4 Truly Twisted Christmas Horror Stories!

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Hello, my spookys. It's your
host and narrator Enrique Kuto, and I

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have another gift for you this holiday
season. I've really been enjoying releasing content

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nearly every day of December, and
this is our final compilation of the year.

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This is the last four Christmas horror
stories Weekly Spooky has ever published prior

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to this year, and I think
you're going to enjoy them quite a bit.

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In fact, you might have noticed
that this is the same day that

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we published a brand news story by
Keith Tomlin. Well, you're right,

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we have so much bonus content we
had to double it up a little bit.

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So I hope you enjoy a quintuple
shot of holiday horror today as I

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enjoy bringing it to you. So
kick back, get yourself some cocoa,

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stir it with a candy cane.
It's time for a little holiday fear.

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I know I've been saying that over
and over all season. Well you know,

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well, you come up with something
more clever and email it's a Weekly

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Spooky at gmail dot com. But
now, my friends, it's time for

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four holiday fears. Starting right after
these words. Santa Claus Is Killing the

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Town by Morgan Moore Christmas music flows
out from the stereo in the car.

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Janie had been listening to the music
for hours on end as she and her

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girlfriend Mollie drove along. By this
point in their road trip, all of

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the music, courtesy of an old
time fifties and sixties radio station, had

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long since blended together. To Genie, it was all just crackling background noise

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that sounded all the same, with
only good old Frosty and Rudolph to break

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up the monotony. How much longer, she asked Molly. Not too much?

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Yeah, but much. I'm feeling
kind of cramped, Janice responded.

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Mollie smirked in game her partner a
mischievous and playful look. Now listen,

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kiddo, if you keep that up, I'll just have to turn this car

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around and take my sweet time bringing
you home. Janie's found no words to

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reply, and instead offered a roll
of her eyes and a middle finger.

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For real, though, it isn't
that much more. We have to go

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just to the end of this road, a few turns in a hill,

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and there will be home, Molly
explained, if you say so, Jennie

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said. The two were on their
way to Molly's hometown of Decatur. They

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had been invited to spend the holidays
with some of Molly's friends for a bit

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of an impromptu reunion. Mollie thought
it would be a fun, cozy getaway

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and could give her a great gift
and a surprise visit with her parents too.

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Janie wasn't super eager, though she
had never been the social type and

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was a wallflower even when hanging out
with her own friends. The idea of

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spending Christmas with complete strangers in an
old inn wasn't something high on her agenda.

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Then there was also the subject of
Molly's parents. They were sweet,

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supportive of their daughter in every way
and had shown Janie's kindness the few times

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they had met previously, but those
were in controlled situations out in public,

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not in the privacy of their own
house and town. Something about the whole

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affair rubbed Genie the wrong way and
had her feeling anxious. But it was

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Christmas, and it was for Mollie, the love of her life, so

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she decided to give it a try. Maybe it could be fun to meet

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her old friends and spend Christmas in
a little town, and who knew,

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maybe Molly's parents would still be as
kind and welcoming as they seemed to be.

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Plus, if ever, everything went
well, she could finally bring out

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the ring she had bought for Molly, but had yet to find the right

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moment to propose. True to her
word, Molly turned left at the end

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of the country road, and a
few turns, a hill and a short

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stretch of road later, the two
were Indicator. Genie peered out the window

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as they drove along. Decatur reminded
her a lot of paintings that portrayed idyllic

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small towns and a good old fashioned
America, something akin to old Norman Rockwell

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paintings, but she liked it.
The old buildings and independent businesses mixed with

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the snow gave her a warm and
secure feeling. Looks can be deceiving,

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she told herself. The couple arrived
at their destination, the Chamberlain Inn,

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a family run establishment. They parked
by the front and raced from the near

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bitter cold outdoors into the Chamberlain.
Inside, Genie and Molly found a warm

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lit entry room, a small but
fanciful check in desk against the back wall,

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and at the desk was a little
old lady. Why hello, there,

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she said, raspally. As the
two approached. Hello, we're here

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to check in, Molly stated,
do you have a reservation? The clerk

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asked, yup, it'll be under
Molly Burke. We're also part of a

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group staying here for a little reunion. If that helps, Molly explained,

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Oh, you're part of that group
too, Well, then we should get

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you checked in so you can join
them. My friends are already here,

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Molly asked. Genie, absent mindedly
paced around the room, looking at the

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decor bored. Yes, ma'am,
they're in the back parlor. Here you

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are, Molly Burke. One room, The clerk parroted out information jotted on

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an index card. At the reading
of one room, she glanced over at

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Genie. Deanice caught the look and
stared back. The clerk looked at Molly,

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who had an expression of lacking amusement. Catching on to what the old

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lady was taken aback by. Well, young miss, you're up on the

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second floor, last door on the
right, thanks, Molly said, matter

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of fact, as she took the
key. Deenie grabbed their bags and met

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Molly at the staircase. Catching the
old lady watching them, Genie stopped walking

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When Molly stopped in confusion, Genie
kissed her. She smirked at the clerk

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after they broke the kiss. Molly
looked at the woman's aghast expression and giggled

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before the two went up to their
room. A little while later, the

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two returned downstairs, freshly showered,
freshly stretched out from their three hour car

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ride, and dressed for the finest
of small town inn reunions. Janie and

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Molly made their way to the parlor
room in the back and found a group

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of four others seated around a small
table. A moment later, somebody,

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a girl, noticed them. She
let out a shriek of excitement that gained

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the attention of the other three.
They also cried out in joy at the

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sight of Molly. The four got
out of their seats and nearly bum rushed

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her in their excitement. What followed
was a series of hugs, tears of

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happiness, hower ewes, and common
expressions of friendship. Janie smiled a little

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at the beginning of the onslaught,
but couldn't help her social anxiety from rising

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a few levels, so she backed
away from the mob and found a spot

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against a bookshelf. Molly caught the
change out of the corner of her eye,

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and also saw the look of unease
with a tinge of being upset at

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not being included. She and broke
away from her friends and lightly strode over

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to her girlfriend, Where oh where
are my manners? I'm such a rude

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bitch sometimes everybody. This is Genie, my girlfriend. To punctuate her introduction

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and soft apology to Janice, Molly
kissed her lovingly. Janie blushed but smiled.

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Hi. She squeaked out, hello
to you too. My name is

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Elijah. A tall man told her, I'm Kate. Nice to meet you.

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Deanie, an average height but clearly
surgically enhanced woman said, we're Marcus

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and Amanda. The two said a
couple that looked as plain Jane and Homie

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as decatur itself. Well that's everyone, dear. Come on, let's eat

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some food and get a little drinking
in while we embarrass each other with old

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stories, Molly proclaimed. The group
agreed and returned to the table. Molly

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gave Genie an apologizing look for not
immediately introducing her. Janie smiled and shrugged

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her shoulders. She gave her a
peck on the cheek. The two then

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walked hand in hand to the table
and joined the others. Minutes turned to

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hours as the six conversed about their
pasts and their presence. To her surprise,

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Janie found herself being brought into the
conversation and her anxiety level was decreasing

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at a rapid rate. It didn't
appear to be forced either. They seemed

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to enjoy her company and her theirs. Despite her initial hesitation on the whole

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affair, Janie had to admit that
she was in fact having a good time.

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The full wintry moon shone through the
parlor window. A fire was roasting

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in the fireplace, helmed by Marcus
and Elijah. The ladies were seated in

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various chairs, with Janie and Molly
sharing a love seat. A tall,

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old old grandfather clock ticked away the
time. So what do you think of

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our little town, Denise, Amanda
asked, before taking a sip from a

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mug of tea. Deanie took a
sip from her own mug filled with a

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combo of hot chocolate and alcoholic creamer. It's actually pretty nice. I thought

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it would be some little boring Midwest
town that time forgot, but it isn't

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all that bad, except it is
a boring little Midwest town, Elijah interjected

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with a chuckle. She's so modest
and such a liar. Deanie loves old

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time stuff like this. She practically
lives at the antiques village back at home.

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Molly chimed in. Is that so, Kate questioned in a humored manner.

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Yep, Molly said. She looks
over at a now blushing Genie and

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pecks her on the cheek with a
playful smile. Anything old or anything that

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looks like it was plucked out of
Mayberry as this girl's jam, then why

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is she dating you? Marcus shot
in with a well timed delivery. The

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lion garnered laughs from everybody in the
parlor. Yeah, what can I say?

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I like old stuff. It's better
quality, the music, the movies,

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the look and feel of everything.
It's just so grand, she said,

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punctuating the last word in a style
similar to old movie actresses. What

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about stories, Elijah asked, huh. Denise tilted her head in confusion.

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Do you like old stories? He
asked again, Yeah, then you'll love

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Decatur even more. The town is
filled with old stories of love, fun,

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adventure, and even some gnarly shit, Elijah continued, gnarly shit like

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what crimes? Denise questioned, her
posture now one of intrigue and full investment

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in the conversation. Here we go, Kate said, sarcastically, Yeah,

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I mean we got bank robberies,
a couple of politically inclined crimes, a

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murder here and there. Then of
course there's old Robbie Clint, Elijah said.

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The room went deathly quiet. All
merriment and holiday cheer that had filled

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and bled into the walls was quickly
sucked out, leaving only a bitter cold

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sense of reality and dread. Janice
looked around and noticed that her companions all

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had an expression of fear and anger. Elijah Amanda nearly shouted you know better,

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Marcus scolded, I'm only trying to
entertain our new friend. He told

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them, Yeah, but come on, you know, we don't speak his

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name. Molly chimed in gloomily,
I'm confused. Why is it such a

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bad thing that rob Before Genie can
finish saying the name, Molly put a

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hand over her mouth and shushed her. The four lifelong friends looked at each

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other. To Deanie, it looked
as if they were having a telekinetic conversation

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with one another. Eventually, Marcus
sighed, well, since you started it,

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you may as well finish it.
Tell her, he instructed, Elijah,

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just don't say his name, Kate
added, or at least, at

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the very least, don't say all
of it. Molly continued, all right,

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all right, all right, well
then, Janie ready to hear Decatur's

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infamous rise to fame. Elijah questioned
the girl as if he was an investigator.

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Deanie glanced at all the faces in
the room. When her eyes settled

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on Mollie, they found a look
of terror and sadness. Glancing down,

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she noticed that Mollie had grabbed hold
of one of Genice's hands and was squeezing

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it. She couldn't tell if it
was for support for her or out of

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fear of whatever this terrifying tale was. Yeah, Genny said dryly, give

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it to me. Elijah stoked the
fire once more before standing up. He

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made his way to the window and
looked up at the freezing moon. With

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a sigh and a gulp, he
began The tail our story begins. When

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we were all little kids, still
crapping in our diapers. It was actually

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close to Christmas, kind of eerie
that I'm telling it now, of all

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times of the year. Then again, how many of us actually think about

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Christmas outside of this time of year. Anyway, I'm rambling. Robbie was

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local high school dropout. He was
about eighteen or nineteen, depends on who

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you ask. Being a dropout meant
the only work he could find was in

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fast food joints, or as a
janitor or some other menial work. He

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lucked out a little bit in that
he found a job at a local radio

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station where he mostly cleaned, but
was taught how the whole place worked.

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Nothing to make a huge living off
of, but Robbie seemed to enjoy it.

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Well. That was how he made
money at night. During the day,

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if he wasn't at home living a
lonesome life, Robbie worked as a

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babysitter. The thing is, Robbie
wasn't always the most patient person, and

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he had a reputation for letting loose
some of that impatience from time to time.

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Now, I don't know about you
all, but kids can be infuriating

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little brats, so to some it
wasn't a surprise is that Robbie quickly found

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himself out of babysitting. When an
allegation of him hurting a kid came out.

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He claimed the mom had the hots
for him, and when he turned

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her down, she decided to be
spiteful. She said Robbie beat the kid

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to near death because her son was
having a tantrum. Nobody really knows what

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happened, or at least remembers now, but the end result was a lot

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of people pissed and refusing to hire
him to watch their kids. The backlash

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was so bad that Robbie even lost
his job at the radio station. Young

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Alone, filled with pent up anger
at everything bad in his life, out

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of work and ostracized from pretty much
the whole town, Robbie decided he would

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get some revenge, some sweet,
sinister revenge. On Christmas Eve night,

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he broke into the radio station and
executed what little staff was on hand.

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Then he set up for a broadcast. Just as he was taught, Robbie

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interrupted a marathon of Christmas tunes and
told the kids who were listening that he

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was good Old Santa Claus. Santa
Robbie said that Decatur was one of his

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favorite towns in the world, and
because of that, he wanted all of

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the good boys and girls to meet
him that night at the Christmas Tree set

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up in the center of downtown during
Christmas Eve mass, the parents figured why

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the hell not their kids always complained
about going to church anyways, When it

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came time for mass, parents that
decided to do it drop their kids off

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at the tree with Santa Claus in
reality, a disguised Robbie before they went

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off to church. When service was
over and the parents returned to collect their

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kids, they found something straight out
of a horror movie. Their precious little

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babies had been killed. Immediately,
they stormed to the radio station, finding

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the dead crew and the security footage
of Robbie doing the dirty, bloody deed,

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thus telling them who in fact was
behind the massacre of their children.

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It took nearly all night, but
they eventually found him in a bathroom in

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the church they had gone to for
mass. Robbie had smashed a mirror and

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slit his own wrists and throat.
Parents disposed of his body by cremating it

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at the local funeral parlor. Christmas
that year was truly red and green,

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red from the blood and green from
how sick the whole affair was. Elijah

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00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:26.039
finished the story and quickly made his
way to a small bar in the parlor,

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taking a long drink from a whiskey
bottle. Everybody else sat in silence.

