Father Christmas, I’m Gonna Catch You!

• Ashton Camilleri, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2015

“Aaahhh!!!” Arno screamed as he fell off the Eiffel Tower. “Why am I doing this! ” He thought to himself.

”Dong!” the town bell rang it was now midnight and the snow was getting heavier by the minute pushing him faster down to solid ground. Well it is Christmas Eve, he thought to himself, as he got covered in thick lumpy snow while he descended down the Eiffel Tower.

Arno suddenly stopped in mid air and began to fall slower. “Wait, what? Why am I slowing down? I am supposed to be bungee jumping!” Arno crosses his arms annoyed that he got ripped off. Of all places to land, Arno slowly descends down into the fireplace of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Everyone in the room was speechless and stared at him angrily for interrupting their midnight mass. Arno scanned the crowd, ”oh no,” Arno muttered to himself, while trembling in fear.

“Arno Lore´Dorian! What in the lords name are you doing?!”

“Oh no, it’s mom!” Arno thought to himself frightened. Arno’s mother marched angrily down the pews of the cathedral and with a single movement, twists Arno's ear and pulls him back to her seat. ”Ow! … Ow! … Ow!” Arno screamed. They sat down in their seats. Awfully embarrassed, Arno’s mother turns and angrily says to her son, ”Just wait till you get home…”

Later at home, mum brought out the Yule´ log which the whole family enjoyed, placing the last piece in the fridge while Arno and the rest of the family went to bed. After everyone was asleep Arno went down stairs to set traps for Father Christmas.

Arno goes to bed and patiently waited for Father Christmas. At 1:37 am, Arno got up because he heard footsteps. Arno started to open the door … “SNAP!”

When Arno went downstairs to investigate, he found out it was …”Dad?” Arno said surprised that his dad was sneaking out at 1:39am in the black of night.
“Arno, get this off of me!” Dad said angrily as he tried to shake free of one of Arno’s traps.

“But why dad? What are you doing?”

“All I wanted was the last piece of the Yule´log. I was going to the kitchen when your stupid trap caught me,” dad said half embarrassed.

“Why did you set this trap?” dad asked
“ To capture Father Christmas,” Arno said ashamed.
Next minute they both hear a noise that sounds like clattering on the roof.
“Looks like he might be here,” dad said with a smile.
Arno raced to the living room to find countless presents under the tree … but no Father Christmas.

Arno turned around slowly, feeling defeated and walked back to his father. Arno’s dad gently rested his hand on his son’s shoulder and guided him to the kitchen where they shared the last Yule´log slice together. Then dad turned around and whispered, “don’t tell your mother about this.”