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    Valkyrie
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Promptings from Valhalla - 19. Blue Christmas

This is my response to the White Elephant newsletter prompt. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

“Where am I?”

“You are in the Blue Forest on the outskirts of Blues Town.”

“Is that like Bluesville? Where’s B.B. King?” I snickered. I was either hallucinating or dreaming. Or dead.

The giant navy blue man sitting next to me in the azure clearing laughed—a booming sound that made the sapphire leaves quake like aspen on their cerulean branches. “I like your sense of humor,” he stated.

“Seriously, though. What is this place?” I waved my hand in front of my face, marveling that I had the strength to do so, and the lack of an IV.

“Blues Town acknowledges the fact that not everyone celebrates during the holidays. In fact, this time of year can be quite sad for many people. The loss of family members, milestones never reached, lack of family and friends… it can be quite a lonely time for some.”

“People who won’t see another one,” I said, picking the soft stalks of blue grass next to me and letting the broken fronds fall to the ground, then repeating the process.

“Yes. It can be a particularly bad time for the terminally ill and their loved ones.”

I wiped a tear from my cheek. “Am I dead?”

“No, not yet.”

“Then why am I here? I’m blue enough without all this—” I gestured around me. “—blue.”

“You are being given an opportunity not afforded to many.”

I snorted. “Ah. Got it. Evan must have left It’s a Wonderful Life playing on the TV. That explains the dream.”

“Evan has given you a most precious gift.” The man reached beside him and held a turquoise bottle intricately decorated with intertwining lines of every shade of blue imaginable. The glass swirled and sparkled as if alive, producing a hypnotizing effect.

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s yours,” he said, handing it to me.

“Mine?” I took it from him gently. Warmth radiated from the bottle as the swirling intensified. “What do I do with it?”

“Evan was deemed worthy of a wish, but instead has passed it along to you. Use it wisely.” The man stood. He was almost as tall as the trees.

“Wait! What do I do? Who are you? I don’t understand this!” I yelled.

“Make your wish, then drink.” He strode into the forest, his footfalls surprisingly silent for one so large.

Wish? I stared after him. This was one hell of a strange dream. I stood and walked around the clearing, relishing the strength and vitality I felt. Grinning, I bolted into a dead run through the clearing and into the forest. It had been close to a year since I was last able to run.

Euphoria flooded through me as I pumped my legs faster and faster, the soft royal blue moss beneath my feet spurred me on until the forest was one giant blur of blue in my peripheral vision. I stopped when I burst into another clearing, laughing and rolling around the bright orange and yellow grass. Orange and yellow? What happened to the blue?

I sat up and checked out my surroundings. The forest encircling the clearing was now comprised of red and purple trees with bright florescent leaves of pink, green, and violet. The bottle in my hand shook from the roiling liquid within. It was still blue, but sparkled almost pure silver from the bright flashes from whatever it contained.

Make a wish, then drink it.

Blue’s voice echoed in my head so loudly, I looked around to see where he was.

Evan has given you a most precious gift.

I clutched the bottle to my chest, the warmth seeping into my very soul. Evan and I had always joked that if we ever found a genie, we’d give each other the wishes. Since he had given me this wish, I supposed it wouldn’t be fair to give it back to him.

Evan. I sighed. He’d always been the more fragile of the two of us. While he was prone to fits of melancholy, I tended to be more of a glass half full kind of guy. Evan preferred more sedentary hobbies, while I was the runner, basketball player, or skier. I was the cook, while he was the cleaner. I worked while he went to college, then he returned the favor. Our lives were full of balance—a perfect yin/yang where our strengths complimented our weaknesses.

And then the balance shifted. It happened gradually. I ran shorter distances because I tired more easily. Shooting hoops hurt my joints too much, so I stopped playing. I gained weight due to the decreased activity, which made me cranky. Evan chalked it up to a mid-life crisis, even though I was only in my late twenties. I didn’t know what to call it.

When things got worse instead of better, Evan blamed himself. Soon, even everyday tasks became exhausting. We stopped having sex. Evan accused me of having an affair. As a last ditch effort to save our relationship, I booked a weekend away at a ski resort. We skied together, despite Evan’s lack of coordination and my exhaustion. I think we were equally shocked that it was me who ended up breaking a bone.