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Genie spoke up, So, why
aren't you supposed to say his name?

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00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:47.960
Then? Your story didn't mention that
some say that because he killed himself

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in a church, that his soul
was cursed and damned for eternity, and

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00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:59.359
that if you even say his name
once, he'll return to butcher more people.

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00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:03.920
Or it's out of respect for the
victims. Duh, Nobody in this

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00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:10.319
town likes to hear about him.
Marcus replied, so what you just pretend

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00:20:10.359 --> 00:20:15.000
he never existed? Do you like
censor out a letter in his name if

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00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:18.880
you write about him like how some
people do on Twitter? Because if so,

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00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:23.200
that's pretty stupid. I mean,
it's like saying the F word or

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the N word. You're just making
the other people say it in their mind,

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so you don't have to be accountable
for your words. Genie explained,

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00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:38.599
No, we're not that crazy.
Kate responded, you just gasp in horror

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00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:44.960
if somebody said his name, Genie
retorted. Amanda rolled her eyes and shook

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00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:52.119
her head disapprovingly at Molly, some
folks just don't understand town customs. Genie

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00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:59.319
released a sigh of exhaustion and irritation
at the conversation. Guys, I'm pretty

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00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:03.920
sure if you say name, he
won't appear like bloody Mary. Besides,

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00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:07.599
if it was out of respect,
as you claimed, then why did you

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00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:10.960
all seem so scared out of your
skin when Elijah first said his name?

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Silence filled the room again. Nobody
wanted to talk about the subject of the

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00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:22.960
story. Janice looked over at Molly
and found only a look of confusion at

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00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:29.119
the reunion's turn. Tired of it, Jennie stood up and walked to the

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door leading out of the parlor.
She turned to face her companions. Robbie

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00:21:33.640 --> 00:21:37.359
Clint, Robbie Clint, Robbie Clint, Robbie Clint, Robbie Clint, she

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00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:47.599
said in quick succession. Before leaving
the parlor. Janie found herself unable to

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sleep. Her mind was filled with
nightmares of children being killed by a psychotic

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00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:59.799
Santa and of her love being taken
away by some unknown creature of fear.

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00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:04.400
She sighed and got out of bed, threw on a robe, and left

239
00:22:04.440 --> 00:22:11.559
her in Molly's room. Quietly,
she walked through the inn, not wanting

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00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:15.240
to wake anybody up or be confronted
for what happened earlier in the night.

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00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:22.119
By process of elimination, Janie walked
all of the upstairs and all of the

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00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:29.119
downstairs, finding her journey ended in
the parlor. She made herself a drink

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00:22:29.319 --> 00:22:33.200
and relaxed on the love seat.
What was supposed to be a pleasant Christmas

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getaway and started off well, had
turned into a tense one. Deanie told

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00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:45.079
herself that perhaps it would be better
in the morning between the six of them,

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00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.720
and that Molly's parents could still be
a good time. Yet a little

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00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:56.279
voice in her head argued otherwise.
Deanie grunted in frustration as she placed the

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00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:00.319
glass on the bar. She looked
around the parlor and found herself staring at

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00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:06.319
a closet on the other side of
the room. During the earlier festivities,

250
00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:10.160
she had seen it, but hadn't
given it much thought. It was just

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00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:15.119
a closet after all, but her
inability to sleep sparked a curiosity for what

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00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:23.279
was inside. Quietly, Janie walked
to the closet and opened it. Inside

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00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:29.839
was an old radio that stood up
to her midriff. Intrigued by the radio.

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00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.200
Janie started fiddling with the various knobs
on it. A smile formed on

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00:23:34.279 --> 00:23:41.559
her face as her anxiety melted away. While playing with the antique. Looking

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00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:45.839
it over closer, she noticed that
it wasn't plugged in. She had to

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00:23:45.880 --> 00:23:52.240
know if it would work. Slowly, Deanie pulled the radio out of the

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00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:56.680
closet and pushed it over to the
closest outlet she could find. With excitement

259
00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:02.559
trembling through her body, she played
ugged in the radio and turned the knobs.

260
00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:08.240
Silence gave way to a soft,
fuzzy crackling. It works, she

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00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:15.200
exclaimed in a whisper filled with giddiness. Deanie played with the tuner knob to

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00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:21.039
find a channel while making sure the
volume wasn't too loud. The static that

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00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:26.839
initially greeted her did so with every
twist she made of the knob. Janie

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00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:33.200
kept playing with it, determined to
find a station that was broadcasting. Ho

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00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:40.039
ho oh boomed out from the radio
speaker. In surprise, Jennie turned the

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00:24:40.119 --> 00:24:45.119
volume down more. I found one. Ho ho oh. Merry Christmas.

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00:24:45.319 --> 00:24:51.640
It's your old friend Santi Claus.
I want to wish all of you good

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00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:56.480
boys and girls a wonderful Christmas and
to show kindness to their fellow man,

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00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:04.480
even those who are That includes those
who aren't actually naughty, but are said

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00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:11.599
and made to be. Even those
little ones get gifts too. Jenie listened

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00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:17.799
in complete confusion as to what it
was that she was even listening to and

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00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:22.640
speaking of gifts, I brought gifts
for everyone, including you, Janie.

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00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:29.839
Her mouth dropped some what. Yes, you too, Jenie, you get

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00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:33.279
a gift. You've been the nicest
one of all by giving me a gift

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00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:40.640
I did. Why, of course, you gave me the gift of acknowledgment

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00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:48.400
and resurrection. Jenie blinked in total
bewildered confusion. Then it clicked in her

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00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:56.200
head. Robbie Clint. She exclaimed, Yes, Surrey, thank you from

278
00:25:56.240 --> 00:26:03.759
the bottom of my formerly non be
eating heart. Are you ready for your

279
00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:11.559
gift? I guess well, then
close your eyes and I'll give it to

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00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:17.079
you. Janie did what she was
told. The radio ceased to make any

281
00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:22.519
noises. Afterwards, she sat in
silence, wondering what the hell was even

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00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:26.559
going on and that this was the
last time she would ever ever drink this

283
00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:33.599
late at night. Open your eyes
she did, and found the radio no

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00:26:33.720 --> 00:26:41.759
longer there in its place was a
man in a Santa costume, blood dripping

285
00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:47.640
from his wrists and throat. There
was a gleeful smile on his face and

286
00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:55.480
a hatchet in his hand. Around
him were the bodies of Amanda and Kate,

287
00:26:56.279 --> 00:27:03.079
and Marcus and Elijah, and the
innkeeper, and of Mollie. Genie

288
00:27:03.160 --> 00:27:11.799
gasped in horror and looked at the
man. Robbie Robbie Clint. Jennie squeaked

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00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:21.240
out, Merry Christmas, Robbie Clint
proclaimed, before swinging his axe down.

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00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:36.119
Crampis is coming by rob Fields.
Kathy Betcher was the president of the Alpha

291
00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:41.839
Delta Kappa sorority at Strickfield University.
It had taken her a lot of manipulation

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00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:48.880
and cunning for her to finally achieve
her coveted position, and she had no

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00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:55.599
intention of relinquishing it until she was
ready to graduate. She knew each and

294
00:27:55.799 --> 00:28:00.720
every one of her sorority sisters was
a potential usurper. This even included her

295
00:28:00.759 --> 00:28:07.119
two best friends, Margaret Nash and
Angie Adams, when she had seen how

296
00:28:07.160 --> 00:28:14.240
incredibly friendly they and her estranged father
were towards each other. Simply put,

297
00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:21.799
Cathy didn't trust anyone What people didn't
know about Kathy was that she used to

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00:28:21.839 --> 00:28:27.359
be a kind and loving soul until
too many bad things had happened during her

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00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:34.640
time at the university. First,
Cathy learned that her boyfriend Trey Colmb was

300
00:28:34.759 --> 00:28:41.359
cheating on her, leading to a
big break up. Next, her former

301
00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:48.039
best friend from high school, Whitney
Plaza, both betrayed and undermined her to

302
00:28:48.119 --> 00:28:53.160
become a d K president. The
last straw came when Cathy discovered her own

303
00:28:53.240 --> 00:29:00.000
father, the president of Strickfield University
at the time, had been helping Whitney

304
00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:07.200
against her. When Cathy finally determined
that it was a cutthroat world, she

305
00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:12.680
resorted to the same tactics used against
her to gain revenge. First, she

306
00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:18.960
got Trey expelled from Strickfield U by
switching out his senior thesis with a plagiarized

307
00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:26.000
one. In fact, Dean Jerry
Roth expelled Trey personally. Next, she

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00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:32.920
found financial evidence on her father that
the Irs was most appreciative to receive.

309
00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:41.559
She also secretly mailed hardcore evidence to
her mother of her father's infidelity with many

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00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:51.200
female students, including his current affair
with Whitney Plaza, leading to a very

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00:29:51.799 --> 00:29:57.599
nasty divorce, but Cathy didn't stop
there. Upon discovering Whitney and her father

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00:29:57.720 --> 00:30:03.240
were seeing each other and connecting the
affair to Whitney's presidency, she brought the

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00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:07.839
evidence of that affair, as well
as the others, to the right university

314
00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:14.799
officials. Whitney was quickly removed from
the ad K sorority and expelled from the

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00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:21.960
university, which basically meant her life
was ruined. Shortly after, Cathy was

316
00:30:22.039 --> 00:30:27.599
named the new president of the Strickfield
branch of Alpha Delta Kappa. As for

317
00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:34.640
Griffin Betcher, Cathy's father, he
was also removed from Strickfield University. He

318
00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:41.039
had the last laugh, however,
and was elected to Congress shortly thereafter.

319
00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:48.319
This made Kathy madder than ever,
and she started using her own power to

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00:30:48.359 --> 00:30:53.599
make life hell for other people.
She used her influence to make connections both

321
00:30:53.599 --> 00:31:00.079
at Strickfield University and with other area
politicians. In fact, she used her

322
00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:08.119
connections to have Strickfield branches of rival
sororities shut down permanently. Though Cathy felt

323
00:31:08.200 --> 00:31:12.880
she had ultimate power, she was
still upset she couldn't punish her father.

324
00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:18.599
Even her influence wasn't strong enough to
reach him. At his level of power.

325
00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:23.759
Her anger and resentment of her father
caused her to sever ties with the

326
00:31:23.759 --> 00:31:30.039
rest of the family. In fact, Cathy deleted every voicemail and text she'd

327
00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:36.519
ever received from her mother. She
avoided returning home, even for the holidays.

328
00:31:37.079 --> 00:31:41.400
As far as she was concerned,
home was the sorority house. Once

329
00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:48.119
she graduated, she would act on
other promising prospects and move on to greener

330
00:31:48.200 --> 00:31:56.559
pastures. She would leave Strickfield and
never look back. Hey Cat, you

331
00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:00.839
okay, Margaret asked her. Yeah, you look like something's really bothering you.

332
00:32:01.319 --> 00:32:07.640
Angie added, yeah, like you
bitches care. Kathy thought, I'm

333
00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:10.160
fine, just got a lot on
my mind. I'm gonna go get some

334
00:32:10.240 --> 00:32:15.799
fresh air. Kathy left the house
after stopping at the local coffee shop,

335
00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:21.599
the Bitter End. She left the
university and walked to the downtown area.

336
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:28.440
As she drank her mocha, she
looked at her smartphone. Christmas Eve already

337
00:32:29.559 --> 00:32:35.160
fuck. Kathy knew what would again
be herself and her two sorority sisters for

338
00:32:35.279 --> 00:32:42.000
Christmas. She saw that her mother
again sent texts and left voicemails as usual.

339
00:32:42.599 --> 00:32:49.200
She deleted everything. Kathleen Betcher a
voice suddenly called out, fuck.

340
00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:53.000
She muttered and walked faster. Kathleen
Betcher, you stop right there, right

341
00:32:53.039 --> 00:33:00.559
now. Kathy finally stopped and waited
for her mother. She had been ghosting

342
00:33:00.599 --> 00:33:05.799
her mom and her younger sister since
revealing her father's infidelity to her mother.

343
00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:10.319
Seriously, are you stalking me now? Kathy demanded rudely, what do you

344
00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:15.720
want? Is this how it's going
to be? Lorraine Betcher demanded back,

345
00:33:15.240 --> 00:33:20.319
do you blame me for why your
father and I are divorced? I wasn't

346
00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:23.799
the one sleeping around. Look,
Mom, I really don't care anymore.

347
00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:29.279
Okay, Kathy snapped, I just
want to be left alone. Is that

348
00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:35.960
too much to goddamn ask for?
Lorraine looked stern By shutting me and Ruth

349
00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:38.960
out of your life, we're your
family, Kathleen, and it's not fair.

350
00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:44.839
Kathy groaned. Yeah, well,
the world ain't fucking fair, is

351
00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:49.599
it, Lorraine pointed right at her. You do not use that tone or

352
00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:52.559
language with me, young lady.
I am your mother, and I gave

353
00:33:52.559 --> 00:33:55.599
both you and Ruth the best years
of my life. Kathy lashed out,

354
00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:00.680
Mom, just leave me the fuck
alone. Why is that so hard for

355
00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:07.000
you to understand, Lorraine wouldn't relent. Why is it so hard for you

356
00:34:07.079 --> 00:34:12.679
to understand you still have family.
Ruth and I both miss you, Kathleen.

