One Day In December Novels & Stories

On New Year’s Eve, Kian Newman never came home. Instead, he had someone deliver a container of frozen ravioli and sent me a single message: "Stay safe this year." I had barely locked the screen when a photo popped up in the company group chat. Isabel Wilkinson, Kian's assistant, had posted it. It was a lavish holiday dinner spread across the table, every dish clearly homemade. The caption read: "Someone spent all day cooking so I could have a taste of home. Love you."

There was no amount of concealer to hide the shadows around those eyes and I had my hair pulled back in a bun so tight it was hurting me. I was twenty-six. I was supposed to be completing a degree, or traveling, or at least having a drink with friends that didn’t only talk about their tips at the diner. My mates did party but not me. Instead, I was calculating the cost of feeding and bills to pay. "Next stop, Damen," the overhead voice crackled. I stood up, my knees cracking. Every joint in my body felt like it would fail. I’d just finished a ten hour shift, and the sun was barely out. Most people were just waking up while I was just trying to make it to the front of my door.

Lena makes a sound that means she disagrees but is choosing her battles. "One day," she says. "Then you tell him." "One day." "Promise me." "One day Lena. I promise.”

My reflection looked like a stranger's eyes faded, lips pressed tight. And then, almost without noticing, I whispered to the glass, to the city, to myself: “Just one night of freedom. That’s all I need.” As the city lights shimmered, a dangerous thought took root in Ava’s heartone that would fire everything that followed. *One night to run, one night to burn.*

................................................ "A change in date is just a number, But a change in your thinking, the fire which will never let you surrender. So lighten your sparks and give them winds of change, Making this world know who is the best player in this game. .................................................. ................................................ 31 December 8:00 pm Cold winds of December were making the province of Evanguard shiver in a cold gust of winter. Fog surrounded the palace but warm yellow lights warmed the interiors of it. Fires were lit and people were chatting around.

" Anger was about to surge up, and I wanted to reply with something vicious. But then I thought about it. Tomorrow, she was coming to Bryce Group to make me apologize—to myself? I suddenly began to look forward to tomorrow. I put down the phone and served myself another bowl of soup. Tomorrow's show should be very entertaining. The moment I arrived downstairs at the company, I saw three people anxiously waiting at the front desk after being stopped. Lydia also saw me step out of a luxury car. She rushed over and grabbed my arm. "Connor, why are you acting rich? You even dared to take a Porsche car service here!" Her sharp voice drew glances from passersby. I said nothing. I only looked at he

I hit him lightly on the shoulder “Just joking” He smiled and began to bring out the ingredients that he will probably need for the cooking “Do you know?” I said to him making him pause “Know what?” “It's tomorrow, tomorrow is the last day” “Hmm, I know” He whispered slowly nodding his head “Tomorrow is 31st of December, I don't regret dating you for just a few days, in fact it's a memory I'm going to treasure for the rest of my life”

The property turned inward fully in December, which was its natural December mode — the garden under its winter mulch, the trees bare, the quality of the days short and cold and clear in the way of December days that were doing what December days were supposed to do without apology. Anya found December clarifying in the same way she found October clarifying, though differently. October’s clarity was the clarity of things being shown as they were. December’s clarity was the clarity of things stripped to their essentials. The above-ground finished for the season. The roots doing their winter work in the dark.

So much for travelling incognito. Needless to say, my one-time fling with Septimus has proved ineffective in bringing back his mojo. And so Operation Courting Death is go. Today is D-Day, October 31st, All Saints’ Eve and the last workday before Rina would stay holed up in her hotel; her home away from home. I say a confused prayer to whoever god would care to listen (my moral compass is so effed up now) that no policeman impound the horses and book us before we can carry out our evil deed.

ANNELISE POV A month had passed so quickly now it was December, and Paris looked like Santa had thrown up on every single street in the most expensive way possible. Everywhere was red, green, gold, glitter, lights, fake snow, giant Christmas trees, wreaths, bows, and enough holiday music to make a person lose their mind. The city was beautiful though. Very beautiful. And somehow, I couldn’t enjoy any of it. I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, staring at my phone screen with my period tracker app opened.