Name;
Poinsettia
Gender;
Female
Gender for Breeding Purposes;
Female
Poem;
So, it's Christmas...
That time of year
Again.
I sigh and breathe in deeply,
Hoping the weather will
Drown my sorrows
Again.
Rain pounds against
The windows in vain,
As I hope for my heart
To mend itself
Again.
I hear my name
Called from behind.
I turn and see my
Sister
Standing by.
I smile and race right over,
Embrace her in a hug
And my face alights with glitter
And sparkles from above.
Her glittery crown sheds
Its pasted sticky glue
All over my crest and on my eyelids;
I chuckle with her, too.
I hug my sister tightly,
Her lithe frame close to me;
I love my sister dearly
And I shall never leave.
We promised to stand by one another
No matter what comes our way,
No matter the weather
Nor the storms that
Toss our tiny ship
Through the balmy waves.
No matter whom hates us,
Those who would wish us harm,
No matter who comes
And who goes in our lives,
We shall always be
By each other's side.
I grasp my sister's paw tightly
And tilt back the yarn,
The ball at my paws
From my crocheting
That I have been practicing
All this year 'round.
I smile and hand her the present -
I've wrapped it tenderly with care -
And her eyes light up as she grabs it,
Her tail flailing in the air.
She thrashes as she peels off
The layers of wrapped paper.
Her eyes grow wide as saucers
As she pulls the hat right out
And plops it down atop her head
And with a joyous shout she says,
"Why thank you, Sissy! I love it so
Dearly, but not as much as I
Love you,
My dearest
Sister,
Mine."
I smile as she throws her arms
Around my larger frame,
Her small one thin as fallen wood
And fragile as the cheap glass that falls
From the church doors every winter,
Cracked and splintered
From the cold.
I hug her gently back,
Careful not to break any
Small cracks
In her bones
Or pulled ligaments
Attached to muscles.
I am so happy she
Is in my life.
She has given me a chance,
A reason to sing
A reason to dance.
She has brought me joy
Each and every day.
But when we go out,
We get stares
And we get shouts
From others who do not
Understand our ways.
We get the same old lines
Each and every time.
"Oh my, I don't know how I
Would deal with a child
With disabilities."
"Oh, what a poor dear -
She must not understand
Much of anything
At all."
"I hope she heals quickly.
Oh, what she has is
Incurable?
I see.
I'm sorry I said
Anything at all, then."
"What a troublesome
Burden
She must be
To you."
"What a weight you must
Carry
In caring for
Someone like
Her."
I know they mean well,
But they just don't understand.
I love my sister.
I don't care that she's
Not what others' plan on
Seeing or
Dealing with.
She is so happy,
So full of joy and speed.
She loves to run and jump around,
And laughs as hard as any other viscet.
She is not disabled -
She has additional abilities
That others seem to lack.
Robert M. Hensel once said,
"There is no greater disability
In society,
Than the inability
To see a person
As
More."
I couldn't agree
With his sentiment
More than I already
Do.
My sister is more loving,
More caring,
More trusting...
My sister is more grateful,
More gracious,
More courteous
Than anyone else
I know.
My sister laughs harder,
Lives without restraint;
She understands love
And charity
More fully than even I
Do.
She lives a full life,
A wonderful, happy life,
So full of joyous wonder.
She marvels at the little things,
She's told me more than once to
"Stop and smells the roses, Sissy.
Dearest sister mine,
Please stop and smell
The peonies
From time to time."
Time and time again she has taught me
To slow down
And enjoy the small things in life
And to get through the bad times
As quickly as I can.
It's Christmas now.
Her favorite time of year.
And I'll give up hope
Before I let
Anyone tell me
I can't celebrate it
With her.
Her favorite things
Are strings and strings
Of colorful lights
That blink and shine.
So I've decorated the house,
Put up the tree,
And filled it with presents
Just for her
(And a few for me).
Yes, we may be little
And yes our home is sparse,
But at least we've got so much to give
And so much love in our hearts.
The Christmas season is not just
For bows and boxes and things.
It's for gathering those closest to us
And treasuring what they may bring
To each and every heart they help
And each individual along the way
Who helps you get to your goals
Each and every day.
For me that is my sister,
The one whom I hold dear.
My darling dearest sister,
I hope you like your presents this year.
