As a mid-December morning alighted upon the small town of Eirwen, the first true signs of winter were exposed. During the night, the town had gently been covered by a soft blanket of pure white, which glistened under the early morning sun. From windowsills to sloping rooftops, each and every surface was coated with the fresh snow that continued to fall from the heavens. As the baker peeped out of his warm, fragrant office, he smiled at the thought of what was to come - Christmas.
It had been a hard and troublesome year for the people of Eirwen, as well as to the people of the neighbouring towns of Mallory and Thana. A horrifying monster had been ravaging their lands, eating their crops and stealing loved ones during the night. No one was safe, and anyone who happened to stand in its path of destruction would be in for a torturous end. The worst part about the monster was this: it managed to creep around unseen, right until the very last moment, when the victims would be forced to stare it straight in the eyes as it pulled them away from their lives and into the darkness of the woods beyond the pastures.
But there had been talk all throughout the summer, that when the holiday season finally came along, the monster would be wary of the cold and the snow falling on its back, and it would finally leave their food and families in peace. That's what the rosy-cheeked baker thought of as he turned his shop's sign, ready to wish his loyal customers a good morning, and longing to see evidence of hope and happiness finally radiate from each and every one of their faces.
In fact, it seemed that the whole of Eirwen was feeling especially joyous that morning. Even grumpy old Al was sporting a (admittedly meek) smile on his stubbly face as he walked out with his trusty shovel to clear the snow that had landed on his front porch. He didn't even snap at the Cannon twins when one of their snowballs landed right on his reddened nose; he merely scowled silently in their general direction.
All about the town, people were bustling around in order to get their Christmas shopping started. It was already quite late in the month for their liking, but thoughts of the dreadful monster had kept them from getting into the Christmas spirit. They had almost started to worry that the summertime rumours had been merely that - unfounded conspiracies created by people intent on handing around false hope. But that morning, as the townsmen and women checked up on their loved ones, they had realised that the nameless monster had not made an appearance throughout the night. And they began to think that maybe, just maybe, they would be able to have a normal Christmas after all.
Indeed, their hopes proved not to have been harboured in vain. On the morning of the 25th of December, every single person in Eirwen awoke to the ringing of bells echoing from the direction of their quaint little parish church. The baker, the grocer, the dressmaker and the cobbler all turned around in their beds to greet their spouse with a merry morning kiss, knowing that they could have a lie in without having to worry about their respective businesses. The town crier, on the other hand, was putting on her boots and her warm woolen shawl, as hers was possibly the most important duty of the day. She had to alert the people of Eirwen of the terrific news; the headline that morning was one she had been waiting to cry out for almost a year: '10 days free of the monster'. How poetic it seemed to her that the day should land on none other than Christmas day.
As everyone heard the news, hearts began to swell, and hugs and kisses were exchanged all around. Those who had lost friends and family throughout the year gazed up at the pale sky and whispered words of love and peace to the air, hoping that they might one day meet again.
It must be said, that in spite of the loss and destruction that had been caused by the monster throughout the year, the people of Eirwen were truly made better because of it all. They had learned not to take their health and happiness for granted. They had learned to cherish their loved ones all the more, and to give them just one extra hug before they said 'good night' of an evening. The most important thing they learned, however, was that no matter how difficult a hand life seemed to be dealing them, there would always come a time when the darkness would simply be a memory, and they would once again rejoice in the light. Just as the first snowfall of winter brings a cloud of white over their land, the light at the end of the tunnel brings peace and love to all.
Keep in mind that no matter how bad 2020 has been, Christmas is a time for love, peace, and hope. Merry Christmas!
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