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When Winnie Carruthers and Bernie Simon first laid eyes on each other from across the room, they both felt an undeniable spark of something. While they went to the same school, their lives just hadn’t ever really intersected before now. It wasn’t that Winnie didn’t know of Bernie of course— she’d heard her talked about with whispers and giggles in the hallway, referred to as “Weirdo” by her classmates—but she didn’t know her, not really. Maybe that’s what had made Winnie want to lower her camera when Bernie turned to look directly at her through the lens, giving her a little smile and wave. While the greeting was returned, it was also rudely interrupted, with the shared gesture between the two remaining the extent of their communication. It would continue to be that way until next year’s Christmas Eve party, the day that would change everything.
The look of surprise on Winnie’s face made it clear she hadn’t expected Bernie to approach her with an enthusiastic greeting the next time they met, or that she would even remember the brief moment they shared the year prior. “Hey back,” she had said, breaking the ice between them and acknowledging Winnie’s attempt at reaching out last Christmas Eve. It was clear that something as small as a smile and wave had gone a long way for Bernie, and that she hoped it might lead to something even more, especially since Winnie knew who she was. The way Bernie lit up when she heard Winnie say her name—not “Weirdo” or any other derogatory term, but her actual name —didn’t go unnoticed. Had it not been for her unfortunate attempt to stop Winnie from finding out where her boyfriend Robbie really was, they might have gotten to know each other a little more that night. Instead, Bernie was once again left standing alone, and this time she’d also managed to make Winnie upset, even though she’d only been trying to look out for her.
It turned out that what it would take for the two of them to finally connect was a weird turn of events—like cosmically bizarre, transported-to-an-alternate-reality kind of weird—that saw Winnie try to gain Bernie’s trust by convincing her she didn’t exist. Bernie was understandably skeptical of this idea at first, especially with Winnie standing right in front of her in solid flesh and blood. She thought that the universe was playing a joke on her, making her the victim of a cruel prank that would push her a little further over the edge when she was already on the brink. Not that anyone noticed, of course. Bernie was more than used to being outcast and overlooked, wanting more than anything to have a real friend. Someone who would be in her corner and stick up for her, deflecting the seemingly endless onslaught of torment hurled her way in both a verbal and physical sense.
She didn’t know Winnie, not in this reality at least, and yet the paranoid-seeming girl with blonde hair and bangs who claimed she went to school with her felt familiar somehow. Bernie also didn’t know how much she believed in the idea of fate. Try as she might to hold onto the hope that things happen for a reason, that eventually it would get better for her, she could feel the light at the end of the tunnel growing dimmer each day. She kept her mind occupied as much as possible, focusing on her crafts, her hobbies, her obsession with tracking the Angel Falls murders, as a distraction from everything else. And then Winnie suddenly appeared, with her fascinatingly impossible not-existing-existence that created so many questions, and lit up her whole damn world.
Looking out at the night sky and seeing the northern lights shining in all their splendor, Bernie couldn’t help but be in awe. While she had seen countless pictures and videos of the famous natural phenomenon, it was a sight she never imagined she’d get to behold with her own eyes. Winnie’s explanation that the vibrant green and blue swirling overhead was directly connected to her being there might have sounded far-fetched to anyone else, but it somehow made sense to Bernie. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” she mused. She couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, this mysterious girl standing next to her was meant to be in her life. So she invited her into the spaces that had become her sanctuary, including The Clova.
“It’s my happy place,” Bernie had declared with a grin, practically skipping over to the doors of the movie theatre with Winnie not far behind. Not only had she been working there for the past year, The Clova had truly become somewhere she could escape to. Bernie loved nothing more than the feeling of entering the lobby, immediately taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of her home away from home. From the fresh popcorn to the auditorium seats, everything about their town’s local movie theatre brought her an immense comfort. The Clova’s two screens played a selection of both contemporary films as well as cinematic classics, and Bernie often had the chance to sit back and watch some of her favourites after her shift. And since she’d been given her own set of keys, she could go there whenever she wanted, even during the hours when it was closed to the public.
As they sat together in the otherwise empty movie theatre, watching the 1938 black-and-white version of A Christmas Carol currently playing on the screen, Bernie suddenly became aware of Winnie’s hand sliding ever so slightly closer to hers. Their fingers intertwined, and Bernie felt her heart beat faster. It was an unexpected gesture, but certainly not an unwelcome one, full of genuine affection and tenderness. Winnie then chose to rest her head on Bernie’s chest, and the two of them stayed like that until a little after Winnie drifted off to sleep. Bernie slowly got up from her seat, careful not to wake her… friend? She tried the word out, turning it over in her mind and deciding it would do for now. There was the possibility that she felt something more towards Winnie, something deeper that she couldn’t quite describe. All Bernie knew was that she’d meant what she said, as the idea of living in a Winnie-less town had already become unimaginable to her. She pushed the thought aside and focused her attention on the task at hand, ready for the night of research that lay ahead.
