When little Sophie decided to wait for the arrival of Santa in her living room while everyone else in the house was asleep, she did not expect to see a dozen tiny green elves emerging from the chimney. She was hiding under the cozy white fur blanket on the large sofa in front of the fireplace, looking at their beautiful Christmas tree in the middle of the room, lavishly decorated and highlighted by the colorful illumination. She had placed a small platter with cookies and a glass of milk under the tree, expecting to offer this to Santa and his reindeer when they’d arrive.
Sophie thought about herself as a big, responsible, and smart girl. She was one of the best students at school; she always helped her parents take care of her baby brother Max and always did her chores. Sophie had turned nine two weeks ago and decided it was about time to finally meet Santa. It is not that she believed in magic; Sophie has stopped watching cartoons about princesses and playing with her toy unicorns a long time ago. She suspected, however, that there was a mystery around Santa, a secret her parents were not telling her about. There must be a trick, she’d told herself, learning it was a part of growing up.
So, she had established her observation point on the sofa and was waiting patiently when Santa would emerge from the chimney, announcing his arrival with a jolly “Ho! Ho! Ho!” Sophie would rush to meet him, give him a hug, help him place the gifts under the tree. Then they’d share Christmas cookies, and she’d ask him to reveal the secret to her. Sophie was anxious and brimming with anticipation, looking at the clock and counting the minutes until midnight.
Finally, the numbers on the clock signaled 12:01, glowing with their cheerful red neon light, and the chimney came alive. However, instead of Santa, twelve little green elves appeared before Sophie, to her utmost surprise. Bewildered, she tried not to move under her blanket, observing, hoping they would not notice her. Surely Santa was right behind them, she thought. The elves did not look like they were usually portrayed in books or cartoons. They had an egg-shaped body on top of eight spider legs, with a cylindrical protrusion on top. It looked like a head with several eyes of different colors and antennas of various lengths. Mesmerized, Sophie watched them crawl from the chimney’s belly into the room.
In the meantime, the elves, scattering around the living room, placed tiny colorful dots in several places. Others produced boxes wrapped in gift paper, seemingly out of nowhere. Sophie gasped when one of the elves grabbed Christmas cookies with two of his spider legs and inserted the cookies into the keyhole appearing on top of his body. Another elf immersed his leg inside the glass with milk and slowly imbibed the liquid. This was the secret, Sophie realized. How silly it was to believe Santa could come to every house and bring the gifts to the kids all over the world at the same time (even considering different time zones, which she was proud of learning of recently). Of course, it was impossible. He did not need to do it; Santa had an army of elves who could do it on his behalf. The remaining question, still unclear to her, was how. Why would they come through the chimney? What is so special about it? And how would they travel from the North Pole to get to her fireplace?
Thus, thinking about what it all meant, Sophie witnessed the elves finishing their business and disappearing into the chimney one by one. Suddenly, seeing the last elf getting out of her sight and, propelled by curiosity and desire to learn, she jumped out of her hideout and ran towards the chimney. Sophie noticed a faint blue light surrounding the fireplace as she got closer. She extended her right hand and put the fingers inside. As they disappeared behind the blue light curtain, Sophie felt as if she was touching a very soft jelly. This experience was accompanied by a slight tingling sensation in her fingertips. Nothing bad happened, though. Emboldened, she felt the blue light with her other hand and immersed both arms inside the chimney. Still nothing.
Sophie thought of herself as a very brave girl. Once, she had to defend their puppy pug, Possum, on a stroll in the park against two large and ferocious bulldogs. The encounter ended with the other dogs running away, tails behind their legs. Telling herself she needed to learn the whole secret, Sophie stuck her head and squeezed her body into the blue jelly.
Inside, it was warm and quiet. She could not see the chimney walls, only the soft, blue light surrounding her. Sophie felt a slight tingling sensation in her fingertips and her toes. The moment she entered the blue, her body had lost its weight. Sophie imagined herself floating in a gentle, peaceful river. She could breathe without any difficulty and control her body movements as if she was swimming. A little scared but driven further by curiosity, Sophie pushed forward. After all, this was the path the elves had opened, and the elves were Santa’s little helpers. There was nothing to be afraid of.
