“Christmas Chaos”

Chapter 1

My breath plumed in the pre-dawn darkness of the London Parcel Hub, a ghost of warmth in this frigid metal cage where I spent my days. The packages moved through my hands with practiced precision—scan, sort, stack—each motion perfected over years of trying to disappear into the rhythm of work. It was easier this way, to become a machine among machines, to focus on the cold certainty of logistics rather than the hollow echo inside my chest. Nobody looked twice at the quiet man in loading bay six; I was just another cog in the winter machine, and that suited me fine. Being invisible meant being safe from the pain of being seen and then abandoned. Again.

The memory of the orphanage surfaced unbidden: sterile walls, the stiff sheets, and that persistent question that no child should ever have to ask—why wasn't I enough for her to stay? My mother had left me there when I was four, a quick kiss on the forehead and a promise to return that evaporated like morning dew. The childcare workers had been kind enough, I suppose, but kindness without permanence was just another form of cruelty. Foster families tried and gave up; friends came and went. I eventually had to make a conclusion that people's interest in Alex Parker was temporary at best.

I scanned another barcode, the electronic beep merging with the rhythmic chaos of industrial sounds. Damn, I was good at this—efficient, reliable, the guy who never called in sick or complained. Sadly, it didn't translate to any sense of self-worth. The dormant capacity for love inside me felt like a vestigial organ, useless and atrophied from disuse. What was the point of having a heart if all it did was collect scar tissue?

"Parker!" The supervisor's voice cracked like a whip across the warehouse floor. "Priority parcel for the Presidential office. Needs to go out immediately."

I nodded, not trusting my voice. The supervisor didn't wait for a response, just slapped the paperwork against my chest and moved on to bark at someone else.

The Presidential office... of course. It was always last-minute with them, always urgent, always someone else's problem to solve. I glanced at the form: delivery required by noon, specialized handling, signature confirmation. It would mean staying at least three hours beyond my shift after returning to the parcel hub.

Christmas lights twinkled mockingly from the corners of the depot, a half-hearted attempt at seasonal cheer that only emphasized my sadness. The holiday season was coming, bringing with it the familiar dip in my mood that arrived as reliably as the decorations. Other guys talked about buying gifts for their kids, their girlfriends, their parents. I stayed quiet during those conversations; the extra cash from overtime would just go into my savings account, a growing number that signified nothing but my isolation.

I handled the Presidential package with exaggerated care, though a part of me—a dark, bitter part I tried to suppress—wanted to drop it deliberately. The President, with his polished smile and empty promises, was the physical embodiment of everything that had ever discarded me: the system that decided some people were worth keeping and others were disposable, the faceless authority that had stamped "unwanted" on my forehead before I could even spell the word.

Still, I did my job. I always did my job. It was all I had.

*

The Presidential office gleamed with wealth and privilege, a different universe from the gritty depot I'd left behind. Marble floors instead of concrete, the scent of expensive cologne instead of diesel and cardboard. I stood in the reception area, aware of the contrast I presented in my worn uniform, still bearing the grime of the early morning shift. The receptionist looked through me, not at me, as though I were merely a delivery mechanism and not a human being.

"Package for the President's office, miss," I said, my voice professional and devoid of emotion.

She waved me toward the elevator without a word. I moved carefully through the third floor’s corridor, conscious of the valuable parcel in my hands. Suddenly, a door flew open, voices raised in animated discussion, and a man in an expensive suit backed directly into my path. I sidestepped quickly, but not quickly enough—the corner of the parcel clipped his elbow, and the precious package slipped from my grasp, landing on the plush carpet with a soft thud.

Silence fell instantly. The President himself—I recognized him from television—looked from the fallen package to my face, his expression shifting from surprise to displeasure.

"Is this how you handle Presidential correspondence?" His voice was cold, precise, each syllable a small shard of ice. "Pick it up."

Heat flooded my face, but I did as I was told, lowering myself to my knees on the carpet. As I reached for the package, a secretary moving past with a coffee mug stumbled slightly, and a splash of hot liquid spattered across my shoulder and back.

"Oh!" she exclaimed with concern. "I'm so terribly sorry, boy."

The President smirked, and something in his eyes told me the incident wasn't entirely accidental, perhaps. I remained silent, rose to my feet, and handed him the package with a steady hand that belied the trembling inside me.

"Thank you for your understanding, sir," I said quietly, the words tasting like ash. "The package appears undamaged, but if there are any concerns, please contact the depot."

He was already turning away, the parcel—and me—forgotten. I backed out of the office, maintaining my composure until I reached the elevator. The doors closed, and I was alone with my reflection in the polished metal: pale face, dark circles under my eyes, the coffee stain spreading across my uniform like a disease.

The first tear escaped before I could stop it, and I angrily brushed it away. Man up, Alex,I told myself fiercely. It's just another day. Just another person who thinks you're nothing. Not worth your attention.

But the tears kept coming as the elevator descended, and by the time I reached the lobby, I was biting my lip so hard I tasted blood, fighting to maintain control until I could reach the privacy of my car. I was cracking, splintering from the inside out, the careful walls I'd built threatening to collapse entirely.