For Lewis and Tony

  Tuesday 27 October

  I’m so lucky!

  When I pulled back the curtain of my attic bedroom first thing this morning, I gasped in wonder. It had snowed in the night!

  A bright crescent moon was smiling in the crisp dark sky, and all the rooftops in the East Village were gleaming white.

  Quick as a flash, I rushed downstairs, pulled on my curly-toed boots, and burst out into the street. We live in the most crowded part of town, but there were no footprints or sleigh tracks anywhere. Everywhere I looked, the snow was completely untouched!

  Dragging my foot, I wrote my name in the snow:

  Then I stood still, looking up at the stars, breathing in the icy air…

  As I skipped back inside to make breakfast for my younger brothers and sisters, I felt so grateful to be alive. Grateful to be a Christmas Elf, helping to make the toys for Father Christmas; grateful for my family, even though being the middle child of ten can be tricky at times; and grateful for my friend Holly, Father Christmas’s daughter, because she always has my back, and together we’ve shared so many adventures.

  But then, as I dusted the snowflakes from my cap, I remembered that underneath all that fresh snow, everything was still the same.

  And my heart sank.

  Because to be quite honest with you, things at the Workshop have been a little tense recently…

  Wednesday 28 October

  Another stressful day at work.

  I need to explain. For two years running, some baddies have tried to steal Christmas, and everyone is worried that this year, they’re going to try and do it again…

  The first time, they tied Father Christmas up and stole the sleigh with all the presents on it. Luckily, Holly and I managed to get it back, and Christmas was saved.

  The second time, they kidnapped Father Christmas and held him to ransom! Luckily, Holly came to his rescue with the help of a robot Father Christmas she’d made.

  Everyone’s worried this year they’ll try something even worse, so the Security Elves are on the lookout…

  Thursday 29 October

  Another tense day in the Workshop.

  Christmas Place is so serious these days!

  We used to have so much fun, telling stories and cracking jokes while we worked. Even Steinar, the Right-Hand Elf, used to join in sometimes, playing his accordion for us to dance to whenever we met our targets.

  Not any more. Everyone’s so serious…

  Holly even told me off for humming!

  ‘Tog!’ she hissed, looking up from her computer console. She’s got really good at coding, and this year she’s making video games. ‘I’m trying to concentrate!’

  ‘I can’t help it!’ I said. ‘Every time I finish a cracker, I feel all warm and tingly inside.’

  I looked at Ana, the new elf, for support, but she didn’t look up from the skipping rope she was working on, the sort that lights up when you skip.

  During hot chocolate break, I took Holly to one side and asked her if she was okay.

  ‘Not really,’ she said, her eyes filling with tears.

  ‘You’re worried about your dad, aren’t you?’ I asked.

  Holly nodded. ‘What if Ola and Eva try to kidnap him, like they did last year? Or worse?’

  Ola and Eva are seriously bad baddies. Ola used to be Father Christmas’s Left-Hand Elf, and Eva’s a Luxembourgian billionaire who hates Christmas.

  ‘If they do, they’ll have me to deal with,’ I said firmly, offering her my handkerchief. ‘And Father Christmas’s new Security Elves, of course.’

  She cheered up a bit when I said that. Steinar has recruited a team of Security Elves to protect Father Christmas. Everywhere he goes, they go too, wearing mirrored sunglasses and talking to one another using microphones hidden in their sleeves. They’ve even taken the bells off their boots so no one can hear them coming.

  ‘He mustn’t go to the Halloween Party,’ said Holly, gripping my arm.

  ‘Why not?’ I asked.

  ‘Think about it,’ said Holly. ‘There’ll be loads of people in costume, so it will be really easy for Ola, Eva, Max or Fizz to disguise themselves and sneak in. I’m convinced that’s when they’ll strike!’

  Max and Fizz are Ola’s son and daughter. They used to be Workshop Elves like Holly and me, which is why Holly feels like she can’t trust anyone.

  ‘Have you said anything?’ I asked.

  ‘Of course,’ said Holly impatiently. ‘But Dad won’t listen. He said going to the party is vital for morale.’

