I was beside myself. How could these people rush through the streets so happy and exuberant, buying something here and there and carrying their tote bags, which weighed tons, with a big grin? Did these purchases burn the last bit of brains out of their heads? The same tour year after year ... It's always the department stores that conjure up this Cheshire Cat duel.

That is exactly why I asked Orochimaru-sama for an expedition in the open air. It was an experiment. I wanted to see what those grinning and chattering people got to see. I was convinced that I would not be easily drawn out of the reserve ... That was before I discovered the Wisp Garden ...

A thousand and thousand will-o'-the-wisps of the stars broke with falling snowflakes in a glass dome, which housed a tiny witch's house with a smoking chimney. People were waving in the windows. Around the house was a fence and a frozen lake and, most important of all, a snowman.

The snowman reminded me of my younger self and how I made my mother make a snowman with me. She refused and I made my snowman without her permission, but with her help. She became my snowman. I fitted them out accordingly.

I bought the Temple of the Wisps and had it wrapped up for me. I grinned like the others, only that my grin was diabolical and reminded of a fox's teeth baring. The others irritated me with their warm, friendly, naive and open grins. So I decided to go home to report to Orochimaru-sama.

He let me keep the maze of lights.
"As a motivation for your future work," he smiled boldly.
Whenever I look at the snowman in the glass dome, it fills me with satisfaction to see how my mother is a prisoner of time. Now I have a reason to long for Christmas ... It's the reason that makes me unpack the glass dome and put it on my desk ...