Young Writers Society

*I’m still on my break for origin stories,I’ll get back to them soon.Some of the characters are from my story:”The town of Richardson:part two.” You can look at Gacha Club character designs on my wall.

………

I woke up to the smell of warm cookies baking in the oven.

I smiled.The Christmas season had arrived.

I ran down the stairs,a smile on my face and warmth in my heart.

My Dad and my little sister,Rosina, were baking cookies in the oven.Except Rosina was getting more cookies in her mouth than in the oven.

Mom was probably getting a bargain on Christmas trees.She always got bargains on anything.

Allow me to introduce myself.

I'm Ava Addams and I'm thirteen years old.I have a little five year old sister named Rosina.She's a sweetie.I have a Mom and Dad too.We live in the Adirondacks and Christmas is my favorite holiday.

I couldn't wait to watch Christmas movies and bake cookies and watch the fire.

My Mom gave us a wonderful tree and we ate delicious food and even better cookies.

"Ava,we have news." Mom said.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Your Aunt in New York City is very lonely.She could never have children of her own and her husband died last year.We tried visiting her,but we didn't have enough money.Now that we have enough money,we can go see her! We're going to spend Christmas with your Aunt." My Mom said.

I spit out my cookie.

"WHAT?!" I screamed.

"Now Ava, don't get upset." My parents said.Rosina was too young to care.

"I was looking forward to all of our Christmas traditions...." I said.

"Traditions change.Now get ready,you two.We're getting ready to go." Mom and Dad said.

……..

We drove off to the big city.

Even though I shouldn't be upset, I was. I wanted to do things like we did every year.

Finally,we made it to a fancy apartment.

I never saw anything like it.My mouth dropped.There was a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging above us.The apartment had velvet curtains and a high end restaurant.

It was beautiful,but it wasn't home.

We got on the elevator and went to my Aunt's room.

My Mom knocked on the door.

The door was answered by a woman with crazy blond hair and a beautiful smile on her face.Her eyes were dark brown.She had long lavender nails.Her blue dress was made out of cashmere.She had everything but people.

She was rich,but lonely.

Just then she hugged us.

"My,you've grown! I'm so glad you came! I prepared everything for you! I'm going to show you the big city! You'll love it! You can call me Aunt Diana." She said,

Aunt Diana seemed nice,but I missed home.

After we got settled,we went to see a beautiful Christmas tree,we shopped and then we went ice skating.It was wonderful,but new for me.Rosina was smiling and laughing and Mom and Dad were being mushy with each other.

Then,we got hot cocoa and marshmallows from a fancy càfe.

……..

While I was putting my face in warm chocolate,I was also staring at the house across the street.It was old and abandoned.There was a sign on it that said:"Where the Chriselles lived before the wife left."

"Who were the Chriselles?" I asked.

Aunt Diana sighed.

"Oh,it's a tragic story.Long ago in the 1860s,there was a family who lived in that house.A mother and a father and their children Jackson and Susan.Their father was Sandy Chriselle and their mother was Rebecca Chriselle.Rebecca didn't love them,though.Sandy was rich,so that's why she married him.He married her because he loved her.The problem with Rebecca and Sandy is that Rebecca loved too little and Sandy loved too much.They had kids.They lived okay.But then the Chriselles were robbed and they became poor.Rebecca found another rich man and married him.Sandy was left to take care of his children.He tried providing for them,he really did.But they died out of starvation on Christmas day.Nobody ever buried them.Their bones are rotting on a pile in the old house." Aunt Diana said.

That was the saddest story I ever heard.That was the saddest and most horrifying story we all heard for something to be told on Christmas.I wasn’t even in the mood to drink my hot chocolate.Rosina was singing to herself earlier,now that she heard the story,she stopped singing.Mom and Dad glared at our Aunt for telling the story and she just sighed sadly,as if she wanted to say more,but didn’t.

We sat in silence.

……

Later,we went shopping at some random department store to get decorations,but soon I heard someone shivering and whimpering.

I followed the sound.It was coming from behind the store.

I ran outside.There was a little girl in rags,shivering in the cold.There was an older boy about my age,who was trying so hard not to whimper and he was consoling her.There was an older but still handsome man who was with them.He was also cold,but he tried and failed to keep the kids warm.

My heart shattered.Here I was,with my family,going home to a fancy warm apartment,harrumphing about not being able to make cookies,while this family was neglected and shivering in the cold.They probably never had cookies or felt warmth.

I wanted to help.I really did.

But I didn't know what I could do.

I held the blanket I bought from a store.Originally,I was going to use it for myself.But they needed it more than I did.

