They ask why I insist on playing Santa, and not an elf, at the mall.
It’s not just pay; there’s something great about being on top. Being a leader people gravitate towards.
Plus, no one can fire Santa.
Elves get fired and abused.
I know that all too well.

Yash Seyedbagheri is a graduate of Colorado State University’s MFA fiction program. His stories, “Soon,” “How To Be A Good Episcopalian,” “Tales From A Communion Line,” and “Community Time,” have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes. His work has been published in SmokeLong Quarterly, The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, and Ariel Chart, among others.