Standing in front of me, not ten feet away, was a reindeer. Not a decoration. Not a massive dog dressed up by its owner. An actual, massive, breathing reindeer with an impressive rack of antlers that spanned wider than outstretched arms. Its dark slate eyes fixed on mine with an intelligence that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
In Palm Springs.
In November.
The reindeer and I stared at each other in what might have been the most surreal staring contest in the history of staring contests.
My brain cycled through rational explanations with the desperation of someone trying to justify why their ex’s belongings were still in their apartment six months post-breakup. Escaped zoo animal? Desert mirage? Elaborate Christmas promotional stunt? The consequences of skipping breakfast while hungover?
I didn’t move. Neither did the reindeer.
Its coat was rich brown, glossy, and well-groomed. This wasn’t some scruffy wild animal that had wandered in from...wherever the hell wild reindeer lived. Certainly not in the California desert. The creature’s antlers curved majestically overhead, branching out in patterns that seemed almost mathematical in their precision.
The reindeer took a step forward, hooves silent against the gravel. Then another. The distance between us shrank. He was close enough that I could see the way his nostrils flared slightly with each breath, the intelligent focus in his eyes.
“You’re not ready yet.”
I jerked upright, nearly falling off the bench. The voice hadn’t come from outside me. It had resonatedinsidemy skull, deep and quiet and utterly impossible.
“What the fuck?” My voice sounded weak compared to the rich timbre that had just occupied my thoughts. “What does that even mean? Not ready for what?”
The reindeer blinked but offered no explanation.
“Great. I’m having a one-sided conversation with a hallucinated reindeer in a public park.” I tried to rake my fingers through my hair, forgetting it was still in its tight bun from work. “Do you know why I’m suddenly freezing things? Why my eyes did that weird glowy thing? Why Christmas seems to be haunting me?”
Nothing. Just that steady, unnerving stare.
“Is this some kind of karmic retribution for all those years I’ve spent hating tinsel and threatening to strangle carolers?” I laughed, the sound edging toward hysteria. Why was I talking to a reindeer? “Or am I just sad my parents aren’t visiting? They’ve missed every important moment of my life since I was fifteen because, apparently, magnetic fields are more interesting than their only child.”
I guess my parents canceling their visit was bothering me more than I thought.
The reindeer tilted its head, antlers shifting gracefully with the movement. For a moment, I thought I saw something like sadness flicker in his eyes.
“This is absurd,” I whispered, more to myself than my antlered audience. “I should be calling my doctor, notconfessing my childhood abandonment issues to Donner or Blitzen or whoever the hell you’re supposed to be.”
Something that sounded eerily like a growl came from the beast. He turned away from me, taking several steps toward the path that led to the hiking trail outside my community.
“Wait!” I called out, jumping to my feet, suddenly desperate. “What’s happening to me?”
It stopped and looked back over one shoulder.
“Soon.”
I stumbled backward, the bench catching me behind the knees. My heart felt like his silent hooves had stomped on it and altered it in an indescribable way.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I counted to three, trying to regulate my breathing. When I opened them, the reindeer was gone.
I blinked, scanning the park. Nothing. No massive antlered creature, no hoofprints, not even a single reindeer dropping to prove I hadn’t completely lost it.
All that remained was the echo of that voice and the overwhelming certainty that something in my life had changed forever.
And just as the voice had said, I wasn’t ready.
Chapter 3
Possessed Cookies
Ispent the next hour searching for “reindeer sightings Palm Springs” and “hallucinogenic desert plants” while sitting rigidly on my living room couch. Each search result offered less help than the previous one, unless I needed to know about the Christmas light display at the botanical gardens featuring wire reindeer sculptures.