357
00:34:13.159 --> 00:34:16.760
We're not your enemies. We're not
expecting you to come back home full

358
00:34:16.840 --> 00:34:22.920
time, but you could come by
every now and then, and Ruth and

359
00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:30.039
I would like you to come home
for Christmas tomorrow. Ruth really misses you.

360
00:34:30.039 --> 00:34:32.440
You know, She's always looked up
to you. You were her best

361
00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:37.679
friend in the whole world, and
you just turned your back on her.

362
00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:45.519
Come home and make things right with
her. Kathy was about to say no

363
00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:51.519
and walk away, but she remembered
Ruth, her baby sister, came along

364
00:34:51.639 --> 00:34:57.840
many years after her. Kathy was
twenty three while Ruth was eleven pre college.

365
00:34:57.960 --> 00:35:01.679
Kathy remembered how Ruth idolized her and
wanted to be just like her when

366
00:35:01.719 --> 00:35:07.599
she got to be old enough.
Fine, Kathy conceded, I'll come home

367
00:35:07.639 --> 00:35:13.920
tomorrow, but I'm doing it for
Ruth, not for you. That's fine,

368
00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:20.199
Lorraine replied, Just please come home
and see your sister tomorrow. In

369
00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:24.280
fact, why don't you bring a
gift for her to tell her how much

370
00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:31.559
you care. She still enjoys collecting
those snow globes. Kathy sighed fine,

371
00:35:31.679 --> 00:35:37.679
then she started to walk away two
o'clock tomorrow. Lorraine called out behind her.

372
00:35:38.800 --> 00:35:47.039
Yeah yeah, Kathy muttered. Kathy
walked through the main entrance of Strickfield

373
00:35:47.079 --> 00:35:52.559
Town Center Mall. As she walked
around, she noticed there weren't many people.

374
00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:59.320
She checked her smartphone and saw it
was getting close to six. Damn

375
00:35:59.320 --> 00:36:01.880
it, the mall's going to close
for Christmas. I've got to find a

376
00:36:01.960 --> 00:36:07.400
snow globe for Ruth. As she
hurried through the mall, she didn't see

377
00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:13.320
any stores that sold snow globes.
Then she saw some stores were closing and

378
00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:16.320
walked faster. By the time she
reached the other end of the mall,

379
00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:21.800
the J. C. Penny had
already locked up. Kathy, grown,

380
00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:25.800
shit, I just had to run
into my fucking mom. Where am I

381
00:36:25.800 --> 00:36:30.760
going to get a snow globe now? She turned to walk away. When

382
00:36:30.760 --> 00:36:37.159
she saw a light near the mall
entrance, she knew not too many people

383
00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:43.159
had used. She walked in the
direction until she saw a store called Tinkers.

384
00:36:44.199 --> 00:36:49.360
Kathy entered the store and saw many
odds and ends on the shelves.

385
00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:53.360
May I help you, young lady, Kathy quickly turned and saw a man

386
00:36:53.440 --> 00:36:59.199
in his late forties approaching her.
She was about to apologize for coming in,

387
00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:05.719
but remember she was Kathy Betcher.
She never apologized to anyone. I'm

388
00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:09.000
looking for a snow globe. I
don't suppose you've got one. The man

389
00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:14.880
raised his finger. I just so
happened to have one right in my display

390
00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:19.400
case at the register. Follow me. Kathy followed the man to the front

391
00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:22.760
counter. She could already see the
snow globe in the display case. The

392
00:37:22.760 --> 00:37:27.719
man stepped behind the counter, opened
the case and took the snow globe out

393
00:37:27.800 --> 00:37:30.880
for her to see. When Kathy
took hold of it, it felt a

394
00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:36.840
little heavy. This is the biggest
snow globe I've ever seen. I don't

395
00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:39.639
think Ruth has any this big.
As she looked it over more, she

396
00:37:39.760 --> 00:37:46.400
saw the figure sitting on its throne. The figure had big and curly horns,

397
00:37:47.079 --> 00:37:53.559
brown to graying fur, bright red
eyes, and cloven hoofs for feet.

398
00:37:55.000 --> 00:38:00.719
Is this crampis? Kathy asked the
man. Ah, you know of

399
00:38:00.800 --> 00:38:06.320
crampis, do you? The man
replied, Depending on who you ask,

400
00:38:06.400 --> 00:38:10.679
He's supposed to be the evil version
of Santa Claus, or even like Sanna's

401
00:38:10.719 --> 00:38:15.880
brother. I've heard he comes and
takes the bad children while Santa gives presents

402
00:38:15.880 --> 00:38:20.039
to the good ones. I've also
heard Crampis takes the souls of the wicked

403
00:38:20.119 --> 00:38:24.679
and corrupt, she sighed. People
spread stories about Crampis all over campus,

404
00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:30.360
much like any other story about ghosts
and goblins. I swear people think every

405
00:38:30.440 --> 00:38:36.519
day is Halloween. Here. There
was a brief silence. Then the man

406
00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:40.159
said, this is the only snowglobe
I have, and I'll let you have

407
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:45.559
it for twenty dollars. Kathy pulled
her billfold out of her purse to complete

408
00:38:45.559 --> 00:38:51.760
the transaction. After the man escorted
her out, Cathy tried to leave through

409
00:38:51.760 --> 00:38:55.679
the mall entrance next to Tinkers,
but the doors were locked. She cursed

410
00:38:55.719 --> 00:39:00.360
and walked back through the mall to
the main entrance. Ruth better be happy

411
00:39:00.400 --> 00:39:07.639
about this, Kathy muttered. Cathy
decided she wasn't staying at the sorority house

412
00:39:07.679 --> 00:39:13.079
with Margaret and Annie and secretly left
to be alone. While she was sure

413
00:39:13.159 --> 00:39:16.000
she could have stayed in her old
room at home, she rented a room

414
00:39:16.039 --> 00:39:21.719
at a boarding house. As she
unpacked her suitcase, she pulled out the

415
00:39:21.760 --> 00:39:28.320
snow globe and examined it again.
Was it her or were the crampest figure's

416
00:39:28.360 --> 00:39:34.960
eyes glowing? You're letting those goddamn
ghost stories people tell at the university get

417
00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:38.519
to you again, she thought.
She put the snow globe down, but

418
00:39:38.639 --> 00:39:44.880
still felt compelled to look into the
glowing eyes. After a time, she

419
00:39:44.960 --> 00:39:51.239
shook her head and turned away.
Just then, someone knocked at her door.

420
00:39:52.400 --> 00:39:57.159
Figuring it was Missus Elkins, the
lady who owned the boarding house,

421
00:39:57.679 --> 00:40:04.239
she went and answered. Aw dropped
when she saw Trey Colm. Oh fuck

422
00:40:04.360 --> 00:40:07.159
no. Angry, she tried to
slam the door in his face, but

423
00:40:07.280 --> 00:40:12.760
he easily forced his way in and
closed the door behind him. Get the

424
00:40:12.760 --> 00:40:16.360
fuck out, Tray, she yelled. Then she realized, and how did

425
00:40:16.400 --> 00:40:22.159
you even know I was here?
Tray sneered, saw you check in?

426
00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:27.280
Finally get kicked out of your sorority? Huh, she groaned and pointed to

427
00:40:27.320 --> 00:40:31.079
the door. Fuck off, you
bastard, out, he kept sneering.

428
00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:36.159
I know you, miss me,
Kat, you know how good I made

429
00:40:36.159 --> 00:40:40.039
you feel? Yeah, before you
started fucking around on me, She retorted,

430
00:40:40.679 --> 00:40:45.440
So what you think you can just
come back to me and fuck me

431
00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:50.800
again. Kathy gasped as he yanked
her into his arms. You know you

432
00:40:50.920 --> 00:40:54.719
wanna I see it on you.
Hell, I'm willing to forget you getting

433
00:40:54.760 --> 00:40:59.599
me kicked out of school. Then
Trey kissed her full on the mouth.

434
00:41:00.559 --> 00:41:07.880
Kathy immediately kissed him back. They
quickly undressed and got into bed. Kathy

435
00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:12.440
let Tray get on top of her
and moaned when he entered her. She

436
00:41:12.679 --> 00:41:19.039
was so angry at everything that she
needed this sex right now, even if

437
00:41:19.079 --> 00:41:23.400
it was with Tray. Cathy stepped
out of the shower and started towel drying

438
00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:30.159
herself. She felt disgusted for letting
Tray back in, knowing he'd be screwing

439
00:41:30.199 --> 00:41:36.079
other girls later. She moved back
to the bed and found him sleeping soundly.

440
00:41:37.280 --> 00:41:42.360
At least he wouldn't be with other
girls tonight. As Cathy dropped her

441
00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:47.079
towel to get back into bed,
the glowing eyes of Crampis in the snow

442
00:41:47.119 --> 00:41:54.800
globe caught her attention. Cathy seemed
mesmerized as she walked to the snow globe.

443
00:41:54.880 --> 00:42:00.079
When she picked it up, it
felt warm in her hands. Punish

444
00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:06.440
him, she heard the demonic voice
in her mind. Punish those who have

445
00:42:06.519 --> 00:42:10.400
done you wrong, claim their lives
and their souls, accept me into your

446
00:42:10.440 --> 00:42:16.199
life, Kathye Betcher, use my
power. Kate never even gave it a

447
00:42:16.280 --> 00:42:24.440
thought. Yes, she whispered.
Yes. Suddenly, Kathy felt an incredible

448
00:42:24.519 --> 00:42:30.639
surge of power throughout her body.
Her anger fueled the new power that she

449
00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:37.440
was accepting. She relished the spirit
of Crampis entering her body and becoming one

450
00:42:37.519 --> 00:42:42.800
with her. When it was finished, Kathy moaned as if she had just

451
00:42:42.960 --> 00:42:49.480
had an incredible orgasm. Then she
turned back to the sleeping Tray and walked

452
00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:57.239
sexily toward him. She climbed onto
the bed and easily awakened him. Trey

453
00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:05.079
grinned his sneering grin again. Oh
hey, back for more, Kathy smiled

454
00:43:05.360 --> 00:43:12.480
a wicked smile. Mm hmm.
Kathy straddled him and took him into her

455
00:43:12.559 --> 00:43:16.519
again. She rode him with an
incredible hunger. Tray laid there and enjoyed

456
00:43:16.599 --> 00:43:22.880
every minute of it. They climaxed
together after several minutes. Then Kathy put

457
00:43:22.880 --> 00:43:28.119
her hands on his chest as he
fondled her breasts. You're definitely the best,

458
00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:34.360
babe, Tray said softly. Then
why did you fuck those other girls

459
00:43:34.400 --> 00:43:40.920
behind my back? She heard?
Huh, Trey uttered suddenly Kathy throttled his

460
00:43:42.039 --> 00:43:45.679
neck. You heard me, she
said in her new demonic voice. I

461
00:43:45.880 --> 00:43:51.159
was never good enough for you,
so you fucked around on me. Kathy

462
00:43:51.280 --> 00:43:57.800
smiled, Well, now I'm going
to make you mine forever. When Trey

463
00:43:57.840 --> 00:44:02.840
saw her transforming, greened. Kathy's
hair and flesh turned white as snow.

464
00:44:04.199 --> 00:44:09.280
Her eyes glowed red and hot.
She grew long in curly horns, silvery

465
00:44:09.400 --> 00:44:15.800
fur on her arms and legs,
and her feet became cloven hoofs. Kathy

466
00:44:15.960 --> 00:44:22.119
raised a hand to reveal bony and
elongated fingers with long, sharp claws.

467
00:44:22.719 --> 00:44:28.559
Tray's blood curdling scream made Kathy laugh
as she easily sank her new claws into

468
00:44:28.559 --> 00:44:35.039
his stomach. She removed his bloody
heart and relished the warm liquid trailing down

469
00:44:35.119 --> 00:44:39.800
her arm and into her fur.
I always thought you were a heartless bastard

470
00:44:39.840 --> 00:44:46.119
for cheating on me. I guess
I was wrong. Kathy laughed cruelly as

471
00:44:46.119 --> 00:44:51.840
she got off him and moved to
the snow globe to claim it. When

472
00:44:51.880 --> 00:44:55.320
she gazed into it, her eyes
and the glass on the globe both glowed.

473
00:44:57.119 --> 00:45:00.960
When the glowing stopped, she tossed
the heart back to Tray's bloody corpse.

474
00:45:01.639 --> 00:45:07.440
Keep your heart, lover, I
have your soul. You truly belong

475
00:45:07.559 --> 00:45:13.800
to me. Now, Cathy knew
that Trey was just the beginning. There

476
00:45:13.800 --> 00:45:19.239
were others that were high on her
naughty list. She turned and crashed through

477
00:45:19.280 --> 00:45:22.719
the window to get outside. When
she landed on the ground, she broke

478
00:45:22.800 --> 00:45:25.199
off a tree branch and attached it
to the bottom of the snow globe to

479
00:45:25.199 --> 00:45:30.400
make a staff. She raised her
new conduit to the sky. When the

480
00:45:30.440 --> 00:45:37.840
snow globe glowed, it quickly became
windy. Then the snowstorm began. In

481
00:45:37.880 --> 00:45:42.840
a matter of short minutes, the
green grass had become white. She looked

482
00:45:42.840 --> 00:45:47.000
to the sky and saw her sleigh
was coming with her own monstrous versions of

483
00:45:47.079 --> 00:45:53.599
reindeer. When the sleigh got close
enough, she leaped onto it. Once

484
00:45:53.719 --> 00:46:00.679
she sat and took the reins,
Crampis was on her way to her next

485
00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:07.519
naughty Whitney Plaza had clearly been enjoying
the good life in spite of being disgraced

486
00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:15.199
from her former sorority and Strickfield University. Unbeknownst to Kathy, Whitney was still

487
00:46:15.239 --> 00:46:20.400
in a heated affair with Cathy's father. In fact, the two lovers had

488
00:46:20.440 --> 00:46:25.000
just finished another round in a jacuzzie
at a secluded house just outside of town.

