Harper's Hill, Christmas Special 2024

It was the night before Christmas, and all through the West — the city was bustling, their party was the best.

A big Christmas tree sat in the center of their side — a tree taller than the buildings, with branches that were very wide.

You see, the West side was recognized for their parties galore — and the Christmas Eve party was the one that they were known for.

The stage was set for a special show — complete with carolers, a holiday-themed play, and a set covered with real snow.

Every restaurant had a booth set up — serving everything from Christmas dinner to Chinese food, and probably even some duck.

In contrast, the East side is scattered and quiet — families kept their traditions alive in their own homes, no community-wide events, the streets completely silent.

The dark forest feels darker with a coat of white — the snow drips off the trees and freezes into icicles that don't reflect, because there's no light.

Atop the hill in between sat Emily and her brother James — sitting in the car and watching the West side, seeing it look just like a picture in a frame.

The moment is quiet and reflective, with both of them feeling pretty small — how did they get all of those lights on a tree that was just so tall?

For a moment, they might have wished to be someone different — because the party down below looked like a lot of fun, and them having to sit all the way up here on top of this hill just felt deliberate.

"I don't feel connected to Christmas this year," Emily says, looking out the window, "I miss mom and dad, I miss being young, I miss playing Christmas Bingo."

"You only loved Christmas Bingo because Mom did," James says back, trying to make eye contact with his sister, "But I understand what you mean, this time of year makes me really miss her."

Emily wanted to hold back, but she couldn't help but wonder, "Do you miss Dad at all?" In the distance, she swore she heard thunder.

James kept quiet, didn't say a word. He stared down at the West side, feeling like the Grinch, feeling so absurd.

"I don't want to talk about him, if you wouldn't mind," James replied, his face growing tense. "This is a happy time of year, the holiday season — I'm not trying to be rude, no offense."

"I'm sorry, but I miss the way things used to be," Emily shared, wishing her brother would just open up, "It's not like these questions are difficult — why can't you just talk about this stuff?"

James let out a forceful sigh and finally snapped. "Because it's hard, Emily," He said, "It's hard to be both your parent and your brother, and sometimes I can't help but feel trapped."

Emily started to grow angry now, not knowing how she was to blame. "I didn't ask you to take care of me James," She said, "I can leave if you have so much disdain."

James rolled his eyes and shook his head, "No Emily," He said, "You're being stupid, you bonehead."

Emily tried to stay serious but a smile appeared on her face. "Thanks James, you never let me feel misplaced."

Down at the party, with the lights shining bright, Nicole stood next to her father, feeling a little dismayed about the whole night.

She loved this party every year, but lately she had been talking to Emily — she had been realizing the stark differences between the two sides of town and she didn't feel right about it ethically.

She'd had her "West side state of mind" for years and now she felt detached — usually she loved the holiday season, this time of year was unmatched.

But this year felt different, perhaps because there was something that she just hadn't said — the secret cousin that she wasn't supposed to know was quickly becoming her best friend.

So she stood at the party feeling guilty as she watched her sister sing in the choir — half of her family was excluded, making her feel like a big liar.

She felt disgusted seeing the people around her, seeing them celebrate and dance and drink — she wished that she could love this all again, but it just made her think.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to see her Dad. "What's on your mind, Nicki?" He asked, "Why do you look so sad?"

Nicole shrugged, not wanting to share. "Oh nothing, Dad," She said. "Maybe it's just something in the air."

Her Dad gave her a small smile and patted her back. "Cheer up, kid," He said, "It's not all that bad."

She tried to stay polite but he didn't understand, because it was bigger than this — someone that she cared about dearly was banned.

And banned from Christmas, the worst of all — the happiest season, time for food and family and parties in the grand hall.

Realizing his daughter was silent, Nathan let out a small sigh. "Nicki, listen to me. When I was your age, I thought that time would never run out," He replied.

"But the thing is, time creeps up fast," He continued to say, "Connections that you thought would stay strong forever, they start to fade away."

Nicole was about to reply, but he just shook his head. "Don't say anything, just know that it's important to be honest with the people you love," He said.

Nicole felt a weight lift off her shoulders, and maybe she could finally enjoy the season. She just hugged her dad in silence, she didn't need to give a reason.

As the lights twinkled all around, there was commotion somewhere else. Raymond was in Redwood Valley, shopping for his roommates, and right now looking at belts.

He had always been last minute, and Christmas was no different. Every year was the same, especially when he had kids, back when he was ignorant.

Even though he was a black hole, he remembered shopping with Sharon for the kids. He never knew what they liked, but somehow, she always did.

As he stared at men's accessories, he missed the way things were. Even though Sharon was beautiful, she couldn't wrap presents for shit, and that always gave him an excuse to help her.

"But you can't wrap your own!" She would cry, small giggles being released. "You're not supposed to know! You're supposed to know the least!"

He would pull her close and kiss her cheek, back when things were still good. "But how are you supposed to wrap it, silly? Maybe in an alternate universe, you could."

She would hit him playfully and then pull him close, kissing him intensely and then letting him go.

"Oh Ray," She smiled, "You're gonna get me in trouble." Little did she know, all the problems were just starting to bubble.

Raymond finished his shopping, feeling accomplished but not complete. He would always miss his family, and he'd see their shadows on every street.

Nicole stood with her family in the West, finally starting to enjoy herself. Maybe next year would be different, maybe no one would get left on the shelf.

Back on top of the hill, Emily and James were laughing. They listened to Christmas carols in the car, looking down below, watching all the lights flashing.

If you could see Harper's Hill from above, you would see the chaos and the quiet — however, Christmas is the time for connection, and you just couldn't deny it.

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Thanks for reading this year's Christmas special. I had a lot of fun writing this so if you enjoyed it, I'd love to hear from you in the comments down below!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

For the complete series, follow this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rAyk2PH5gqldqHN84gwgWG2qZ7-7MhK46ApR7-MpVu4/edit?usp=sharing