Status Updates From The Christmas Pig

People lose them through age, memory, lack of use, or injury causes them to be lost. The cell phone saw a magic trick disappear before it could be finished because it was remembered. Knacks put on a show every evening. After them comes a great performance. A voice sings a beautiful opera song. Sometimes the voice tell stories. Something asks them in a whisper if they are looking for a toy pig. You betcha!

Several are blue. A crowd of things stand around watching a performance and Jack and CP join them. They do notice notice the figure in black following them. They stop and stare watching transparent human shapes like Pretense. They were doing all sorts of interesting things: flipping pancakes, tying knots, doing backflips. Ironically, a cell phone tells them they are lost knacks (no doubt caused by screens).

Ch. 41 They walk under an arch into a square and the choir sings in one corner. Jack marvels at the beauty of the sights and sound. He sees a white palace with a golden roof and arched windows. This is so medieval. That’s right JKR. Let’s break those Enlightenment thinkers. People-shaped things like Happiness stand in a balcony giving off light. One is scarlet, one green, one blue (Faith, Hope, and Love?).

They hear Christmas carols. Jack gets the feeling he is being followed. The third time it happens he sees something black out of the corner of his eye. (Tammy freaks out! DEMONS!) CP agrees. They decide to head for the singers to blend in with the crowd.

Ch. 40 CP nearly drowns because he didn’t know he couldn’t swim. Jack saves him. They shiver and set off down cobblestone streets. The lighted candles and Christmas wreaths are beautiful. Nobody seem curious about them and they are friendly toward Jack and CP. Jack wonders if toys are in a different quarter. I think that toys have all been given to children in the world above! It’s Christmas Eve.

She is looking for happiness in the wrong places. She hates corrections and she hates to be wrong. Then she asks if what they are doing is a secret. She warns that the gondolas are slowing down and they better get out. She shines brightly to hide their exit. They slipped into the freezing cold water. CP is drowning because it can’t swim.

They go under a stone bridge and see a silver pocket watch roll over it. Its reflection gleams like a fallen moon. Valuable things wave to them from windows. Jack does not see old toys and he wonders about DP. They see a fortune and a golden throne that had been lost a long time ago. Happiness belonged to a talented, kind actress who lost her job and happiness and selfishness and laziness.

He finds out that the princess is Happiness. Nobody can see them because of her brightness. She invites them to sit with her and enjoy the ride together. They cannot look at her directly “Tell It Slant.” I love it. They enjoy the heat after being so cold for so long. It is dusk and they see silver Christmas lights overhead. A choir sings carols and there are far more finding holes above them.

The loss adjustors politely escort someone to their gondola and she gets in. They can feel strong heat as if the thing is on fire. It feels like a burning coal (is this like Isaiah when the burning coal purified his lips?). When asked if she wants a blanket, she declines for she never feels cold. The adjustors welcome them to the city. CP and Jack decide to jump into the water.

They overhear the stunned loss adjustors talk about what happened to the blue bunny. How could such a muddy thing be wanted? The adjustors are also lost objects and I wonder if they wonder if it could happen to them. It hasn’t happened for years and years. They hear a train from Mislaid coming. After it halts, the city gates open. They hear voices exclaiming about beauty of the city.

Part 6 City of the Missed (I should make a map and analyze the structure). Ch. 39 Of course they must cross water. You cannot enter a golden city without getting wet! They hear chirping birds and see empty gondolas lined up on the green canal. Snow dapples the boats. They hide in one that has a red velvet blanket to keep passengers warm. Jack and CP got into the bottom of the gondola and covered themselves up.

The bunny rises a little bit at time as the girl works on her mother to keep it. She begs and pleads and the bunny rises bit by bit. The loss adjustors walk closer to get a better view. Jack and CP slowly move to the gate as the bunny distracts the guards. Blue Bunny pleads to be taken. CP and Jack sneak through the gate. With a look of surprise, he is whooshed from the Land of the Lost, waving to Jack and CP.

That convinces Blue Bunny to be the decoy and he takes off and talks cheerfully to the Loss Adjustors like a fool. He’s quite a distraction. Suddenly a crashing noise hits the ceiling like bouncing ball. A little girl is heard speaking to her mom. There is a hole in the sky. A golden shaft of light hits the bunny. The girl and her mother go back and forth to decide what they should do with it.

The gates are engraved with vines and flowers like the golden door. A second set of tracks come to the gates, probably from the golden door. Loss adjustors with fancy black hats with long black feathers march in front of the goat. They hide behind a clump of thistles thinking up a plan. They talk. Then the blue bunny wishes they had a decoy. Jack tells him about DP and suddenly the bunny realizes he’s a real boy.

Ch. 38 The trio walks for hours across the snowy landscape, following the train tracks. Jack worries about time and what will happen if he runs out of it. He is afraid of being trapped in the land of the lost forever. He’s sure that finding DP will make it turn out alright. It’s snowing again. They see the glittering golden walls of the city of Missed. There are turrets, spires, and the golden roof of a palace.

He gives them a big hug and asks about Compass and the angel and they tell him that they’ve not seen either. They ask him about the tracks and then he remembers when people head to the sunset, they look sad. When the head to the sunrise, they look happy. Of course, Missed is East. The trio decide to walk together toward the sunrise.

Ch. 37 The painted sun on the wooden sky is bright enough to wake Jack. He sees the thistles moving because of the wind. He and CP get up and walk around. CP spots some train tracks. They believe the tracks go to the city of the Missed (not Mist, hahahaha). The question is which way. tThey hear a noise behind them and it’s the blue bunny, covered in tears and alone. He’s happy to see them but can not find the angel.