On the Ninth Day of Christmas

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9
250 words
Theme: White Christmas

Elements:
War
Nine Ladies Dancing
Song: White Christmas

Day 9

Nine women dance around in tutus to exact chorography on the surface of an ancient black and white television. A man comes into the dusty room through a hole in a wall that must have been created by indiscriminate explosives. He stares at the silent tv for a few moments before asking, “Why the hell are you watching this shit?”

“It’s Christmas man…” replies a soldier lounging against a pile of rubble.

“But the Nutcracker? Really?” asks his compatriot.

“I’d be watching something else if it was available…”

“White Christmas?”

The man on the ground grins up at him for a moment and starts singing the song quietly, “I’m… dreaming… of a whhiiiiite Christmas…”

His friend leans up against the wall and joins in with him, “Just like the ones… I used to know.”

All around, the voices of the rest of the platoon join in with the melody. Right before they finish the song, high caliber gunfire from the roof drowns them out.

The soldier on the ground hops over to a window and looks at the entrenched crowd half a block away that their machine gun is currently peppering. “Can’t even sing a carol in peace… Crummy war…”

His friend kneels down next to him and pats his shoulder. “Just keep looking forward to that White Christmas, man.”

He glances at his friend and says bitterly, “Just as long as it isn’t the Nuclear Winter variety…”