Breaking my arm turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to us. Well, best and worst. While it saved our relationship, it came with a pretty steep price. The reason I had been so run down and cranky was apparent after several rounds of testing—I had cancer. Not just any cancer…no… regular old treatable cancer wasn’t good enough for me. I had to have a very aggressive beast growing inside of me. Within months, it was determined that chemo wasn’t going to tame the bastard, and I went into Hospice care.

Evan. My darling Evan, held my hand when the chemo made my stomach empty its contents. He bought me hats to keep my bald head warm. He stayed with me night after night, reading me my favorite books, or just talking to me in a low voice. When we decided to stop treatment, he told me, “We’ve been together for over ten years, but it feels like ten minutes. It’s not enough, but every second we’ve spent together, every word we’ve exchanged, every time we shared our bodies, is so precious to me. I love you and want the best for you. Which means you can let go. You’ve been my rock, but your strength is now my strength. I’ll be OK because of you and your love. I’ll never forget you, my darling. Please, be at peace.”

I sobbed as I clutched the bottle to my chest. There was only one reason he passed that bottle on to me. I removed the stopper and bright blue mist rose in a sparkling swirl out of the opening. Without hesitation, I brought it to my lips and drank its contents in one go, making my wish as I swallowed.

*****

My fingers tingled with numbness and I tried to move them to get rid of the pins and needles, but found I was unable to do so. I blinked my eyes open, my surroundings slowly coming into focus. The rainbow forest was gone, replaced by the ochre walls and light green trim of our living room. Bright sunlight streamed through the bay window, highlighting my love’s sandy blond hair. I couldn’t move my arm because Evan was sleeping on it.

“Babe?” I croaked, my voice hoarse from disuse. I moved my free arm to stroke his silky waves. I loved Evan’s hair.

He stirred and shifted position, a smile brightening his face. If he was a cat, he’d have been purring.

“Ev… you’re on my arm.”

The change in Evan’s facial expressions as he went from sleep to bleary awakening, to full-on consciousness was pretty funny. I grinned and chuckled.

“Better get some coffee, babe,” I joked.

“Bran? Oh my God… Bran! You’re awake!”

I reached my hand out and he grabbed it in both of his. Tears streamed down his face. “Your eyes… they’re… blue! And sparkling.” He stared at me, wonder filling his emerald green eyes as he gazed into mine.

“I had the strangest dream,” I said.

Evan gasped. “It was real? The bottle? The giant blue guy?”

“I don’t know, but I got your message loud and clear. You’re right, my darling. Ten years is not nearly enough. I want to spend the next hundred with you. And then another hundred, and another. You get the idea.”

He laughed and placed his forehead against mine. “Deal.” Then he kissed me.

The prompt:  Inside this bottle swirls a sparkling blue mist.  Whoever opens it is gifted with the magic of one Christmas wish.  You use it to…
 
Thanks to LitLover for checking out my story for any errors or inconsistencies.  And thanks to all for reading!  I hope you enjoyed my take on the prompt :D  
Copyright © 2018 Valkyrie; All Rights Reserved.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
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Tomorrow I’m celebrating Christmas with my favorite Aunt & Uncle, my favorite cousin and her family, and an elderly Aunt who I’ve spent many holidays and celebrations with. I won’t have seen my two brothers or their families since last year (one niece I haven’t seen in several years, I haven’t seen her brother or her mother in about a decade) – and they all live only about 15 minutes away from my favorite Aunt & Uncle! All of our families used to gather for both US Thanksgiving and Christmas with my mother and favorite Aunt alternating hosting duties. Things gradually unravelled especially after my mother died. But while it sometimes feels like my own family has abandoned me, I get to enjoy spending time with the part of my family that still wants me around!  ;-)

 

Since I no longer have a car, It takes me about 3 hours each way on BART and Caltrain where my uncle will pick me up at the station. On Thanksgiving I somehow managed to catch an Express train – I was able to watch 2 episodes of Doctor Who while I waited! It’s the only time I get to ride in a regular train (I own N-Scale models of the Caltrain locomotives and passenger cars just like the ones  I ride).  ;-)

 

 

Edit: My older brother, his wife, and my older niece showed up! I did my best to engage with them, attempting to catch up on what they’ve been doing. My brother and sister-in-law weren’t very responsive, but I can say I tried.  ;-)

Edited by droughtquake
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18 hours ago, Mikiesboy said:

awwww HEA.. very cute ... Hope your Christmas is a pleasant one.