489
00:46:25.920 --> 00:46:30.960
Whitney lifted herself off him and sat
beside. They picked up their champagne

490
00:46:30.960 --> 00:46:37.079
glasses and took SIPs, stealing kisses
from each other. I love you,

491
00:46:37.159 --> 00:46:42.159
Griffin, Whitney whispered, when he
held her in his arms. I love

492
00:46:42.199 --> 00:46:46.199
you too, baby, he whispered
to his young lover's lips. She gazed

493
00:46:46.239 --> 00:46:51.840
into his eyes. You're still taking
good care of me after what your daughter

494
00:46:51.960 --> 00:46:59.000
did. She literally ruined my life. I know, Griffin replied. She

495
00:46:59.079 --> 00:47:02.199
attacked you to get to me,
but I was the one who ended up

496
00:47:02.199 --> 00:47:07.840
suffering most for it. She groaned, You just had to pay money.

497
00:47:07.119 --> 00:47:12.800
I can't even get a job working
at Denyer's Grill or Roth's Rings. He

498
00:47:12.920 --> 00:47:16.239
kissed her again. I said,
I'd take good care of you, and

499
00:47:16.280 --> 00:47:22.920
I will remember I'm marrying you right
after the New year. Oh, Griffin,

500
00:47:23.440 --> 00:47:28.840
Whitney moaned and let him kiss her
again. My isn't this touching?

501
00:47:29.360 --> 00:47:35.159
And by two people I once trusted
with my life? The two betrayers came

502
00:47:35.199 --> 00:47:39.039
apart and saw the demonic form that
was standing there before them. In her

503
00:47:39.079 --> 00:47:47.159
hand was her newly created staff.
Whitney's jaw dropped Kathy. When Griffin saw

504
00:47:47.239 --> 00:47:52.960
Whitney was right, he gasped,
Kathy, is that you? The demon

505
00:47:53.079 --> 00:48:02.840
laughed, Kathy is no more.
There is only Crampis now and tonight the

506
00:48:02.920 --> 00:48:08.960
two of you will pay for your
sins. She put her staff against the

507
00:48:09.039 --> 00:48:14.599
wall before she leaned forward and put
her clawed hands on the side of the

508
00:48:14.639 --> 00:48:21.199
hot tub. Now, which one
of your black souls do I take first?

509
00:48:21.599 --> 00:48:28.280
Crampis looked from Griffin to Whitney before
she finally settled on Whitney. You

510
00:48:28.639 --> 00:48:32.559
were supposed to be my best friend. We were tight in high school,

511
00:48:32.800 --> 00:48:37.760
and the moment Daddy offered you power, you stabbed me in the back without

512
00:48:37.760 --> 00:48:43.079
a second thought. Whitney screamed and
quickly got out of the hot tub on

513
00:48:43.119 --> 00:48:50.199
the other side, facing Crampis.
You don't understand. I had a unique

514
00:48:50.239 --> 00:48:54.360
opportunity. Being the president of the
Kappas Sorority opens up lots of doors.

515
00:48:54.480 --> 00:48:59.039
I had to take it. When
your dad offered it, he said you

516
00:48:59.079 --> 00:49:04.159
couldn't handle it, but you were
that you were too weak. Crampis looked

517
00:49:04.159 --> 00:49:08.440
at Griffin. Oh did you now? Griffin cried out in fright and himself

518
00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:15.440
tried to escape. Crampis seized him
and pulled him close. There's nowhere you

519
00:49:15.519 --> 00:49:21.039
can run where I can't find you, Daddy, Dad, Crampis just tossed

520
00:49:21.119 --> 00:49:24.800
him right over her shoulder like a
piece of trash. Gryffin cried out as

521
00:49:24.800 --> 00:49:30.679
he flew into the liquor cabinet and
tumbled to the floor. Crampus looked over

522
00:49:30.719 --> 00:49:35.679
her shoulder. You really should run. You don't want to see what happens

523
00:49:35.719 --> 00:49:40.440
to your sweetie. Crampis laughed as
Griffin picked himself up and staggered away.

524
00:49:42.320 --> 00:49:47.400
Then she turned her attention back to
Whitney. You got your revenge on me

525
00:49:47.679 --> 00:49:55.800
by disgracing me, Whitney yelled.
Isn't that enough, Crampis sneered, Not

526
00:49:55.960 --> 00:50:02.679
when you're still living in luxury with
your sugar de with my daddy. Crampis

527
00:50:02.719 --> 00:50:07.199
leaped over the hot tub and grabbed
Whitney by her hair as she tried to

528
00:50:07.199 --> 00:50:12.920
flee. Whitney screamed and started crying
as she was turned to face Crampis again,

529
00:50:14.199 --> 00:50:20.519
Please, Cathy, what do you
want? I'm so sorry. Crampis

530
00:50:20.559 --> 00:50:25.800
caressed her cheek. Then Whitney screamed
again when Crampis lifted her up by her

531
00:50:25.840 --> 00:50:31.239
breasts and slammed her back into the
hot tub. Crampis held Whitney underneath the

532
00:50:31.280 --> 00:50:37.480
water as she reached for and grabbed
her staff. She dipped the snow globe

533
00:50:37.480 --> 00:50:42.840
into the water and made it boil. Holding the staff with both hands,

534
00:50:42.880 --> 00:50:49.440
she started stirring the heavy steaming water, which was slowly turning a sickening red.

535
00:50:50.480 --> 00:50:54.239
When Crampus had finished making her hellish
Christmas punch, she pulled the staff

536
00:50:54.280 --> 00:51:00.480
out of the water. With Whitney's
soul now inside, Crampis held her staff

537
00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:07.199
upright once again. She took one
of the champagne glasses and filled it with

538
00:51:07.239 --> 00:51:14.239
the newly made punch. Then she
took a sip, sinfully perfect. She

539
00:51:14.280 --> 00:51:20.599
looked in the direction Griffin ran,
I'll return for Daddy after I make another

540
00:51:20.679 --> 00:51:25.639
quick stomp. Crampis left the house
and got back into her sleigh. Soon

541
00:51:25.760 --> 00:51:35.000
Crampis was flying into the haunting wintery
sky again. Margaret Nash and Angie Adams

542
00:51:35.000 --> 00:51:38.000
were cuddled up with each other on
the couch as they watched It's a Wonderful

543
00:51:38.039 --> 00:51:44.440
Life together. They were the only
two girls left in the ADK sorority house.

544
00:51:45.039 --> 00:51:49.679
The other sisters had gone home to
be with their families for the holidays.

545
00:51:50.360 --> 00:51:53.639
Can you believe this weather, Angie
muttered as she tightened her comforter around

546
00:51:53.639 --> 00:52:00.960
herself. More the furnace ain't even
keeping the housewarm. Come here, Margaret

547
00:52:00.079 --> 00:52:05.800
murmured, and held Angie. He'll
keep each other warm. The girls rested

548
00:52:05.840 --> 00:52:10.199
against each other as they continued watching
the movie. I wish Kat was here

549
00:52:10.239 --> 00:52:15.519
with us, Margaret said. I
can't believe she just up and left and

550
00:52:15.519 --> 00:52:22.639
didn't say anything. I know what's
gotten into her, Angie agreed. Suddenly,

551
00:52:23.039 --> 00:52:29.119
the front doors burst open. The
girls screamed as a huge blast of

552
00:52:29.199 --> 00:52:34.199
snow and wind blew into the living
room and practically chilled them to their bones.

553
00:52:34.800 --> 00:52:39.519
They screamed again when they saw the
demonic figure standing in the doorway.

554
00:52:40.840 --> 00:52:47.440
Crampis walked in and saw the girls
running upstairs. She growled and raced up

555
00:52:47.480 --> 00:52:52.480
after them with her powerful legs.
She was on them before they could hide

556
00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:55.480
in one of the bedrooms. She
grabbed them and brought them into a bedroom

557
00:52:55.519 --> 00:53:02.159
herself. You two were very nawse, this Crampis told them, you bitches

558
00:53:02.400 --> 00:53:07.719
only pretend to be my friends.
She then threw them both onto the bed.

559
00:53:08.400 --> 00:53:15.679
Annie immediately recognized the face. Cat. Oh Jesus, Cat, what

560
00:53:15.880 --> 00:53:22.400
happened to you? Margaret saw that
Annie was right and screamed. Crampis moved

561
00:53:22.480 --> 00:53:28.480
right to them and lifted them off
the bed. You two were plodding with

562
00:53:28.639 --> 00:53:35.440
Daddy to overthrow me. You think
I don't see through you two backstabbers?

563
00:53:35.440 --> 00:53:40.000
Margaret's jaw dropped. What are you
talking about? We've always stuck by you.

564
00:53:40.119 --> 00:53:45.480
Cat, You're wrong, you're our
friend. Annie told her, we

565
00:53:45.519 --> 00:53:51.840
would never do anything to hurt you. Crampus shook them. I saw you

566
00:53:51.920 --> 00:53:55.159
two talking to my dad, She
roared. You both flirted with him,

567
00:53:55.840 --> 00:54:01.280
and it wasn't just once. We
were just talking to him. Margaret stammered,

568
00:54:01.960 --> 00:54:07.599
he's a senator. How could we
tell him to fuck off? We

569
00:54:07.639 --> 00:54:12.280
can't even stand him. Annie added, he's such a pig. Please,

570
00:54:12.400 --> 00:54:17.679
Cat, listen to us. You're
our friend and we love you. Whys

571
00:54:17.960 --> 00:54:23.119
you two will say anything to avoid
judgment. She pushed them away and pointed

572
00:54:23.199 --> 00:54:30.239
right at them, your souls are
my The girls started crying. Now you're

573
00:54:30.320 --> 00:54:36.280
wrong. Annie shrieked, you're wrong. We never we never plotted against you.

574
00:54:37.159 --> 00:54:40.760
We would never do that. Margaret
agreed. I admit we didn't always

575
00:54:40.760 --> 00:54:45.599
agree with everything you did, but
we always stood by you. Remember last

576
00:54:45.679 --> 00:54:51.159
Christmas when you wanted us to watch
It's a Wonderful Life with you, Margaret

577
00:54:51.159 --> 00:54:55.559
recalled, We ended up staying up
all night watching Christmas movies together. That

578
00:54:55.719 --> 00:55:00.679
was so much fun. We spent
so much time together, Cat, Annie

579
00:55:00.719 --> 00:55:07.639
said, it wasn't just because we're
in this god forsaken sorority together. We

580
00:55:07.719 --> 00:55:15.920
both love you. We we Then
she started crying more. What happened to

581
00:55:16.000 --> 00:55:22.519
you? Cat? Margaret held Annie
as she cried. Then Margaret began to

582
00:55:22.559 --> 00:55:28.639
cry again. She looked to Crampis. Whatever we did to piss you off,

583
00:55:30.159 --> 00:55:35.760
We're sorry. Crampis felt these girls
were telling the truth. She snorted

584
00:55:35.800 --> 00:55:40.199
and slowly backed away from them.
She really wanted to claim their souls.

585
00:55:42.159 --> 00:55:45.760
But they had been telling the truth. They had never once conspired against her.

586
00:55:46.440 --> 00:55:52.760
Now she was the one who had
hurt them. Cathy was ready to

587
00:55:52.800 --> 00:55:58.039
relinquish the power, but then the
face of her father came back into her

588
00:55:58.079 --> 00:56:05.440
mind. Griffin was a very naughty
person. It was time for Crampis to

589
00:56:05.519 --> 00:56:13.880
settle the score with him once and
for all. Crampis burst right through the

590
00:56:13.880 --> 00:56:17.039
front door of Kathy's childhood home and
found them all in the living room.

591
00:56:17.679 --> 00:56:25.599
Lorraine, Ruth and Crampis pointed right
at Griffin. You I'm here to claim

592
00:56:25.719 --> 00:56:30.719
your souls, daddy. She leaped
at Griffin and picked him up. Still

593
00:56:30.760 --> 00:56:36.639
think I'm weak. Look at how
you cower like a naughty little child,

594
00:56:36.800 --> 00:56:40.320
at knowing it's too late to repent
when I come for them. Yes,

595
00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:45.800
Griffin replied quickly. Yes, you're
right, Kathy, I am weak.

596
00:56:46.079 --> 00:56:51.079
I am a piece of shit.
I've given into the sins of flesh too

597
00:56:51.079 --> 00:56:57.960
many times. I put it even
above my own family, my own wife.

598
00:56:58.119 --> 00:57:01.679
And then there's all the money you've
seen bent on luxuries for your whores.

