Christmas Meloncholy

Posted on 24 Dec 2022 @ 11:15pm by Lieutenant Colonel Alexandria Somers

930 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Colonel's Quarters - Tomcat
Timeline: Christmas Time

[ON]

Late evening December 24th

Alex was in her quarters sitting on the sofa in front of a holographic fire, she had installed a holographic fireplace against the wall and the one wall in front of her looked like an old-fashioned brick wall with a fireplace. She had a heater unit strategically placed to emit the same direction and type of heat a real fire would give off, the only thing that was part of the light show was the sound of a crackling fire. It was a basic hologram, but it looked real only light show on the floor was the holograms of her kids and they were playing with toys happily.

Alex was sitting on the sofa in her quarters holding a glass of Red Wine and a bottle on the coffee table in front of her and looking wistfully at her kids as her face was lit by the fire, the room also had holographic Christmas decorations and there was old-style Christmas music playing in the background. suddenly she felt someone else was in the room with her and sitting next to her, she looked to her right and her friend Annabelle Graves who was as always dressed in combat fatigues the type she was wearing the day she died, but this day she was in a baggy tracksuit and sneakers on as she sat there a glass of wine in hand.

Alex was surprised she looked over "Annie, why are you here, now and at this time of year?" Alex asked "usually it is around Remembrance Day you visit me and if memory serves I got the impression that it would be the last visit!" she added.

"Things change" Annie responded taking a sip of her wine, "I thought that as you were alone you might want some company for a few hours over Christmas, your husband is on Poseidon, your kids with your parents on earth, and no one should be alone on Christmas Eve" Annie responded.

Looking at her friend "thank you, Annie, it is nice of you, I am still a little jealous of you, you know!" Alex said.

Looking a little surprised at her Annie asked "Oh, how so?" there was honest puzzlement in her tone and on her face.

"Well you will forever look young, I am a lot older and not getting any younger" Alex rejoinder with a smile.

"You have softened your look considerably though, I still see the young girl with a crew cut and optimistic outlook, but here you are long hair and a lot softer looking," Annie said as she took a sip of her wine.

"Well, you see marrying your childhood sweetheart and having two kids, kind of softens one up slightly, are you able to make yourself look older? I mean last time I saw you on the holodeck you were in uniform, now you are wearing a tracksuit" Alex asked.

"Sadly no, only the outfits" Annie responded

"What is it like in the afterlife anyway?" Alex asked.

Annie looks at her with a mischievous smile "SPOILERS!" she said turning to look at the imitation fire, "this is really convincing, the fire and all" she said.

"Well thanks, on a Starship, there is only so much one can do and a real fire is impractical, but I do try," Alex said.

*Mischievous smile* "yes you is!" Annie said.

Looking at her "is what?" Alex asked.

"Trying" Annie answered breaking out into laughter not noticing the initial dirty look from Alex.

Alex gave Annie a dirty look, but like all laughter, it is catching, her scowl softened into a smirk, which became an open smile then Alex joined her friend in outright laughter, this went on for some time as Alex forget that Annie was not really there in person, their laughter was suddenly halted as the clock chimed midnight, both stopped laughing and Annie sat up straight putting her glass on the table.

She looked over at Alex "Time flies, I have to go, Alex, it was nice speaking to you and having a laugh like we used to, but the time has caught me up and thus my time here must come to an end "Merry Christmas Alex, I have a gift for you" Annie said.

Along with Annie Alex stopped laughing as the clock chimed midnight Alex placed her glass on the table, and then she looked at Annie as the other girl looked at her, Annie looked to be a solid vision, but Alex knew otherwise as she noticed Annie put her wine glass down. Raises an eyebrow at the mention of a gift"Merry Christmas Annie" Alex responded and then she was talking to thin air, even the glass had vanished leaving only hers there, "see you around," Alex said quietly to thin air, with that she finished her wine and deactivated the illusion and the basic quarters appeared, she stretched and yawned and stood up went to her sleeping area, she briefly looked back into the room and she could swear she heard an unrecognised voice speak.

"Nothing is forgotten, nothing is ever forgotten"

Alex shrugged letting it go and going to bed, she felt a lot lighter for some reason, but that night she did not have any nightmares, come to think of it the nightmare she had been having since that fateful day over thirty years ago was no longer haunting her dreams.

[OFF]

 

RSS Feed