Pushing herself further and further into the blue, Sophie noticed a change in her surroundings. Now she could clearly see she was in a tunnel; the walls were glowing purple through the blue substance filling the space she was swimming through. Sophie extended her hand in the direction of the purple and felt a soft push back as if she’d touched rubber. Nevertheless, Sophie was determined to find out what was on the other end of the tunnel, so she kept swimming as fast as she could. The elves were probably just a little ahead of her.
Eventually, the tunnel became smaller, and the walls moved closer. Black veins appeared within the texture of the purple. Undeterred, Sophie advanced until the black veins turned into spider webs stretching across the tunnel. Sophie’s hand met with a thin thread, which broke without much effort. However, as she progressed, the spider webs became thicker and denser, so she had to spend a considerable amount of time and energy clearing the path in front of her. “The elves were able to pass through; I can do that!” Sophie told herself. She destroyed the dark fabric in front of her, which now felt more like synthetic material than the spider web. Sophie did not want to turn back; she figured the journey’s end must be very close. Just a few more pushes and she would meet Santa.
But the black stuff around her grew thicker and thicker. It almost appeared as if it had fought back angrily whenever Sophie had torn it apart; the material was stronger and more stubborn. She also noticed it was sprouting tiny tentacles and reconnecting in places where she’d created a hole or an opening. Suddenly, the black fabric was all around her. Sophie was scared; she imagined the darkness was about to devour her. She felt very lonely, Santa was nowhere in sight at the end of the tunnel, and her family and friends were far away at the very beginning of her path. Sophie was lost and forgotten in the middle of this passageway going nowhere. She was ready to give up, turn around, muster all the remaining strength, and swim back.
But then Sophie thought about her family. About her parents, about Max and Possum. She remembered why she’d decided to start on this journey in the first place: discovering a secret, finding a path to Santa, proving out she was brave and capable of completing the trial. Sophie knew she needed to grow up, become wiser and stronger, and be a big sister for little Max and a caring companion for her furry friend. This was a test: was her love strong enough to dispel the darkness around her? No, she had to fight and finish the journey. There would be many more difficult situations in the future, and she had to learn how to stand her ground, protect her family, and be the best she could be. With these thoughts, summoning the images of her loved ones, remembering all the good times, laughs, and moments of joy, Sophie closed her eyes, tightened her lips, and rushed forward. With frenzy, she tore apart pieces of black material, not letting it join back, determined to move forward, whatever it takes.
Completely exhausted, out of breath, her heart pounding in her chest, she thought there was no way out of this thicket. Nevertheless, Sophie extended her hands with one final burst of energy. To her astonishment and relief, she did not meet any resistance. Sophie opened her eyes: the path in front of her was clear, illuminated with soft blue shimmer. There was no sight of black fabric, dark spider webs, or even purple walls. She looked back and saw the same picture. There was no trace of the darkness she was so bravely fighting with, not even a piece of texture floating around. Was it all a dream? Did she imagine swimming through the thickets and struggling with the black spider webs? No, it was real, it had to be, Sophie told herself. It was all part of the trial, part of the journey to Santa that only the bravest and most determined kids could complete.
After a few energetic strokes, Sophie emerged out of the blue. The view that opened up in front of her was breathtaking. Deep, bottomless sky, with stars glowing majestically all around her. A small icy platform underneath was connected to the tunnel by what appeared to be a slide covered with snow. This was the North Pole! Sophie triumphantly raised her fist in the air. Yet, it was not cold; she felt wonderful and comfortable. She looked at the stars above her head and smiled from ear to ear. She made it! Still smiling, Sophie slid down.
