The first thing I noticed was that I was insanely cold. Looking around, I saw a small parcel lying at my feet, wrapped up like a Christmas present.

Oh the irony.

Scooping it off the snowy ground, I turned over the gold tag to reveal a neatly scrawled message.

Holly,
I’ll be back later to take care of you. Don’t wander off.
Put on the ring.

Opening the box, I found a simple silver ring, inset with something that looked like amber. It was probably some kind of horrible trap, though I decided to risk it. Slipping it on my middle finger, I instantly felt a change. The excruciatingly cold wind disappeared, and I felt myself heat up like a kettle. Instead of feeling as if my toes were about to drop off, I felt warm and cosy, like I was wrapped up in a fluffy blanket beside a roaring log fire. Scrunching the tag in my hand, I tossed it over my shoulder and started to walk away, I had no idea where I was going but there was no chance I was going to wait around here for Noel to ‘take care’ of me.

I had been walking for about two hours, according to my watch and still there was no sign of anything. Sitting down on snow-covered rock, I began to plan my revenge on Noel, that was the only thing that was kept me going, that and my determination to save Christmas. That smug git was not going to take away my favourite holiday without a fight. One of the most annoying things about being stuck wherever I was, was the fact that I was in my school uniform. It wasn’t even a cool school uniform like in the movies, trying to save the fate of Christmas in a navy blue jumper and skirt was a lot less impressive than say, Alice in Resident Evil. A floaty red dress and knee high boots would be a much better Lets-Go-Kick-Some-Scrooge-Ass outfit.

Putting my head in my hands, I wondered what I was going to do about food. Since I’d skipped breakfast this morning I was beyond ravenous, though the only thing edible around here was ice. Slushy anyone? This was so not going the way I’d planned, right now I should be preparing for my party, not hungry and alone, sitting on a rock in the middle of nowhere. I lay my head down on the snowy rock and closed my eyes, lack of sleep was making me drowsy, what I needed was nap.

“First rule of the Arctic, never fall asleep.” A raspy voice drifted into my dreams, waking me up with a start. My eyes flickered open, I was lying in some sort of cavern, jagged spikes of ice jutted out everywhere I looked. Glancing upwards I saw what had to be an elf. Wearing torn stripy tights and a ragged bell-topped hat, he looked more like an extra from ‘Lost’ than a jolly member of Santa’s workforce.