A Christmas Miracle

• Cara Koch, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2014

As Allison Fairfield walked down the aisle in the supermarket, she was thinking about Christmas because it was the next day. She also loved Christmas. Just as she walked, the lights went off. There came a voice from the end of the shop: “Sorry people for the inconvenience. We will go and check what is wrong” Allison just stood there where she was and waited.
An hour later the manager spoke again. “We are so sorry for the waiting. We just got the news that the whole country’s power is off. There was a huge snowstorm and that is the cause for the power failure. They also said that there is going to be no power when it is Christmas so that means we are not going to have a colourful Christmas.” As Allison was hearing the managers’ footsteps becoming softer and softer it also occurred to her that there is going to be no Christmas. This is so bad... Allison thought to herself. Again the manager spoke. “We have been notified that everyone in the shop must come to the panic room. If you are in the aisle where there are candles and matches, please get a trolley and throw them all. Allison remembered that the aisle with the candles and matches are in the aisle next to her. So she got a trolley and filled it up. She walked down the aisle to go to the panic room. As she walked in the panic room she told the manager that she got candles and she started lighting them up. Soon she could see all the people in the room and she could also see that the room is really big. The manager then talked again: “My assistant just told me that nobody will be able to go home because all the doors are blocked with snow and that the windows are jammed. I am so sorry but nobody will be able to go home.” Allison immediately called her mother and told her the news but her mother told her that she should just remain calm. Anything can happen.
Three hours passed by. Allison looked on her phone. 22:45.This is so going to be the worst Christmas. She’s just going to be stuck in a grocery store for more than three days and she won’t be able to spend this time with her family. One hour passed by. It feels like the time just doesn't want to get move on. 23:45. Suddenly a woman starts singing Christmas carol. Soon everybody sing along. When it was five seconds until Christmas, they sang “Holy is the child that has been born”. When the clock struck 12 O’clock, the lights went on and the manager said: “We just got news that it is safe to go outside and the main door is open. Merry Christmas!!” Allison thought: “A Christmas Miracle.