It's Christmas now.
Her favorite time of year.
And I'll be a crusted old cookie
Before I lose the Christmas cheer.
(878/1,500 words)
Extra 1;
Poinsettia answered the doorbell, the door creaking on old hinges. "Hello. May I help you?"
Outside, snow slowly drifted down from the sky. The viscet stomped her boots. "I have two gifts for you and your sister. May I come in for a bit?"
Poinsettia nodded. "Certainly, Mrs. Higgins. Come in, please." She told the older viscet to sit on the only seating in the room: an old, faded, green couch. "What have you brought us?"
She smiled, a gleam in her eyes as she handed two similarly-shaped boxes to Poinsettia. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." After watching the younger viscet place the wrapped gifts under their tree and a worried glance about the room, she leaned forward and spoke quietly. "I wasn't sure how old your sister was. I mean, I know she's older than you, but..."
Poinsettia shook her head. "She may be older than me in years, but mentally, she's much younger than me."
Mrs. Higgins frowned. "I knew she was disabled -"
"Please don't use that term. She has different abilities. She's not disabled."
"Well, I mean... she HAS to be disabled. Doesn't your family get disability funds from the government?"
"That's none of your concern. If you've came to my home to pry into my life, I'll show you to the door," Poinsettia said with a flourish, straightening the bright red flower atop her head. "You won't get any juicy bits of gossip here tonight. You won't disrespect my sister while sitting on MY couch while I STAND here with my claws freezing off." She took a deep breath and went over to the tree, grabbing the two gifts and handing them back to Mrs. Higgins. "And, if you're going to be leaving so soon, please take your TRASH with you. We have no need for SUPPOSED gifts from those who would do us harm." Her eyes narrowed. "Need I show you out? I certainly hope the door doesn't bust your back on your way out."
Mrs. Higgins rose, shoved the boxes back into Poinsettia's paws, and slunk away. "I really didn't mean to insult your family, dear. It's Christmastime, after all, and I know how hard this year has been on you and your sister. Your father was so well-loved by this community... I only wanted to check up on you and see how you were doing after the incident earlier this year."
Poinsettia smiled as sincerely as she could, fury still coursing through her system. "Even so, you have no right to ask such personal questions about my family. You weren't even close to my father to begin with. And now that he's gone, it's my responsibility to care for this family, and as such, I bid you goodnight, ma'am."
Mrs. Higgins huffed and hotly shuffled out, the door slamming behind her.
Poinsettia sighed and placed the gifts back under the tree. "Hope we don't have to deal with more nosy neighbors in the days to come," she muttered crossly.
(500/500 words)
Extra 2;
Poinsettia put the final touches on the final gift she'd made for her sister: a crocheted hat in her sister's favorite colors, baby pink and lavender. She addressed the card and spoke aloud as she penciled in her sister's name, "To: Merry." She smiled and boxed up the hat with the matching mittens she'd finished a week prior. Poinsettia wrapped the gift with a flourish of paper and tape, still getting used to only having to wrap for her sister, now that both of her parents were gone. While Merry, her sister, was nearly seven years her senior, mentally she was far younger than Poinsettia. The other gifts Poinsettia had gathered up for her were things such as crayons, coloring books, a few small and easy-to-read children's novels, paint brushes of different colors and sizes, and a painting set. As for the pièce de résistance, her final perfect most important gift, Poinsettia had saved up three month's earnings and bought her sister a state-of-the-art easel and a few professional canvasses. Merry had been blest with the ability to create such gorgeous pieces of artwork, and she dreamed of one day being able to sell her art to professionals who would pay out-the-nose to get ahold of her works of art. Still, practice made perfect, so Poinsettia wanted to give Merry the perfect Christmas gift. She was confident that this year, her sister would be happy with everything she got.