From where she landed, the platform appeared to be a lot larger than from above. The slide and the entrance to the tunnel were very far above her head; it seemed impossible that she had just descended down from there. Sophie looked around. There was a vibrant glow where the platform’s edge met the starry sky. The ground was covered with what Sophie first thought was snow, but the substance was warm and fluffy and did not melt on her hands. Perplexed, she made a few steps forward, and this is when she saw the elves. They appeared abruptly, out of nowhere. The space was empty the moment before, and now it was filled with a dozen green spider-like creatures. They surrounded Sophie, moving in circles and making strange clinking sounds.
“Hi, very nice to meet you!” Sophie greeted them with a smile. “Could you please show me the way to Santa? I followed you through the tunnel with those awful spider webs. I am so happy to be here!” she exclaimed.
The elves did not respond; they continued their dance around the sudden intruder. Then, very rapidly, they all hastened to one side and disappeared without a trace. Sophie blinked and rubbed her eyes. It was bizarre. Why would the elves do such a thing? Did they go to announce her to Santa?
Shaking her head, Sophie started walking. She did not know where she needed to go. In this featureless plain, all directions seemed the same. Finally, Sophie decided she needed to stay on a straight path. It was easy to do: her steps left very clear imprints on the white substance covering the ground.
After about two hundred steps, Sophie observed a mountain emerging on the horizon.
“Now, this is interesting,” she murmured. As Sophie came closer, the mountain took a more distinct shape. Sophie was dumbfounded: it appeared to be a giant animal. Like the elves, the animal was green in color, but it was a lot bigger. Nevertheless, Sophie could clearly identify four strong legs, a massive torso, and a long neck with an imposing head, crowned by spectacular antlers. The antlers were thick at the base, splitting into smaller and smaller branches as the whole structure ascended higher and higher until the countless multitude of tiny offshoots merged with a glittering sky.
“This is Rudolph…” Sophie gasped. “Hi, Rudolph! Is Santa around?” she screamed.
The reindeer did not answer. Instead, two little lights appeared on its head and started growing, becoming brighter and closer as Sophie watched in awe. Finally, she realized the lights were flying through the air towards her, like two mysterious fireflies. When they reached Sophie, the fireflies fell on the ground and transformed into two pillars. The triangular obelisks were made of the same blue substance as the tunnel she had emerged from and were rising up into the sky, disappearing somewhere beyond the stars. Sophie found herself standing between the two columns, and the space in front of her was glowing blue, just like the chimney entrance not so long ago. Sophie understood this as an invitation, but she was afraid to face the horrible spider webs again. Sophie reminded herself she had to be brave; she’d come all the way here to the North Pole, now was not the time to turn back. With these thoughts, Sophie took a step forward into the blue barrier, which enveloped her in a welcoming hug. This time, there was no tunnel. Instead, she immediately found herself on top of the mountain, above the calm surface of the ocean, peppered here and there by ice floes.
Sophie turned around. The blue barrier had disappeared. Instead, the glistering sky above her head highlighted the horizon with a version of the Northern Lights. Suddenly, a fiery ball appeared in the air in front of her. At first, it was minuscule and dark red in color, then grew in size, turning more yellowish. Finally, when the transformation had stopped, the shape reminded Sophie of an enormous floating pumpkin.
“Greetings, child,” Sophie heard a deep, low, cracking voice originating from within the pumpkin.
“Good day, Mr. Pumpkin,” Sophie responded. She did not know how to address her mysterious host, so Mr. Pumpkin had to suffice.
“What is…your name…child?” The voice was continuously changing its tone and volume. Sophie had a bizarre feeling that she was listening to one of those old damaged vinyl records her grandpa had shown her.
“My name is Sophie. What is yours? Is it Mr. Pumpkin? Are you Santa?”
“Where are…you from? What…time?” The cracking voice continued, ignoring her questions.
“Well, I am from the town of Penumbra; it is in Texas.” She spoke with pride, remembering her family, neighbors, friends, and school. “And time? Not sure what you mean. It is Christmas time. This is why I am here; I followed your elves!”
“What…year…century?”
“Why, it is 2021!” Sophie exclaimed. She had learned about the calendars, eras, and chronology at school and was ready to impress Mr. Pumpkin.
