‘Tis the Season
Troll the Ancient Yuletide Carol!
Colette
As it drew closer to midnight, people stopped entering into the sanctuary and the darricker covered the food on the tables with an exquisite linen. The two girls, Molly and Mercy, exited their workplace and traveled back the way they came. As soon as the door closed behind them, it opened again to reveal a short, slim figure, clad in a blue robe. It was obviously a female, and she gracefully curtsied to me before crossing the sanctuary to stand in front of me. Once we were face to face, she held out her hand, showing me the birthmark that is shared by all of our families. She pulled her hood back and smiled. It was Colette Haley, a woman who I hadn’t seen in decades. She had lost none of her beauty, though I thought she appeared to be a bit wan. She gripped me in a tight embrace, saying, “William. We have missed you throughout all these years. What a blessing to have you here. Welcome home.”
“Hello Colette. I’m happy to see you. I was surprised when I got the invitation from Elder Haley. Will I be seeing him? And is Felicity well? I’d like to see everyone from the old days.”
“Yes indeed,” said Colette. “You will see Elder Haley, Felicity, and many others. I too would like some of your time, if we are able to steal a moment or two.”
“That would be agreeable.” I opened my mouth to say something else, but the west door opened and an elf-like man flitted in and spoke to the Lister. Curiously, this man (if indeed it was a man, for I could not tell) did not bow. He left again and the Lister said, “Let’s get you enrobed, Doctor.” The darricker came forth with a royal blue robe, one piece with sleeves and a deep hood, which fit over my clothes perfectly.
Colette took my hand and we followed the Lister toward the mysterious door. Behind me was the darricker and one of the lamplighters who had been scurrying back and forth, into and out of the cold snowy night. I was expecting to enter into a fellowship area or a reception or banquet hall. The Lister opened the door, and we all followed him inside.
Inside the “room,” there was a touch of darkness, as though I were outside again. I had to pause for a moment to allow my eyes to “adjust” to the dim light. It was then that I came to know that we were not in a reception hall. We were standing on a stairway landing, overlooking something—I knew not what.
I then had to grip the banister, for I suddenly had a strong sense of vertigo, the grim sensation that the world was about to tilt. I finally recovered and looked around at my surroundings: Not only were we not inside the sanctuary, but we were not even in a room. As far as I could tell, we were no longer in the realm of earth.
There was light, but no sun. There was land, but it was devoid of snow’s embrace. Some distance away, past a forest, I could see what I thought was a lake. These things were all that I could see as pertaining to my environment.
Near me, it seemed obvious that the grounds had been prepared for a celebration. There were oaks and evergreens: Cedar, pines, yew, and holly in abundance. There were trees decorated with what looked like globes of shining crystal and iron pyrite. Even the handrails that I grasped at were decked with boughs of holly. I realized that this was what Elder Haley summoned me to: It was the Festival of the Winter Solstice. It was the first day of Yule, the first day of the 12 Days of Christmas.
“Come,” said Colette. She tightened her grip on my hand as we all continued down the stairs. When we reached the bottom, my heart sank. There was a sense of dread, of trepidation. I had the vague thought that something special was supposed to take place on this day, but I could not remember what it was.
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