I regretted leaving my room the second I stepped outside.
The Christmas markets had opened fully. Which meant noise. Too much noise. Which meant lights. Too many lights. Which meant smiling people doing smiling things with smiling faces, and my soul was not built for this level of cheer.
The village square had been transformed into something that looked like a holiday card with a personal grudge against me. Snow lined the rooftops in thick white layers. Strings of glowing bulbs wrapped around lamp posts. Wooden market stalls decorated with red ribbons and pine branches stood in a perfect circle, crowding together like cheerful little houses determined to suffocate me with joy.
Worst of all were the candy canes.
Children ran everywhere with them. Sticky. Loud. Swinging them like weapons