She suddenly got lost in thought, and found that she'd wandered into her sister's bedroom. Her sister was outside, playing in their tiny fenced-in backyard with newly-fallen snow, so Poinsettia wasn't disturbing anyone by staying where she'd ended up... at least for a bit of time. With a smile, Poinsettia glanced at the walls of the room. Very bland and blank, the walls were bare and beige when they'd first moved into the dirt-cheap home with leaks in the roof and patches out of the carpeting. But after living there for the past two years, Merry had decorated her space in her own way. The walls had taped paintings and crayon drawings up every single inch of space available. Poinsettia had even helped Merry tape a few of her paintings of stars to the ceiling. Merry had graciously been given a set of glow-in-the-dark paint by her father when he was still with them, and Merry had spent months looking at the constellations from her tiny bedroom window, copying each star perfectly until she'd mapped quite a few of the celestial bodies onto paper. Once she'd finished with the artwork, she'd requested help getting them onto the ceiling, and while she'd wanted to use staples at first, Poinsettia talked her out of it rather quickly, explaining that the staples would hurt the house. Merry decided it was best to not hurt the house, and thusly agreed on tape, instead.
Poinsettia heard the backdoor creak open and smiled. "I'll have to help Merry out of those wet clothes. Best get going, then."
(500/500 words)
Extra 3;
As Poinsettia placed her freshly-wrapped gifts under the tree, she heard a crash from the other room.
She froze, and then yelled out, "Merry? Are you alright?"
A weak, "I fell over," came from the other room.
Poinsettia raced in the opposite direction from whence she'd come, skidded a bit when her paws hit the hardwood flooring of the hallway, and nearly careened into her sister's room. "Merry? What... happened, here?" She stared at the miniature Christmas tree that had fallen down and become rather attached to Merry's tail. The tiny star, which had been dangling from said tree, was now swinging from Merry's left ear. Around all four of her paws were streamers of garland and tinsel. With a sigh, Poinsettia darted forward and untangled her. "Merry, can you tell me what happened, please?"
Merry sniffled sadly, trying not to burst into tears. "Uh-huh. Sissy, I was trying to jump as high as the ceiling - you know I'm big now, so I can do that! It's fun! Anyway, I was trying to jump higher than I had yesterday, when I slipped and fell. When I stood up, my paws were tangled in the sparkles we put on the tree every year, and my ear had this star on it."
Poinsettia sighed. "Do you really love this tree, Merry? We don't have to keep it in your room if you prefer things to be more open so you can jump around more."
She shook her head, folding her arms over her chest. "The tree stays. Mom gave it to me."
Poinsettia closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and finished untangling her sister from the mess she'd gotten herself into. She wasn't mad at her sister by a long shot - she was more worried that by keeping the miniature tree - an heirloom of the family - in her sister's room, it would cause more accidents like this in the future. "Well, Merry, you've got to promise me that you're going to be a very good girl from here on out, and that you'll be safe whenever you're in here from now on. No more jumping as high as you can when there are decorations up, okay?"
Merry's ears fell. Her tail drooped. "Fiiiine," she whined out sadly.
Poinsettia knew what would cheer her up. She smiled and leaned forward, whispering in her sister's ear. "Guess what I did today?"
"What?" she asked grumpily.
"I wrapped your presents."
Her ears immediately perked up. She tentatively let out a small grin. "You did?"
"Yup. And you know the tradition, right?"
"I get to open one because it's Christmas Eve!"
Poinsettia smiled and patted her sister's head. "That's right, Merry. Why don't you go look at all the gifts under the tree and find one with your name on it. Then, you can open JUST ONE. We open the rest tomorrow."
"Yippee!" Merry yelled, racing out of the room.
Poinsettia watched her sister leave and smiled. "Making her happy is as easy as eating pie."
(500/500 words)
Extra 4;
Poinsettia stared into the mirror. She'd been gifted a holiday-inspired set of lip glosses and eye shadows by a kind viscet who had attended her father's funeral - an odd gift, she had to admit, but a help nevertheless. She was able to hide the bags under her eyes and liven up her sparkling personality outwardly with the glitter-filled makeup.
Merry poked her head into the small bathroom. "Sissy? Are you playing dress-up again?"
Poinsettia merely smiled. "No, I'm putting on makeup."
"Why?"
"Because I have a job interview today. Remember? Ms. Martin will be over soon to take care of you for a few hours while I'm away. And what are you to do with her?"
Merry sighed and rolled her eyes, used to the shpeel she recited every time Poinsettia had to leave the house. "I have to be nice, play nice, and be respectful. If I am respectful, I will go far in life."
"That's right. And if Ms. Martin tells you to do something, you..."
"Do it," Merry finished with a huff.
"Good job." Poinsettia smiled.