599
00:57:02.280 --> 00:57:07.519
Crampis added, do you have any
idea how hard it was for your

600
00:57:07.559 --> 00:57:10.960
wife to have to raise two children
without the help of a deadbeat daddy who

601
00:57:12.000 --> 00:57:15.880
cared more about his cock than his
own children. Crampis lifted him up and

602
00:57:16.000 --> 00:57:21.119
threw him across the living room next
to the fireplace. She was back on

603
00:57:21.239 --> 00:57:24.519
him almost immediately. She lifted him
by his pressed shirt collar and brought his

604
00:57:24.599 --> 00:57:30.559
head close to the fire. Kathleen, No, Lorraine beckoned, you can't

605
00:57:30.599 --> 00:57:37.320
save him. People like Griffin are
beyond saving. He had many opportunities to

606
00:57:37.360 --> 00:57:43.199
do the right thing. She redirected
her attention back to Griffin. Remember how

607
00:57:43.239 --> 00:57:47.119
you betrayed me to take Whitney Plaza
as your mistress. And it wasn't just

608
00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:53.360
once you betrayed me. Many times
you chose her over your own daughter.

609
00:57:53.639 --> 00:57:59.599
She roared, with enough anger to
shake the entire house. But now you're

610
00:57:59.639 --> 00:58:06.280
going to find out what hurts much
worse, betrayal or fire. Kathy,

611
00:58:06.440 --> 00:58:14.079
No, Griffin shrieked, No,
please too late, Crampis growled. She

612
00:58:14.199 --> 00:58:17.199
shoved his head into the fireplace and
held him there as his head caught fire

613
00:58:17.400 --> 00:58:22.880
and started burning quickly. Griffin screamed
as his pain seemed to last for eternity.

614
00:58:23.800 --> 00:58:29.119
Lorraine tried to pull Crampis off him, but it was much too late.

615
00:58:29.880 --> 00:58:36.480
His soul now belonged to Crampis and
was now stored in the snow globe

616
00:58:36.960 --> 00:58:43.519
with the others she had claimed.
Crampis turned her attention to Lorraine and Ruth.

617
00:58:44.320 --> 00:58:47.920
She seemed surprised when Ruth was right
there in front of her. Please

618
00:58:49.000 --> 00:58:55.599
Cathy no more, she begged her
older sister, please come back. Crampis

619
00:58:55.679 --> 00:59:02.360
was about to push Ruth away,
but then Ruth huggner, Kathy, I

620
00:59:02.440 --> 00:59:08.760
love you. She looked up into
Crampis's face. Please come home. I

621
00:59:08.880 --> 00:59:15.800
miss my big sister. Lorraine looked
at Crampis. Ruth's right. You and

622
00:59:15.920 --> 00:59:20.760
Ruth are both my baby girls,
and I gave you both the best years

623
00:59:20.800 --> 00:59:22.960
of my life to raise you.
Right. I did it because I love

624
00:59:23.000 --> 00:59:28.679
you both so much. Maybe your
father only cared about himself, but you

625
00:59:28.760 --> 00:59:34.119
always had your sister, You always
had me. You'll always have the two

626
00:59:34.159 --> 00:59:39.840
of us. You'll always have a
home here with us. We'll never never

627
00:59:39.920 --> 00:59:45.800
stop loving you. No, no, it's too late, Crampis stammered.

628
00:59:45.400 --> 00:59:51.039
I've already taken lives and souls.
There can be no redemption for me.

629
00:59:51.159 --> 00:59:58.159
Now you have the souls, Lorraine
agreed, But you can give them back.

630
00:59:59.320 --> 01:00:02.679
You can still do the right thing, Kathleen. Don't let your soul

631
01:00:02.760 --> 01:00:09.920
be damned like this. Is this
really what you want? Crampis began to

632
01:00:10.000 --> 01:00:17.239
cry. Now then she growled and
tried to shatter the snow globe. Instead

633
01:00:17.280 --> 01:00:23.320
of breaking, the globe came off
the staff and right into Ruth's hands.

634
01:00:24.119 --> 01:00:30.599
Suddenly, the snow globe glowed bright
white as Ruth willed the souls Crampus had

635
01:00:30.639 --> 01:00:36.760
taken to be returned to their owners. Crampis roared as he found himself being

636
01:00:36.800 --> 01:00:40.880
pulled out of Kathy and back into
the snow globe to return to his lair.

637
01:00:42.519 --> 01:00:47.039
Once his spirit was gone, there
was a bright flash of light and

638
01:00:47.119 --> 01:00:58.239
everything had changed. Christmas morning came. Kathy was standing at the front door

639
01:00:58.280 --> 01:01:02.559
of her family's house with Margaret Annie. Cathy knew her two friends would be

640
01:01:02.639 --> 01:01:07.960
in the sorority house alone, so
she invited them to come home with her

641
01:01:07.800 --> 01:01:14.480
for Christmas. Lorraine didn't mind in
the least. Cathy even brought presents for

642
01:01:14.519 --> 01:01:19.920
her mother and sister. When Ruth
opened her gift from Kathy, it was

643
01:01:19.960 --> 01:01:23.719
a big snow globe that had Santa
Claus sitting on his throne at the north

644
01:01:23.760 --> 01:01:29.400
pole. She shook it to make
the artificial snow move around in the water.

645
01:01:30.320 --> 01:01:34.800
In fact, only Ruth knew the
events that had happened with the Crampis

646
01:01:34.960 --> 01:01:39.800
snow globe. Upon returning the souls
to their owners and restoring them to life,

647
01:01:39.880 --> 01:01:45.760
she willed that the previous day's events
be forgotten. Cathy would never come

648
01:01:45.840 --> 01:01:52.159
to be in possession of the Crampis
snow globe from Tinkers. In the new

649
01:01:52.239 --> 01:01:58.960
reality, Cathy ended up reconsidering her
stance against ignoring her family and decided to

650
01:01:59.000 --> 01:02:05.519
return home for the holidays. After
the spring semester started at Strickfield University,

651
01:02:06.039 --> 01:02:09.599
she resigned as president of the A. D K Sorority and left the house.

652
01:02:10.440 --> 01:02:15.280
To her surprise, Margaret and Annie
wouldn't let her go alone and joined

653
01:02:15.280 --> 01:02:22.000
her. Cathy no longer needed a
sorority, not when she had two best

654
01:02:22.039 --> 01:02:28.000
friends, her mother and Ruth.
In fact, Cathy moved back home with

655
01:02:28.079 --> 01:02:32.000
her family. Margaret and Annie moved
in with the Betchers as boarders to help

656
01:02:32.039 --> 01:02:37.679
with the expenses. Cathy could now
spend some quality time with both her two

657
01:02:37.760 --> 01:02:45.679
friends and her mother and sister.
About a week after Cathy had settled in

658
01:02:45.840 --> 01:02:52.079
back home, Isley Tinker stood outside
the Betcher house with the crampest snow glow

659
01:02:52.559 --> 01:03:00.159
in his hand. Seeing little Ruth
playing with Kathy, he both admired and

660
01:03:00.320 --> 01:03:06.800
detested the little girl at the same
time. Children unfortunately still prove to be

661
01:03:06.880 --> 01:03:12.159
innocent, even in this day and
age. He said outloud, that's what

662
01:03:12.320 --> 01:03:17.480
saved your soul. On Christmas Eve
night, Kathleen Betcher you may have your

663
01:03:17.519 --> 01:03:23.039
family and your friends. He looked
into the globe and saw the figure's eyes

664
01:03:23.280 --> 01:03:30.920
glow bright red. Crampis will simply
seize another vessel to carry out his judgment

665
01:03:30.360 --> 01:03:39.320
against the wicked, or perhaps return
for you next Christmas Eve. From there,

666
01:03:39.400 --> 01:03:45.039
he turned and walked away, leaving
the Becher House and its occupants in

667
01:03:45.159 --> 01:04:03.400
peace, at least for now.
Operation Deadly Night by Keith tom The New

668
01:04:03.559 --> 01:04:10.679
York Spectator, Tuesday, September twentieth, two thousand and forty seven. Headline

669
01:04:11.039 --> 01:04:17.280
Rolins Robotics ready to roll out Robosanta's
by Robert Jackson. The Rollins Robotics Company

670
01:04:17.480 --> 01:04:24.079
RRC announced today that they will be
offering a Santa Claus modification or mod for

671
01:04:24.159 --> 01:04:29.679
their popular line of RMS X seven
android butlers. The kit will include new

672
01:04:29.719 --> 01:04:33.159
behaviors and routines, as well as
a Santa jacket, hat and beard.

673
01:04:33.599 --> 01:04:39.039
The company said that the kits should
start shipping as early as November first.

674
01:04:39.840 --> 01:04:45.039
Eric Vasquez, a professor of economics
at MIT, expects the trend of introducing

675
01:04:45.079 --> 01:04:50.599
add ons to personal Android servants or
pass to increase in the future. Quote

676
01:04:50.880 --> 01:04:56.559
with almost a quarter of Americans owning
a PAS, nearly everyone that can afford

677
01:04:56.599 --> 01:05:00.840
one already has one, Professor Vasquez
said. Offering the ability to modify your

678
01:05:00.880 --> 01:05:06.480
Android butler is the next logical step
and could be a real boost to rrc's

679
01:05:06.599 --> 01:05:11.440
bottom line. If they want to
hang on to their nearly sixty percent market

680
01:05:11.440 --> 01:05:15.880
share, they need to justify their
higher price point to consumers and stay of

681
01:05:15.880 --> 01:05:27.440
off lower priced competition such as Modern
Robotics Inc. December twenty fourth, seven

682
01:05:27.599 --> 01:05:32.159
fifty six a m Port, Presley, Maryland, the delivery drone descended from

683
01:05:32.199 --> 01:05:36.800
the sky and hovered in front of
a white, narrow, three story townhouse

684
01:05:38.039 --> 01:05:44.519
as it verified the address verification complete, it gently deposited a package on the

685
01:05:44.559 --> 01:05:47.800
mat in front of the door and
send a signal that tripped the doorbell circuit.

686
01:05:48.400 --> 01:05:54.280
Duty complete, it shot up in
the air, continuing its endless journey

687
01:05:54.679 --> 01:06:00.199
to supply goods to the masses.
The Rolands Robotics Model are as X seven

688
01:06:00.320 --> 01:06:05.639
one five personal Android Servant, known
to its owners as Charles, noted the

689
01:06:05.639 --> 01:06:10.679
buzz of the door bell and turned
off the iron before placing it on the

690
01:06:10.719 --> 01:06:15.800
ironing board. He turned towards the
door, and his tread softly hummed as

691
01:06:15.800 --> 01:06:20.119
he rolled across the carpet. Charles
had a humanoid torso, arms and head

692
01:06:20.280 --> 01:06:25.840
covered in metallic gold skin, sitting
on top of a metal pole ending in

693
01:06:25.880 --> 01:06:30.719
a base with a series of independently
functioning treads. These treads help him maneuver

694
01:06:30.920 --> 01:06:36.400
over difficult terrain, including stairs.
Wearing a butler's jacket, he had the

695
01:06:36.440 --> 01:06:42.519
poise and dignity of an old English
butler. Charles opened the door and retrieved

696
01:06:42.559 --> 01:06:46.679
the package. He quickly scanned the
label and entered the kitchen. Mister Moulson,

697
01:06:47.000 --> 01:06:50.800
A package has arrived for you,
he stated in his flat, metallic

698
01:06:50.920 --> 01:06:56.519
voice. George Moulson looked up from
his newspaper and held out his hand.

699
01:06:57.000 --> 01:07:01.079
His level of excitement shot up when
he looked at the scent information. Helen,

700
01:07:01.559 --> 01:07:04.920
this is the Santa Mod I was
telling you about. I was hoping

701
01:07:04.960 --> 01:07:11.079
we might be able to get it
before Christmas. They certainly cut it close

702
01:07:12.039 --> 01:07:17.119
a mod. Is this something for
Charles, Helen asked George side. Yes,

703
01:07:17.280 --> 01:07:21.199
I told you about this weeks ago. It turns Charles into a Santa

704
01:07:21.239 --> 01:07:26.559
Claus. George walked over to the
kitchen counter and grabbed a pairing knife from

705
01:07:26.599 --> 01:07:31.239
the knife block. That's nice,
dear, Helen replied, absently. Disappointed

706
01:07:31.280 --> 01:07:35.599
over Helen's lack of enthusiasm, George
said, at least the kids will love

707
01:07:35.639 --> 01:07:41.840
it. Helen thought about it and
replied, well, the twins will love

708
01:07:41.880 --> 01:07:45.960
it, but Kevin'll hate it.
Well, Kevin is sixteen years old.

709
01:07:45.239 --> 01:07:51.119
He hates everything. Helen's side,
You're right about that. As George opened

710
01:07:51.199 --> 01:07:56.920
up the package and took out the
Santa outfit, Helen changed subjects. I

711
01:07:56.960 --> 01:08:00.840
wish you didn't have to work today. It's Christmas Eve. We talked about

712
01:08:00.880 --> 01:08:04.039
this. It's either I worked today
or we'll have to cut our trip to

713
01:08:04.079 --> 01:08:10.199
Martha's Vineyard short, he said absently, as he scanned the instructions for the

714
01:08:10.239 --> 01:08:14.679
mod I know, it's just that
there's so much to do to get ready

715
01:08:14.679 --> 01:08:18.359
for our trip tomorrow. George laid
the instructions on the table and looked at

716
01:08:18.359 --> 01:08:23.520
his wife. You'll handle it beautifully, you always do, he said,

717
01:08:23.600 --> 01:08:27.000
looking at his watch. Oh,
why I have to get going. I'll

718
01:08:27.000 --> 01:08:30.720
be home late. Turning to Charles, George gave instructions. Charles, I

719
01:08:30.800 --> 01:08:34.039
need you to download the Christmas update, and after all the kids are in

720
01:08:34.119 --> 01:08:39.800
bed, put on the outfit and
enable Santa mode, he indicated, the

721
01:08:39.800 --> 01:08:43.119
clothes on the table. You'll need
to wrap the presents that are in my

722
01:08:43.239 --> 01:08:46.159
office and put them under the tree. Wake everyone up at seven a m.

