Writes of Winter Fiction Winner: A Merry Mystery
December 19, 2025
Writes of Winter - Christmas Story Contest Winner
No one knew exactly when the sleigh bells disappeared, but Holly definitely knew how Santa was feeling once the disappearance was discovered. His “Ho! Ho! Ho!” instantly turned into “Oh, no! Oh, no!!” and his jolly red cheeks were replaced by tearful red eyes.
“Those bells are a family heirloom, passed down for generations … and I use them every time I come or go when my reindeer aren’t close at hand! They’re merry and magical! Who could have taken them, and why?” Santa was slumped on a folding chair, hidden from the crowds of waiting children by a thin curtain ‘wall’.
Holly peeked through the curtains at the ever-growing crowd of kids waiting to see Santa. She hadn’t planned on ‘detective’ being one of her volunteer elf duties at the Festival of Trees, but she couldn’t just leave Santa a crying lump hiding out back behind the ‘North Pole’ with the empty boxes and pile of volunteers’ jackets, a small jingle bell collar lying haphazardly on top.
Holly crinkled her forehead, deep in thought, and started running through a list of all the places someone might take sleigh bells after stealing them: one of the stops along Candy Cane Lane, out into the area containing all of the decorated trees, to the gift shop, into the audience for the children’s choir–they might have had time to leave the building already! What if they were in the Centrium or the Chalet or even somewhere along Gaetz Avenue on the way out of town?!
As Holly turned in a slow circle trying to catch up with her thoughts, her furrowed brow unfurrowed just slightly, and then completely, as she suddenly stopped and smiled. She jogged out of Santa’s ‘house’ and called back over her shoulder, “Don’t worry, Santa! I’ll go get your bells!”
Just down the aisle and back towards the rear of the exhibition hall where the crowds were thinner and it was quieter, Holly came to a Christmas-y corral made of plastic pet fencing. The local animal shelter had set up a booth to raise money for their rescued pets by selling adorable stuffed puppies and kittens wearing Santa hats and jingle bells. Along with their human volunteers, the shelter had also brought a few of their animal ambassadors, pups who had trained to be therapy dogs and now spent hours every month in public places interacting with people who might benefit from their calming presence. All of the therapy dogs were wearing their own jingle bells, and the whole scene was one of furry festivity.
Holly walked quietly around the side of the corral to where there was a cat tower in the shape of a Christmas tree and gently slid Santa’s sleigh bells out of the topmost opening. A huge cat face poked out and stared at her. Holly gave the shelter’s longtime mascot a smile. “Sorry, pal, but Santa needs these bells more than you do–but I brought your collar back! Nice try at being extra-jingly!”