“Mom, they’re gone, they’re all gone!” I sobbed while screaming at the top of my lungs. Christmas list; toys, clothes, a new phone. It's all the same every year. How do you ask a kid what he wants for Christmas when he already has everything one could dream of? Everything, I tell ya’, to nice clothes, a phone with different cases to match all of my personalities, a dog, and my own room. Like really, what more could you ask for at the age of ten? Sooner rather than later, you’ll meet my brother, Alex. Just think of him as a big bear, hungry for gushers and you're the last gusher on earth or the last one that he could find. He's not one of the smartest crayons in the crayon box, so I know he gets his smart genes from…never mind it's almost Christmas and Santa is watching.

This year I didn't even count down Christmas on a calendar. That's what babies do, or at least that's what Alex says. He's a big baby himself. What fifteen year old cries when he falls and gets a boo boo? Every Christmas I always looked forward to mom’s sweet and crisp apple pies, especially when they came fresh out the oven without letting them sit out to cool down. I’d rather burn my mouth every time than not get the fresh taste. Dinner was great! We had mash potatoes, ham, and my favorite dressing.

After dinner I usually have to beg my mom to open a gift. Before I could get out the words and put them into a complete sentence, she said, “You guys can open one gift and that's it.” As always, I chose the one that was the biggest and so did Alex. It's the one thing Alex and I can agree on. In the box was a big basketball hoop that could hang on my door with a little hamper attached, like mom was trying to give me a sign to clean up. Alex got a computer. He's been going on and on about wanting that dumb computer since June.

I sniffed the air, ash the sweet smell of cookies. Mom let me have two cookies and Alex got three because he was older. The table we sat the cookies on was filled with vibrant colors of red and green. I sometimes wish that Santa left a note telling me how good the cookies were. After that it was straight to bed. Mom always tucked me in and handed me my bear that I've slept with for as long as I've lived. I can't sleep without it, no matter where I go. I call it Kibbles; it has that name because I was trying to pronounce pebbles but it came out with a ¨K. ¨

It's not just me; I think it runs in the family. Alex still sleeps with his teddy bear but refuses to tell me the name. He thinks I'll blackmail him if I ever knew it. I was fast to sleep, just happy to wake up in the morning to a whole bunch of new things.

I woke up before the sun did. It was 6:42 when I checked the time. I rushed into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. My next stop was my parents’ room. I put one foot on the bed in the position to jump up. I jumped up and caught my balance. Seconds later I was reckless jumping all over them, on the bed screaming, ¨Wake up, wake up! ¨

They didn't move they were like statues just not moving at all. They were breathing just not moving. I scampered into Alex's room where he was lying in bed on his phone.

¨Wrong, something, parents, and.. ¨ I couldn’t get out the right words.

¨Wait, what? Say that again but slower, kid,¨ said Alex with a grin on his face.

¨Something is wrong with Mom and Dad,¨ I said at a slower pace this time.

¨What's wrong, there aliens? ¨ he said in a sarcastic tone, which he knows I hate.

¨Maybe they are downstairs, you probably were just jumping on pillows, and come on kid,¨ said Alex like he didn't even believe me.

We walked downstairs and discovered all the presents gone.

“Mom, they’re gone! They’re all gone! ¨ I sobbed while screaming at the top of my lungs. Alex was surprised. He just stared at the tree like he was replacing the presents, but in his mind. Alex blinked lifelessly, picked up his phone and called Mom. He got an answer.

¨Hello, Mom? Where are you? ¨ Alex said in a voice that I’ve never heard.

¨Okay,” he said, “I understand.”

He hung up and he didn't say anything. He just sat down and I sat right next to him not saying a word. Minute’s later Mom walked in with Santa behind her. My smile was so big it was going to touch both of my ears. “Santa, Santa!” I screamed.

“Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!” said Santa.

“I wanted you to have something different this Christmas,” Mom said.

“Wait, what happened to the presents under the tree,” I said even though I didn't really care about them anymore.

“I gave them to kids that didn't have any presents,” she said as her face began to turn red.

“It’s okay,” Alex and I said in unison. Then we both looked at each other and giggled. I have to say that this is the best Christmas, and at this point I didn't care about the presents. Whoever got them, I hope they enjoy them.