Free Santa's Newest Reindeer by Denis Trom

if boys and
    girls have been naughty or nice?”
    “Huh?” Ellie and Will said in unison, bewildered by what
    they were seeing and hearing.
    “I’ll let you in on a little secret. We travel everywhere—all
    around the world—making a list and checking it twice Then we
    send our report to Mrs. Claus at Santa’s Village at the North
    Pole. She compiles a lengthy list of those boys and girls whose
    houses Santa Claus will visit on Christmas Eve. Now you are
    sworn to secrecy, forever! Plus, there are more secrets I will share with you later. But, we must go.” He waved his index finger back
    and forth in their faces. “Ha, ha, ha! Ho, ho, ho! Oh what fun!”
    The twins were no longer afraid of the elf. What he said
    made sense, for they had listened to their parents and grand-
    parents read about Santa and all his little helper elves. After all,
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    grandparents could be trusted, and if they said Santa and the
    elves were real, who were they to question Gramps and Grams?
    Ellie and Will knew, deep within their hearts, that Santa existed because they believed in Santa Claus, and they were afraid that
    Santa might not visit their home if they doubted his existence.
    So they were more than wil ing to accept this short person,
    known as Jeepers Creepers, was a real, live elf. They needed all
    the help they could get.
    “Jeepers, you know what has happened to our Christmas
    and New Year’s celebration in Holly Valley. Does Santa know?”
    Ellie’s green eyes began tearing up as she studied the elf ’s face.
    “Yes, he does, and he has directed me to take both of you to
    the North Pole to see what we can do about it. We need to hurry,
    as we are wasting darkness, and we do not have much time.” He
    pointed to the garage door, and it magically opened without
    any visible means of assistance. They pushed the snowmobile
    and cargo snow sled back into the garage. Magically, the two
    units seemed to float back into the garage without their help.
    “Grab your backpacks! That’s all you’ll need. Come,” he com-
    manded with a direct voice, and they obeyed.
    The trio stepped into the starry night. As quickly as they
    lifted one of their boots, the swirling snow devils filled their
    footprints. The gusty winds aided and abetted their staggers. As
    they neared the street, Jeepers waved his left hand in a circular motion over his head, and the overhead garage door closed. It
    was a moment of blind trust for the twins. Fear told them to
    turn back, but courage won the debate. They paused in their
    tracks for one more glance back at their house. It looked so
    warm and safe. They were leaving all they knew for the unknown.
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    Would they ever see their dad, mom, and grandparents again?
    Tears froze instantly on their cheeks.
    A wise man taught me that fear is for cowards . . . With those words echoing in her head, Ellie grabbed Will by the elbow,
    gaining his attention.
    “Believe! Believe in what we are going to do! Believe in
    each other!”
    Without warning, a whirling snow devil lifted them off their
    feet, propelling them faster than their legs could run. Regaining their balance, they latched onto each other’s hand and trudged
    forward to catch up with the trusted elf.
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Chapter
eleven
    Ellie and Will had never seen such a unique celestial chariot.
    It was a combination luge, bobsled, and Iditarod trail dog sled
    molded in the form of a sleek cutter. Living in Idaho, they
    had seen similar sleds being towed through Holly Valley many
    times. Holly Valley was the trailhead for those hardy souls who
    loved outdoor activities, like cross-country skiing, snowmo-
    biling, snowshoeing, skating, and dogsledding. The towering
    mountain range west of the Valley was a training site for some
    of the United States Olympic winter sport athletes, especially
    downhill skiing, jumping, mogul runs, and bobsledding. Several
    Olympic stars returned to the Valley after