"Following the Festive Animals" by Samathmika Ashwin: December 2025 Runner Up

Mara woke to a soft swish-swish outside her window. Blinking, she rubbed her eyes. Squirrels darted along the fence, each wrapped in scarlet scarves. Birds swooped past wearing earmuffs, and the neighborhood dogs strutted in sweaters patterned like tiny tapestries.

“What… is happening?” she whispered.

Every animal moved with purpose, heading toward the edge of the woods. A plump tabby with a jingling collar paused and stared. Mara swallowed. “Do… you want me to follow?” The cat blinked slowly, then padded ahead, glancing back as if to say, hurry.

Deeper in the woods, the scene grew stranger. Rabbits in peppermint-striped capes hopped beside foxes in velvet vests. From above, velvet-cloaked owls hooted directions. A tiny robin landed on her shoulder. “Keep up,” it chirped—or at least, that’s how it sounded. Mara laughed. “Okay, okay, I’m coming!”

At last, the procession opened into a clearing. In the center stood a towering pine, bare yet expectant. The animals circled it, placing scarves, mittens, and embroidered patches at its base. Mara knelt. “These aren’t decorations… they’re gifts,” she murmured.

The tabby nudged a small pouch toward her. Inside lay a single knitting needle carved from smooth oak, warm to the touch. “Looks like it’s my turn,” Mara said.

“Don’t drop it!” squeaked a squirrel in a striped hat, tapping her foot. Mara grinned. “I won’t. Promise.”

As yarn twined into branches, the tree shimmered. Hundreds of tiny lights blinked to life. Mara stepped back, breathless. The tabby meowed. “Next year, you knit the scarves,” it seemed to say.

“And I thought I was just following animals,” Mara laughed.

Then, as if on cue, every scarf, mitten, and patch lifted into the air, spinning around the tree in a dazzling, slow-motion dance. Mara gave a gasp. "You mean that this is their magic?"

The animals twitched their noses, blinked, and stared at her knowingly. Mara grinned, recognizing that Christmas magic didn't necessarily come from humans. Sometimes it arrived with paws, whiskers, and a startling amount of intelligence.