L M Dee

For this month I'm featuring some older works newcomers haven't seen and others might not remember. I'd love to see others share their past work; there's nothing wrong with celebrating earlier creations any more than there is re-reading a favourite book or re-watching a film!

This week I'm featuring a WRE ficlet with El's take on decorating.

"Where did all this come from?" Romaine stared at the myriad cardboard and plastic boxes filling the living room. He'd helped El move house twice now and never seen any of these items.

"I store it at my parent's house. They said now I have a proper house and not a small rental I have to keep it though." El rolled her eyes at the imposition.

Romaine pointed out two boxes. "Those are both artificial trees."

"Yes. And that's a mini one in the box there."

"You said you wanted to buy a real potted tree to put outside."

El nodded. "Four trees. Don't judge me. I warned you I like decorating for Yuletide."

"It's the fifteenth of November!"

El lifted up a bundle of shiny tinsel. "I've got a lot to sort through and we have to decide where everything's going to go."

"It's November," Romaine repeated in the faint hope this might make some difference.

"I know! Only forty days until Christmas! Only thirty six until Yule!"

Romaine sighed. He picked up a Christmas hat, red felt with white trim and a jaunty pom-pom, and put it on his head. "Ho, ho, ho?"

"That's the spirit!" El picked up a cardboard box from the depths of a sturdier packing box. "Oh, my snowglobe."

Romaine gingerly made his way around the scattered Christmas paraphernalia to crouch by the coffee table. El wound the musical ornament up with the tiny gold key, shook it once to set the snow and glitter falling, and placed it down.

"Winter Wonderland" played and the scene, a cosy cottage with a giant decorated fir tree outside, was blanketed with snow. A dog and a kitten sat looking at the tree, and there was a tiny wooden sleigh nearby. The sleigh was piled with gifts which were brightly wrapped and topped with gold and silver bows.

"It's lovely," Romaine said softly when the tune finished.

"Too early to put in on the mantelpiece?"

He shook his head. "Not at all."