"Can I try your makeup?"
Poinsettia blinked, removing the mascara brush from her eyelashes. "Want to run that by me again?"
"Can... Can I try your makeup? It looks like painting."
Poinsettia suddenly had an idea. "Why don't you do my makeup for me, Merry?"
"What?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Paint it on. Use me as the piece of paper, and the makeup as the paint and paintbrushes."
Merry paused, looked at the colors on the palette, and then smiled. "What do you want me to do?"
Poinsettia over at her sister, a gleam in her eyes. "Anything you want to do. Just make me look festive!"
Half an hour later, Ms. Martin showed up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual. She briskly walked into the house, and almost screamed when she walked into the bathroom. It took all of her energy to not squeal in surprise. She clutched her chest, breathing heavily from the fright.
Poinsettia's face was covered with different shades of glitter. Like a starry night, the base coats were dark purples and navy blues with accents of whites, reds, golds, and greens overlayed atop the base coats. Her face had been made-up to look like a smattering of colorful stars against a night sky.
Merry beamed. "Ms. Martin! You see the great makeup I've done for Sissy?"
Ms. Martin pulled Poinsettia aside. "Where did you say you had to go, again? Some job interview? Here, let me help you take some of this off, dear -"
"NO," Poinsettia said with a note of finality. "Merry did this for me, and I'm not taking it off, no matter how hideous you may think it to be. Take good care of my sister - I'll be back in a few hours. Good day, Ms. Martin." Poinsettia smiled and trotted off. "Oh, and Merry? The makeup is PERFECT." She kissed her sister on the forehead before heading out the door.
(500/500 words)
Extra 5;
Poinsettia had worked two shifts consecutively, with only half an hour of rest. She was grateful - a free nanny helped her out, and she thusly was able to take a temporary position at a factory, packing boxes and slamming labels on packages. As she walked into the house, she only made it a few feet before collapsing onto the couch. She fell soundly asleep, her work clothes still on and her bag slung haphazardly over the arm of the couch.
She suddenly felt a tapping at her shoulder.
"Sissy?"
Poinsettia opened her eyes drowsily. "Yes, Merry?" She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Ms. Martin had to go home. She told me to wake you once she'd left."
"Oh... good... she took care of you, then?"
"Well, duh!" Merry smiled. "I missed you. You were gone for a long time, Sissy."
Poinsettia yawned again. "Did Ms. Martin lock the door? Go and check for me, please."
Merry ran over to the door and yanked as hard as she could. "It's locked tight."
"And the top lock?"
Merry stood on her tiptoes and peered at the very top of the door. The lock which alit in a green hue when unlocked and a red when locked, shone a deep raspberry color. "Yes, it's locked, too."
"Good, good." Poinsettia sighed, feeling the exhaustion weigh her eyelids down.
"You were gone for a long time," Merry repeated. "I was worried you'd never come back, like Dad and Mom."
Poinsettia sighed. "Come here, Merry. Come and sit on the couch with your sister."
She did as commanded, and plopped down on the couch next to Poinsettia.
The white viscet continued. "Mom and Dad are gone for different reasons. You know that, right?"
Merry nodded, her gaze becoming serious. "Daddy's in Heaven, with the angels, right?"
Poinsettia smiled, remembering that the pastor had taken hours of his time to talk with Merry after their father's passing. Poinsettia couldn't have explained her father's death in a kind way, so she left it to the pastor to deal with. While she had slight inhibitions about it, she accepted the outcome as favorable - Merry at least wasn't confused about her father never coming back. She simply nodded in reply. "Yes, Merry, good job. You remembered. What about Mom?"
"Mom left us."
"And that's because...?"
"She thought we were... bad?"
Poinsettia shook her head. "No, that's not right. We're not bad."
"I know, but... Mom didn't know that. She thought we were bad."
Poinsettia sighed. "No, Mom left us because she didn't know how to take care of us. Dad was always better at it."
Merry nodded. "You leave because you go work, right?"
"That's right. And that means I have to come home eventually. They can't keep me at work forever!"
Merry smiled sadly. "I still miss you."
Poinsettia hugged her. "I'm here now, and I'm not going to leave again for awhile, okay?"
Merry's smile widened. "Okay. I love you, Sissy."
"I love you too, Merry."