  I can see his point. The Halloween Party is a big fixture in the elf calendar, a time when everyone kicks back one last time before the Christmas rush, and we all love to see Father Christmas dressed up and skating like everyone else…

  But I can see Holly’s point too. It’s a security risk.

  I hope the party goes okay.

  Friday 30 October

  Disaster at the Workshop!

  It all started when I decided to test my latest batch of Christmas crackers. I know not everyone has Christmas crackers, so I should probably explain what they are.

  Basically, you pull them before you eat your Christmas dinner. You hold one end, the person next to you holds the other, and then you both pull. The crackers are made of paper, and when they come apart, they make a banging sound. One person usually wins, and they get all the things in the cracker: a paper hat, which you wear during dinner; a piece of paper with a joke on it; and a little toy. The other person gets nothing, which seems really unfair, but it adds massively to the excitement.

  I needed to make sure my cracker snaps – that’s the strip of cardboard inside the cracker that makes the noise – were working. So with a cracker in each hand, I offered the other ends to Ana and Holly.

  ‘One, two, three…’ I counted.

  I was about to say ‘pull’, when the doors slammed open and two Security Elves rolled in like commandos, barking instructions into their sleeve mics. Moments later, Father Christmas entered, surrounded by the rest of his Security Elves.

  ‘Good morning, everyone!’ he bellowed.

  We all stood up, trying to catch a glimpse, but Father Christmas is rather short. His Security Elves, who are all quite large, were crowded around him, and we couldn’t quite see him over their heads.

  ‘Ignore me, please,’ boomed his familiar voice. ‘I just want to observe. Pretend I’m not here.’

  I took him at his word.

  ‘Pull!’ I said, and Holly, Ana and I pulled the crackers.

  BANG! BANG!

  The bangs sounded just like gunshots, and Father Christmas’s Security Elves were on high alert. The largest of them pushed Father Christmas on to the ground, leaping on top of him, while the others flick-flacked across the Workshop floor, somersaulting from their hands to their feet like ninjas. Before I knew it, the Head Security Elf – a red-faced man with a moustache – had my arm halfway up my back, and was pressing my head against the workbench.

  ‘Sorry!’ I squeaked. ‘We were testing crackers!’

  The Head Security Elf picked up my half of the cracker from the workbench.

  ‘What’s this for?’ he asked suspiciously, holding up a tiny plastic comb.

  ‘Nothing, really,’ I replied. ‘It’s one of five random gifts we put in all crackers.’

  The Head Security Elf narrowed his eyes. ‘And what are the other four?’

  I counted them off on my hand.

  ‘Cellophane fish that curls up when you put it on the palm of your hand, tiny pack of playing cards, tape measure, and a weird puzzle with two bits of twisted metal that no one has ever been able to undo.’

  ‘What child,’ began the Head Security Elf slowly, struggling to understand, ‘asks for a tape measure for Christmas?’

  But before I could answer, we were interrupted by the sound of moaning.

  ‘I’m hit!’ groaned Father Christmas, from down on the floor. ‘My chest feels like it’s under a heavy weight!’

  ‘Sorry, Father Christmas,’ said the large Security Elf who had jumped on top of him. ‘That’s me.’

  He stood up, pulling Father Christmas to his feet.

  ‘Oh,’ said Father Christmas, checking himself over. ‘Well, that’s a relief. For a moment there, I thought I’d filled my last stocking.’

  ‘Dad, you shouldn’t be here!’ hissed Holly anxiously. ‘It’s not safe!’

  ‘I’ve got no choice, Holly,’ replied Father Christmas. ‘Without me, this place would grind to a halt.’

  ‘We can manage,’ insisted Holly. ‘I promise. Hide out somewhere – then come back to deliver the presents. If you don’t, Christmas could be ruined forever!’

  ‘Everything okay?’ asked Steinar, the Right-Hand Elf, emerging from his office.

  ‘Dad’s on walkabout again,’ said Holly.

  ‘Torvil?’ asked Steinar, peering over the top of his glasses. ‘We talked about this.’