Thanks, Tim.  Same to you!  

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17 hours ago, droughtquake said:

Tomorrow I’m celebrating Christmas with my favorite Aunt & Uncle, my favorite cousin and her family, and an elderly Aunt who I’ve spent many holidays and celebrations with. I won’t have seen my two brothers or their families since last year (one niece I haven’t seen in several years, I haven’t seen her brother or her mother in about a decade) – and they all live only about 15 minutes away from my favorite Aunt & Uncle! All of our families used to gather for both US Thanksgiving and Christmas with my mother and favorite Aunt alternating hosting duties. Things gradually unravelled especially after my mother died. But while it sometimes feels like my own family has abandoned me, I get to enjoy spending time with the part of my family that still wants me around!  ;-)

 

Since I no longer have a car, It takes me about 3 hours each way on BART and Caltrain where my uncle will pick me up at the station. On Thanksgiving I somehow managed to catch an Express train – I was able to watch 2 episodes of Doctor Who while I waited! It’s the only time I get to ride in a regular train (I own N-Scale models of the Caltrain locomotives and passenger cars just like the ones  I ride).  ;-)

Have a wonderful time.  Merry Christmas :)

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4 hours ago, Dolores Esteban said:

Sad and beautiful. Merry Christmas, Valkyrie.

Thank you, Dolores.  Merry Christmas to you too! 

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8 minutes ago, comicfan said:

It is a bittersweet and sad tale, but oh so worth the time. Happy holidays.

Thanks, Wayne :hug:  Merry Christmas! :hug: 

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Loved it, Val. It's true that many experience the blues at holiday time, and cancer is a beast. You made the prompt, and this story, magical and touching.

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21 hours ago, dughlas said:

This was an unorthodox "Blue Christmas" but filled with real magic. Beautiful. Thanks.

Thanks, Dugh :hug:  

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16 hours ago, MacGreg said:

Loved it, Val. It's true that many experience the blues at holiday time, and cancer is a beast. You made the prompt, and this story, magical and touching.

Thanks so much, Mac.  I appreciate the comments. :hug:   

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15 hours ago, BlindAmbition said:

This was a rough one for me. Well written and interpreted. I have Blue Christmases. Due to my mother losing her battle to cancer. Her last Christmas in 2013 was in hospice in a coma. That’s what I now relive each year. This isn’t meant to depress, your story just made me reflect and maybe one step forward in acceptance.

:hug:  Your last comment is the highest praise I could receive.  :hug: I'm sorry for your loss.  :kiss: 

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I'm glad he used the wish wisely, but I wonder what the hospice staff will think. Or did he wish for himself never to have gotten cancer ?

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1 minute ago, Timothy M. said:

I'm glad he used the wish wisely, but I wonder what the hospice staff will think. Or did he wish for himself never to have gotten cancer ?

We don't know exactly what the wish was, only the implied result he was cured.  Miracles do happen.  I knew someone once who was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer and given less than a year to live.  She ended up surviving the cancer.  Thanks for reading, Tim.  glædelig jul! :hug: 

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I have many family members win and lose to this beast called cancer, even writing this I am in tears!  Thank you for this hopeful and inspiring story!  Much love for your talent and skill!!

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1 minute ago, Ivric said:

I have many family members win and lose to this beast called cancer, even writing this I am in tears!  Thank you for this hopeful and inspiring story!  Much love for your talent and skill!!

:hug: Thank you so much for your comments.  :hug: 

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What a lovely story and your visuals were great.  I could see the blues all around and they burst into yellows and oranges.  Very lovely.  Great job!!

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