Bring back the Christmas times(Rachel) It was December 25, a day when children were having fun. A day when children eat a long, delicious Christmas dinner. A day when children joke and have fun with their family. Almost everyone in the neighborhood was having fun except for a few.

Holly peered through the snow-covered window of her neighboring house. The Wheaton family was having lots of fun, decorating the Christmas tree and singing heart-warming carols, and having fruity Christmas pudding. From the outside of the house, Holly was looking in with a look of yearning as they ate away. Holly couldn't stop staring at the meaty and juicy ham, sitting on the velvet-covered table near the fireplace.

Just as Holly was about to look at the Christmas warmth more deeply, the Wheaton's house door opened suddenly. A girl of 12 stepped out to take the trash out when she saw Holly.
"Oi lil' git" the girl began.
Holly turned over to the side and saw the girl. She looked furious and confused at the sight of Holly.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Holly Hernandez from the next house," Holly said, trembling
"Oh, those peasants?" the girl laughed, "Bog off my house and back to your house! This ain't your home!"
"But I just want to have a look at your Christmas atmosphere-"
"Ha! Ain't your house too poor to celebrate Christmas?" the girl laughed mockingly
"Well-"
"BOG OFF MY HOUSE THIS INSTANT" screamed the girl as she pointed her finger at Holly's house, gesturing her to leave.
Holly oozed out, awkward and hurt.
The girl laughed at her before walking back into her house and closed the door.

Holly wasn't exactly too poor to celebrate Christmas. The problem is her Grans and Grandad died years ago and when the pair was alive, Holly's house was full of laughter and warmth every Christmas.
But the moment Holly's family heard that both of them died from serious asthma, Holly knew she was never going to smile again and considered how cold her house would be every Christmas.
Holly oozed back to her home, sad and hurt. She didn't expect such a bully from the Wheaton house.
Just as Holly reached the door, she heard her mother calling her.
"HOLLY" she called, "COULD YOU PLEASE GO TO BUY SOME BREAD FOR ME TO MAKE BREAD CUBES FOR STUFFING? BUY SOME PARSLEY ALONG THE WAY TOO! THANKS DEAR!"
Holly sighed and whipped her jacket off the coat hangers. She saw Stanley lying on the sofa with an ice pack on his head and a hand-knitted floral blanket over him that her dearest Grans had knitted for her birthday.

Holly walked over to the nearest grocery store as the snow fell around her. Because it was very cold, she sneezed a couple of times before wiping the snot off by the back of her hand. At last, she reached the doors of the grocery store and yanked it open.
[...]
"Alright, let's see... Parsley- check... Bread-check. Good... Wonder if Mother needs some rice for porridge" thought Holly as she walked through the aisles. Holly finally picked up a bag of rice and headed to the cashier to pay for the things she brought.

On the way back home, snow fell more than ever, eventually turning into a blizzard.
Holly had to wait for the blizzard to end so she sat down on a nearby bench to wait for the blizzard to clear. As she was waiting, she got bored and began to sway her legs. As she was swaying, her legs hit something from under the bench. Intrigued, Holly bent over to have a look at what had caught her legs.
It was a beautiful, wooden music box with a carousel design. Holly looked at it with awe and noticed something very weird. It looked familiar somehow. She remembered holding it before her beautiful Grans laughed and stored it away in the attic. She also remembered seeing a photo of Grans and Grandad holding it together in one breezy springtime when Grandad gave it to Grans as a gift.
"That's strange," Holly thought, "Is it some type of deja vu but a tiny bit more realistic"
Holly shrugged and stored it in her grocery bag.
Taking a deep breath, she crossed the road now covered with a blizzard of snow.

[...]

"Mother, I got bread and parsley. Just what you want"
"Thanks, darling. I don't know what I could do without you"
Both Mother and Holly shared a dry smile before going back to whatever they were doing.
"Oh, and I also brought some rice to make Stanley some porridge. He should be fine with that and afterward, he could have a little bit of stuffing"
"Okay. Holly, make some porridge for our Stanley dearest"
Holly walked into the kitchen and began making porridge. She decided to make Stanley a nice pumpkin porridge to warm his soul. As she was chopping the pumpkin, she remembered the music box. She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and went to fetch the music box.
She tiptoed across the room and snatched the music box delicately before heading back into the kitchen. There, she glanced around to see if anyone was looking before winding the winding key.
A soothing music filled the room suddenly as she was making pumpkin porridge for Stanley. Holly suddenly danced around to the music as she was making porridge. After a while of skipping around, she felt the tune familiar. She thought she heard her Grandad playing the tune on the piano, or heard her Grans singing the tune every night before she slept. But Holly couldn't remember and froze there, still listening to the soothing and strangely familiar music.

