Christmas Furlough

By Zoe Cannon

Suriel loves Christmas. But she's never gotten a chance to enjoy it. As an angel working in a minimum security prison for demons, she spends every Christmas working unpaid overtime.

 

At least she's got Bragzoth. He's not bad, for a demon. Their games of chess help keep her entertained during her long and boring shifts.

 

He also has no idea what Christmas is. Which is criminal, as far as Suriel is concerned. No pun intended.

 

Maybe it's time to change that.

 

It would mean breaking the rules. And Suriel has never broken the rules in her long life. But what has that gotten her? Another Christmas spent working while everyone else has fun.

 

For once in her life, she wants to celebrate Christmas. And she doesn't want to celebrate alone.

 

This short story is 5700 words long. It is also available in Santa's Rejects, a collection of offbeat Christmas stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zoe Cannon
• Release date: Dec 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223113584

Book preview

Christmas Furlough

Zoe Cannon

© 2023 Zoe Cannon

http://www.zoecannon.com

All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Christmas Furlough

Suriel wordlessly passed her ID through the bulletproof glass to the stern-faced seraph on the other side. She didn’t know why she had to show her ID every time—she had been working here for centuries, and everyone knew her face by now, and besides, she had the wings and the halo and the angelic glow. What else would she be doing in an angelic prison besides showing up for guard duty? But they did like their security procedures around here, which meant she would be stuck showing her ID with its unflattering picture until the end of time.

The seraph squinted down at the photo, then up at her, like he thought she might be some kind of demonic spy. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. No one has a disguise that good."

The seraph, cursed with the same lack of humor as everyone else in this prison, glowered at her. Finally, he passed the ID back and pressed the button that would unlock the door. It opened with a deep groan and a low screech of metal.

Suriel thought longingly of the crisp air outside, and the city streets aglow with Christmas cheer. Somewhere out there, children were assembling gingerbread houses and setting out cookies for Santa. Couples were ice skating in the park, and laughing as they lost their balance and fell into one another.

With a heavy sigh, she walked through the door. It slammed heavily shut behind her.

The smell of brimstone washed over her, along with