“Wait…” the pumpkin in front of her started to change again. In a few seconds, it turned into the head of a beautiful young woman, glowing with soft blue light, her radiant eyes looking straight into Sophie’s.
“This is quite astonishing,” the head of the young woman said with a gentle, pleasant voice.
“Who are you? Are you Santa? Where am I?” Sophie blurted out.
“Welcome to the end of time, Sophie from Penumbra, Texas, the year 2021.” The woman answered. “You can call me Mary. But, yes, you can also think about me as Santa…in a way.”
“The end of time? Is this North Pole? I followed your elves to get here – they are your elves, right? Was it Rudolph I saw before? He is a giant, a mountain, really!” Sophie was excited; she had so many questions to ask.
“Rudolph? Ah, you mean the reindeer…yes, it is my means of transportation.” The woman said. “And the elves? What are you talking about?”
“They are green and have eight legs, and they move like spiders. I’ve seen them coming out of my chimney and followed them to get here.”
“Ah, yes, of course. These are the bots. They can move through space-time. But, please, sit. We have things to talk about.” The woman blinked, and Sophie observed a large white sofa appearing next to her. Sophie sat down. It was warm, cozy, and very peaceful as if a gentle giant held her tightly in his protective embrace.
“What is your favorite drink? Snack?” The woman asked.
“Well, I really like root beer, but not too sweet. And a multi-colored, strawberry-flavored lollipop would be nice!”
Later, sitting on a comfy sofa and enjoying her drink and a lollipop, Sophie listened, eyes wide open, to the incredible story the head of a young woman told her. This was indeed a secret she wanted to learn so desperately and which was worth the terrifying journey through the black spider webs.
To begin with, this was indeed the end of time. The future so distant from the age Sophie came from she did not remember exactly how many million (or billion?) years into the future it was. The humans had evolved into such a state they did not need physical bodies. Instead, they existed as pure souls or spirits (or was it pure information? Sophie did not understand the description very well), merged with the fabric of the Universe. Unfortunately, while undergoing this change, they’d lost the ability to experience any feelings. They’d also discovered how to govern space and time. They could send their “bots,” as Mary called the elves, almost anywhere and to any time. However, there were rules around these travels Mary could not quite explain to a child from the twenty-first century.
The details about the distant future did not interest Sophie. She came here to learn the secret about Santa, and this was the most exciting part of Mary’s story. The reason this place was called “the end of time” was what Mary called the “dark energy.” This mysterious substance was tearing the Universe apart, introducing chaos, and leading to a state where no order and no further change was possible. The death of the planets, stars, and galaxies; of time itself. Humans tried to fight this process and were able to slow it down, but all attempts to reverse the trend had failed. Eventually, they’d found the element that had the power to resist the advance of dark energy. Ironically, it had turned out to be the portion of the human nature they’d lost on their part to spiritual existence: their emotions. Specifically, joy and happiness. Unable to generate these feelings themselves, the humans of this distant future had turned to the past, to the times long gone, such as where Sophie had come from. They were sending the elves back in time to create the miracles of Christmas, bring presents to good girls and boys, and gather the emotions of joy and happiness to battle the dark energy. The people of the future and their bots were the collective Santa.
Sophie could not believe her ears. This was so awesome, so amazing, so unexpected, she thought nobody would ever believe her. There was one question, though, that she had to clarify.
“Are there any other children who’ve made it to here?” she asked her hostess.
“No, Sophie. You are the first.”
“Me? The first? Am I a super girl like you? I can do anything I want!” Sophie was so proud of herself she started rubbing her hands, a happy smile on her face.
“This is what I wanted to ask you, actually. I do not understand how it was possible.” Mary looked at the kid. “You see, a journey through space-time is full of danger; dark energy is ripping it apart. These black spider webs you mentioned are a manifestation of these evil forces. The bots generate a strong field, a cocoon, around themselves, which allows them to pass. This cocoon is tiny, though. Unfortunately, a human can’t travel through the tunnel without being destroyed by chaos. What did you do? Can you describe your experience?”