"Holly! Ignore it! You haven't even finished with Stan's pumpkin soup!" Holly thought and turned back to making Stanley's soup. But she couldn't take the thought of the music box off her head and decided she needed a real-time investigation.
Holly turned the heat of her battered stove on and the rice was now boiling in water fiercely. She looked at the music box dreamily and was nearly dozing off when the angry boiling sound awoke her right on time.
"Dinner Stan!" Holly cried from the kitchen as she took a bowl of pumpkin porridge.
Stanley got up with a start and began fumbling with his knitted blanket.
"Why is it always pumpkin porridge" he groaned, "Couldn't we have lasagna-"
"No Stan, you're recovering from your illness so you need to eat porridge. I know it isn't your favorite but it is a must if you want to return to being a happy boy!"
"Fine"
Stanley took the spoon and began to eat. His hands were weak and shivering so he ended up spilling porridge on his shirt. Holly took his shirt to the laundry and gave him a new shirt.
When Stanley was done eating, he yawned and fell to the realms of his bed. Holly cleaned up, looking with a worried look at Stanley. He did not feel well though she had given him enough of his doctor's medication.

Holly walked away and retreated to her bedroom with the music box in her hands.
Holly winded the winding key and listened to the familiar music. Holly felt a little strange when the music took her back to her childhood for only a little as she listened. Just as the last notes were playing, Holly rolled across the bed and hit something metallic and hard.
Holly's eyes widened as she looked under the mattress. Surely enough, a squashed tin was there, squeezed under the mattress. Intrigued, Holly fished the tin out and looked at it.
There was a label on the tin that read "GRANDMA'S GINGERBREADS OF DELIGHT". Holly suddenly smiled when she remembered trying to steal the tin of gingerbread of Grans when she was alive. Holly opened the tin and her nose wrinkled when she smelled the smell of something moldy.
Down in the box, a moldy, uneaten gingerbread was sitting there, waiting to be eaten but got moldy on the way. Holly picked the gingerbread up and broke the moldy places off and thought about eating it. Holly hadn't had any since the day her Grans died. So she took a deep breath and threw the whole piece into her mouth and chewed it.
Although the gingerbread had gone out of date and softened, tears welled in Holly's eyes when the familiar buttery taste of Gran's gingerbread touched her taste buds. It may not sound appealing to eat a moldy gingerbread, but to Holly, it was like the gingerbread of the gods. She chewed as the last notes of the music box rang out before it went dead.

Holly found herself dozing off as she chewed and finally slept with some unchewed pieces of gingerbread in her mouth. She was now drooling gingerbread mixed with her saliva onto her sheets. Holly had a weird dream.
Holly woke up with a start to find herself on the clouds, wearing a sweater she remembered that was hand-knitted by her Grans. She woke up and saw two figures standing in the distance and looking as if they were beckoning her over.
Holly ran over, feeling as if her legs were jelly and her mind was buzzing with questions. Where was she? Who is over there? Is this a dream?
The questions were soon answered when she ran over to the figures. Holly let out a gasp and started to tear up to see her grandparents standing there, smiling warmly.
"GRANS! GRANDPA! I MISSED YOU!" Holly cried and threw her arms around them
"Holly! Look at how much you grew! The last time I saw you, you were an inky dinky cutie baby!" Grans cooed as she folded Holly into her body
"Holly, the family's waiting for you! C'mon, let's come back home for Christmas dinner" Grandad said
Holly gasped. This couldn't be true! Her dad's gonna be home along with her nana and grandpa!
"YES!" Holly replied heartily. Grans smiled and wrapped her arms around Holly. The three walked a few meters and reached their home.

When Holly entered, Stanley whizzed over to her and hugged her tightly. He had recovered!
"Holly!" he squealed as he hugged, "Dada's here!"
Father looked warmly at her and threw a frilly tinsel at her.
"You look as gorgeous as a princess" Father smiled, "I think even more gorgeous than a gorgeous princess my darling dearest"
"NOW WHO'S READY FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER?" Mother yelled happily as everyone sat down at their respective place.
This couldn't be happier. The hams look juicy indeed. The fruits on the table looked fresh and shiny and best of all, Gran's buttery gingerbread was right in front of her. She reached out for salad when suddenly, a voice called.
"WAKE UP HOLLY! IT'S LUNCHTIME!"
Holly got up and saw her drool had wettened her sheets. She rubbed her eyes and knew everything was a dream. But the music box and gingerbread had at least taken her back to the happy times when her family was all there, spending their happy days together as a family. Holly smiled before trundling out of her bed.

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