(500/500 words)
Poinsettia
Gender;
Female
Gender for Breeding Purposes;
Female
Poem;
So, it's Christmas...
That time of year
Again.
I sigh and breathe in deeply,
Hoping the weather will
Drown my sorrows
Again.
Rain pounds against
The windows in vain,
As I hope for my heart
To mend itself
Again.
I hear my name
Called from behind.
I turn and see my
Sister
Standing by.
I smile and race right over,
Embrace her in a hug
And my face alights with glitter
And sparkles from above.
Her glittery crown sheds
Its pasted sticky glue
All over my crest and on my eyelids;
I chuckle with her, too.
I hug my sister tightly,
Her lithe frame close to me;
I love my sister dearly
And I shall never leave.
We promised to stand by one another
No matter what comes our way,
No matter the weather
Nor the storms that
Toss our tiny ship
Through the balmy waves.
No matter whom hates us,
Those who would wish us harm,
No matter who comes
And who goes in our lives,
We shall always be
By each other's side.
I grasp my sister's paw tightly
And tilt back the yarn,
The ball at my paws
From my crocheting
That I have been practicing
All this year 'round.
I smile and hand her the present -
I've wrapped it tenderly with care -
And her eyes light up as she grabs it,
Her tail flailing in the air.
She thrashes as she peels off
The layers of wrapped paper.
Her eyes grow wide as saucers
As she pulls the hat right out
And plops it down atop her head
And with a joyous shout she says,
"Why thank you, Sissy! I love it so
Dearly, but not as much as I
Love you,
My dearest
Sister,
Mine."
I smile as she throws her arms
Around my larger frame,
Her small one thin as fallen wood
And fragile as the cheap glass that falls
From the church doors every winter,
Cracked and splintered
From the cold.
I hug her gently back,
Careful not to break any
Small cracks
In her bones
Or pulled ligaments
Attached to muscles.
I am so happy she
Is in my life.
She has given me a chance,
A reason to sing
A reason to dance.
She has brought me joy
Each and every day.
But when we go out,
We get stares
And we get shouts
From others who do not
Understand our ways.
We get the same old lines
Each and every time.
"Oh my, I don't know how I
Would deal with a child
With disabilities."
"Oh, what a poor dear -
She must not understand
Much of anything
At all."
"I hope she heals quickly.
Oh, what she has is
Incurable?
I see.
I'm sorry I said
Anything at all, then."
"What a troublesome
Burden
She must be
To you."
"What a weight you must
Carry
In caring for
Someone like
Her."
I know they mean well,
But they just don't understand.
I love my sister.
I don't care that she's
Not what others' plan on
Seeing or
Dealing with.
She is so happy,
So full of joy and speed.
She loves to run and jump around,
And laughs as hard as any other viscet.
She is not disabled -
She has additional abilities
That others seem to lack.
Robert M. Hensel once said,
"There is no greater disability
In society,
Than the inability
To see a person
As
More."
I couldn't agree
With his sentiment
More than I already
Do.
My sister is more loving,
More caring,
More trusting...
My sister is more grateful,
More gracious,
More courteous
Than anyone else
I know.
My sister laughs harder,
Lives without restraint;
She understands love
And charity
More fully than even I
Do.
She lives a full life,
A wonderful, happy life,
So full of joyous wonder.
She marvels at the little things,
She's told me more than once to
"Stop and smells the roses, Sissy.
Dearest sister mine,
Please stop and smell
The peonies
From time to time."
Time and time again she has taught me
To slow down
And enjoy the small things in life
And to get through the bad times
As quickly as I can.
It's Christmas now.
Her favorite time of year.
And I'll give up hope
Before I let
Anyone tell me
I can't celebrate it
With her.
Her favorite things
Are strings and strings
Of colorful lights
That blink and shine.
So I've decorated the house,
Put up the tree,
And filled it with presents
Just for her
(And a few for me).
Yes, we may be little
And yes our home is sparse,
But at least we've got so much to give
And so much love in our hearts.
The Christmas season is not just
For bows and boxes and things.
It's for gathering those closest to us
And treasuring what they may bring
To each and every heart they help
And each individual along the way
Who helps you get to your goals
Each and every day.
For me that is my sister,
The one whom I hold dear.
My darling dearest sister,
I hope you like your presents this year.
