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Forever Christmas continued. The doll was stored in a plain, wooden box. When they first bought the doll both Jana and Dick wanted to get rid of the box because it looked too much like a coffin. They decided against this because the wooden box would keep the robotic doll in its best condition, for years to come. What started to frighten her was how the music was playing from the box. You see, the Santa robot had not played any music for the past eight years. It still moved and made a kind of grinding sound but it lost its capacity to make music just a year after they bought it. So, why now? After a few seconds of thought, Jana comprised the idea that the reason the doll was playing music was because it was in a prone position. It must have something to do with some loose gear that made the Santa play. The metal scratching sound was easy to explain because that was the only sound the Santa made over the past eight Christmases. She lifted the box to find that it felt remarkably cold. Jana then lifted the lid and once again was enveloped by cold damp air. She again blinked, only to open her eyes to her Santa in full splendor, moving his arms back and forth, like he did for many seasons before, but this time playing the music that he was supposed to play. There was something about Santa's eyes: they didn't look different or weren't glowing or anything like that. Jana assumed it must have been because of the single attic bulb that glowed over all that was stored in the attic. They just didn't look like they were painted on. They looked more like they were placed in Santa's head: they almost looked moist. They almost looked real! She quickly shook off this notion, reached behind Santa's back and felt for the switch that would end this music, for at least another eleven months. For the second time that night Jana lost a breath. The switch was turned off! She knew this because when the small switch, in the back of Santa, was pushed down, it was off. When it was in the middle, this meant that the music was off but the robotic doll would move. When the switch was all the way up, it meant that the doll was totally on. She knew this: she always knew this! Jana jerked her hand away from the doll knowing that the switch in back of the doll was definitely in the ‘off' position. As she was staring down at the doll in the wooden box, it stopped. It felt like many minutes but it was probably only seconds. She waited a few more seconds to see if the doll was finally ‘off'. The only change after the doll shut down was the realization that it became even colder in the attic. Jana then quickly shut the box on the now silent doll. She carefully placed the box back with the other Christmas decorations and walked to the steps, leading down to her very warm home. Tomorrow she would have her husband get the doll and throw it away. She knew she didn't need any defective decoration to keep her up at night but as she was climbing down the stairs she thought she heard a scratching sound. She stopped for a second and heard nothing. After a few more minutes she started to laugh to herself and came to a realization that her imagination was getting the best of her. She climbed down the steps, shut the attic door, and decided to check up on her still-dozing husband. As she approached his chair in the den, she noticed nothing out of order. Her husband was lying in the prone position in his old Lazy Boy recliner. The television was still on showing an old black and white movie that came on after the last fight. There was also a half-filled glass of scotch on the small table that was near his chair. She was about to turn back toward her bedroom when she heard a sound: not just a sound but music. She also observed a small glimmer of light that was coming from the corner of her dining room, by her large dining room table. This time Jana lost more than a single breath. She stood there in shock, as she slowly built up the courage to walk over to the glowing light. Her breath came back like a jolt when she observed the now fully-functioning Santa, standing in his allotted location, playing Christmas songs as its internal mechanism scraped its way to produce a metal-like sound. Jana did not scream. She only felt the same cold she felt not too many minutes before in her attic. No one in the family understood what happened. One day Jana and Dick Dwyer were very normal retired teachers, living out their lives together, in Kroy, Maine. Why they became curiosities of the community confused everyone, whoever knew them. Their house was always decorated as if it was Christmas. Even though it was well into the summer season, the Dwyer's home was fully lit in all of Christmas's glory. At first the family used to visit them, often asking them why they were so fond of Christmas. Jana, perpetually dressed in Christmas sweaters even though the temperature outside would reach above 90 degrees and would always answer with her eyes and tell us that she had to be. No one in the family ever understood her answer. No one in the family visits their home anymore!
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