723
01:08:46.439 --> 01:08:50.560
If we're not up already, you'll
be passing out presents and singing Christmas

724
01:08:50.640 --> 01:08:55.079
carols. Have breakfast ready by eight
thirty. We'll need to be on the

725
01:08:55.159 --> 01:08:59.279
road by ten. Yes, sir, it will be done, Charles said.

726
01:09:00.000 --> 01:09:02.720
George turned back to his wife.
I gotta go, try and have

727
01:09:02.760 --> 01:09:05.760
a nice day, he said,
as he kissed her on top of her

728
01:09:05.800 --> 01:09:11.399
head. He turned and left the
room. A few seconds later, Helen

729
01:09:11.439 --> 01:09:16.199
heard the front door open and shut. Helen sighed, so much to do,

730
01:09:16.600 --> 01:09:21.720
she thought, Rubbing her temples,
she addressed Charles, Charles, I

731
01:09:21.800 --> 01:09:26.319
need you to clean the house from
top to bottom. I will not come

732
01:09:26.359 --> 01:09:30.600
back from vacation to a dirty house. Finish all of the laundry, pack

733
01:09:30.640 --> 01:09:33.439
our clothes for the trip, and
make sure that the twins, especially Tommy,

734
01:09:33.520 --> 01:09:36.920
take a bath, have lunch ready
by noon and dinner ready by seven.

735
01:09:38.399 --> 01:09:42.880
Mister, she paused, Mister Moulson
will not be joining us for dinner.

736
01:09:43.560 --> 01:09:45.439
If you have any issues, I'll
be in my room. I need

737
01:09:45.479 --> 01:09:48.960
to lay down and rest for a
bit. Yes, ma'am, it will

738
01:09:49.000 --> 01:09:55.319
be done, Charles said. Helen
left the room as Charles began cleaning,

739
01:09:59.359 --> 01:10:02.039
Kevin moules and sat on the edge
of his bed playing a video game.

740
01:10:02.520 --> 01:10:09.199
He was wearing a pair of thick
VR goggles with opaque lenses soft pads covered

741
01:10:09.199 --> 01:10:13.880
each year. His head and hands
jerked back and forth as he worked an

742
01:10:13.880 --> 01:10:17.640
invisible joystick. Yeah this sucks.
Will be gone for over two weeks,

743
01:10:18.039 --> 01:10:23.720
Kevin said over the headset to his
girlfriend. Yeah, I'll miss you too,

744
01:10:23.760 --> 01:10:30.000
babe, but I'll call every night. He nodded and smiled. Yeah,

745
01:10:30.159 --> 01:10:32.800
that would be sexy, and I
promise I won't let anyone else see

746
01:10:32.800 --> 01:10:38.960
the pictures. Kevin listened for a
few more minutes before slamming his hand down

747
01:10:38.960 --> 01:10:43.560
on the bed and yelling, you
bitch, what Oh no, not you.

748
01:10:43.960 --> 01:10:47.439
I just got fragged in the game. I hate campers. Charles knocked

749
01:10:47.439 --> 01:10:53.640
on Kevin's door and called out Master
Kevin. When he received no reply,

750
01:10:54.119 --> 01:10:58.760
he checked the data streams and identified
Kevin's gaming stream. Tapping into it,

751
01:10:59.000 --> 01:11:02.319
he said, Master Kevin, this
is Charles. May I enter your room?

752
01:11:03.000 --> 01:11:06.880
Kevin snarled, damn it, leave
me alone. No, not you,

753
01:11:08.039 --> 01:11:11.880
babe, Charles. The fucking robot
is being a pain in my ass

754
01:11:12.079 --> 01:11:17.000
again. You are so lucky you
can't afford a robot made Master Kevin,

755
01:11:17.319 --> 01:11:20.840
your mother has requested me to clean
your room and pack your clothes for the

756
01:11:20.840 --> 01:11:26.800
trip, Charles stated. Kevin had
learned that once Charles was set on a

757
01:11:26.840 --> 01:11:31.720
task, he would not relent until
the task was complete. Fine, come

758
01:11:31.800 --> 01:11:38.319
in, Kevin said, mockingly.
He tapped the side of his VR goggles

759
01:11:38.560 --> 01:11:43.199
and the lenses became clear, allowing
him to see the android enter his room.

760
01:11:44.119 --> 01:11:48.720
As Charles worked quietly and efficiently,
Kevin spent the time making fun of

761
01:11:48.760 --> 01:11:54.560
him to his girlfriend while knocking things
off the dresser for Charles to pick up.

762
01:11:58.600 --> 01:12:01.319
Charles left Kevin's room and rolled down
the hall to the bedroom of the

763
01:12:01.319 --> 01:12:06.439
twins. He heard a loud thump
and laughter. Knocking on the door,

764
01:12:06.520 --> 01:12:13.279
he asked Master Tommy, Mistress Tammy, may I enter? He heard whispering

765
01:12:13.680 --> 01:12:16.840
and more giggles. After a few
moments, Tammy said, come in.

766
01:12:17.960 --> 01:12:21.800
When Charles entered the room, he
saw six year old Tammy sitting on the

767
01:12:21.920 --> 01:12:27.159
edge of the bed, both hands
pressed against her mouth, trying to stifle

768
01:12:27.199 --> 01:12:30.479
the laughter. Charles rolled in and
stopped a few feet from the bed.

769
01:12:31.079 --> 01:12:34.800
Your mother tasked me with making sure
you and your brother bathe, and I

770
01:12:34.840 --> 01:12:39.800
need to clean your room before you
go to bed. Instead of answering,

771
01:12:40.199 --> 01:12:45.199
Tammy removed one hand from around her
mouth and pointed behind Charles. Charles rotated

772
01:12:45.239 --> 01:12:49.960
his torso to look behind him,
just in time to see Tommy leaping off

773
01:12:49.960 --> 01:12:56.039
a bookshelf. Charles caught Tommy in
mid air and began to spin his torso

774
01:12:56.159 --> 01:13:02.720
around increasingly faster. Tommy sque with
laughter the whole time. Charles stopped spinning

775
01:13:03.079 --> 01:13:09.439
and gently put Tommy down. The
child took a couple of steps, stumbling

776
01:13:09.520 --> 01:13:13.439
like a drunk sailor, and plopped
down on the floor, grinning like mad.

777
01:13:14.119 --> 01:13:17.399
Charles looked at the twins and asked, okay, who wants to get

778
01:13:17.439 --> 01:13:23.439
a bath first? Each of them
pointed at the other. Later that night,

779
01:13:24.119 --> 01:13:28.079
the only sound that could be heard
in the house was the sound of

780
01:13:28.159 --> 01:13:32.960
Charles's treads as he maneuvered around the
family room furniture and placed the last present,

781
01:13:33.880 --> 01:13:40.600
almost lovingly under the tree. Charles
examined the front of the red and

782
01:13:40.640 --> 01:13:45.840
white Santa jacket he was wearing and
adjusted his hat before moving to the charging

783
01:13:45.920 --> 01:13:53.840
pod. He backed into the pod
and powered down. December twenty fifth,

784
01:13:54.279 --> 01:13:59.319
twelve thirty am, New York,
New York. A man dressed in a

785
01:13:59.439 --> 01:14:02.720
dark blue hoodie and ripped jeans,
put down his coffee and looked around at

786
01:14:02.720 --> 01:14:08.520
the other patrons in the small coffee
shop. He was sitting at a small

787
01:14:08.560 --> 01:14:13.439
corner table and had spent the last
few hours making sure that no one was

788
01:14:13.520 --> 01:14:17.199
paying him any attention. Checking the
clock on the wall, he saw that

789
01:14:17.279 --> 01:14:24.119
it was time to start. He
removed his portable wrist tablet from his left

790
01:14:24.239 --> 01:14:28.600
arm and sat it on the table. Unfolding the screen, he clicked on

791
01:14:28.720 --> 01:14:33.720
several icons and it was soon connected
to a Rollins Robotics company data server.

792
01:14:34.560 --> 01:14:41.840
He made one last quick scan around
the room, then tight run deadly night

793
01:14:42.560 --> 01:14:47.159
into the display. After confirmation that
his program ran, he took a last

794
01:14:47.239 --> 01:14:53.279
drink of coffee, put his tablet
back on his wrist, and strolled out

795
01:14:53.319 --> 01:14:59.239
the door into the night. December
twenty fifth, twelve thirty a m.

796
01:15:00.039 --> 01:15:05.119
Court, Presley, Maryland. Charles's
head snapped up to attention, his gold

797
01:15:05.159 --> 01:15:11.880
skin reflecting moonlight behind his white beard. He tilted his head as if he

798
01:15:12.000 --> 01:15:17.880
was listening to something far away before
he uncoupled from the power connection and began

799
01:15:18.039 --> 01:15:23.800
to roll through the living room.
He crossed the hall into the kitchen and

800
01:15:24.000 --> 01:15:29.760
stopped in front of the counter.
Reaching up, he withdrew a large chef's

801
01:15:29.840 --> 01:15:34.600
knife from the block. Humming a
Christmas tune, he proceeded out into the

802
01:15:34.640 --> 01:15:43.199
hallway and then began ascending the stairs. The door to the main bedroom flew

803
01:15:43.319 --> 01:15:48.720
open, and Charles rushed in.
Ho ho, ho, Merry Christmas,

804
01:15:49.239 --> 01:15:56.319
he exclaimed. Helen jerked awake,
sitting upright in her bed. What what's

805
01:15:56.359 --> 01:16:01.039
going on? Helen looked, confused. Why at this Christmas the most magical

806
01:16:01.119 --> 01:16:08.079
time of the year, Charles said
in a deep booming voice. Helen snapped,

807
01:16:08.439 --> 01:16:11.840
it's the goddamn middle of the night. Go downstairs and be quiet until

808
01:16:11.840 --> 01:16:16.760
morning. What Charles boomed, and
miss Christmas. We can't do that.

809
01:16:17.439 --> 01:16:23.000
You haven't even had your present yet. Charles rolled around to the side of

810
01:16:23.039 --> 01:16:28.680
the bed and plunged the kitchen knife
into her stomach. I made this just

811
01:16:28.800 --> 01:16:34.079
for you. At the north pole, Charles began singing jingle bells and stabbing

812
01:16:34.560 --> 01:16:39.359
to the beat of the song.
Helen tried to scream, but all she

813
01:16:39.359 --> 01:16:44.960
could manage was a gurgle amid the
rush of blood. In the other room,

814
01:16:45.119 --> 01:16:49.279
Kevin had his VR goggles on,
floating through the net looking for sights

815
01:16:49.319 --> 01:16:56.840
that show inappropriate images, the kind
his parents wouldn't approve of. A Few

816
01:16:56.880 --> 01:17:00.800
minutes earlier, he had wedged an
old hockey stick in the door frame to

817
01:17:00.920 --> 01:17:05.399
keep his parents out. After all, a teenager needs his privacy. He

818
01:17:05.439 --> 01:17:10.640
went to one of his favorite sites, the one that featured his favorite adult

819
01:17:10.680 --> 01:17:15.920
star. Finding a recent video of
hers, he laid back and began to

820
01:17:15.119 --> 01:17:20.880
enjoy it when a voice rang through
his headset. Oh, Kevin, naughty,

821
01:17:21.039 --> 01:17:26.399
naughty. Don't you want to be
on Santa's good list? Said a

822
01:17:26.439 --> 01:17:30.119
deep voice. Kevin sat up.
Who the hell is this? Get off

823
01:17:30.119 --> 01:17:34.760
my stream, he yelled. Come
on now, Kevin, be nice.

824
01:17:35.279 --> 01:17:41.239
Let Santa in. I want to
give you your present, the voice said.

825
01:17:41.840 --> 01:17:45.720
Kevin tore the goggles off of his
head and he could now hear someone

826
01:17:45.199 --> 01:17:50.239
pounding on his bedroom door. The
door was shaking in its frame and the

827
01:17:50.279 --> 01:17:56.199
wood was beginning to splinter. Getting
off the bed, Kevin could hear singing

828
01:17:57.239 --> 01:18:02.800
some old Christmas carol, and he
noticed a metallic tone to the voice.

829
01:18:03.319 --> 01:18:09.680
Charles, is that you, Kevin
asked, slowly, approaching the door.

830
01:18:10.640 --> 01:18:16.199
Some call me Chris Kringle, but
the kids call me Santa. Ho Ho

831
01:18:16.199 --> 01:18:23.479
ho, Charles bellowed from behind the
door. You finally flipped your circuits.

832
01:18:23.520 --> 01:18:28.359
Man, You're crazy, Kevin yelled
back. There was a few moments of

833
01:18:28.439 --> 01:18:34.159
silence, then a thud as a
knife was plunged through the door. Jesus

834
01:18:34.319 --> 01:18:40.039
Christ, Kevin exclaimed. He began
to look around his room for a weapon,

835
01:18:40.720 --> 01:18:45.680
any weapon. There was another thud
as Charles plunged the knife through the

836
01:18:45.720 --> 01:18:50.119
door again. The knife was twisted
about, widening the crack, pulling it

837
01:18:50.199 --> 01:18:54.600
back. Charles was about to ram
the knife through the door a third time

838
01:18:55.119 --> 01:19:00.159
when he registered movement from down the
hall. Turning his head, he could

839
01:19:00.199 --> 01:19:06.159
see the twins staring at him from
their bedroom doorway. Charles turned towards them,

840
01:19:06.520 --> 01:19:13.079
the white trim of his jacket soaked
in blood. He spread his arms

841
01:19:13.159 --> 01:19:18.039
wide, welcoming. Come on,
children, come and sit on Santa's knee.

