Tonight's dinner was quieter than usual. Actually it's not. It's exactly like yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and...  but today's supposed to be different. It's Christmas eve, and all the books commercials and posters are saying it has to be full of the spirit. 

Everyone has to be crowding at the table, laughing and smiling like they've been living "Hakunana matata" all these years, even though their hearts are only plastered now after so many heartbreaks that only the people they love the most could create. For the moment, these things are supposed to matter to no one, buried deep under the fats of the Christmas ham, the icing of the cake, and the smell of alcohol. Today 'til tomorrow should have been an instant drug that transports people in wonderland. It's when time's alarm clock sets off and time knows it's time to tweak our world for a little happiness.

Did I accidentally chant the creation of a barrier while I was sleeping last night? Because I feel nothing.