“I did not really do anything special…I knew I wanted to get to the other end; I tried my hardest to fight the black stuff. I told myself I am strong, and I can do it, that’s all.”
“Are you sure? Did you have any special devices with you? Field generators?”
“Well, we have a generator in our garage, but it is too big, it would not fit into the chimney…and I did not have time to take anything with me, I did not want to wake up my parents and little Max.”
“What else could it be then?”
“Wait…I remember, when it was very dark in the tunnel, and the spider webs were trying to grow back all around me, I thought about my family and friends. I thought about Max and Possum, how much I love them, and how I need to finish this for them to tell them the true story of Santa.”
“Love? Did you say, love? What is love?”
“Oh my gosh, you don’t know what love is?” Sophie leaned forward, placing her hands to her chest, eyes open wide.
“No, Sophie. Is this some kind of emotion?”
“It is when you care about someone…when there is nothing in the whole wide world more important…when you want to give them hugs and kisses, play with them all day long, share lollipops with them.”
“How very amusing…you were able to do something no one else could. Not even people at the end of time, with all our science and technology, being one with the Universe.” Mary looked at Sophie, studying the girl. “You see, dark energy fills the space behind you as you travel through space-time. This is what usually happens when the bots go back and forth. You, however, created a permanent path, clean of dark energy, somehow shielded from its deteriorating effects forever. And you did it with the power of…love?”
“Oh, don’t you have anyone to love, Mary?” Sophie said, extending her hand, trying to caress the blue face hanging in the air.
“I don’t know what it means. Remember, I cannot experience any emotions.”
“Then you need to get back with me. I will show you!” Sophie exclaimed, stood up, waved her hand, and started walking decisively back towards the blue barrier.
“Wait, Sophie. I can’t travel back with you.”
“Nincompoops!” Sophie brushed away the objection. “You just said it yourself: I created a path permanently free of the ugly yuck. This means you could come. Come on! You will learn what love is, defeat the evil chaos, and save the future!”
Mary’s face flickered, changing colors from blue to purple to red, then back to blue. Sophie looked up the starry sky, far ahead at the glowing horizon, down at the ocean with its ice flues. To her amazement, one of the flues turned around. Its downside was green, with many little red lights running around its edges. It reminded Sophie of a giant floating Christmas decoration. She enjoyed being at the end of times: it was solemn, peaceful, quiet. But she also knew she needed to get back to tell everyone about her mysterious journey.
“I am ready,” Mary said. “I am not sure this will work, but it is worth a try.”
Sophie looked at the blue face in front of her. Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with doubts.
“Are you going to show up like this? The face hanging in the air is a little scary. Little Max will cry, and Possum will bark at you. Can you do something about it? Change how you look?”
“Of course, Sophie. I can re-arrange the matter in any way and present myself to you differently.”
“Hooray!” Sophie shouted. “I know! You should appear as Santa! And I will introduce you to my parents and my friends! And then we will unpack the presents together, drink cinnamon tee and hot cocoa, and we will tell you what love is!” Sophie was jumping and squeaking with excitement.
“I can do that. But only after we arrive at the other end, back into your home.”
“Sweet!” Sophie exclaimed. She followed Mary’s face through the blue screen, observing a familiar landscape with a giant reindeer shape towering above the featureless plain. Mary was no longer a face; she had turned into a glowing red ball flying through the air, highlighting the path for Sophie to follow. Sophie thought about everything that had happened on that Christmas night: little green elves, her miraculous journey to the end of time, fight with the dark stuff in the tunnel, her new friend Mary (Sophie reminded herself to call her Santa from now on), who did not know what love was, and the exciting prospect of introducing Santa to her family and friends. But such was the magic of Christmas: during this wonderful season, full of joy and happiness, love had the power to transcend space and time and defeat the forces of chaos devouring the Universe. This was the big secret the little girl named Sophie had learned that night.
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