After Kelly came home with a glowing report about the Santa eXperience, Holly gave her approval to both girls. Thrilled, Kelly ran off to call Ashleigh, to tell her BFF about the good news. When Riley pulled out her phone, her mother hesitated. "You can tell the Six Pack about it, but mention that we'll send formal invitations with the details."
Riley's face brightened. At first she only hoped for a sleepover with her friend Chloe, but now it sounded like all her friends on the basketball squad would be coming. "Thank you, Mommy," she said. "But isn't it going to be expensive?"
Holly smiled. All the miserly stories of how they had to save money must have sunk into the girl's preteen brain. They weren't as bad off as Holly might have told them. She just didn't want her girls to become stuck-up snobs. "We'll make do. Don't worry."
The next couple days passed with the girls being on their best behavior. Both expected a slip up on their part might change their mother's mind. In Holly's opinion, nothing short of murder or a blizzard would cancel their plans.
On Thursday, Holly picked up Kelly from school to attend her first training session. She decided to reserve the sleepover spots in person. She was also curious about the place her older daughter raved about.
When they arrived, she saw no delivery trucks, only a couple of service vehicles from an audio company. While Kelly ran inside, Holly sat in her car, contemplating whether to go in after all. She felt a bit foolish, not trusting her daughter had seen the transformation inside. She could always call in the reservation.
Well, she was there. Why waste an opportunity? Holly closed her eyes, took three deep breaths, and opened the car door.
As she approached the front, Holly encountered the revolving doors. She wasn't scared of them stopping like Riley was, knowing that her older daughter had been behind that prank. So she entered with confidence, only to have them freeze after a quarter turn.
Great, she thought, waving at the sensor above her head. That just activated a buzzing somewhere over her glass cage. She pushed first on the forward glass panel and then the one behind her. Neither yielded any movement.
Jumping up and down, she tried to attract someone's attention. The only thing that happened was the buzzing getting louder.
After a minute trapped and several more deep breaths, she grew less anxious, her body relaxing. She wasn't sure why, but she felt… younger, like she did as a little girl. She could almost smell…new fallen snow.
As though sensing her new-found serenity, the door started to move.
Holly stepped through the opening and into the lobby. She felt relieved, but relaxed, almost like being back home with her parents. Just like returning to her childhood.
All around her lights twinkled, sounds buzzed, smells wafted around, and she could almost taste peppermint in the air. The room itself felt cold, much more than the unseasonably mild for November weather outside. She peeked at her arms and saw goosebumps.
Everywhere she looked, people scurried about. Strangely, something in her brain sent an alarm that the scene was wrong. But she couldn't quite place it.
The only person not engaged with a duty was a strangely dressed man sitting on the front desk and dangling the shortest pair of legs over the edge. He wore a red bow tie, a bright green polo shirt, and white pants. Cautiously, she approached him, noticing his usage of a walkie-talkie to send directions.
He smiled as Holly moved closer, making her feel welcome. It was like a cat welcoming his master or mistress home. Or perhaps making a mouse cozy between its pair of paws.
"Hello," he said. "You must be the mother of our new Elf, Kelly Kelly Kane."
"How did you know?" Then she remembered borrowing one of her daughter's shirts. Perhaps that was the clue. "Do you know all of your new Elves by name?"
"No. Only those most likely to succeed. I hear Santa has been waiting for her for years. Besides, she just ran through the lobby to the elevators."
"That's nice," said Holly. And a bit creepy.
That oral response brought a bigger grin to the man's face. He suspected she was falling under the spell of the building. "Why did you come here today, Ms. Kane?"
"I wanted to see the place. I was thinking about hosting a slumber party here."
"Oh, a sleepover. Are your daughter and her friends at least 12? We only permit older girls into the upstairs suites overnight." He cupped his hand by his mouth to make the rest of the conversation private. "We allow the younger ones, the ones who still believe, only in the public areas down here."
"Oh yes, Riley will be twelve in a couple of weeks, and the other girls are in the same class. I'm sure they're all the same age."
"Good, good. She would be perfect for the entire experience. Would you like a guided tour? I'd be happy to take you around."
"I wouldn't want to take you away from your work."
The man jumped down from his perch, landing without making a sound. "It's my pleasure. I am Mr. Manx, by the way."
"Holly. Holly Kane. "
"Does your entire family have three names?"
"I… I don't know. Maybe."
He smiled. Her response confirmed that he could say anything without her questioning him. "Well, this is our lobby. We were glad to find such a large entry area. We're just putting the finishing touches on it. In fact, you can even see Santa's original sleigh from 1955. It even has tail fins."
"Oh, yeah. The lights are pretty." Even to Holly, her voice sounded dreamy.
