Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2017

Stock Used:

Woman: MJ Ranum
Deer: Linzstock

Diana had just finished closing down her firm's Christmas party and arranging rides for those far too drunk to get home safely.  She stood, with her back tothe door that just been closed, and surveyed the mess left by the 20 members of
her staff.  She honestly didn't feel like doing anything about it tonight and decided to leave it until the morning.  After all, she had two whole days to set things right.  She involuntarily jumped when the doorbell rang.  Of course, it would be someone who had forgotten something and absolutely had to have it before Monday.  She put on her best remaining hostess smile and opened the door, expecting a familiar face.  Instead, she found herself face-to-face (or rather face-to-hips) with a child in red Christmas smock of some sort.  Now what was a child doing out and about after midnight? she wondered to herself.

"May I help you?"
"I'm here to grant your wish," the high pitched voice announced.
"My wish?" Diana was puzzled, very puzzled.
"Your Christmas Wish," the child announced with a look on her face that clearly seemed to say that explained everything.
"I don't understand."
"You made a wish," the child stated.  "It got lost.  Well, I kinda lost in you see.  Finally found the letter.  I'm here to make that wish come true."
"What letter?" Diana had written no letter to a child she could remember.
"This one," the child handed over a yellowed scrap of paper written in wax crayon in a child's hand.
"I really think you have the wrong house," Diana smiled.
"Oh no.  It's your letter.  You were four when you wrote it."
"But that was decades ago.  I've grown up now."
"Yes but your wish needed answered.  I lost the letter before Santa Claus could read it.  I've just got to make everything right."

Diana looked again at the child.  It was clearly not a child.  The proportions  were adult and it had pointed ears.

"I'm an elf.   If Santa finds out I fouled this up, he'll be cross.  I didn't mean to lose your letter.  It just sorta happened, you know."
"It's alright.  The letter was written so long ago that I don't even remember writing it.  Don't worry about it really."
"Oh no.  That can't be.  I must answer the letter and let Santa know that you did receive your gift."
"If you really want to give me a gift I'll appreciate, how about getting this mess straightened away?"
"I would be happy to.  But I must give you your gift, too.  Cleaning this up is only repayment for the lateness I've caused."
"Please, I don't want the gift any longer.  I was a child back then.  I really wish you would leave it alone."

The elf looked sad and turned to leave.  Clearly this meant a great deal to her. But for Diane the ancient missive held nothing.  She bade the elf a Merry Christmas and, after closing and locking the door, she walked down the hall to the
master suite and stripped for a shower.  On the way down the hall, she set the house to circulate the air to help air things out while she showered.  As she was waiting for the water to warm, she looked at the letter.  It was printed --
no scrawled -- in multi-coloured crayon and was very hard to make out.  It was a wish to fly to the North Pole on a reindeer.  A child's wish.  She smiled. She climbed into the huge shower and let the water wash over her.  As she did so,
she felt odd, like someone was watching her.  She peered past the shower curtains but there was no one there.  She returned to her shower.  As she lathered up her soap, she noticed a fine fuzz starting to grow from just below her breasts to the
tips of her feet.  It darkened and thickened until she was covered in some kind of brownish fur.  Her feet began to lengthen and, within moments, a pair of toes began to grow enormously long.  The remaining toes shrank into near nothingness. Then her nails began to thicken and harden until she was standing, unsteadily on a pair of hooves.  She leaned against the wall for support. Her balance began to shift as if there were a weight pulling her down from behind. In the shiny tiles of the shower stall, she shrieked when she caught sight of the huge bulbous bottom she'd developed.  This grew a pair of sturdy legs complete with hooves.  She'd become some kind of deer centaur.  She felt something flick against her bottom and turned to watch as a deer's tail grow out at the base of the deer body's spine. Another tickle.  This time on her ears.  She reached up to feel them lengthen and become pointed.  Finally, a pair of bumps grew out of her head.  She felt them
grow, sub-divide and lengthen. When she was sure they were finished growing, she carefully stepped from the shower.  She expected to be clumsy on four legs but found that she was able to move without difficulty.

"It's the magic!"

The elf's voice caused her to literally jump.  She landed back in the shower and slipped on it's slick surface.  When she had caught her balance again, she stepped out of the shower a second time.  There was the elf.  In her
bathroom.

"How?"
"Magic," was all the elf had to say. She caught sight of herself in the full length mirror.  She looked younger, far
younger, almost like a child with a deer's body. "You made the wish as a child. You'd enjoy the wish better as one, too," the elf added.  "I'm Linginda, by the way."
"But I don't ..."
"You had to have your wish.  It was necessary."
"But I didn't want to be a deer or whatever it is I am now," protested Diane.
"But you did.”
"I don't ever remember wanting to be some kind of centaur."
"Your letter said you wanted to fly to the North Pole as a reindeer."
"But I probably meant on a reindeer or like a reindeer.  Not actually as one.
"But the wish ... oh, dear.  I've really fouled this one up.  We'd best get up to Santa's Workshop immediately.  He's the only one who can unfoul this mess.  He’s going to be so upset!”