It's Christmas now.
Her favorite time of year.
And I'll be a crusted old cookie
Before I lose the Christmas cheer.
(878/1,500 words)
Extra 1;
Poinsettia answered the doorbell, the door creaking on old hinges. "Hello. May I help you?"
Outside, snow slowly drifted down from the sky. The viscet stomped her boots. "I have two gifts for you and your sister. May I come in for a bit?"
Poinsettia nodded. "Certainly, Mrs. Higgins. Come in, please." She told the older viscet to sit on the only seating in the room: an old, faded, green couch. "What have you brought us?"
She smiled, a gleam in her eyes as she handed two similarly-shaped boxes to Poinsettia. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise." After watching the younger viscet place the wrapped gifts under their tree and a worried glance about the room, she leaned forward and spoke quietly. "I wasn't sure how old your sister was. I mean, I know she's older than you, but..."
Poinsettia shook her head. "She may be older than me in years, but mentally, she's much younger than me."
Mrs. Higgins frowned. "I knew she was disabled -"
"Please don't use that term. She has different abilities. She's not disabled."
"Well, I mean... she HAS to be disabled. Doesn't your family get disability funds from the government?"
"That's none of your concern. If you've came to my home to pry into my life, I'll show you to the door," Poinsettia said with a flourish, straightening the bright red flower atop her head. "You won't get any juicy bits of gossip here tonight. You won't disrespect my sister while sitting on MY couch while I STAND here with my claws freezing off." She took a deep breath and went over to the tree, grabbing the two gifts and handing them back to Mrs. Higgins. "And, if you're going to be leaving so soon, please take your TRASH with you. We have no need for SUPPOSED gifts from those who would do us harm." Her eyes narrowed. "Need I show you out? I certainly hope the door doesn't bust your back on your way out."
Mrs. Higgins rose, shoved the boxes back into Poinsettia's paws, and slunk away. "I really didn't mean to insult your family, dear. It's Christmastime, after all, and I know how hard this year has been on you and your sister. Your father was so well-loved by this community... I only wanted to check up on you and see how you were doing after the incident earlier this year."
Poinsettia smiled as sincerely as she could, fury still coursing through her system. "Even so, you have no right to ask such personal questions about my family. You weren't even close to my father to begin with. And now that he's gone, it's my responsibility to care for this family, and as such, I bid you goodnight, ma'am."
Mrs. Higgins huffed and hotly shuffled out, the door slamming behind her.
Poinsettia sighed and placed the gifts back under the tree. "Hope we don't have to deal with more nosy neighbors in the days to come," she muttered crossly.
(500/500 words)
Extra 2;
Poinsettia put the final touches on the final gift she'd made for her sister: a crocheted hat in her sister's favorite colors, baby pink and lavender. She addressed the card and spoke aloud as she penciled in her sister's name, "To: Merry." She smiled and boxed up the hat with the matching mittens she'd finished a week prior. Poinsettia wrapped the gift with a flourish of paper and tape, still getting used to only having to wrap for her sister, now that both of her parents were gone. While Merry, her sister, was nearly seven years her senior, mentally she was far younger than Poinsettia. The other gifts Poinsettia had gathered up for her were things such as crayons, coloring books, a few small and easy-to-read children's novels, paint brushes of different colors and sizes, and a painting set. As for the pièce de résistance, her final perfect most important gift, Poinsettia had saved up three month's earnings and bought her sister a state-of-the-art easel and a few professional canvasses. Merry had been blest with the ability to create such gorgeous pieces of artwork, and she dreamed of one day being able to sell her art to professionals who would pay out-the-nose to get ahold of her works of art. Still, practice made perfect, so Poinsettia wanted to give Merry the perfect Christmas gift. She was confident that this year, her sister would be happy with everything she got.