Bernie was used to staying up well into the late hours of the morning, doing a deep dive into oddly specific topics that were of interest to her. It wasn’t unusual for her to find herself going down bizarre internet rabbit holes for hours on end, and she had once been an avid true crime podcast listener. Of course, that was before Angel Falls gained their very own serial killer in the form of a white-robed, masked assailant known as the “Angel,” which prompted her to shift her attention to more local cases. Tonight though, she would be reading up on anything and everything that had to do with the northern lights, or Aurora borealis as they were also known. From the scientific to the spiritual, Bernie was open to any piece of information that might help Winnie get back home, even though there was a part of her that wished she would never leave.
“You like me, right?” Bernie asked Winnie the next day as they stood outside in the brisk December cold, the aurora fading overhead. After the night they’d spent at The Clova, the fondness she felt towards Winnie surely seemed like it was mutual, but she needed to know that she wasn’t misinterpreting her intentions. She couldn’t bear the idea of the universe being so cruel as to drop Winnie into her life, someone she found herself caring so much about in such a short time, only for it to be a one-sided thing. A sense of relief washed over her when Winnie confirmed that yes, she did in fact like her. And while she called her “Weirdo,” a name that still made her flinch, there was an affectionate tone to her voice. Bernie hadn’t planned to be so brutally honest with her new friend— the confession that she wasn’t planning to stick around for another year had just kind of spilled out. She had never actually said the words out loud before, and now that she had, it was with the idea in past tense instead of still being something she intended to go ahead with.
Maybe it was because she was grateful to still be alive after escaping a few close calls with the Angel, or because of the feeling that she needed to be there for Winnie as much as Winnie was there for her, but the events of the past day had made her reevaluate things. The weight of her confession hung in the air between them as it fully sunk in. Then Winnie told her that she mattered, wrapping her in a tight hug, and Bernie felt as if the world had suddenly become a lot less heavy. She allowed herself to melt into Winnie’s arms, the sense of comfort and relief washing over her as she tried to fight back tears. Rather than feeling like they contained empty hope, her words were reassuring, like something she could hold close to her heart. It was in that moment Bernie decided with utmost certainty that she did believe in fate. After all, the aurora had brought Winnie to her— she was sure of it.
Bernie didn’t consider herself to be a violent person, preferring to use her words to resolve conflict rather than inflicting any physical harm. There was something about seeing Mayor Waters’ smug face up there on that stage though, standing so high and mighty above the rest of the town when he was to blame for making her life a living hell for so long, that made her snap. In a sudden fit of rage, Bernie clocked him in the face, fists flying before she even had a chance to think straight. Winnie joined in too, delivering a punch of her own, which Bernie was grateful for. She didn’t expect to be the one holding the knife that dealt the fatal blow, but when Mayor Waters was nearly about to strangle Winnie to death, she knew she had to save her— the blood on her hands was more than worth it. Winnie would go on to live another day because of her, and as hard as it would be to say goodbye, at least her world would have her back.
It was a bittersweet feeling, the two of them standing in front of the aurora together one final time. Winnie’s mission had been accomplished at last, and soon she would be returning to the reality she belonged in. “I was here to help you,” Winnie said softly. If Bernie had any remaining doubts that she and Winnie were somehow karmically aligned, they would have dissipated in a second upon hearing her words. She didn’t quite know why, but she found herself raising her hand ever so slightly as if to say “hey,” a gesture that Winnie mirrored with a smile. Something about the whole interaction felt oddly familiar. Bernie couldn’t help but notice the way the lights were reflected in Winnie’s eyes, entranced by their flickering greens and blues. Then Winnie leaned in and kissed her, the world around them becoming a kaleidoscopic blur as the aurora intensified. It was a rush of colours and emotions beyond anything Bernie could have ever imagined— and she had quite the wild imagination.
When Bernie Simon opened her front door on Christmas morning to see Winnie Carruthers standing outside, desperately pleading in a pink tracksuit that looked cute but seemed so unlike her, she couldn’t quite believe her eyes. Her memories of the previous night were hazy, but she remembered Winnie being there and things getting emotional… oh, and the feeling of Winnie’s lips on her own. It was strange how it felt as though they shared something that couldn’t quite be explained. For a few seconds, she pretended she didn’t know what Winnie was talking about, but the crestfallen look on her face made her break into a grin, realizing how much Winnie truly cared. She had a friend—well, at this point it was safe to say there was more between them than just friendship—who actually wanted to spend time with her.
Winnie pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, and Bernie flung her arms around her, giddy with excitement. As Winnie stepped inside, rattling off the itinerary of festive activities she’d planned for the day, Bernie realized she’d never been this happy. This year, she wasn’t going to be alone for the holidays. She couldn’t wait to spend Christmas with her new favourite person, and for all the Christmases to come that they would share, because Bernie had decided she was sticking around.