A Christmas Wish

  It was Christmas Eve, and the house was quiet except for the faint rustle of the wind outside. Arlo and Alfie sat cross-legged on the floor of their room, the dim glow of Christmas lights from the tree downstairs flickering through the doorway. Between them lay their most treasured possessions: the pair of Willow dolls, with their bright green skin and long red hair.

  “I wish Mommy could be here for Christmas,” Alfie said, his voice trembling.

  “Me too,” Arlo whispered, clutching his doll tightly. He glanced out the window, where the stars glimmered in the cold night sky. “What if we try to bring her back? Just for Christmas?”

  “But we don’t have magic,” Alfie said, doubt creeping into his voice.

  Arlo shook his head. “We don’t need it. Mommy loved us so much. Maybe...maybe she’ll come if we just try.”

  The Conjuring

  The boys placed the Willow dolls side by side on the floor and sat around them. Arlo closed his eyes, his heart pounding.

  “Mommy,” he began, his voice steady. “If you can hear us, we miss you. Please come back for Christmas. We love you so much.”

  Alfie chimed in, tears streaking his cheeks. “Please, Mommy. Just for one night. We’ll be really good, we promise.”

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  The room grew eerily still, and a chill swept over them. The boys opened their eyes to see the Willow dolls glowing faintly, their green skin radiating an otherworldly light.

  From outside, a streak of green light descended from the sky, growing brighter and brighter until it burst into the room like a firework. When the light dimmed, there she was: Willow. Her long red hair billowed like flames, her bright green skin shimmering with ethereal beauty.

  “Arlo? Alfie?” she said, her voice soft but trembling with emotion.

  “Mommy!” the boys cried, rushing to her.

  Willow knelt, her ghostly arms passing through them as she tried to embrace them. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said, her voice breaking.

  Before Willow could say more, the room darkened, and an icy wind blew through. A shadowy figure emerged, cloaked in black, holding a gleaming scythe. The Grim Reaper had arrived.

  “She does not belong here,” the Reaper intoned, its hollow voice echoing. “The balance must be maintained.”

  Willow rose to her feet, her green skin glowing brighter. “You will not take me away from my boys—not tonight!”

  The Reaper advanced, its skeletal hand outstretched. Willow conjured a fiery green shield, blocking its attack. “Arlo, Alfie! You have to help me!”

  Arlo and Alfie sprang into action. They grabbed their enchanted nerf guns, a gift Willow had left them during her Halloween visit.

  “Get away from our mom!” Arlo shouted, firing a glowing dart at the Reaper. It struck the shadowy figure, causing it to stumble.

  Alfie joined in, firing a barrage of darts. The Reaper hissed, its form flickering with each hit.

  Willow seized the moment. She conjured chains of green light, wrapping them around the Reaper and pulling it to the ground. “You don’t understand a mother’s love,” she growled.

  The Reaper struggled, its voice growing weaker. “This is not over...”

  With a final burst of magic, Willow and the boys combined their efforts, and the Reaper dissolved into a swirl of shadows that vanished into the night.