She suddenly got lost in thought, and found that she'd wandered into her sister's bedroom. Her sister was outside, playing in their tiny fenced-in backyard with newly-fallen snow, so Poinsettia wasn't disturbing anyone by staying where she'd ended up... at least for a bit of time. With a smile, Poinsettia glanced at the walls of the room. Very bland and blank, the walls were bare and beige when they'd first moved into the dirt-cheap home with leaks in the roof and patches out of the carpeting. But after living there for the past two years, Merry had decorated her space in her own way. The walls had taped paintings and crayon drawings up every single inch of space available. Poinsettia had even helped Merry tape a few of her paintings of stars to the ceiling. Merry had graciously been given a set of glow-in-the-dark paint by her father when he was still with them, and Merry had spent months looking at the constellations from her tiny bedroom window, copying each star perfectly until she'd mapped quite a few of the celestial bodies onto paper. Once she'd finished with the artwork, she'd requested help getting them onto the ceiling, and while she'd wanted to use staples at first, Poinsettia talked her out of it rather quickly, explaining that the staples would hurt the house. Merry decided it was best to not hurt the house, and thusly agreed on tape, instead.
Poinsettia heard the backdoor creak open and smiled. "I'll have to help Merry out of those wet clothes. Best get going, then."
(500/500 words)
Extra 3;
As Poinsettia placed her freshly-wrapped gifts under the tree, she heard a crash from the other room.
She froze, and then yelled out, "Merry? Are you alright?"
A weak, "I fell over," came from the other room.
Poinsettia raced in the opposite direction from whence she'd come, skidded a bit when her paws hit the hardwood flooring of the hallway, and nearly careened into her sister's room. "Merry? What... happened, here?" She stared at the miniature Christmas tree that had fallen down and become rather attached to Merry's tail. The tiny star, which had been dangling from said tree, was now swinging from Merry's left ear. Around all four of her paws were streamers of garland and tinsel. With a sigh, Poinsettia darted forward and untangled her. "Merry, can you tell me what happened, please?"
Merry sniffled sadly, trying not to burst into tears. "Uh-huh. Sissy, I was trying to jump as high as the ceiling - you know I'm big now, so I can do that! It's fun! Anyway, I was trying to jump higher than I had yesterday, when I slipped and fell. When I stood up, my paws were tangled in the sparkles we put on the tree every year, and my ear had this star on it."
Poinsettia sighed. "Do you really love this tree, Merry? We don't have to keep it in your room if you prefer things to be more open so you can jump around more."
She shook her head, folding her arms over her chest. "The tree stays. Mom gave it to me."
Poinsettia closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and finished untangling her sister from the mess she'd gotten herself into. She wasn't mad at her sister by a long shot - she was more worried that by keeping the miniature tree - an heirloom of the family - in her sister's room, it would cause more accidents like this in the future. "Well, Merry, you've got to promise me that you're going to be a very good girl from here on out, and that you'll be safe whenever you're in here from now on. No more jumping as high as you can when there are decorations up, okay?"
Merry's ears fell. Her tail drooped. "Fiiiine," she whined out sadly.
Poinsettia knew what would cheer her up. She smiled and leaned forward, whispering in her sister's ear. "Guess what I did today?"
"What?" she asked grumpily.
"I wrapped your presents."
Her ears immediately perked up. She tentatively let out a small grin. "You did?"
"Yup. And you know the tradition, right?"
"I get to open one because it's Christmas Eve!"
Poinsettia smiled and patted her sister's head. "That's right, Merry. Why don't you go look at all the gifts under the tree and find one with your name on it. Then, you can open JUST ONE. We open the rest tomorrow."
"Yippee!" Merry yelled, racing out of the room.
Poinsettia watched her sister leave and smiled. "Making her happy is as easy as eating pie."
(500/500 words)
Extra 4;
Poinsettia stared into the mirror. She'd been gifted a holiday-inspired set of lip glosses and eye shadows by a kind viscet who had attended her father's funeral - an odd gift, she had to admit, but a help nevertheless. She was able to hide the bags under her eyes and liven up her sparkling personality outwardly with the glitter-filled makeup.
Merry poked her head into the small bathroom. "Sissy? Are you playing dress-up again?"
Poinsettia merely smiled. "No, I'm putting on makeup."
"Why?"
"Because I have a job interview today. Remember? Ms. Martin will be over soon to take care of you for a few hours while I'm away. And what are you to do with her?"
Merry sighed and rolled her eyes, used to the shpeel she recited every time Poinsettia had to leave the house. "I have to be nice, play nice, and be respectful. If I am respectful, I will go far in life."
"That's right. And if Ms. Martin tells you to do something, you..."
"Do it," Merry finished with a huff.
"Good job." Poinsettia smiled.