"They are flashing a message of calming to you, Holly. It's much like the signals cats send when they purr. When you are in this building, nothing bad can happen to you or the girls."
"Nothing bad."
"That's exactly right." Mr. Manx pointed at the speakers hanging above them. "The audio men are adding equipment that emits high pitched sounds to put out subliminal messages to you. These messages reassure you and other parents while putting the children at ease. Remember that nothing bad will happen to you or the girls."
"Nothing bad," she repeated.
"That's very good. Do you like children, Holly?"
"Yes."
"Good. Good." He pointed to the dark corridor to the right of a staircase. "That is the Catacombs of Claus. Younger children experience the story as they travel to find the big guy at the end. Don't worry. I won't take you down there. We like to keep its secrets undiscovered until the big day. You understand, don't you?"
"Keep secrets," said Holly.
Instead, he led her to the huge staircase stretching toward the second floor. It included both ascending and descending escalators along with the center section having fixed steps. "We start our journey here. As the stairs rise, your concerns vanish into the heights. You have no worries because nothing bad will happen to you or the girls."
"No worries."
"That's right. While we ride these moving steps, take a deep breath. What do you smell?"
Holly sniffed loudly. "You'll laugh."
"No, I won't."
"It's like…new fallen snow."
True to his word, the little man did not even smile. "Quite right. That's exactly what you are supposed to smell. Only special people recognize that smell. For you, the smell will trigger an arousal in you. It will bring back memories of days gone by. What do you feel now?"
"I feel aroused."
"Good, good. I figured you might be a special childlike person since you are becoming aroused by the trappings of the season. Children have the same reaction until taught to be cynical. Remember that nothing can harm you or the girls here. When you return, you may act on your feelings, but not today. For now, let your feelings of arousal pass."
As they reached the second floor, they paused for a moment at the end of the escalators. "This floor will be for older children under twelve. They play games while they still believe. Any thoughts of doubt will be suppressed here. You and your girls will have other activities, those designed for the more mature."
"Other activities."
Mr. Manx directed her to the next escalator, and they continued upward. On the third level, he led her under a sign that read The Spa of Mrs. Claus. "This is where you spend your time when the girls are swimming. You and your other chaperone will take advantage of the services in here. An Elf will guide you in all of your choices. Everything you experience will be enjoyable."
"We will enjoy everything."
Leading her out of the spa, he brought her to the pool. They stood at the door, but did not enter. "The girls will spend time in the pool without you. It will refresh them. You will not worry as they will be with their Elf. Nothing bad can happen to them."
"Nothing bad."
He next led her to the bank of elevators. "Your sleepover room is upstairs. I will show you one of these suites now. We will ride the elevator up. No one but your party can travel on these to your room. No other guests will interrupt your experience. Unless invited to interact, they will pay little attention to you, as your group will ignore them. Besides, most of the time, you will be in your rooms or on this floor. There is no need or desire to wander the building."
As they rode the elevator to the fifth floor, Mr. Manx pulled out a large manila envelope. "All of the information about your stay is in here. For purposes of keeping secrets about the Santa eXperience, it contains information that is not true. As you read it, you will feel no remorse in lying to them. The girls will not be harmed by not having revealed to them the content of the secrets before they experience it for themselves. Understand?"
"No remorse."
The elevator doors opened and they stepped out. A single door welcomed them. "This is a suite, though not necessarily yours. Remember nothing bad will happen within it."
"Within it."
Mr. Manx unlocked the suite using an electronic keycard. Inside they found several connected rooms. A common room occupied half the suite, featuring a large fireplace and an artificial tree currently only half decorated. Three soft couches faced the fireplace and the accompanying oversized rocking chair, one big enough for two or three people to fit in. "This is where you will meet your Santa. He will meet them both Friday night and Saturday. He may return unexpectedly as he has time. At other times the girls may freely use this area."
He led her into the other half of the suite. "There are two guest bedrooms for the girls and another for the chaperones, each with a pair of king-sized beds. When you sleep on these, you will swear you have not slept as well since your childhood. Anything that happens on the bed will be remembered by the participant only. Others will forget as though it never happened."
"Never happened."
They looked into the twin bathrooms each having full sized showers and into a third next to the entry door. This featured a hot tub with many jets around it. "All eight of you may use this at once. If you have time, that is. Each seat offers a unique and pleasurable experience."
As they stood in the entry room again, Mr. Manx held Holly's hand. "You will have an Elf with you to guide you through the experience. Remember the girls will never forget it and will color their lives as they grow older. The adults may experience a feeling of déjà vu or maybe nostalgia. But after this weekend, they will never speak of it to others who have not experienced the time here."
