Santas Secret Place

I was so tired that night, because it was Christmas Eve and I kid you not, Finnish people take Christmas more seriously than their jobs !nyways, my "riend #esper woke me up by sticking a huge "lashlight in my eyes and then said he would wait "or me downstairs with $atilda, his wi"e I could have just went back to sleep, but he is a strong man and I knew he would just carry me i" he needed to Put some clothes on, I want to show you something , said he I dressed up and put my coat on I opened the door and as soon as I stepped outside, a cold rush o" stingy snow"lakes e%ploded in my "ace I ran in the car and cursed a little & Isnt it beautiful?' , $atilda asked &The cold and the mountain? Sure, I said, rolling my eyes without her seeing me #esper started the car and I turned on the radiator In a "ew minutes my "ace was melting with heat so I put the coat in the back o" the car (here were still Christmas decorations and other stu"" in there, )od I asked about our destination, but they just smiled and told me to wait until we got there I wasnt really that much e%cited, although I was told it was going to be a special night !ll I could see around me were skinny trees, coated with thick layers o" sparkling white material (hey looked like vanilla popsicles !head o" us there was only road and all I could hear was the crunchy snow cracking like cereals under #espers *olvo I recall I was really hungry !t the end o" the road, #esper turned right and drove a while until we reached a chasm +e stopped the engine and we got out o" the car (he weather had calmed down, though the cold was still there In "ront o" us laid a vast valley, barely illuminated by the moon, surrounded on one side by mountains It was like an arena, only a hundred times larger I liked the "eeling that Id been given in that very moment I usually love the mountain, e%cept "or when its really cold and the wind blows violently ,ut rather than that, I love it Its marvelous Its -uiet and it listens to each and every one o" your thoughts It talks to you with a soundless and cold voice and pulls you out o" everything that means actual !nd in the winter, at night, when the cold "ree.es your bones to nonentity, it raises you up to the point where a jump is just enough to catch a star WAKE P, !"#$, Its about to sta%t&, #esper shook me !s I woke up "rom my little reverie, I caught #esper shaping his palms in an / shape and placed them around his mouth I asked him what he was doing and he told me to watch what was about to happen +e shouted like a wol" and up to that point I was e%pecting him to turn into a werewol" or something o" that kind Instead, I heard a mu""led shout coming back "rom beneath us, "rom the valley In the very ne%t second, my jaw dropped and in my da..led eyes a thin and bright thread shyly climbed up the sky and then e%ploded into millions o" tiny, color"ul sparkles !nd then another one and

another one and another one until the whole atmosphere was a huge e""ervescent sea o" light (hen they stopped !s my s-uinty eyes slowly adjusted, I noticed the valley wasnt dark anymore From up there, it seemed like a big light bulb had been le"t on the ground to lighten up the mountain crests It was a village00 ! village just came to li"e "rom nearly nothing $atilda told me there was a "ootpath nearby so we took it and "inally made it there It was ama.ing Christmas decorations everywhere, Christmas carols "illed my ears and my heart with joy, lots o" people, adults and children altogether, smiling and laughing and enjoying hot drinks and other goodies (here were narrow paths between the many houses decorated with all sorts o" colours and shapes (he houses were small and round, reminding me o" the )rimm ,rothers +ansel and )retel, and the so called residents o" the little village were all dressed as elves and $r and $rs Clause I was astonished I almost "orgot that I had come there with #esper and $atilda I looked over my shoulder and I saw them just standing there with a large can o" mulled wine and a large smile pointed at me Its 'antas sec%et (lace&, he laughed 1ot long a"ter, Santa 2not the real one, o" course3 made his entrance in his glorious sleigh, pulled by real reindeer0 1ever had I thought I would ever see one, but there I was petting the one and only 4udol" +e even had his red nose attached 5e spent a "ew hours there with some o" #espers "riends, apparently the same guys that agreed to wait until I got there, and then we went home /n the way back, I "elt di""erent I "elt happy and "ul"illed ! tear somehow made way across my cheek I wished mom and dad had been with me there I would have loved to share with them my uni-ue and truly beauti"ul and magical moment It was the best moment o" my li"e