  ‘Oh, bobbins and bed socks,’ replied Father Christmas huffily. ‘I’m not changing my routine just because a few baddies are on the prowl.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ said Steinar firmly, ‘but I must insist: essential appearances only. Everything else can be covered by Holly’s robot.’ He put a friendly hand on Father Christmas’s shoulder. ‘You need to take a step back.’

  Father Christmas scowled, and didn’t answer.

  There was an awkward pause. Steinar looked meaningfully at the Head Security Elf.

&nbs p; ‘Let’s get Big Dog back in the Kennel,’ barked the Head Security Elf into his sleeve mic, and the remaining Security Elves shuffled back into position around Father Christmas, and moved back out.

  ‘I’ll take this,’ said the Head Security Elf seriously, holding up my half of the Christmas cracker. ‘For analysis.’

  Saturday 31 October

  It’s Halloween!

  Holly, Ana and I went down to the ice rink to help Bo and Bay, two of my older brothers and sisters, get it ready for the party.

  The first bit, sweeping all the fresh snow off the ice, was quite hard work.

  But the second part, decorating, was so much fun! We draped fake spider webs between the lanterns, then hung up some giant rubber spiders for extra effect. It looked so creepy!

  No sooner had we finished than who should come charging over the brow of the neighbouring hill but Father Christmas, waving and shouting on his sleigh!

  To begin with, of course, we were all delighted. Father Christmas always makes a few test-runs before the big day, and it’s considered very lucky if you see him. But then, as we watched him approach, our joy turned to confusion.

  ‘That’s weird,’ I said to Holly. ‘Usually the reindeer are at the front. But look – they’re all at the back.’

  Holly’s eyes widened.

  ‘The reins!’ she exclaimed. ‘They’ve snapped! He’s waving and shouting because he’s in trouble!’

  It was true!

  The sleigh was out of control, and Father Christmas was rushing down the hillside towards us at breakneck speed, the reindeer chasing along behind, trying to keep up!

  ‘Help!’ howled Father Christmas.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the huge pile of snow we had swept, and suddenly I knew what to do.

  ‘Go that way!’ I shouted to Rudolph. ‘Aim for the snow!’

  Hearing my words, my old friend put on a surge of speed and nudged the front of the sleigh with his nose, steering it towards the pile of snow!

  The next thing we knew, the sleigh came hurtling across the ice, straight into the white fluffy mound!

  Rudolph and the other reindeer skidded to a halt, and for a moment, there was silence.

  Then we all rushed forward, pushing back the snow to reveal Father Christmas, coughing and spluttering.

  ‘What happened?’ asked Holly.

  ‘I have no idea!’ said Father Christmas, through a mouthful of snow. ‘The reins came away in my hands.’

  ‘Lucky it happened on the ground,’ added Rudolph breathlessly. ‘If we’d been up in the air, it could have been really serious.’

  ‘Sabotage!’ exclaimed Holly.

  ‘Now, now,’ said Father Christmas, raising his hands in a calming gesture. ‘Let’s not jump to conclusions.’

  ‘Dad,’ said Holly. ‘Please tell me this means you’re not coming to the party tonight?’

  ‘Those reins are nearly five hundred years old,’ said Father Christmas patiently. ‘They were bound to break some time.’

  ‘This wasn’t an accident!’ shrieked Holly. ‘Why can’t you see that? This was Ola and Eva – I know it was.’

  ‘If I’m not here tonight to raise everyone’s spirits,’ insisted Father Christmas, ‘we won’t complete all the toys before Christmas. Besides…’ A twinkle appeared in his eye. ‘I’ve chosen a killer outfit.’

  Sunday 1 November

  Last night, my worst fears came true.

  The Halloween Party on the ice rink is usually one of my favourite times of the whole year, but last night, I was so sick with worry, I couldn’t enjoy it at all.

  As I got dressed into my tarantula costume, my mind was working overtime.

  Father Christmas would have his Security Elves with him, of course, but what use would they be if the baddies came in disguise?