He smiled at Holly. "When we leave this room, you will forget all details of what I have said. You will remember only that nothing bad will harm you or the girls. On the Tuesday before your experience, you will meet with the girls and their mothers, going over the material in the envelope. After the sleepover, you will schedule post-visit appointments. If you need to contact us, you may visit anytime. Just as for Mr. Manx or Mr. Digby. Before you go, do you have any questions?"
Holly thought for a moment, closed her eyes, and…
…found herself sitting in her car with the door open. "Whoa," she thought. "That was freaky."
Then she looked at the seat next to her. A manila envelope sat there with "Open on Tuesday" written in big, black letters. She couldn't remember being anywhere to pick that up, not inside the eXperience at least. But she knew the girls would treasure the time as she would if she were 12 again.
Or maybe she already had.
When Kelly ran into the building, she paid no heed to Mr. Manx sitting on the edge of the registration desk in the lobby. Instead, she took the elevator to the second floor. From there, she entered room 214 to turn in her signed papers.
Once again, she found the room empty, except for the girl standing next to Santa's desk. The girl, tall and lanky, had dirty blonde hair down to her shoulders. When she turned, Kelly saw her familiar face, though she couldn't place it.
"Hey Kelly," said the girl. "It's me, Jessie Springfield. From Science class."
"Oh, yeah. You look different today."
Jessie pointed at her face. "Mom told me to leave the nerd glasses at home. I only need them to see the board. So, are you training to be an Elf too?"
Kelly nodded her head, noticing the other girl squinting to see the gesture. "I'm here for the money. But I really like the idea of having a friend going through it with me."
"Me too. I wasn't sure what to expect. My parents sucked me in to keep an eye on my ten-year-old sister, Becky." Jessie held up her paperwork. "I got these signed, but didn't know what to do next."
"Follow my lead," said Kelly. She pushed her envelope through the slot in the door and went over to the Santa sign. Pushing the button, she said, "Santa, tell us where to go next."
Seconds later, the inner door opened, and Mr. Digby in his ubiquitous maroon jacket stormed in. "Late as usual, I can see. What if Santa was late and delivered presents a day late every year? A lot of disappointed children, that's what."
The two girls joined hands as they quaked before the small, but forceful man. "We…we only wanted to know where to go next," said Jessie.
"Obviously, you go with me. I assume you want to be trained, and I am your trainer. Come on now. Double time." The little man meandered around the girls and out the door.
"I hope he doesn't make us late," said Jessie as they followed him along his serpentine path. "He walks like my cat high on catnip."
When the trio finally arrived at the room, they found a dozen or so other wannabees Elves, including a couple of classmates. "Take a seat," said Mr. Digby. "But not too far away."
"Let's take seats upfront," said Jessie as she pointed at her naked baby blue eyes.
"Welcome to your first training session," said Mr. Digby while he spread papers on his desk. "I hope you all signed all of the places and thoroughly read your agreement. For some of you, this is your first employment opportunity. I hope you will enjoy this trial and perhaps even turn it into a lifetime commitment." The little man chuckled. "You probably didn't know you were signing your life away."
Several of the girls giggled. Kelly stifled her laugh, drawing Jessie's attention. "I couldn't even make anything of that first paragraph," she whispered.
"I read it all," answered Jessie in her softest voice. "Nerdy me. I liked it all but the stopping of any birth controls. I guess my boyfriend is out of luck until New Years."
Mr. Digby dropped a book on the floor, making everybody jump. "Something to share, Miss Stringfellow?"
"Springfield, sir," Jessie said correcting him. "And no, I'm fine."
"All right then," said Mr. Digby. "Everyone take a deep breath." Kelly did, detecting the familiar minty aroma. "Let your minds go blank while you listen to my voice. Hear nothing else. Close your eyes and concentrate."
Kelly reached over and took Jessie's hand. The warmth gave her comfort as she drifted into the state of candy canes and ice castles.
"Rule number one: Obey all rules to the benefit of the child." Kelly's eyelids drooped a bit.
"Rule number two: Control your own pleasure while on Elf duty." Her eyes closed though she could still hear Mr. Digby's voice.
"And finally, rule number seventy-two: Enjoy your time and be infectious." Kelly's eyes popped open. Did he say 'seventy-two'?
"Are there any questions?"
Kelly glanced around the room, wondering if anyone caught her dozing. She still held Jessie's hand, who looked at her with her eyes almost glazed over.
Seeing no hands, Mr. Digby continued. "There are three sections in need of Elf trainees. The first floor requires a few warm bodies for the standard experience in the Catacombs. Those young ones need help onto and off Santa's lap. The second floor groups need help with the booths, especially the reindeer games. You would be under an experienced Elf and need good child handling skills. And for the more adventuresome, there are slots to serve as hosting Elves for the preteen slumber parties. Those are extended hours where you will serve as guide for the group for the entire weekend. Only advanced trainees will be considered." He stared right at Kelly.
