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The line for Santa is miles long and doesn’t seem to be moving. At the front, it appears there isn’t enough help to keep everything running smoothly. Suddenly you are tapped on the shoulder and turn around to find a woman dressed as an elf looking at you with panic in her eyes. “There you are! Where have you been? Why aren’t you dressed? Hurry up! We need more hands up there!” It appears she has mistaken you for one of the missing elves. Do you go along with it? Set her straight?
Delaney could only shake her head at witnessing the line up that was becoming outrageous as it wound around the section that was decorated to look like the North Pole. At least she wasn't one of those overwrought parents trying to corral their wayward kids. The teen could only stare at some of the hysterics that some children were exhibiting as their hassled parents tried to assure them that, "yes they would see Santa soon and not to worry." Delaney turned around to walk away from the spectacle before she felt a soft tapping on her shoulder and turned back around to see a harried looking woman dressed like an elf. Puzzled Delaney could only stare at the outfit before the woman starting talking a mile a minute. It took maybe twenty seconds before Delaney's brain caught up with what the woman was saying.
Apparently she was being mistaken for someone else who was missing in action. Stepping away from the lady Delaney eyed the lineup and shook her head in denial. Even the woman's earnest expression couldn't sway her thoughts on the matter. Taking even an hour out of what she had scheduled for herself wasn't in the books. The teen had been at the mall finishing her Christmas shopping and had the bags on her arms to prove her planning strategy had worked but just this ... this was unexpected and not something she had had scheduled for the afternoon.
It was though perhaps the last thing she wanted to do and she was about to protest vociferously to the obviously distraught individual but the pleading look she was being given was starting to tug at her emotions. Finally she sighed. "I'm not who you are looking for but I can maybe spare some time. What do I need to do?"
Perhaps ten minutes later Delaney found herself dressed in the silliest costume she could remember wearing before stepping gingerly out of the dressing room that had been given over for volunteers to use and sighed mentally. She had no idea if she was even up for the task of dealing with what she was seeing as whiny, bratty children. But she had made a promise to at least work for an hour in order to ease some of the strain that the woman had explained was settling over all those that had to work today. Delaney took her assigned position and began trying to direct parents still waiting in line about where to stand while their kids were taken to sit on Santa's lap. Truthfully Delaney was not sure she could be the one responsible to make the more fussy children smile long enough for their pictures to be taken. She glanced to the side and noted a particularly noisy child that refused to be consoled while her mother waited to the side. With a small glance to the mother Delaney silently indicated the crying child and received a small nod in return. Permission sought and given Delaney went over to the little girl and knelt down next to her. Taking her hand and gently wiping away the tears that continued to fall the teen sighed before whispering in the girl's ear. Her mind was more on just trying to get the tears to end. To her disbelief a small hiccup sounded from the girl and instead of more tears a small giggle was heard before she shook her head in disbelief. Her gaze locked on the mother and she gave a small thumbs up before the girl was ushered forward.
Crisis averted?
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