I handed the blanket to them.

Their eyes widened with shock.They took the blanket.

The family didn't say anything.They didn't have to.The look in their eyes said all.

I ran back to my Mom.

"Where is your blanket?" Mom asked.

I pointed.

"You gave it to them?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Can I help them more? They probably never even had a Merry Christmas.I just wanted to help." I said.

"Sure,you can help them."  Mom said.

………..

Everyday,I visited the family behind the department store.I gave them food and clothes and warmth and kindness.That was all they ever wanted.We talked to each other about life and everything.

The man was the father of the two children.The boy was the girl's older brother.

I loved to help them.My only wish was that they didn't have to live behind the department store.

When I got back to Aunt Diana's apartment my parents and my Aunt ran to me.Rosina was wrapping up presents but failing miserably.

"Dear,do you want to do volunteer work?" They asked.

"What's volunteer work?" I asked.

"Volunteer work is helping other people in need.You seem to enjoy helping other people,so this would be perfect." They said.

I smiled.

"Of course I'll do it." I said.

………

I took up volunteer work and helped others in need.

I went back to the apartment and sat in my room.

"Nobody ever buried the Chriselles.Their bones are in a pile at that house.I'm going to change that." I said to myself.

"Who are you talking to?" Rosina asked.

"Nobody." I said.It was my honest answer,after all.

……………

When everyone fell asleep,I grabbed my coat and shoes.I ran out of the apartment.

I ran past the cheery shoppers,star-crossed lovers and ice skating families.I had one thing on my mind.Bury the Chriselles.

I found the abandoned house,all tucked away in a corner,as if it wanted to hide itself from the festivities of Christmas.

I ran through the house,checking through every drawer,every nook,every cranny.Any place that would store bones.I mean my Aunt Diana said that the Chriselles died in 1868 and that no one really cared about them in life,but maybe their bones were still there.

Maybe.

But when I checked through the house…

…nothing.

I couldn’t find them.I couldn’t bury the Chriselles.Heck,my parents were probably calling the police now,ordering a search on me.I should get back home.

“Ow!”  I cried out,my foot bumping into something.

I looked down.

All lined up perfectly,there was a large skeleton the size of an adult male,a smaller skeleton the size of a teenage boy and a really small skeleton that must have been the size of a little girl.

I don’t know how they got there or why they were lined up so perfectly,but they were there.

Sandy Chriselle,Jack Chriselle and Susan Chriselle,all lined up as if they had been waiting for someone like me.Maybe they have.

I grabbed their bones and ran to the cemetery.

……..

There were people mourning families and crying over them,but I ignored them.

I found an untouched spot under an evergreen tree,I took a shovel and began burying them.

"Hey kid,what are you doing?" Someone asked behind me.

I turned around.Standing before me was my Aunt Diana.She looked concerned.I wouldn't blame her,but I had things to do.Important things.

"You know the story of the Chriselles? How they were never buried?" I asked.

"Yes,I do." She said,rolling her eyes at me.I smiled.

"I'm going to bury them." I said.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because they shouldn't be rotting in a pile at an abandoned house.They should be in the cemetery,like others." I said.

“First off,Ava,if you want to help them,you should mark their graves,so people will know who they are.I’ll call someone tomorrow and tell them we’ve got bones to be marked.” Aunt Diana said.

“Ugh! We’re wasting time,we can’t we just bury them already?!” I asked,annoyed.Not a moment was to be wasted!

“Because this kind of stuff has to be done with care! For now,we’ll bury them,but tomorrow,I’m going to have make some calls to the funeral service about this.”

“Alright.” I sighed.She was right,after all.At least she was going to help me out.

So,without further ado,we buried them.

Suddenly,the strangest thing happened...

…..

Standing in front of us was the family from behind the department store.

"Why are you here?" We asked.

They just pointed to the ground.

"YOU'RE the Chriselle family?" I asked.

They nodded.

All this time,I had been talking to ghosts and I didn't know it.I guess when I buried them,they could pass on to Heaven.

Me and my Aunt Diana were the only ones who saw them glide to Heaven.They shone their heavenly light and flew to their freedom.

Like a perfect Christmas movie,it started snowing.

Me and my Aunt proceeded to go home.(Even though we didn’t want to.)

Christmas just got better.

…..

The next morning,I ran outside to the living room to open my presents.Christmas music was playing and my family was smiling.It was so warm and lovely.

But the thing that made me smile the most was looking out the window and finding the graves that had been erected for the Chriselle family and it was snowing.

I swore I saw the North Star.