It starts to smell like cold. Every song on the radio has jingling bells in the background. A rousing excitement grows with every day against a background of scents of pine, gingerbread, and peppermint hot chocolate. Sometimes you can hear a violin or guitar floating to you through the snowy air, case open on the ground, full of crumpled bills because we all feel a little more generous. They’re playing a Christmas song, and even if you’ve heard this exact tune hundreds of times before, you can’t help but smile

The thrashing water sprayed up against the cliff edge, spraying the soldiers with mist as the scraping of metal sword against metal sword screamed around her. She covered her ears with her hands and looked around herself frantically for anyone who could protect her. Her own sword stayed untouched in it’s sheath.

Today I destroyed a world. It was the day of the invasion of Kragnær and I never assumed that I would be involved in violence. I prefer peaceful measures. Using threats and intimidation is generally enough to bring entire planets to their knees. But these people were brave and reckless. Their bravest warrior met me on their planet’s sacred sand fields. We fought, and of course, I won easily. I admired her methods. She was scrappy and fierce. But even such qualities stand little chance against a being like myself. I stood above her on the red sands and held my scythe to her throat. “Surrender, or your world dies.” This threat has always been effective in the past. I must admit I was not prepared to act on my word. Then she responded, her voice fiery and quiet: “Then we will die.” I picked her up then, and pulled her away from her earth. Then I snapped my fingers and her world dissolved. I wasn’t even sure it would work. I had never before attempted such a feat. I watched as she looked on with solemn sorrow, and then she turned to me. “End it.” So I killed her. And I cried as I watched her dissolve like her world.