"Can I try your makeup?"
Poinsettia blinked, removing the mascara brush from her eyelashes. "Want to run that by me again?"
"Can... Can I try your makeup? It looks like painting."
Poinsettia suddenly had an idea. "Why don't you do my makeup for me, Merry?"
"What?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Paint it on. Use me as the piece of paper, and the makeup as the paint and paintbrushes."
Merry paused, looked at the colors on the palette, and then smiled. "What do you want me to do?"
Poinsettia over at her sister, a gleam in her eyes. "Anything you want to do. Just make me look festive!"
Half an hour later, Ms. Martin showed up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as usual. She briskly walked into the house, and almost screamed when she walked into the bathroom. It took all of her energy to not squeal in surprise. She clutched her chest, breathing heavily from the fright.
Poinsettia's face was covered with different shades of glitter. Like a starry night, the base coats were dark purples and navy blues with accents of whites, reds, golds, and greens overlayed atop the base coats. Her face had been made-up to look like a smattering of colorful stars against a night sky.
Merry beamed. "Ms. Martin! You see the great makeup I've done for Sissy?"
Ms. Martin pulled Poinsettia aside. "Where did you say you had to go, again? Some job interview? Here, let me help you take some of this off, dear -"
"NO," Poinsettia said with a note of finality. "Merry did this for me, and I'm not taking it off, no matter how hideous you may think it to be. Take good care of my sister - I'll be back in a few hours. Good day, Ms. Martin." Poinsettia smiled and trotted off. "Oh, and Merry? The makeup is PERFECT." She kissed her sister on the forehead before heading out the door.
(500/500 words)
Extra 5;
Poinsettia had worked two shifts consecutively, with only half an hour of rest. She was grateful - a free nanny helped her out, and she thusly was able to take a temporary position at a factory, packing boxes and slamming labels on packages. As she walked into the house, she only made it a few feet before collapsing onto the couch. She fell soundly asleep, her work clothes still on and her bag slung haphazardly over the arm of the couch.
She suddenly felt a tapping at her shoulder.
"Sissy?"
Poinsettia opened her eyes drowsily. "Yes, Merry?" She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Ms. Martin had to go home. She told me to wake you once she'd left."
"Oh... good... she took care of you, then?"
"Well, duh!" Merry smiled. "I missed you. You were gone for a long time, Sissy."
Poinsettia yawned again. "Did Ms. Martin lock the door? Go and check for me, please."
Merry ran over to the door and yanked as hard as she could. "It's locked tight."
"And the top lock?"
Merry stood on her tiptoes and peered at the very top of the door. The lock which alit in a green hue when unlocked and a red when locked, shone a deep raspberry color. "Yes, it's locked, too."
"Good, good." Poinsettia sighed, feeling the exhaustion weigh her eyelids down.
"You were gone for a long time," Merry repeated. "I was worried you'd never come back, like Dad and Mom."
Poinsettia sighed. "Come here, Merry. Come and sit on the couch with your sister."
She did as commanded, and plopped down on the couch next to Poinsettia.
The white viscet continued. "Mom and Dad are gone for different reasons. You know that, right?"
Merry nodded, her gaze becoming serious. "Daddy's in Heaven, with the angels, right?"
Poinsettia smiled, remembering that the pastor had taken hours of his time to talk with Merry after their father's passing. Poinsettia couldn't have explained her father's death in a kind way, so she left it to the pastor to deal with. While she had slight inhibitions about it, she accepted the outcome as favorable - Merry at least wasn't confused about her father never coming back. She simply nodded in reply. "Yes, Merry, good job. You remembered. What about Mom?"
"Mom left us."
"And that's because...?"
"She thought we were... bad?"
Poinsettia shook her head. "No, that's not right. We're not bad."
"I know, but... Mom didn't know that. She thought we were bad."
Poinsettia sighed. "No, Mom left us because she didn't know how to take care of us. Dad was always better at it."
Merry nodded. "You leave because you go work, right?"
"That's right. And that means I have to come home eventually. They can't keep me at work forever!"
Merry smiled sadly. "I still miss you."
Poinsettia hugged her. "I'm here now, and I'm not going to leave again for awhile, okay?"
Merry's smile widened. "Okay. I love you, Sissy."
"I love you too, Merry."
(500/500 words)