  I got there early and picked up my skates from Bo and Bay’s hut – they always put some skates aside for me.

  ‘Help yourself,’ said Bo when I arrived. ‘All the skates are over there, with everyone’s names on.’

  Sure enough, there they were: a really nice black pair, perfect for my outfit. While I was lacing them up, I noticed a pink pair with white fur lining and sparkles. They had Father Christmas’s name on, which made me wonder what his costume was going to be…

  Feeling anxious, I wandered out on to the ice. It was empty and bathed in an eerie low mist, so that the cobwebs, spiders and orange lanterns looked scarier than ever.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder – and jumped!

  ‘Tog!’

  It was Holly, dressed as a headless horsewoman. The outfit was very effective, and it took me a moment to spot her eyes, which I eventually realised were in her chest!

  ‘You’re here early,’ she said. ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’

  I nodded. ‘We need to keep a close eye on your dad.’

  ‘And everyone else,’ said Holly. ‘Ola, Max, Fizz or Eva might come in disguise like they did last year. Or…’

  It was Holly, dressed as a headless horsewoman

  I leaned in closer.

  ‘There may be a traitor in our midst,’ she whispered.

  ‘Like who?’ I asked.

  Holly glanced over her shoulder, making sure she was alone.

  ‘What about Ana?’ she said quietly.

  I frowned. ‘Really?’

  ‘Think about it. Max was a Workshop Elf. Fizz was a Workshop Elf. Ana – ’ she lowered her voice to a whisper – ‘is also Workshop Elf.’

  I raised my eyebrows. ‘But she’s so quiet.’

  ‘Too quiet,’ said Holly knowingly.

  ‘Tog!’ came a chorus of voices, interrupting us, and I turned to see my younger siblings Twig, Leaf, Plum and Pin skating towards us. Twig was a witch with a broom, Leaf was a ghost, Plum was a pumpkin, and Pin was a bat.

  They looked amazing!

  We admired one another’s outfits as a flood of people arrived. Bo powered up his DJ decks, pumping out Halloween tunes, and everyone started to dance.

  Holly and I scoured the crowd, checking for anything suspicious…

  Suddenly I spotted a knight in full medieval armour. My mind flashed back to Eva’s castle in Luxembourg; hadn’t I seen something similar there, standing in a hallway as decoration?

  ‘Who’s that?’ I asked Holly.

  Holly shrugged.

  ‘Steinar!’ I called. ‘Is that you?’

  The knight gave us the thumbs-up.

  We were about to investigate further, when a loud cheer went up: Father Christmas had arrived, dressed as a Fairy Godmother, sitting in an open gold carriage, pulled by his Security Elves, who were all dressed as white mice!

  Holly and I looked at one another nervously.

  The crowd around him began to go crazy, clapping and cheering!

  Enjoying the attention, Father Christmas stepped down from the carriage, helped by the Head Security Elf. Then, while everyone flocked around, Father Christmas laced up his furry pink boots, and skated out on to the ice!

  The crowd went wild!

  Which was when I noticed something odd…

  It was hard to be sure because of the mist, but…

  Father’s Christmas’s skates were steaming!

  As I watched, Father Christmas raised his wand and began to pirouette, turning faster and faster.

  There was the sound of ice cracking, and I dived forward just in time to grab Father Christmas’s hands, a split second before his skates melted a hole in the ice, and he plunged down into the icy water!

  I’ve tried to remember exactly what happened next, but to be quite honest, it’s a bit of a blur. Lots of other people rushed forward to help, I remember that much, and we dragged Father Christmas to safety. He was soaked to the skin, so we bundled him into the hut and helped him out of his wet ballerina dress. Holly found a hot-water bottle and pressed it to his chest before wrapping him up in a warm blanket.

  ‘My feet!’ chattered Father Christmas. ‘They’re freezing!’

  As quickly as I could, I unlaced his skates, emptying them of water. Which was when I noticed something a little bit out of the ordinary.

  There was the sound of ice cracking

  ‘Holly!’ I hissed. ‘The blades are still warm!’

 

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