for a change.<\/p>\n

Peanut sat further ahead up the beach, every now and then taking a step off the blanket they had set out, and every time thinking better of it before curling up in a ball and laying in the pleasant rays of sunlight that cast down from the beautiful sky above.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow don\u2019t go treating this beach like your own personal litter box,\u201d Michael teased.<\/p>\n

The cat was already snoring though, glad to be in a quiet place\u2014with a bucket of fish at her side.<\/p>\n

All the family paused what they were doing then, for they heard a jolly cry high above them.\u00a0 With smiles upon their face, they looked upon the sleigh, the reindeer and the man\u2014and the banner that flew behind them.<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas to you,\u201d Michael read.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a very<\/em> happy and healthy New Year,\u201d Rhianna finished.<\/p>\n

The husband and wife leaned toward each other once again, and gave each other another Christmas kiss.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Happy Holidays everyone!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you enjoyed this story,\u00a0check out the DeAngelo Christmas Archive<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christmas Escape A Tale by Michael DeAngelo \u00a0   A baleful wind announced its presence by singing eerie tunes against narrow cracks and openings in the doors, the windows and the soffit.\u00a0 Everything was sealed shut, but the dog still held her eyes to the front of the house, wondering if the gusts would tear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23832,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[463,145,462,146],"tags":[1241,2324,695,2011,2012,291,1055,489,1054],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Featured-Christmas-Escape.png","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-6cn","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23831"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23831"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23831\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23850,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23831\/revisions\/23850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}