Merry Christmas Mr. Kinney

You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into the wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the sign post up ahead-your next stop, the Twilight Zone...

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"Damn it Brian, hold still." Justin said as he was trying to adjust a Santa Claus beard on Brian. He'd been volunteered to play Santa Claus at Gus's preschool and was fighting getting into his costume.

"I'm telling you I'm going to kill that bitch Melanie. I know she was the one who volunteered me for this." Brian said with a lot of anger.

"What are you complaining about? I have to wear green tights." Justin said already dressed in his elf costume

"Well you look like an elf."

"I'll remember that next time you want to get laided. Just try and remember it's for your son. Don't you think it's about time Gus learned that it's not the three wise guys named Gucci, Prada, and Versace.

"That was kind of funny." Brian chuckled remembering what Gus said a couple of days ago.

Justin finished his work and took a step back. "Ok, now give me a Ho, Ho, Ho."

"Ho, Ho, Ho." Brian said with no enthusiasm.

"Jesus, it sounds like you're calling a couple of hookers. Try again."

"Ho, Ho, Ho." Brian says sounding a little better.

"Close enough. Let's go. We're late.

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There's always been a magic that happens to boys and men all over the world on Christmas Eve. But tonight on Liberty Avenue a really special magic will happen. But it's a special magic that only happens when Christmas Eve occurs in the Twilight Zone.

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Well at least no one had to pee on Santa's lap Brian thought as he drove himself and Justin home. But in spite of yourself you had a good time playing Santa. Gus recognized his dad but he played along. He's a smart little guy. You always knew he took after his father.

You pull the Vette up to the loft and get out. The plan was for Justin and you to change and then head out. We have to stop at Jennifer. Then the night is ours. Maybe we'll stop at Woody's for a night cap and maybe we'll spread a little Christmas cheer in the backroom. Tomorrow it will be Gus and his moms for Christmas morning. Then if we don't stop at Debbie's and Carl's for Christmas dinner Deb will have my other ball.

"Oh my God Brian, I think we missed some of the presents." Justin said looking into the back window of the Vette.

You go over and look at what Justin was looking at and you see the formally empty toy bag now full of packages.

"That bag was empty when I put it back there." you tell Justin. You open the back of the car and examine the bag. Yes it was the same one from before. But then it was empty. Now it's full of wrapped presents. You also find a card with an address written on it. You hand the card to Justin.

"Know what this is?" You ask.

Justin looks at the card. "Yeah, it's the address of a hospital. I was there a few times when I was a kid for my asthma."

Brian looked over the packages. They were all labeled with names and room numbers. And they all seemed to be toys. "Well, any ideas?"

"Deliver them?"

You think about it for a second and come to the same conclusion. "What the hell, lets go."

You and Justin walk into the main entrance of the hospital still in costume. Obviously you get a few stares as you walk up to the main desk.

"Little lost Santa?" the guard behind the desk asks with a laugh.

"Yeah, I got to drop these off." You say as you show him the labeled gifts.

"Visiting hours are over."

"Make an exception?" you ask.

Yeah, what the hell, it's Christmas. Go for it Santa." said the guard.

You get a lot more laughs at the nurse's station in Pediatrics. After explaining the situation they direct you to the Christmas tree located in the common room. You start to empty the bag under the tree and it never seems to empty. You look at the pile under the tree as the bag finally emptied. There is no way that pile had fit into this bag. There's no way that fit into five bags you think. You look at it and just shake your hand in disbelief.

Justin had stayed behind chatting with the nurses. "You should hear this story Brian." Justin said as you walked up. He told you about a young man who was a patient on the floor. You wince as they tell you he was a cancer patient. He was about five and told everyone he was going to make it to Christmas so he could be there for Santa.

"You know it would mean a lot if you stopped in." one of the nurses said.

You didn't even have to think about an answer. "What room?" you ask.

The nurse leads you down and goes in first. As you follow you see the young man's mother throw her hands over her mouth in shock as she sees you walk in. After the nurse explains what's going on his mother waves you in. You walk up to the bed and see a very frail sleeping young man.

You remember your own battle with cancer. You know a little of what this boy was going through.

"Santa?" the young man asks with a very quiet voice. We must have woke him up when we came in.

"Sure am little guy." You answer as you lean down to look at him. You touch his bald head hoping to give him a little comfort. "You think I'd forget about you?"

"I knew you'd come."

"I just wanted to tell you your present is waiting for you under the tree. Now you get well."

"I'm trying."

"I know you are. Now go back to sleep and get your rest. You can open your gift in the morning." And as you finish you bend down and kiss the little guy on his forehead.

"I'll try." He says as his eyes close and he goes back to sleep.

You stand up and try to blink away the tears. As you try to leave his mother just grabs you and says "Bless you." You hug her for a moment then you let go and leave the room.

Justin's been waiting at the nurses' station. He sees on your face something happened to you but doesn't ask as you walk up to the nurse's station. "C'mon we got some work to do." You tell him as you grab him and the bag and leave.

You're guessing how this works. You throw the bag into the back of the Vette and walk away for a moment. You return and sure enough the bag was full again with a new address.

"Call your mother." you tell Justin. "We're going to be busy the rest of the night."

The two of you spend the rest of Christmas Eve making deliveries. Nursing homes, hospitals, orphanages, anywhere where there are people who Christmas seemed to have passed by. And after every stop the bag magically refilled with presents and a new address.

That is at least until midnight. You heard the church bells calling people to midnight mass. It also signaled the end of Christmas Eve because the bag stopped refilling.

We figured that was the end of the magic so we headed to Woody's for that night cap. I think we both needed some time to process what had just happened before heading home. As we sat at the bar still in costume a couple of guys thought they could get lucky with my elf. But a couple of growls from Santa took care of that idea.

Justin spoke first. "What just happened?" he asked.

"I have no idea.' I said as I downed a shot of Beam.

"It was kind of fun." Justin said with that special twinkle in his eyes I love.

We finished our drinks and left. We kind of goofed around as we walked down the street to the Vette. As we walked I put my arm around him and it was one of those moments when the wall comes all the way down and I really share my feelings with him. "You know I wish I could do this every year." I tell Justin.

That almost stops him in his tracks, "You know Scrooge there's hope for you yet." He says as he kisses me on the cheek.

But in a moment we both got an even bigger surprise. As we turned the corner into the alley where we parked we saw the Vette was gone. In its place was a sleigh. A sleigh loaded with gifts, with a real life elf onboard and a team of eight tiny reindeer.

"Merry Christmas Mister Kinney." said the elf.

"I hope you know how to drive this thing." Brian asked as he turned to his green clad Christmas expert boyfriend.

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Tis the night before Christmas and all over Liberty Avenue the sound of sleigh bells were heard overhead. To the men and boys of Liberty Avenue a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night…from The Twilight Zone

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This story is based on the Twilight Zone episode Night of the Meek by Rod Serling. Originally broadcast on December 23, 1960 and stared Art Carney.

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