Free Reindeer Games by Jet Mykles

handlers moved forward as the next four
    backed into place. Lon was normally fixated on Dasher, as this was usually the
    closest he could be to the lead reindeer, but this time he tried to catch glimpses of
    Dancer. Trouble was, Dasher was so big that Lon couldn’t see much of the reindeer
    on his other side. Concerned by his wandering imagination, Lon tried to concentrate
    on his work. His fingers ran though Dasher’s soft fur, but it didn’t give him the
    same pleasure as usual. He finished his task and left Dasher’s side without
    lingering. He was done in time to be one of the pair of handlers who strapped in
    Rudolph.
    Once the handlers finished their tasks, everyone stepped back. The sleigh was
    packed high with the magical bags that held far more than they looked like they
    could. Santa sat in his—one must always think and speak of Santa as “he” when in
    that form—seat, looking over the special computer mounted before him that
    dictated the schedule for the night and told him which toys went to which house. He
    tested the headset that allowed him to communicate with Rudolph, and the guiding
    reindeer nodded in response. The reindeer pranced in place and tossed their heads.
    Rudolph lifted her head—unlike Santa, the reindeer didn’t change sex when they
    shifted—and a neon red washed the inside of the barn as she tested her nose.
    “All in place?” Santa called.
    “Yes, Santa,” chanted the handlers. The reindeer all nodded broadly.
    If Lon didn’t miss his guess, Dancer’s big brown eyes found him and the
    reindeer winked.
    “Ho ho ho!” Santa picked up the reins and shook them lightly. “Let’s get this
    show on the road.”
    At the end of the barn, two handlers swung open the main doors. A sharp
    almost-bark came from Dasher, and the reindeer all moved in a synchronized wave.
    Slow at first, they quickly picked up speed to trot the sleigh into the gently drifting
    snow outside. Lon and his coworkers followed, watching as a thin shimmer of magic
    built around the sleigh. The trot increased into a canter, taking them across the

    Reindeer Games

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    wide-open meadow and through a gradual turn that aimed them toward the beacon
    of the North Star. Even if the star couldn’t be seen, the reindeer could feel it, that
    part of their magic better than any of the humans’ GPS systems. Rudolph’s hooves
    were the first to set in the air, but the reindeer behind her were soon to follow. Up
    they went at a gradual angle, then at greater speed as they gained altitude.
    Rudolph’s nose blared to life as the sleigh and its galloping chargers became mere
    silhouettes in the gentle snowfall. The snow didn’t allow a good view, but a distant
    pop and the abrupt disappearance of the red beacon were signs that the realm and
    time jump was complete.
    Lon stared long after they were gone, long after he was all alone in the snow.
    Something had changed tonight. Something in him.
    He was beginning to come to terms with what that was.

    58
    Jet Mykles

    Chapter Nine

    It had never really occurred to Lon before how hectic Fifth Nights were.
    Because Sixth Day was a day to be lazy and sleep in, Fifth Nights were usually a
    time of late-night parties. More people came to the barn on Fifth Night to meet the
    sleigh when it returned and see what the reindeer decided to do that night. Only
    two of the reindeer were in anything that could resemble a relationship, so many
    extra people came to the barn in hopes of catching the eye of someone important.
    With half of his attention, Lon did his job. The other half, however, was
    focused on Wod. He’d done a lot of thinking during the hours the sleigh was gone
    and had come to the conclusion that he was being ridiculous. Rom barely even
    noticed him, but Wod actually talked to him. Wod had taken care of him, regardless
    of the fact that they didn’t have sex. That had to mean something. Perhaps Lon’s
    feelings toward Wod weren’t quite the same as those he had for