The Three Santas by Leah Mueller The snow had just started to fall. A few flakes skittered between the el tracks’ iron rails and landed on my stocking cap. “Can we get ice cream at Carson’s?” I asked my father. “As soon as we find your mom.” Dad always Read more…
Another Year Older by Kelly Matsuura I lift the lid on the old shoe box, my heart fluttering as it usually does. I don’t think much about Sir Thomas once Christmas is over and the decorations are all packed away but on the first of December each year, I’m Read more…
The [Hanukkah] Christmas Wish by Peggy Gerber Hanukkah had always been Sofia’s favorite holiday, so Rachel became alarmed when her daughter burst into tears while lighting the menorah. Sofia sobbed, “Everyone at school celebrates Christmas, and I feel so left out. I wish, just for once, we could celebrate Read more…
Ali’s Christmas Wish by DJ Elton Early Christmas morning, Ali went into the garden and sat on a large rock. The sky was a haze of blues, violets, and burning red. As he pondered the source of his discontent, he thought about what had come before today, and what Read more…
The Very Scary Present by Dawn DeBraal The gift came on Christmas Day, From a guy in a high-flying sleigh. I knew it was nothing good, For this is a tough neighborhood. I shook the box up and down, Hearing the noise made me frown. Not wanting them in Read more…
The Snowman by Jim Bates The mid-December storm dumped six inches of wet snow, making it hard for old Harold to shovel. His housemate, Joey the djinn, was no help as he got bored and began a playful snowball fight with their next-door neighbor, nine-year-old Rosie. “Hey, you two,” Read more…
The Christmas Guest by Gabriella Balcom “You really go all-out for the holidays, don’t you?” Hank studied his hosts’ décor. A spectacular, festively decorated tree and brightly wrapped gifts dominated the living room, along with lifelike models of Santa and his reindeer. Christmas music played, and wreaths, holly, mistletoe, Read more…
The Lonely and the Lost by K.B. Elijah My boots squelch as I descend the worn steps, the ubiquitous dirty rain of the city haunting me even in this dark little hole in Djinntown. It’s impossible to avoid stepping in the puddles when the rains haven’t let up for Read more…
We Weren’t Always Strangers by Kelly Matsuura “Good morning. ePassport and documents, please.” “Good morning.” When he smiled back, Kiyomi felt a tingle of déjà vu but quickly dismissed it. Djinn travelers passed through immigration daily, so she’d likely scanned his ID on another visit. Still, she felt her Read more…
The Last Si’lat by Alanna Robertson-Webb Jirizi, the last Si’lat Djinn residing in the Bedouin Desert, spied upon a small group of humans as they meandered hopelessly over dune after blistering dune. She had taken on the form of a small lizard, and had been watching them for the Read more…