Multiplying Elves Part 3

Noel floated higher and higher until her back bumped the high ceiling. Then she felt odd again.

"My head! It feels like it's being squeezed!" She watched as her elf friends' faces formed shock as her body shrunk to the size of a small bug. She still felt the upward pull, and soon she was floating right through the cracks in the wooden ceiling and through the wall.

She called out to her friends, but her voice was too small. Up, up she went, until she came through the cracks of the wooden floor of...Santa's room!

She clamped her hands over her mouth, even though he couldn't possibly hear her screams. He was sitting by a candle lantern in his red pajamas reading a book.

Noel's floating slowed. She squinted her eyes and urged her body to fly away from Santa. If he simply looked up, he'd see her. She even held her breath.

Then his deep, jolly voice said, "I supposed I should have invited you sooner, Noel."

Her floating stopped and she hovered in the air in front of Santa's face. He closed his book and looked at her.

"You look different, more like a fairy than an elf. Did you get into my magic powder?"

Noel squeaked out, "No, Santa!"

He put his finger on his nose and winked at her. "I imagine you're over-working yourself again this year. And a friend thought you could use some of my powder so that you could take a break. But you see, this powder makes what you most want to happen, happen. So you must really have wanted to see me."

Noel thought about that, figuring it was true. She hung her floating head in shame.

Santa said, "You know, the effects of the powder last for a whole day. Now that you've seen me, what will you do next?"

"I'll work even harder," she said. "I'll make the best dolls and doll clothes ever."

"But what about your friends?"

"I'm sorry, Santa, we never should have gotten into your powder."

He crossed a large leg over the other. "I'll tell you what. My window is open, float out there and take a look around. You spend too much time in the workshop. I officially command you to take a day off and enjoy yourself with your friends."

Noel's eyes grew huge. She really did want that.

"But what about the toys that need to get made?"

"They'll get made in time. They always do." He smiled at her. "Now go, through the window, and don't tell about what my powder really does. You are taking a vacation with your friends."

Noel smiled back at him, feeling warm and loved. "Thank you, Santa." She looked at the window and willed herself to fly through it. Into the cold night air and out over the snow. Floating on her back looking at millions of sparkling stars. Dolls' dresses went out of her mind.

She heard her friends after some time. They were back at the workshop. The man himself had given her a command, and she better do what he says, she thought with a grin.

She floated to the window and peeked in. They looked worried, sitting in a circle on the floor. Noel had a sudden thought, and that thought turned into a wish, and suddenly...the room was filled with duplicates of all her elf friends! There must have been twenty of them, all staring around in confusion. She felt her body get big again and she stood on the snow, laughing at them through the window.

They all ran outside, questions and exclamations flying just like Noel had done. "Now," she said to them, "we can all play for one whole day, that's what I want most. Let's go play in the snow, then to the toyshop!"

A cheer rose in the air. They didn't care how it had happened, but the group of elves ran off into the snow to be as wild as the night allowed.