The Star – An Original Short, Short Christmas Story by Don McDonald

At Seasons Readings, you can enjoy the holidays year-round. If you're looking for a different kind of story, we've got them. From classic literature to original fiction to stories for kids to horror. Check them out at shortstoryverses.com. And now, yes, commercials. Look, I wish we could skip them too, but the bills have to be paid. Thanks for sticking around for the story. Prime Video offers the best in entertainment. The end of the world continues with the season 2 of Fallout. A worldwide phenomenon, inbegred by Prime. I heard you about what to do in this situation. Look at the epic end of the un-contained story of The Witches of Oz. Buy or buy? Wicked for good now. I'm taking you to see The Wizard. There's no going back. So what you also look, Prime Video. Here you look at everything. Prime is a surprise, especially to buy or buy. In-house can be advertised 18+. Algemene voorwaarden zijn van toepassing. meant more than either of them said aloud This is The Star an original Christmas story by me Frank hadn't put up Christmas lights in three years, not since Marie. It wasn't grief anymore, not exactly. It was just easier to let December pass like any other month. The house stayed dark, the neighbors understood, and that was that. But the new family next door had a girl. Couldn't have been more than six. She had a way of appearing at the fence line right when Frank was checking the mail or dragging the trash cans back up the driveway. Your house doesn't have any lights, she said one afternoon, not accusing, just observing, the way children do. No, Frank agreed, it doesn't. She considered this. Our old house had lights. I'm sure it did. Mama says we can't put them up this year because of the move and everything. She said everything the way adults do when they mean something too heavy to name. Frank just nodded. The girl came back the next day, and the day after that. She never asked him to put up lights. She just kept mentioning the darkness, the way you might mention a picture hanging crooked waiting for someone else to notice. On the fifth day, she told him something her mother had said. My grandma says the bestest houses always have one star that belongs to someone who not there She says that what makes them shine Frank didn answer The girl went back inside That night he climbed into the attic for the first time in three years. He found the single strand Marie had always insisted on, the plain white light she'd drape across the porch railing, and the star. One shiny tin star she used to hang from the plant hook above the front porch railing. Nothing fancy, just a star. He plugged in the strand. Half the bulbs were dead. He almost put everything back in the box, but he drove to the hardware store, bought replacements, and spent an hour on his knees in the cold, twisting tiny glass bulbs into tiny plastic sockets, feeling foolish and old and not entirely sure why he was doing any of it. When he finished, he stood back. The strand was uneven. One section drooped. It wasn't much, but the star caught what light there was and held it. The girl's bedroom window faced his porch. When he looked up, he could see her there, just a small shape against the glass, perfectly still. She lifted one hand, not waving, just acknowledging. Frank raised his hand back. Inside he made himself tea and sat in the living room and watched the white glow bleeding through his curtains dim and imperfect and thought about what the girl mother must have lost for her daughter to mention the star I hope you enjoyed my original Christmas story. For more classic and original stories, visit shortstoryverses.com, where all of our shows celebrate humanity's rich history of traditions, memories, and small moments of joy or sadness that we all share. Thanks for listening. I'm Don McDonald. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed the story. If you like being accompanied by short stories now and then, I invite you to check out my many universes of classic and original short stories at shortstoryverses.com. And if you get a chance, please share season's readings with a friend, either personally or through social media. And while you're here, I'd really appreciate a five-star rating or review. If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas and warm wishes for the season. I'm Don McDonald.