Here's part 2 finally. Not much to say except...enjoy?

Part 2

December 26

On Christmas evening, we took our gifts upstairs to our rooms. I threw them all on the desk, but I put the glass figurine on a high shelf with my other collectable game and movie figurines. The new books, clothes, movies, and games covered my entire desk. I should’ve put them away, but I could do that later.

The next morning, my relatives arrived for another Christmas celebration. We ate lunch before seating ourselves in the living room. Sara and I were stuck on the floor so our grandparents could have seats to sit in; my uncle and aunt sat on the couch with my parents.

More gifts replaced the emptiness beneath the Christmas tree. Teddy and Susie sat next to the tree again, itching to open all the presents. Sara leaned over to me and nodded toward the tree with a half-smile. My brow furrowed as I looked over and I saw a gift wrapped in the same blue paper as the figurine yesterday.

“It’s not from Mabel,” I assured Sara.

“Your girlfriend wrapped the figurine in the same glossy paper and a similar shaped box,” Sara argued.

“Let’s get this show on the road,” Dad said, leaning back in the couch as soon as he finished loading the camera. He aimed it at Teddy and Susie.

“Who’s first?” Mom asked.

Teddy and Susie both reached for the presents, both choosing one. When they noticed they both held gifts, they started arguing who went first. Sara got involved straight away, trying to be that responsible older sibling that I couldn’t be. Eventually it was decided that Susie would open hers first because Teddy was first yesterday.

Fifteen minutes later, Susie handed me the blue present. I looked at the name, Phil, written in Mabel’s handwriting. My brow furrowed as I looked to Sara. “Did you put it under the tree?”

“No,” Sara replied, looking as if I was crazy. “Mabel must’ve. There’s no other explanation.”

“Mom?” I asked, looking to her and Dad.

“Would you open it already?” Dad asked impatiently. “We can discuss later.”

I did as I was told, though my mind was elsewhere. We couldn’t have missed this gift yesterday. Teddy and Susie would have spotted it—they never missed a present. When I woke up from my thoughts, the wrapping paper was already torn off and the brown box sat in my lap. Opening the box, I found two white, glass birds.

At that instant, an image flashed in my mind that made me gasp. Vines wrapped around my grandparents ankles. They both kicked fiercely, trying to free themselves from the vines’ grasp. Blood seeped through their pants from the thorns poking menacingly. Their mouths were open as if they were screaming, their eyes wide with terror. I panicked, about to go over to help when Sara’s voice echoed in my head.

“Phil!” Sara whispered fiercely. I shook my head, waving those thoughts aside, and noticed my hands were reaching out, as if wanting to save my grandparents from the vines. I quickly put my hands down, my eyes lowering to the floor. My grandparents looked at me strangely.

“Two turtle doves!” Sara exclaimed, breaking the silence. She reached out and picked up the two figurines. “Look, Oma, aren’t they adorable?”

“What? Oh, why, yes! Those are cute!” my grandma said, squinting at the two figurines in Sara’s hands.

“They’re darling,” Dad said. He always said that, making fun of my great-grandma; she had always said that word when she didn’t particularly like the object.

“Mabel is such a wonderful girl,” Mom said admiringly, staring at the two turtle doves. “When is she coming back?”

“The thirty-first,” I muttered absentmindedly. Today was the twenty-sixth. I prayed to whatever god there was that I only needed sleep.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Crits/reviews welcome. ^_^