Sarah laid on the hospital bed with tubes penetrating her body. She looked pale and skinny. She had a cap on to cover her bald head. Her hairless body looked limp and lifeless.
"Darling," her mother said, "how do you feel?"
Sarah did not even realize when her mother had entered, turned her head weakly.
"Mum?"
"Yes, honey it's me." Holding her daughter's shrivelled hand tightly.
"I don't want to die." She stated quietly.
"You won't, everything is alright."
Sarah smiled ruefully "how long are you going to keep pretending I am not dying?"
Her mother tried to interrupt her but she went on.
"I overheard the doctors telling you I have three days at most."
"No, you will get better." Her tears threatened to fall "you have me, Alec and the kids at the orphanage praying for you."
"Alec already has somebody else, but don't blame him."
"What?"
"We broke up three days ago."
"That good-for..."
"It's not his fault."
"After everything you did for him!" Her mother exclaimed, "why did it have to be you? you've never hurt a soul."
Mother and daughter cried in each other's arms, preparing one another for the tragedy to come.
Children came in a queue with gifts in their hands.
"Merry Christmas." They all took turns hugging the women.
"Thank you, kids, for making it but Sarah needs to sleep."
"No, wait." One of the children cried out. The little girl walked up to Sarah and held her hand "do you know what I want for Christmas more than anything in the world?"
"What did you ask for? Sophie" she asked faintly smiling.
"It's in this letter to Santa" the girl pulled it up for Sandra to read. It was written legibly as best a five-year-old could. It said 'Don't let Sarah die. She has been a good girl all year'."
Sarah held back her tears but as she raised her head, she noticed that every other child in the room held up an identical note.
"We love you, Sarah get well soon." They chorused but this time they all had tears in their eyes. They all ran forward hugging Sarah the best the tubes could allow.
They had not been allowed to see for a long time so had to make it count but suddenly Sarah began to jerk as the machines she was hooked up to rang an alarm.
She went blank and fell back into the bed while some children were speechless others started to scream. Sarah fell into the darkness's open arms.
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When Sarah opened her eyes, was lying down on the snow but despite only wearing a hospital gown it wasn't cold. She got up feeling rejuvenated. Her skin looked normal and her long hair had returned. She was confused. Where was the hospital? The children? Her mother? She suddenly remembered what happened in the hospital "Am I dead?"
"No, you are not," a gentle voice said.
Sarah turned abruptly to find a woman in a white long cloak, her face covered. "Who are you? What am I doing here?" The woman leads into a large mansion. She sits down on one of the clouds in the room. "Weird" Sarah thought.
"You are in between life and death now but that is only because of the selfless wishes of the children."
"Wait, so I am not dead yet, but where am I?"
"In the spirit world, you are in the Christmas Miracle Centre."
"Cringy isn't it? I told them to change it but they..." A little man carrying an orb that contained a blue light appeared out of nowhere.
"What is that?" Sarah asked interrupting him.
He smiled. "It is the spirit of a baby for a barren woman, this is her Christmas miracle."
He walked off.
"Now back to our discussion."
"You have given a second shot at living but you must do something first to deserve it."
"What would that be?"
"You must perform a Christmas miracle."
"What? But I am human."
"No, you are not, here you are sitting on a cloud but on earth, your condition has worsened and presently you are on life support."
"Ok." Starting to wrap her head around her current situation.
"Your mission is to collect three items on earth."
Silence.
"You will be introduced to a man who you have to help by collecting these items."
Confusing was an understatement.
"You have to collect the following: the sound of his laughter when he is with his family, his blood that he sheds for his family and tears he sheds for a stranger."
"Laughter, blood and tears right." that did not make everything less confusing to Sarah but dared not say anything. she couldn't do it because she was afraid it meant losing her chance.
"You will be given the ability to travel through time for him to see his past, present and future only."
"Understood."
The lady hands a pendant over to Sarah "take this once it starts to glow it's time to time travel, it will also give directions, ok?"
"Got it." Wearing the necklace.
"Once you have retrieved the items the pendant parts will take the colour green, red and white."
"Alright." Said Sarah as she studies the simple silver around her neck.
"Good luck, you will need it."
"Thank you... huh?"
She falls down a now open hatch under her feet and screams.
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"What are you doing here? How did you breach security?" A man with a menacing tone spat at her jolting Sarah awake.
"Sorry, I must have fallen asleep waiting for you. Hi, I am..."
"I don't give a fuck about who you are." He growled calling up security.
"They won't see me, don't bother." She already passed by them on her way here without detection. The pendant had led her here.
"You seem to be insane so I will let the security take care of you."
Fortunately, when the guard arrived they expressed that they did see the lady he was talking about. This left him annoyed.
"You may leave."
"Yes, sir."
After they took their leave, the man looked at Sarah squarely and narrowed his eyes skeptically. "What the hell are you?" He asked coldly his tall frame so domineering she shuddered.