842
01:19:18.520 --> 01:19:25.840
Tell me what you want for Christmas. Charles laughed jollily as he rolled

843
01:19:25.880 --> 01:19:31.279
forward toward the twins room. The
twins screamed and slammed their bedroom door closed.

844
01:19:31.800 --> 01:19:36.119
Kevin heard the scream and began to
panic. He never realized how much

845
01:19:36.159 --> 01:19:43.439
he loved those little twerps until now. Finally remembering the baseball equipment in his

846
01:19:43.520 --> 01:19:46.960
closet, he ran over and started
tearing through it. After a few moments,

847
01:19:47.399 --> 01:19:53.560
he emerged with an aluminum baseball bat. Charles got to the closed door

848
01:19:53.600 --> 01:19:59.079
of the twins room and pushed it
open. He began to sing Rudolph the

849
01:19:59.119 --> 01:20:04.319
Red Nose as he rolled into the
room. Sobbing could be heard coming from

850
01:20:04.359 --> 01:20:10.439
under the nearest bed. As he
rolled over to it, he heard something

851
01:20:10.560 --> 01:20:15.920
behind him. Spinning around, he
spotted Tommy hiding next to the bookshelf.

852
01:20:17.000 --> 01:20:23.319
Tommy tried to run when Charles reached
toward him, but the android grabbed Tommy

853
01:20:23.399 --> 01:20:28.840
by the neck, holding him up
in the air. Charles began to spin

854
01:20:29.880 --> 01:20:36.119
as he spun his torso faster and
faster, he began singing faster. He

855
01:20:36.199 --> 01:20:43.239
was soon rotating at a blinding speed, and when he sang the song's last

856
01:20:43.279 --> 01:20:48.319
words, he let go. Tommy
flew through the air, hitting the wall

857
01:20:48.399 --> 01:20:54.800
above the headboard. His legs and
head punched through the drywall, but his

858
01:20:54.960 --> 01:21:00.920
back hit a wall stud, cracking
both the stud and his spy, Tommy

859
01:21:01.039 --> 01:21:08.119
slid limply down the wall and tumbled
off the bed. Tammy was lying under

860
01:21:08.159 --> 01:21:12.159
the bed, her eyes squeezed shut, trying to hold back the tears.

861
01:21:13.000 --> 01:21:18.159
She felt something was wrong, that
she was incomplete. She opened her eyes

862
01:21:18.600 --> 01:21:25.880
and stared into the unblinking gaze of
her twin, his lifeless body sprawled on

863
01:21:25.960 --> 01:21:30.840
the carpet in front of her.
As she began to scream, something grabbed

864
01:21:30.840 --> 01:21:34.079
her ankle and pulled her out from
under the bed. She turned and looked

865
01:21:34.079 --> 01:21:40.600
at Charles. He looked back at
her, grinning and asked, Hi,

866
01:21:40.720 --> 01:21:45.600
little girl, would you like to
sit on Santa's lap. Kevin was finally

867
01:21:45.640 --> 01:21:48.800
able to open his door. Charles's
assault on it had warped the doorframe,

868
01:21:49.079 --> 01:21:54.119
causing the hockey stick to wedge it
shut even tighter. It took quite a

869
01:21:54.199 --> 01:21:58.159
few swings with the bat to clear
the wedge. When he stepped into the

870
01:21:58.159 --> 01:22:03.279
hall, he saw lying on the
floor, twisted and bent in unnatural angles.

871
01:22:04.039 --> 01:22:08.520
Charles was pulling Tammy out from under
the bed, holding her up by

872
01:22:08.560 --> 01:22:13.359
her ankles like a fisherman holds a
prized catch. Spurred on by pure rage.

873
01:22:13.640 --> 01:22:17.439
Kevin ran up behind Charles and began
to rain down blows from the baseball

874
01:22:17.520 --> 01:22:21.560
bat. Tammy tumbled to the floor
as Charles let go over it, but

875
01:22:21.720 --> 01:22:28.159
Kevin kept on swinging. The Android
turned toward Kevin and reached out for him,

876
01:22:28.319 --> 01:22:32.960
but the unrelenting onslaught caused him to
tip over. The bat rose and

877
01:22:33.119 --> 01:22:45.319
fell time and time again, while
Charles began to sing Silent Night. George

878
01:22:45.399 --> 01:22:49.119
Moulson entered his house after a long
day. The kids would be getting up

879
01:22:49.159 --> 01:22:54.239
for Christmas morning in a few hours, but he should be able to catch

880
01:22:54.279 --> 01:22:58.239
a bit of sleep. He took
off his jacket and hung it on a

881
01:22:58.319 --> 01:23:03.239
coat rack. Turning, he heard
a grinding noise and noticed Charles entering the

882
01:23:03.279 --> 01:23:09.159
foyer. He looked to be in
bad shape. A couple of treads were

883
01:23:09.199 --> 01:23:13.439
broken, his main shaft was bent, and he had a lot of large

884
01:23:13.560 --> 01:23:17.680
dents on his torso and head.
He was also wearing the Santa jacket,

885
01:23:17.720 --> 01:23:23.800
but there seems to be something dark
and crusty all over the front of it.

886
01:23:24.800 --> 01:23:30.039
Charles, what happened? Is everything
okay? George asked? Everything is

887
01:23:30.119 --> 01:23:34.239
fine, my lad, It's Christmas. Ho ho ho, Charles replied,

888
01:23:35.039 --> 01:23:40.680
Charles, exit Santa mode and tell
me what's going on, George said,

889
01:23:41.079 --> 01:23:45.840
the concern growing in his voice.
Come this way, young man, Come

890
01:23:45.159 --> 01:23:50.000
get your gift from under the tree. Charles began rolling toward the living room,

891
01:23:50.119 --> 01:23:55.039
herding George along in front of him. What the hell is going on?

892
01:23:55.199 --> 01:24:00.039
Here are Helen and the kids?
Okay, waits that dried blood on

893
01:24:00.079 --> 01:24:05.279
your jacket? George kept backing up
as Charles pushed him into the living room.

894
01:24:05.760 --> 01:24:11.239
Now, young man, choose a
gift, Charles boomed, pointing toward

895
01:24:11.319 --> 01:24:15.039
the far wall. George glanced that
way and did a double take, all

896
01:24:15.159 --> 01:24:21.600
color leaving his face as he realized
that the Christmas tree had new ornaments,

897
01:24:23.319 --> 01:24:30.760
ones made up of fingers and toes
and other bits of human flesh. Oh

898
01:24:30.880 --> 01:24:34.239
God, George moaned as he covered
his mouth, trying not to be sick.

899
01:24:34.840 --> 01:24:40.039
He stumbled away from Charles, his
back hitting the brick of the fireplace.

900
01:24:40.680 --> 01:24:46.199
He looked up and saw four new
objects hanging from the mantle. These

901
01:24:46.239 --> 01:24:53.279
were not the stockings that they hung
with care last week. These were heads,

902
01:24:54.439 --> 01:24:59.680
human heads, each with a bright
red bow in the middle of their

903
01:24:59.720 --> 01:25:09.800
fore George fell to his knees,
sobbing, ho ho Ho, Merry Christmas

904
01:25:10.359 --> 01:25:18.439
Charles said as he raised a knife. December twenty fifth, San Francisco,

905
01:25:18.800 --> 01:25:26.319
California, Percy Billington, CEO and
founder of Modern Robotics, Inc. Sat

906
01:25:26.359 --> 01:25:30.920
at his desk and looked at a
wall of monitors, each tuned into a

907
01:25:30.960 --> 01:25:35.479
different news broadcast. Occasionally, he
tapped a button on a control panel to

908
01:25:35.640 --> 01:25:42.399
unmute a specific channel. Monitor twenty
seven. Getting dozens of reports of death

909
01:25:42.439 --> 01:25:45.760
at the hands of Android servants in
the Houston area. Police are still trying

910
01:25:45.800 --> 01:25:51.199
to determine the extent of these bizarre
attacks. Monitor twelve. Have no idea

911
01:25:51.239 --> 01:25:56.720
why the robotic butlers would begin killing
their owners. We have reports of killings

912
01:25:56.760 --> 01:26:00.159
in other states, so it would
appear that this is not confined to the

913
01:26:00.199 --> 01:26:04.319
Indianapolis area. Monitor forty. It
appears that the family was sitting down to

914
01:26:04.359 --> 01:26:11.000
open Presence when their android butler began
its violent attack. Wait, I'm being

915
01:26:11.039 --> 01:26:14.439
told that there are reports of other
attacks in London. We are trying to

916
01:26:14.479 --> 01:26:18.560
confirm those rumors right now. Percy's
phone buzzed and he looked down to see

917
01:26:18.600 --> 01:26:25.920
a text message scrolling across the screen. It appears that Operation Deadly Night was

918
01:26:25.960 --> 01:26:32.199
a success. It read. Percy
replied, beyond expectations and the rest of

919
01:26:32.239 --> 01:26:38.199
my money, the reply asked.
Percy punched a couple of keys on his

920
01:26:38.319 --> 01:26:45.479
keyboard and replied sent. After a
few minutes, he received a final text

921
01:26:45.800 --> 01:26:51.640
payment verified, pleasure doing business with
you. Percy sat back and enjoyed the

922
01:26:51.680 --> 01:27:00.239
moment, allowing himself a quick smile. Great success requires taking risks, and

923
01:27:00.319 --> 01:27:04.840
it seemed like this one was going
to pay off. Celebration over, he

924
01:27:04.920 --> 01:27:11.800
resumed his solemn demeanor, He clicked
a button and replaced the newscasts with live

925
01:27:11.880 --> 01:27:16.680
images of members of the Modern Robotics
Board and other key employees. Clicking his

926
01:27:16.720 --> 01:27:24.640
microphone live, he spoke his deliberate, slow soft voice slicing through the air.

927
01:27:25.800 --> 01:27:31.199
Gentlemen and ladies, it seems that
there has been some incidences involving Android

928
01:27:31.239 --> 01:27:38.600
servants attacking and potentially killing their owners. I have it on good authority that

929
01:27:38.680 --> 01:27:44.000
this issue was restricted to the Rollins
Robotics line of X seven androids. We

930
01:27:44.079 --> 01:27:48.159
all agree that this is a tragedy
and our hearts go out to the victims,

931
01:27:48.199 --> 01:27:55.039
but we need to recognize that this
does present an opportunity with our new

932
01:27:55.119 --> 01:27:59.199
line of Android hitting the market.
Next month. We had projected that sales

933
01:27:59.239 --> 01:28:04.920
would be luggish. However, with
these new and tragic circumstances, we have

934
01:28:04.960 --> 01:28:11.600
an opportunity to capture market share from
RRC. We will have our friends in

935
01:28:11.640 --> 01:28:15.119
the media highlight the dangers of the
X seven line and the advances we've made

936
01:28:15.159 --> 01:28:20.680
in security and safety for our new
EB one series. People will see our

937
01:28:20.680 --> 01:28:27.199
new line is a safe alternative.
It's vital that we move on this quickly,

938
01:28:27.800 --> 01:28:30.560
and I expect everyone to be in
the office in three hours for an

939
01:28:30.560 --> 01:28:36.600
in person strategy meeting. Todd Atkins, assistant director of Research, raised his

940
01:28:36.680 --> 01:28:44.720
hand when Percy acknowledged him. Todd
spoke, Sir, I understand the importance

941
01:28:44.760 --> 01:28:50.199
of this, but it's Christmas.
Percy leaned in until his face filled up

942
01:28:50.239 --> 01:29:06.199
the screen. Christmas, he said, Bah humbug dead Silent night by David

943
01:29:06.199 --> 01:29:15.680
O'Hanlon. Jemma's orgasms reminded Derek of
Flipper reruns. It was why he'd stopped

944
01:29:15.720 --> 01:29:19.000
fucking her in the first place.
That and her clothes always left cat hair

945
01:29:19.039 --> 01:29:25.319
on his bedspread. Derek hated cats, but no one wants to spend the

946
01:29:25.359 --> 01:29:31.640
holidays jingling their own bells, So
Derek made sure he was coincidentally strolling through

947
01:29:31.680 --> 01:29:38.159
the shopping center where Gemma taught aerobics
and sweet talked his way back into her

948
01:29:38.199 --> 01:29:44.600
good graces and her great places.
Derek would cut her loose again around mid

949
01:29:44.720 --> 01:29:48.359
January. That would give her enough
time to find a date before Valentines.

950
01:29:49.079 --> 01:29:54.600
He imagined it sucked being a single
chick on V Day, and since he

951
01:29:54.720 --> 01:29:59.960
was a considerate piece of shit,
he'd do her that small favor. Besides,

952
01:30:00.359 --> 01:30:04.439
January was a target rich environment and
he didn't need any other entanglements.

