The Year Santa Disappeared
Crowley, TX
2022, Junior, Creative Writing
Are you under the impression that your parents are the ones getting you Christmas presents? Do you think Santa Claus is just for babies; he’s fake? Well, I did, too. I mean, doesn’t it sound silly? There’s a big, jolly guy squeezing down your chimney to deliver you presents in the middle of the night and gaining nothing from it. That’s just ridiculous! Except, it’s not, and everyone became aware of that on Christmas in 2028.
It felt like every other year. We were all excited for presents. The parents were relaxing. The kids were pretending to be asleep. The nonbelievers were ignorantly actually sleeping. Everyone thought the next day would be a good Christmas, like the other years, with presents, food, festivities, and more. What we woke up to the next day was not what we expected.
The trees were exactly as we’d left them the night before, but… where were all the presents? Did Santa even come? Was everyone naughty that year, and if so, where was the coal? It was a huge mystery!
Where the presents should’ve been, there was an envelope titled, “From Santa.” He definitely had some explaining to do! Where were all of our presents?
Dear gift receivers,
My apologies, everyone. I couldn’t deliver your presents this year, and I won’t be able to for a while. You see, I live in the North Pole (or at least I did), but it’s been getting increasingly harder to stay. The very ground I once stood on is disappearing. Soon enough, the factory will be gone. There’s no way I’ll be able to make toys. The elves… Oh, deer. The poor elves! Things already aren’t so jolly for them. The ice is becoming so scarce that we’re becoming a bit claustrophobic. I’d hate to make you all feel bad, but I must tell you that it’s your own fault I won’t be the one delivering presents anymore. You’ve been warming up the atmosphere so much that the ice is melting. It’s snow joke! Ho, ho, ho! Needless to sleigh, I won’t be flying around for a while. Although, perhaps if somehow this problem is fixed, I could come back. If only time travel existed… But I’m sure you’ll find some way around it. For example, maybe try to use renewable resources. I hear those solar panels are mighty popular nowadays. All that coal was a bad idea (especially giving it to the naughty ones). Toss the cars aside, and start getting around by icicle. Oh, I meant by bicycle. And stop wasting water. That takes up a lot of energy, and energy uses fossil fuels, which are bad for the environment (especially mine). Take these to heart. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll come back!
Warm regards (but hopefully, not actual warmth),
Santa Claus
Reflection
Reflection
The inspiration section of Bow Seat's website was really helpful to me. Specifically, I was inspired by the art that showed animals like penguins and polar bears with luggage. It made me think of the North Pole. Who lives in the North Pole? Santa! I thought it would be funny to write from the point-of-view of Santa because if he were real, he'd be having a hard time, too. I also wanted to use puns because as funny as Santa might be, it's hard to make climate change laughable. As I was writing, I realized how truly concerning climate change is. While I was researching, I found that every little thing counts. Our decisions are important from how long we're in the shower to what vehicle we get around in.