Christmas Ghost Story, adult runner-up: Christmas Wishes

Snow fell softly. The station, lit by a huge tree covered in sparkling lights, was filled with people rushing, all in a hurry to reach their final destination before the trains stopped for the festive season.

Isabella yanked her small case across the platform. Her heart sank at the thought of three days back home in the middle of nowhere, with a grieving mother, who no doubt was feeling the loss of her husband more acutely than ever at this festive time. Isabella missed her dad more than ever and just wished she could go back and have one more Christmas with him. But it was not to be.

Wearily she boarded the waiting train, noticing in passing it was one of the really old fashioned types, with individual compartments and one long corridor. Must be using old stock to keep up with demand over Christmas, she thought.

Fortunately the train did not seem busy and Isabella was the only person in her compartment, so she snuggled down in the corner and wrapped her coat around her to keep extra warm and comfy. The train set off with a bit of a jerk and Isabella dozed as the world rushed by,

Christmas streets, brightly lit rooms, snow covered buildings and finally fields and fields, deep with a snow carpet, that made the trees and hedges seem like they were part of another place and time.

The train slowed as they passed through tiny stations going deeper in to the countryside where even the air seemed stiller. The lights kept flickering and as they rushed into a tunnel, Isabella started worrying that the bad weather might mean they did not arrive. Thankfully the train emerged slowly into the night, but they had begun to travel at a snail’s pace. Suddenly the train brakes screeched and they pulled up sharply at a tiny station, with just one light on.

In the darkness it looked as if there were flowers in the hanging baskets and flower beds, but of course they must be artificial, as nothing could survive outside in this freezing weather.

Isabella stood up and peered through the dirty window. She walked along to the door to check if it was her station, but no, it was not. She could just make out a family of three sitting on a bench under the station light. A mother, father and a little dark haired girl, dressed in a red coat and flowery dress. The father was a big man, in rough army clothes and boots in camouflage colours. With a shock, Isabella realised he was carrying a gun. He must be some sort of soldier she thought, then saw him hugging the little girl tightly, with such tenderness. ‘Just like my dad used to hug me when I was little,’ and her heart pulled for just a moment. ‘I wish my mum and I could hug like that,’ she thought and determined to make sure that this Christmas they would hug each other. As she watched, the father reached into his jacket and pulled out a small beautifully dressed dolly, all in red, and with a huge hug and a kiss gave it to the little girl. ’Just like the dolly I used to have that my daddy gave me,’ Isabella breathed. ‘Oh dad, how I miss you.’

For a moment the family clung together and then the mother and child moved to pick up several bags and get on the train. The mother was in a rush and tears were pouring down her cheeks. The little girl was stretching her arms to her daddy and as her mother hustled her onto the train, Isabella saw she had dropped the beautiful doll on to the platform.

Quick as a flash, Isabella pushed open the door, picked up the dolly and jumped back on the train.

Within a moment, the train had moved on, leaving the soldier all alone, waving sadly to his family.

Isabella was determined to get the dolly to the little girl. Up and down the corridors she walked from one end of the train to the other but the mother and little girl seem to have vanished. Defeated she put the beautiful dolly in her pocket. The train sped on through the night and Isabella reached her destination quickly. There was no one on her station to give the lost dolly to, so she decided to take it home and sort it out after Christmas.

The silence of the fields and trees filled her with a solemn peace as she trudged up the lane to her parent’s cottage. As she walked up the pathway she was surprised to see a sparkling Christmas tree and lights. She had not expected to see decorations this year especially so soon after her father’s passing. She knocked very gently, unsure of how her mum would be.

Her mother opened the door quickly and put her fingers on her lips. ‘Isabella,’ she whispered, ‘I don’t know how to tell you this, but we will be sharing Christmas this year. I felt after your father died that I have lots of room and so many people have nowhere to go. So I have two refugees, a mother and daughter, staying with me. They are all alone now as the lady’s husband was killed in the fighting in the summer. So they are here to make a new life.

Come and meet them. Olga, Bella, come and meet my daughter.’

And as Isabella walked into the house, the mother from the station and the little girl with dark hair and a red flowery dress walked towards her. Isabella looked at them and thought ‘This little girl has lost a daddy too.’

She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the beautiful dolly. She held it towards the little girl who rushed towards her and hugged the dolly and Isabella. ‘Thank you’ she said.

And Isabella knew Christmas would be wonderful.