So, my writing group (Yes, you can make fun) had an event when we met this solstice. So... I present to you.... Holiday GoreFeast3000! Some of the prompts were: Chainsaw Killer 5000: Rudolph Strikes Back. There was a mysterious wrapped present on her doorstep. When she opened it, she very much regretted it. Santa's coming down your chimney. HE'S COMING DOWN YOUR CHIMNEY. RUN. RUN. I leave you with my story. Lanie couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t the fact that the porch light was shining into her room, or that the bed had grit from the dog awakening her that morning, but the quiet anticipation that settled over the house as the seconds ticked by, inching toward midnight, routine as clockwork. Well it is clockwork, she thought as her neighbors dog barked. That was as routine as clockwork as well. Sighing, she rolled over to look at the clock. Eleven Fifty-Eight. Sherwood, her cat, stirred in his sleep. Sighing once more she rolled out of bed and put on a robe. It was cold in the house. Tip-toeing down the hallway, she made it into the kitchen without waking anyone. Her Mom was a light-sleeper and she got really cranky when someone woke her. Putting a pot of water on, she turned on the tv and grabbed some pretzels from the cabinet. The TV was quiet, but she walked over from her steeping tea when she heard, “We interrupt this program for an important announcement. A known serial killer has escaped the prison due to the blizzard. Please lock all doors and windows and stay safe. The announcer repeated the news, and the TV flashed back to T’was The Night Before Christmas. Shaking her head, Lanie grabbed the pretzels and her tea, and went back to bed. --- “Of all the serial killers to escape, it had to be Dreggs!” James complained. “Well, sir, he was the most dangerous, so it does make sense…. Here’s the finished map.” Chief-Deputy James Calaway shook his head. He had graying brown hair, hazel eyes and a perfectly straight nose that hung over his thin lips. A square jaw accented a harshly angled face. He smoked a cigarette while looking skeptically at papers and photos in front of him. “Sir, where’d you think he’d strike next?” The cop asked. He had dark eyes and olive skin. He looked like a cat, all shadowed and quiet. James glanced at Lieutenant Blake Tirroben and grimaced. He had never liked the mysterious lieutenant, but he got work done. “Most likely a house,” he said grimly “He probably had too much fun in public areas already.” The Lieutenant shuddered. Viejo Dreggs was arrested one year ago exactly, on Christmas Eve, for brutally murdering twelve elves and twenty five children at a Macy's, dressed as a Santa. “You’ll catch him sir,” The Lieutenant informed James, “You always do.” --- Lanie woke to a creaking in the house. The blizzard had calmed down, snow was now driftly idly toward the ground. The creaking was coming from the rooftop. My parents couldn’t actually be pretending to be reindeer, could they, Lanie wondered. Her six year old sister was still a believer, and her parents wanted to keep it that way for a long while. Having failed their first go-round with Lanie, finding out at seven that Santa was not real, they were determined to keep Adalie as innocent as possible. More creaking. It was a good thing that break had started, or she would have been a zombie at school. Sherwood yawned, and jumped off the bed. The clock read 6:21. Since she obviously wasn’t getting more sleep, Lanie hoppedd onto the freezing cold floor and on second thought, took her blanket with her. Presents were wrapped under the tree, but the house was quiet and dark. Sherwood meowed at his bowl. Lanie couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t the fact that the porch light was shining into her room, or that the bed had grit from the dog awakening her that morning, but the quiet anticipation that settled over the house as the seconds ticked by, inching toward midnight, routine as clockwork. Well it is clockwork, she thought as her neighbors dog barked. That was as routine as clockwork as well. Sighing, she rolled over to look at the clock. Eleven Fifty-Eight. Sherwood, her cat, stirred in his sleep. Sighing once more she rolled out of bed and put on a robe. It was cold in the house. Tip-toeing down the hallway, she made it into the kitchen without waking anyone. Her Mom was a light-sleeper and she got really cranky when someone woke her. Putting a pot of water on, she turned on the tv and grabbed some pretzels from the cabinet. The TV was quiet, but she walked over from her steeping tea when she heard, “We interrupt this program for an important announcement. A known serial killer has escaped the prison due to the blizzard. Please lock all doors and windows and stay safe. The announcer repeated the news, and the TV flashed back to T’was The Night Before Christmas. Shaking her head, Lanie grabbed the pretzels and her tea, and went back to bed. --- “Of all the serial killers to escape, it had to be Dreggs!” James complained. “Well, sir, he was the most dangerous, so it does make sense…. Here’s the finished map.” Chief-Deputy James Calaway shook his head. He had graying brown hair, hazel eyes and a perfectly straight nose that hung over his thin lips. A square jaw accented a harshly angled face. He smoked a cigarette while looking skeptically at papers and photos in front of him. “Sir, where’d you think he’d strike next?” The cop asked. He had dark eyes and olive skin. He looked like a cat, all shadowed and quiet. James glanced at Lieutenant Blake Tirroben and grimaced. He had never liked the mysterious lieutenant, but he got work done. “Most likely a house,” he said grimly “He probably had too much fun in public areas already.” The Lieutenant shuddered. Viejo Dreggs was arrested one year ago exactly, on Christmas Eve, for brutally murdering twelve elves and twenty five children at a Macy's, dressed as a Santa. “You’ll catch him sir,” The Lieutenant informed James, “You always do.” --- Lanie woke to a creaking in the house. The blizzard had calmed down, snow was now driftly idly toward the ground. The creaking was coming from the rooftop. My parents couldn’t actually be pretending to be reindeer, could they, Lanie wondered. Her six year old sister was still a believer, and her parents wanted to keep it that way for a long while. Having failed their first go-round with Lanie, finding out at seven that Santa was not real, they were determined to keep Adalie as innocent as possible. More creaking. It was a good thing that break had started, or she would have been a zombie at school. Sherwood yawned, and jumped off the bed. The clock read 6:21. Since she obviously wasn’t getting more sleep, Lanie hoppedd onto the freezing cold floor and on second thought, took her blanket with her. Presents were wrapped under the tree, but the house was quiet and dark. Sherwood meowed at his bowl. She filed up the his bowl, missing the backdoor opening. Putting some bread in the toaster, she heard footsteps coming down the hall. It was probably Adalie, ready to ravage the presents. As the timer beeped on her toast, a hand covered her mouth. She couldn't scream. "No one will hear you..." A voice whispered. --- "Left the country. He went straight for the airport, and left when the blizzard calmed down. He's Panama bound." Tirroben finished his report. "You're sure?" asked Calaway. "Positive." The Lieutenant answered. Calaway would have to trust Tirroben. "Alright, dismissed." Blake walked out of the room, covering his hands. Opening the door, he went straight to the sink. His hands were covered in dried blood. Blake Tirroben grinned at the mirror. The face of Viejo Dreggs grinned back. Happy Holidays!
