"Ho ho ho!" Hannah leapt onto Jess's bed and jumped up and down a few times.
"Mgh…" Jess moaned from under the covers.
"It's CRITMIT!" Hannah said excitedly. "Presents, please." She added, suddenly serious.
"Bog off," Jess rolled over. "It's only the 20th. You've got 5 days to do yet."
Hannah got off the bed sulkily.
"Aaw." She stomped off down the stairs past the Christmas lights trailed around the banister and wandered into the living room. She opened a door on her advent calendar.
Jess staggered down the stairs.
"COFFEE." She demanded.
"Ok, ok, I'll go put on a pot." Hannah went to the kitchen.
Suddenly the doorbell rang.
"Oh," said Jess. "I wonder who THAT could be?" She paused. "I hope it's no one important – I'm still in my pyjamas."
Hannah skipped off through the living room over-aptly decorated with tinsel and baubles. She arrived at the front door and opened it up.
"HO HO HO! Merry Christmas!!" A large Santa greeted Hannah, rearranging his huge white beard.
"I knew it was Christmas! But Jess kept on saying, "No Hannah! No! It's not Christmas, and it won't be for another 5000 years!"
The Santa blinked back at her in surprise. "I certainly hope not, otherwise I'll be out of a job." The Santa hauled the sack off his back and delved into it.
"What have you brought me this year, Santa?!"
"Uhh…" The man dressed up as Santa, confused, drew a piece of paper out of his sack. "A leaflet!" He held it up and tried to chuckle encouragingly. "Santa needs elves to help at his workshop in the mall. Ho ho ho!" He walked off.
Hannah quickly shut the door and shivered from the cold air.
"Who was that?" Jess emerged from the kitchen with a slice of toast.
"Santa."
"Oh." Jess sat down at the table as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "What did he want?"
"Just some crap about volunteering at his grotto in the mall or something…" Hannah trailed off.
"Bah. Humbug." Jess retorted.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the living room.
"What the hell-?" Hannah ran into the room.
The Christmas Tree was lying on the floor with several baubles smashed and cracked on the carpet. Soot from the chimney had covered the carpet and all the tinsel had fallen to the floor.
"What happened?!" Jess exclaimed.
Suddenly they heard a cough and turned back to the fireplace, where a small, dark, soot-covered figure was sitting in the grate.
It sneezed and some of the dust fell off.
"What the hell is THAT?!" Hannah shrieked.
Jess picked up a broom from nearby and held it up threateningly.
"Don't hurt me!" The little thing said, trying to brush itself down.
Jess lowered the broom. "Who are you and what are you doing in our house?!"
"I'm an elf!" The little man, wearing a cute green and red hat stood up, revealing himself to be 3 feet tall, wearing a green and red suit with little red upturned shoes. "I've come to offer you work! I heard you were unemployed!"
"I told you you shouldn't tell people we're jobless!" Jess scolded Hannah.
"I only signed a bank form!" Hannah defended.
"Where's this work, then?" Jess asked, suspicious.
"North Pole." The elf answered.
"Too cold." Hannah commented.
"Well that decides that then, " Jess said. "Sorry little fella," she apologised.
"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to take no for an answer." The elf said.
"What?"
"I've been sent to collect you. You've got to work at the North Pole with us until you learn the true meaning of Christmas spirit."
"What, brandy?" Hannah asked.
"Is this all about that stupid Santa's grotto thing at the mall?" Jess asked. "'Cos we can go and volunteer if you REALLY want…" She paused. "For a couple of hours…"
"Sorry. I've been given strict instructions." The elf suddenly clicked his fingers and several more elves came tumbling down the chimney. "Get 'em fellas!"
The elves jumped on top of Jess and Hannah and pulled sacks over their heads.
"ARRRGH! What the bloody hell-?!" Hannah staggered, knocking elves over left, right and centre.
Suddenly she felt a blow to the back of her head and she remembered nothing more…