"Jason, your Aunt Tabitha's on the phone, and she wants to talk to you," his mother had called to him from the kitchen.

He had pulled himself up off the couch and walked into the kitchen, where his mother handed him the phone.

"Hey, Aunt Tabitha, Merry Christmas!" he'd said. "What's up?"

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Jason," had been her reply. "Are you busy this evening?"

"Not really. Just sitting around watching 'It's A Wonderful Life' with the folks. Why?"

"Amy has a special Christmas present she wants to give you. Can you come over?"

Jason had thought about this for a moment.

"Are you sure it can't wait until tomorrow? I'd really rather not drive at night, not with the roads being as nasty as they are."

"Well . . . she was really hoping to give it to you tonight. Believe me, it'll be worth the drive. And it would mean the world to Amy if she could give it to you tonight."

"Okay, I guess I can come over tonight, if it's that important."

"Wonderful! Amy will be thrilled. See you when you get here."

And so he had hung up the phone and then gone to his room to put his shoes and socks on.

"So what did Aunt Tabitha want?" his mother had asked him.

"Amy has a present for me, and she really wants me to get it tonight, so I'm driving over there," had been his reply as he got his coat out of the hall closet.

"That's nice, dear. I'm sure it will be a wonderful present!" his mother had said, a knowing smile on her face.

"Do you know what she got me?" Jason had asked his mother.

"Maybe . . . but I wouldn't tell you if I did. Now off you go. And drive carefully."

"I will."

And so now Jason was driving across town to his aunt and uncle's. At 16, he'd been driving for less than a year, and this was his first time driving at night in the snow, so he was really nervous, and was probably driving a lot slower than necessary. God, he hated driving in winter! He didn't know what his 10-year-old cousin had gotten him for Christmas that he just had to open tonight, but whatever it was, it had better be fucking incredible if he had to go through all this for it. He cursed as he turned a corner, and the car started to slide towards the side of the road......(cont)