EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first chapter in a 12-chapter fictional tale that will run through Christmas Day. Parents are encouraged to read aloud to their children.

Gabby stared out the window at the falling snow, trying desperately to muster up some excitement for this trip. But between her parents singing along to Christmas songs, her brother Noah’s loud, annoying video games, and the fact that she was missing a skiing trip with her best friends, excitement was hard to find.

Noah shrieked, smashing the buttons on his console as the game spat out noises and music. Gabby despaired for the hundredth time that he’d forgotten his headphones. The ear buds in her own ears didn’t stand a chance against him.

They also failed to drown out her parents’ painful rendition of “White Christmas.” To be fair, her dad had a decent voice. Her mom, though …well, a Broadway star she was not.

Gabby sighed again, scrolling through her phone. She paused on a recently uploaded photo of her best friends, grinning happily for the camera in a bedroom she recognized as her best friend Kayla’s.

No doubt they were all planning out the fun things they’d get to do on their trip. Without her.

“In one mile, turn right onto Carson Street,” the GPS chirped, its female voice robotic yet oddly cheerful.

Ugh. That GPS. It was responsible for them going on this trip in the first place.

It had come in the mail, wrapped in bright Christmas paper and addressed to her dad with no return label. The accompanying card’s message was both brief and cryptic: “I’ll lead you to where you need to go most.”

She expected her dad to toss it in the junk drawer, because who even used a GPS anymore? It was already built into their car and phones. But somehow, its arrival had planted a seed that sprouted into this holiday road trip.

So here they were, packed into the car and allowing the GPS to lead the way to a cozy, quiet, old-fashioned family Christmas together. At least, that’s what her parents claimed would happen.

She had a terrible suspicion that “quiet” and “old-fashioned” were synonyms for “no internet service.”

Although maybe that could be a good thing. At least then she wouldn’t be torturing herself scrolling through pictures of her best friends having a blast without her.

“Aw man!” Noah cried out, tossing his game down so hard it bounced into her leg. “I was so close, and then I died!”

“Watch it,” Gabby said, pushing the console away. “And get over it, it’s just a dumb game.”

“Not as dumb as your face,” he shot back.

“Kids,” Mom said. “Come on, we’ve made it this far without any whining or arguing. Let’s not start now.”

“How much longer? This is boring,” Noah whined as if his mother hadn’t spoken.

“Oh my gosh. You’ve been off your game for, like, 30 seconds,” Gabby snapped. “You can’t be bored already.”

“Guys,” Dad said warningly, glancing at them in the rearview mirror. “Knock it off before it starts. Or else I’ll make you sing Christmas songs with us.”

Although they all knew he couldn’t really make them sing, Gabby also knew he would turn the music up loud enough to drown them out and sing at the top of his lungs. It was one of his favorite moves when she and Noah were being annoying in the car, and it worked every time.

“We’re actually getting pretty close, anyway,” Mom added.

Gabby looked out the window with renewed interest as a huge, faded billboard came into view.

“Welcome to Merrywood Falls,” it proclaimed in large red letters decorated with holly leaves. Underneath, it said “The town that stays merry all year ’round!” next to a cartoon drawing of a grinning woman wearing a Santa hat.

“Look at that.” Mom pointed at the billboard. “See, this will be great. This town celebrates Christmas all year long!”

As they drove past the sign, Gabby gave it one last look. She did a double take and gasped, pressing her face up to the window.

The cartoon woman had just winked at her.

Read chapter 2 in tomorrow’s newspaper.