Editor’s note: This is Chapter 2 of a 12-part fictional Christmas tale. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children.

“That reminds me, Ty,” Anna said as she led them to their favorite table next to the small electric fireplace against the wall. “My dad said to tell you if you want to help him with a few deliveries tomorrow morning, he’ll pay you. With the snow coming, he wants to try to get them done early.”

Anna could easily do the deliveries herself, but she knew Tyler really enjoyed helping. He liked being able to earn a bit of money to help out his mom when he could. Anna’s dad knew it and so did she.

“Cool, I’ll head up there first thing in the morning. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I think I might just relax and stay in my pajamas all day. Or maybe make some cookies.”

“Hey Anna,” Mr. Hinkly called out, “how would you like to help me with a favor, even though you’re not 15 yet?”

“I’d love to!” she exclaimed. “What do you need?”

“If you and Tyler head back into the storeroom, you’ll see a shelf to the right stocked with the special holiday mugs we’re selling. I’d appreciate it if each of you could grab a handful and set them out there on that display.”

Excited, Anna jumped up, dragging Tyler along, which made him drip cocoa down his hand.

“Are you determined to cover me head to toe in cocoa today?” he asked, wiping his hand on his pants.

“Sorry,” she said with a giggle. “I’m excited!”

Tyler raised his eyebrows. “It’s just a storeroom, Anna. Not one of the seven wonders of the world.”

“I know, but I’ve never seen it before. Plus setting up the display sounds so fun!”

“Oh yeah. Loads.”

Anna laughed. “I’ll buy you a snickerdoodle.”

He grinned back at her. “Deal.”

Before they got to the back of the store, Mr. Hinkly called out to them.

“Listen kids, before you get back there, I have two rules about entering that storage room and I expect them to be followed. One, don’t touch anything except the mugs I’m sending you in there for. There are too many things that can fall and hurt you. Just the mugs.”

They nodded, and he continued. “Good. No. 2, stay away from the back left corner. This should be easy since you already know rule No. 1. Stick to the right. Stick to the mugs.”

“What’s in the corner?” Tyler asked, and Mr. Hinkly waved him off.

“Just a bunch of cleaning supplies and a few ladders and tools I use for the store’s upkeep.”

Boring. Anna wondered why he’d even bother to warn them away from cleaning supplies, but she supposed he just didn’t want them to get hurt.

“Got it,” she said with a grin, pulling on Tyler’s hand to yank him into the storage room.

“Wow,” said Tyler, slowly turning in a circle. “It’s a room full of baking supplies and books. So magical.”

“Shut it,” Anna said, ignoring his sarcasm. “I love baking supplies and books!”

“I know you do,” Tyler said with a smile, and nodded to the shelf on the right. “Let’s grab the mugs.”

They were carefully loading the mugs into an empty box when Anna frowned, suddenly overcome with a feeling like something was different. She glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, until her gaze landed on the storage closet. Or, what was supposed to be the storage closet.

“Ty,” she said, pulling his sleeve. “That closet door looks weird, doesn’t it?”

He looked behind him at the closet, then at her. “It … looks like a door. What do you mean?”

With a frown, she moved closer to the closet. She could have sworn that it was just a plain old wooden door, but what she saw now was anything but plain. The door was black and shiny, covered in swirled carvings, and with a big golden door knocker right in the middle.

“Why would a storage closet have a door knocker?” she asked, and Tyler shrugged.

“I don’t know, Anna. Why do these mugs have derpy reindeer wearing ugly Christmas sweaters? Sometimes things are just weird.”

She bit her lip, recalling Mr. Hinkly’s rules. He’d been very clear that they weren’t to touch anything but the mugs. Still… it almost felt like something was pulling her toward the door.

Without thinking about it, she strode over and tapped the knocker against the door.

“Anna! You heard Mr. Hinkly,” Tyler said. “Leave it alone.”

“I know, I know,” she said, guilt churning in her stomach at breaking Mr. Hinkly’s rules. “I just — ”

Her words cut off with a gasp as the door suddenly began to open.

Read Chapter 3 in Friday’s newspaper.

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