An unexpected gift from a secret Santa arrived. It was small, beautifully crafted, and the strangest thing Noah had ever laid eyes on.

“Excuse me?” He called out into a dark hallway, hoping to hear the echo of a gift giver call back. His voice was met with silence.

Noah turned back to the item, tracing its finer details with his eyes. His thoughts turned to the kitten socks he had bought for Sandra, his own secret Santa, and he vowed to put in more effort the next year.

Noah’s fingers danced across the wooden desktop, towards the item. He stalled, suddenly afraid to touch it. It was peculiar, yet so, so familiar. He felt as though it may disappear if he lifted it into his grasp.

He flinched back, feeling as though he’d been burned.

“Stupid thing.” He muttered, storming out of his office.

The next day, the item had vanished. The item had vanished, and a coffee mug was left in its wake, gifted to him by his real secret Santa, Andrew. Andrew knew nothing of the small item he’d been given the day before. Noah had asked.

The day after that, he found the item on his chair. It looked the same as it did the first time he laid eyes on it, and Noah thought he was losing his mind.

“Who keeps giving me this… this thing?” He yelled, being met once more with silence.

The next day, the item was gone again.

This continued for weeks on end, and the lead up to Christmas became something of a nightmare for Noah. He questioned everyone he worked with, and even people he didn’t. No one knew anything about the small, strange object. All secret Santas had been revealed, and there was nobody left without a present.

Noah tried to carry on with his life. He went to work, he came home, he saw his friends and his family, and he tried to forget that wretched thing. He drank the night of the 19th away after bumping into Charlie and Mason, wanting to forget the sight of their lips locking together in a loving embrace.

Christmas Eve, the item was sitting on Noah’s bed after he returned home from work.

“Who the hell-“

His yells of frustration were cut off by the sudden appearance of a man. He was short and slim, pale skin and even paler hair. He looked sickly and tired, and Noah had never seen anyone like him.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Grey.”

“I can see that.” Noah muttered, scanning his eyes over Grey’s skeletal form. “Do I know you?”

“No, not yet. But you will.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Have you ever heard of the Ghosts, Noah?”

“The Ghosts?”

“The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.”

“Let me guess…” Noah put on a faux decisive frown, unbelieving that he was giving this stranger the time of day. “Past?”

“No.”

“Present?”

“No.”

“Future?”

“No.”

“Then which are you?”

“I’m neither. I’m Grey.”

Noah’s head felt like it was about to explode. All he wanted to do was fall onto his bed and go to sleep, but he had to deal with whatever this was first.

“Why are you here, Grey?” He sighed.

"You're sad." Grey offered, in way of explanation.

Noah snorted. "Stellar observation."

"Their bodies move, sweaty and safe. He pushes in, the space tight, unused. He calls out a name that nobody hears, both too lost in euphoria."

Noah levelled him with a stare.

"I haven't had any action in a long while, which means you are currently reading someone else's thoughts. Would they be pleased that you're sharing with the class?"

Grey ignored him, taking a step closer. "You dreamed of them that night. Fingers dancing down honey skin, a fist gripping the part of you that yearned. They didn't want you and that made you want them more."

Noah’s face began to heat up. "Ah. You're talking about Charlie, aren't you?"

"Not just. You gave your whole heart to him, but he wasn't the only one who owned it. Strong, tense muscles. Pale skin. A warmth you hadn't felt since your mother held you close. 'Take me'. He thought you'd break."

Noah sighed, pushing the item back into the man’s grip.

"Grey, I appreciate whatever this was but that isn't a hurt you can fix. Please drop it."

Grey frowned. "Is it the wrong colour?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The woman with your eyes. A beautiful sunny day. It was all about you. Everyone smiled as she handed it over. It was well made and beautiful, just like you. You wanted to keep it forever. It was blue, wasn't it?"

Noah took another look at the item, breath hitching in his throat as his eyes roamed the stellar craftsmanship of the toy in his hand.

"This is... where did you find this?"

"In your memories. You hold them all so tightly. I often catch a happy one while trying to untangle the bad."

"I see. And what does this have to do with Charlie and Mason?"

"You lost your haven. A safety net that held you together like glue. They chose each other and pushed you away. Shadows of a past where things felt the same. He did it too. 'Please don't send me away, mummy. I'll be better.' The toy left behind as they shipped you away. I wanted to give it you back."

A deep breath. Noah blinked away the tears.

"Thank you, Grey. Really."

Noah, to this day, still did not quite understand who Grey was, where he came from, or how he knew so much about him. He could have been a ghost, or a spirit, or just a really weird man. But Noah still kept that wooden toy on his desk at work, smiling as he remembered the day his mother gave it to him. Christmas came and went, but that toy stayed put, and Noah vowed never to doubt the loving spirit of Christmas ever again.