"I'll volunteer for that," said the girl feeling singled out.
"Me too," said Jessie who smiled at her friend who held her hands.
"Two very brave girls," said Mr. Digby. "Any other takers?"
No one else raised their hands. Most shrank down in their seats. Perhaps this was not going to be an easy job after all.
Kelly and Jessie headed upstairs, accompanied by Mr. Manx. They had toured the rest of the facility that the older girls might visit. "This is the last place on our tour: a typical slumber party suite," he said as they entered the room. "If you work as a Guide Elf, you will spend a great deal of time here, including sleeping with the girls and their chaperones, though you might not get much sleep."
Once inside, he showed the pair around, including secrets about the room. The girls absorbed the details like little sponges. Mr. Manx seemed pleased with the new Elves.
"Here is the hot tub," he said. "Sometimes the slumber parties enjoy themselves with time in here."
"It looks quite inviting," said Jessie.
"Be my guest," said Mr. Manx. "This is the final stop for your first training session. You may leave after…examining the spa."
"But we don't have swimsuits," said Kelly.
Mr. Manx smiled slyly. "You can improvise. And you should encourage your parties to do the same. Remember rule 47. Nudity is acceptable within the Santa eXperience."
The girls stared at the short man. "You mean…" started Jessie.
"Strip out of your clothes. And experience the amenities of the room. And I will see you at the next training session."
After Mr. Manx left the room, the suddenly uninhibited girls removed their clothes. Jessie accepted Kelly's hand as the two naked girls entered the perfectly heated water. "It's wonderful," said Jessie. "I've never skinny dipped before."
"Neither have I," said Kelly. "But the water on my bare skin feels soooo good. I could stay in here for hours."
The girls soaked for a while and when that got boring, they played with the bubble jets. The massaging streams caressed their pussies. Jessie came first, followed a few moments later by Kelly.
"I've never done that before," said Jessie. "At least not without a boy."
Kelly giggled, but let the comment pass. "What do you think he meant by taking advantage of the amenities?"
"I hope he wasn't hinting we use the rocking chair," said Jessie as she pulled herself out of the water. "Any other ideas?"
Kelly gestured toward the bedroom. "I think we should check in there."
They walked hand in hand through the door. Kelly took a deep breath, sucking in a lungful of mint. She could hear a tiny voice in her head. In response, she kissed Jessie.
"I've never done this with a girl," said Jessie.
"Not even at a slumber party?" Jessie shook her head. "I think we might be called on to do it at the parties."
"Really? What am I going to tell my boyfriend?"
Kelly kissed her again. "You'll tell him nothing. This is like a test. If you can't go through with it, you'll wash out as an Elf, at least upstairs."
"And if I do…enjoy it?" Kelly didn't say anything, just smiling to let her friend answer her own question. "I understand. But will you teach me what to do?"
"Gladly, my new lover."
Kelly pushed the still wet girl onto the bed. She began kissing every erotic point she knew, shifting into a sixty-nine to let Jessie kiss the same places. Once she felt a tingling, Kelly turned around again, ending up nose to nose with her lover. "Getting the idea?"
"Yeah. It's almost better than my boyfriend. With one exception. I could use his cock inside me right now."
"I'll do my best." Kelly reach down, extending her middle finger as she traced the nether lips. She found the entrance and inserted her longest digit. While she did, her thumb searched for the hiding clit. The involuntary jerk signaled her success. Kelly added another finger and again inserted the pair inside her lover. She spread the tight canal, making the girl squirm until Jessie grabbed the invading hand and held it firmly against her pussy. And her body convulsed.
"I didn't know a girl could make me feel that way," said Jessie when she recovered her voice.
"Of course we can. We know how to make our own body quiver. Learning how to do that at slumber parties was the best part."
"Should I try that with you?" asked Jessie.
Kelly shook her head. "It's getting late, but I will take a raincheck. I'm pretty sure we'll get other chances in the future."
The girls gathered up their clothes and redressed. With one last kiss, the girls left the suite hand in hand.
Kelly opened the back door on their car, startling her mother. "It took you long enough," said Holly.
"Sorry Mother, but we got the more lengthy training. This is my new friend, Jessie. Can we take her home?"
"Sure, no problem."
Holly drove away with the two giggly girls in the back. She was glad to see her daughter with a new friend. At a break in the girl's laughter, she asked a question. "I want to know something. I received a tour and saw the swimming pool and a hot tub. Should we have the girls bring swimsuits?"
The girls glanced at each other. "I don't think so," said her daughter. "I'm pretty sure they won't need them." That brought giggles from Jessie.
"If you're sure…"
"Trust us, Ma. We are practically Elves now. Nobody will need a swimsuit."