And the silver gleam doe was privy to Aretha’s under breath muffles.

“Now,now, I have eyes like the moon.

Don’t stress.”

A favourite saying of Aretha’s when playing with Renee.

Their bond had grown strong since the deer and Aretha had this hair-raising yet enchanted nightly meet up over two years.

Aretha’s parents about the same time had this chance encounter with the person who tamed and trained the deer.

It’s how Aretha got to know about Renee’s routines.

Back to the present moment.

“Birds on  watch, Renee.

A flutter.

They are super aware.

Oh you’d like another nuzzle.

Can I whisper some stuff in your ear.”

Renee’s eyes moistened considerably.

“Don’t want to worry my folks. You understand.

Hard to believe they are not that aware of what we’re doing.”

An intense twinkling starlit sky zoomed as Aretha whispered in velvet quaint timber to Renee.

Aretha had to switch from one ear to the other.

From Renee’s demeanour she was even prone to a little cavorting.

Then suddenly Aretha had this discomfort.

Renee was either not herself or.

At first glance tonight a strange inkling descended on this child.

“Eye to eye, this is not 

Renee. It sure looks like her.  

No, the deer senses what is going on inside 

Oh there’s a spot on this deer.”

The moon at this point glided over as Aretha patted the deer in front and dashed off.

Little Aretha sobbed, gulped, even shrieked.

Her home which had always been so close was now light years away.

The paths, passages, and alleys were a daunting obstacle.

A canopy of blue cheese moon haze and street light strafe now less familiar to her.

The palpitations, the fret and anxiety.

Aretha momentarily got lost but managed to dart back to a dwelling and a situation with a secret.

Much to her surprise her parents cut a figure in the window.

They were awake.

What next she wondered.

As there was a light dust layer of snow she might hazard a guess.

“Aretha, what’s wrong?

It’s midnight. We love you.

I think we know.

It’s just your father and I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

Aretha’s mother said.

“Renew has been dead for quite some time.

She had a twin sister.

That’s the one you have been seeing of late.”

It was the father’s turn.

“Have you forgotten it’s Christmas Eve?

Like us you get dates mixed up.

We all doe!! A funny slip… sorry 

We have something outside … I hear a noise.”

It’s Samuel 

the area Santa.

Dedicated to my brilliant and lovely sister, Jay A Pallen