MIDNIGHT MAGIC



A young girl, with shoulder length, raven hair watched eagerly as the elderly woman sat in her attic, leaning over a large opened chest. Several pieces of memorabilia lay strewn across the floor: yearbooks, pictures, and jewelry. The girl's eyes lit up as she watched her grandmother lift a crystal globe into the air.



"Lawrence gave this to me on New Year's Eve at the stroke of midnight. It was a magical evening!" the woman continued.



The scene took on a wintry magical appearance as tiny flakes of "snow" dropped from the sky while the miniature couple inside held each other as if in a dance.



"I want you to have this, Sandy," the woman smiled.



A blue glow shimmered from the crystal as the young girl accepted the precious gift. "Look deep inside the globe," the woman chuckled.



Sandy lifted the globe closer to her face. The couple resembled her grandparents, but were much younger. A picture of her grandmother, which rested on the floor, revealed a woman in her early twenties, with long flowing, golden hair, identical to the woman inside the globe.



The young couple held each other close as they danced in the moonlight. The crisp air swept across their cheeks as new fallen snow covered the ground like a soft blanket of sheep's wool.



"You're shivering. Are you cold?" the dark haired man wearing a black top hat, a red plaid scarf, and a grey overcoat asked as he cupped a gloved hand under the young woman's chin, lifting it gently.



She brushed a few of her golden locks off her face. "No, your love keeps me warm."



The gentleman slowly leaned towards her. She could feel his warm breath on her skin. His lips pressed against hers in a deep, sensuous kiss.



From inside the lodge, they could hear cheers from the crowd as they celebrated New Year's Eve.



"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy New Year's!"



The couple deepened the kiss, oblivious to the noise from inside the building.



Finally, the man released the woman, reached into his side pocket, and pulled out a crystal snow globe.



"A moment in time," he whispered as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.



The scene seemed to freeze as the granddaughter's thoughts came back to the present. She looked up at her grandmother, whose hair was white as snow, and smiled. "You and Grandpa must have had many wonderful years together!"



The older woman wiped away a tear. "I only hope you marry a man half as good as your grandfather."



As the five year old girl looked back at her snowy globe, the couple had changed. The man's features were different. He was still young and handsome, but it wasn't her grandfather. The young woman now had dark hair and bore a striking resemblance to the child.



"Grandma?" Sandy asked with wonder.



The older woman chuckled. "It's magic, my dear!"



The End