Here’s a little flash piece I wrote for the Apex Magazine Christmas Invasion, but seeing as they passed on it, I thought I would share it with you folks here. It’s dedicated to the memory of the Prime Ministership of Tony “The Mad Speedo Monk” Abbott, the hateful LNP, and their efforts to dehumanise, punish, torture, and murder the world’s most vulnerable people – refugees fleeing war and other forms of violence to come to Australia, the so-called ‘boat people’.
Merry Christmas and/or other holiday, and be sure to take care of you and yours.
Gift People
“Confusion this morning as thousands of children find not presents under the Christmas tree… but Elves.”
Sadi had turned the TV on hoping for information. The only useful thing she’d learned was that her family wasn’t the only one experiencing this strange visitation.
“We seek asylum from the oppressive dictatorship of the North Pole!” said the Elf on screen.
“We seek asylum,” parroted the Elf in Sadi’s living room.
He – he? – wasn’t at all how Elves were usually depicted in Christmas cards, cartoons and films. He had the pointy ears and his clothes were the expected greens and reds, but they were made of tattered leather, and his skin was jet black.
Sana had squealed when she opened the box and the small person had got unsteadily to his feet and started talking. She was instantly enraptured. She had both arms around the confused fellow before he could say “We seek asylum.”
“Can we keep him?”
The Elf on TV sounded angry. “Seeking asylum is a human right!”
“But, you’re not human,” the reporter countered.
“You would say that!”
“Mummy?” Sana whined.
Sadi sighed. “You must understand, dear, he’s not ours to keep; he’s a person. Though if he’d like, I suppose we could let him live here; we do have plenty of room.”
Sana cheered, and even the confused Elf seemed pleased.
“Why don’t you open up the rest of the presents,” Sadi said. “There might be more Elves in there who need our help.”