953
01:30:05.119 --> 01:30:10.119
Once the Chubbies got on their New
Year, New Me bullshit, all Derek

954
01:30:10.199 --> 01:30:15.359
had to do was smile. That
was enough to reassure them that the fad

955
01:30:15.399 --> 01:30:20.279
diet and power walking were working.
A different pig in the blankets every night

956
01:30:20.319 --> 01:30:26.399
of the week, Derek wasn't picky
about where his beef bus stopped as long

957
01:30:26.439 --> 01:30:31.079
as the passengers disembarked nightly. Besides, it kept him distracted from his other

958
01:30:31.159 --> 01:30:35.520
interests, and that kept him out
of trouble, so he went back to

959
01:30:35.600 --> 01:30:43.000
harpooning the porpoise with purpose. Jemma
dug her fingernails into his chest as she

960
01:30:43.079 --> 01:30:47.359
slammed herself down on his yule log. She was getting closer and closer to

961
01:30:47.399 --> 01:30:54.039
another orgasm, and the high pitched
squeaking got him further and further away from

962
01:30:54.039 --> 01:30:59.520
his own. Derek squeezed his eyes
shut tight and tried to focus on the

963
01:30:59.520 --> 01:31:05.039
tasket hand moisture warmly splattered up his
chest. He raised a brow without opening

964
01:31:05.039 --> 01:31:11.479
his eyes. She was still grinding
down on him. She tensed and quivered,

965
01:31:12.439 --> 01:31:16.479
but she was quiet. Derek looked
up at her and the glistening sweep

966
01:31:16.520 --> 01:31:25.159
of steel protruding from below her chin. Oh no, not again, he

967
01:31:25.319 --> 01:31:32.159
thought. The blade tore down,
cracking noisily through her sternum. Her bisected

968
01:31:32.199 --> 01:31:39.439
heart pumped a money shot over Derek's
face and the six hundred dollars sheets the

969
01:31:39.479 --> 01:31:45.439
weapon retracted. Jemma's shoulders slumped and
her head lulled forward as if to inspect

970
01:31:45.439 --> 01:31:51.560
the damage. Derek's unblinking gaze focused
on the precise wound. The little fuckers

971
01:31:51.600 --> 01:31:58.960
were meticulous in everything they did.
That's how they made such wonderful toys.

972
01:32:00.199 --> 01:32:03.479
Derek heard the tinkering of bells on
the tips of the curly toed shoes from

973
01:32:03.520 --> 01:32:10.920
behind Gemma. Her body tipped forward
and covered Derek's torso the little figure walked

974
01:32:11.000 --> 01:32:15.000
up her back and stood on her
shoulder blades to look down on Derek.

975
01:32:15.960 --> 01:32:20.039
It cleaned out a pointy ear with
an equally pointy talon on its pinky,

976
01:32:20.520 --> 01:32:27.319
and smiled with its interlocking chompers.
A high pitched giggle started in the things

977
01:32:27.359 --> 01:32:31.479
bloated belly. You're in a bit
of a pickle, Pally, the elf

978
01:32:31.560 --> 01:32:35.800
told him. It scooped Jemma's panties
off the headboard with the tip of the

979
01:32:35.880 --> 01:32:42.000
sword. Hate to tell you,
but that's the last present you'll be unwrapping.

980
01:32:43.079 --> 01:32:48.760
You. You but no, Derek
shook his head and continued muttering,

981
01:32:49.399 --> 01:32:54.279
right, I know I got the
wrong Derek. It's all a big mix

982
01:32:54.359 --> 01:32:59.720
up. Heard it all before the
ELF's bulbous eyes rolled, heard it from

983
01:32:59.760 --> 01:33:05.000
you. As a matter of fact, the creature wasn't wrong. The commercialization

984
01:33:05.079 --> 01:33:10.720
of Christmas meant all the little crotch
goblins got presents, no matter how naughty

985
01:33:10.720 --> 01:33:16.239
they were, which upset the universal
balance of good and evil. You wouldn't

986
01:33:16.279 --> 01:33:20.039
think an action figure would be that
big of a deal, but that's how

987
01:33:20.079 --> 01:33:25.680
it always starts. Give Little Timmy
a he man, and the next thing

988
01:33:25.720 --> 01:33:30.800
you know he's strangling lot lizards on
the I forty. And despite what ten

989
01:33:30.920 --> 01:33:35.199
year old Derek was caught doing with
Stepmommy's dirty panties, the peepole in his

990
01:33:35.279 --> 01:33:42.039
sister's closet, and the incident with
Mimau's electrolux, he still got a brand

991
01:33:42.199 --> 01:33:47.000
spanking new Brave Star Fort Cariam play
set for Christmas and a lump of coal

992
01:33:47.319 --> 01:33:53.920
to remind him to change his ways. Of course, he didn't take the

993
01:33:54.039 --> 01:34:00.079
hint, so the next year he
got a visit from Peppermint Ray. If

994
01:34:00.159 --> 01:34:05.479
Santa could no longer reward good behavior
with bribes of handcrafted toys, then the

995
01:34:05.520 --> 01:34:13.560
only reasonable course of action was to
send his prediabetic horde of mercenary fairyfolk to

996
01:34:13.720 --> 01:34:17.560
murder the shit out of the bad
children. Not all the elves were happy

997
01:34:17.600 --> 01:34:23.479
about the drastic change in job duties, but luckily for old Saint Nick,

998
01:34:23.880 --> 01:34:31.000
peppermint Ray found taking kiddos apart far
easier than putting toys together and infinitely more

999
01:34:31.079 --> 01:34:38.319
fun. However, he wasn't the
sharpest carving knife in the workshop drawer when

1000
01:34:38.319 --> 01:34:43.239
he went to punish little Derek.
The boy easily convinced Ray that he had

1001
01:34:43.279 --> 01:34:48.199
the wrong house in the fifteen years
since three other elves had attempted to correct

1002
01:34:48.239 --> 01:34:54.039
the mistake. Peppermint Ray wore a
sterling candy cane on a chain around his

1003
01:34:54.159 --> 01:35:00.279
neck in memory of each of them. Derek squirmed beneath Jemma's body. For

1004
01:35:00.399 --> 01:35:03.359
someone so light and fit, her
corpse might as well have been an anvil.

1005
01:35:04.279 --> 01:35:10.880
Ray gently draped Jemma's panties over Derek's
face and raised the curved sword overhead.

1006
01:35:11.560 --> 01:35:15.479
Derek stretched out a hand, groping
blindly for help, his fingers curled

1007
01:35:15.479 --> 01:35:21.399
around the cold steel loop. Round
one of the night had thankfully involved some

1008
01:35:23.159 --> 01:35:28.279
light bondage. He glanced up at
Ray through the sheer lace thong and jerked

1009
01:35:28.359 --> 01:35:32.960
himself hard to the side by the
handcuffs hanging from the headboard. The pillow

1010
01:35:33.199 --> 01:35:38.199
erupted, and the elf went face
first into the sheet rock through a blizzard

1011
01:35:38.239 --> 01:35:42.640
of feathers. Derek hung over the
side of the bed, with Jemma still

1012
01:35:42.680 --> 01:35:46.479
pinning him in place. He twisted
and pulled himself away, keeping his eyes

1013
01:35:46.640 --> 01:35:53.840
locked on Peppermint Ray. The wicked
elf looked up at Dereck's mirror ceiling and

1014
01:35:53.960 --> 01:36:00.479
blew bloody indigo snot from his nostrils
before cracking the crooked schnaus back into shape.

1015
01:36:00.640 --> 01:36:03.960
Derek's sweaty ass squeaked across the wood
floor as he pushed himself toward the

1016
01:36:04.000 --> 01:36:11.079
door. Ray straightened his hat and
hopped calmly down from his perch. That

1017
01:36:11.239 --> 01:36:15.199
one's gonna cost you pally, the
yelf, hissed. Derek rolled over and

1018
01:36:15.279 --> 01:36:18.840
jumped to his feet, bursting forward
out of the bedroom. With the frantic

1019
01:36:18.880 --> 01:36:25.199
tickling of Ray's bells giving chase,
Derek twisted, taking a precious second to

1020
01:36:25.199 --> 01:36:30.319
pull the door shut. He cranked
back the knob and prayed his sighs would

1021
01:36:30.319 --> 01:36:34.880
be enough to hold it. The
Tomtian scimitar crashed through the door, its

1022
01:36:35.000 --> 01:36:41.800
hollow ground edge stopped. Shy of
giving Derek the circumcision his parents had skipped,

1023
01:36:42.479 --> 01:36:45.600
a single drop of blood rolled off
the tip of the retreating organ.

1024
01:36:46.319 --> 01:36:51.319
Derek ran down the hallway, shrieking
the whole way. Ray pressed his face

1025
01:36:51.399 --> 01:36:56.800
to the gash in the door.
I'm going to turn your guts into garland.

1026
01:36:57.720 --> 01:37:02.680
Derek suddenly regretted buying the austinatious five
bedroom home. Sure there were lots

1027
01:37:02.680 --> 01:37:09.319
of places to hide, but you
can't hide from an elf not on Christmas.

1028
01:37:09.840 --> 01:37:14.159
That meant escape was his only option, and the front door felt miles

1029
01:37:14.239 --> 01:37:17.840
away. The doorknob banged into the
bedroom wall, followed by the sound of

1030
01:37:17.960 --> 01:37:23.760
Ray's pursuit, the pitter patter of
his tiny feet, and jingling of his

1031
01:37:23.840 --> 01:37:30.279
bells that fell into an adorable,
terrifying cadence slap tinkle, slap tinkle,

1032
01:37:30.399 --> 01:37:36.319
slap tinkle. Derek's trembling fingers fumbled
with the chain lock, finally popped it

1033
01:37:36.359 --> 01:37:41.680
out of place, and then moved
to the dead bolt. Ray raised the

1034
01:37:41.760 --> 01:37:46.640
curved sword overhead as he charged and
let out a piercing battle cry. Derek

1035
01:37:46.800 --> 01:37:51.800
jerked the door open. The frigid
air sent shivers and goosebumps rioting across his

1036
01:37:51.880 --> 01:37:59.239
body. His jaw hung in a
silent scream, his thigh warmed with the

1037
01:37:59.279 --> 01:38:04.960
sputtering dream of piss cascading down it. The reindeer's obsidian glare met Dereck's as

1038
01:38:05.000 --> 01:38:10.279
it chomped the nub of a severed
arm and sucked it into its maw like

1039
01:38:10.359 --> 01:38:15.600
human spaghetti, until only the wiggling
fingers stuck out between its lips. Derek

1040
01:38:15.640 --> 01:38:21.000
whipped his head back and forth from
the beast to the psycho Elf again and

1041
01:38:21.119 --> 01:38:29.199
again until the motion jarred loose a
rational thought, he launched a kick straight

1042
01:38:29.279 --> 01:38:33.119
into Ray's chin and sent him reeling
across the floor like a festive thirty pound

1043
01:38:33.279 --> 01:38:39.000
sack of potatoes. Derek quickly re
secured the door and darted into the living

1044
01:38:39.079 --> 01:38:43.560
room. And ELF's senses were highest
the closer they got to Christmas, when

1045
01:38:43.600 --> 01:38:51.039
they needed absolute concentration to fulfill their
toy making duties. A concussion probably hopefully

1046
01:38:51.680 --> 01:38:57.279
would dull those senses. Derek wriggled
between the wall and the back of the

1047
01:38:57.319 --> 01:39:00.720
couch. It was a stupid place
to hide, but he didn't spend enough

1048
01:39:00.760 --> 01:39:06.880
time at home to warrant excessive furnishings. Peppermint Ray sat up and tested the

1049
01:39:06.880 --> 01:39:13.079
looseness of his teeth with his forked
tongue and incisor rocked in its socket,

1050
01:39:13.600 --> 01:39:18.680
drawing a frustrated growl from the tiny
terror, He collected himself from the floor.

1051
01:39:19.359 --> 01:39:24.640
His scimitar shimmered in a sliver of
light from the ajar bathroom door.

1052
01:39:25.560 --> 01:39:29.399
He waved it off and reached for
the red striped handle on his belt.

1053
01:39:30.079 --> 01:39:34.960
The silver bells on the dagger's sheath
chimed. As he unsheathed the blade.

1054
01:39:35.119 --> 01:39:41.600
He held it up and read the
inscription Santa had personally etched into the side

1055
01:39:42.079 --> 01:39:48.119
on Ray's thousandth kill, Jolly is
the kill for goodness sake, fucking a

1056
01:39:48.319 --> 01:39:54.159
right at his fat man, Ray
pattered into the living room. Derek tried

1057
01:39:54.159 --> 01:39:58.279
to focus his hearing on anything other
than the pounding of his own heart.

1058
01:39:58.760 --> 01:40:02.560
The elf would give himself away with
the noisy decorations of his uniform, but

1059
01:40:02.720 --> 01:40:08.720
only if Derek could concentrate. He
bit down hard to keep his teeth from

1060
01:40:08.840 --> 01:40:14.880
chattering. A muffled tinkle pricked his
ears. Derek turned his head to look

1061
01:40:14.960 --> 01:40:17.880
up at the top of the couch, fully expecting Ray to be waiting,

1062
01:40:19.199 --> 01:40:27.159
but he wasn't. Then suddenly there
arose such a clatter, rustling branches,

1063
01:40:27.399 --> 01:40:33.319
snapping twigs, and shattering ornaments overloaded
his senses. The flickering multicolored lights cast

1064
01:40:33.359 --> 01:40:39.600
their rhythmic light show on the ceiling
from the tree's new location. Ceramic huts

1065
01:40:39.640 --> 01:40:44.239
and figures smashed on the hearth.
As Ray godzillad the dickens out of the

1066
01:40:44.279 --> 01:40:49.239
model Christmas village on the mantle,
Derek clenched his fists until the knuckles popped.

1067
01:40:49.880 --> 01:40:56.039
Chicks loved that fucking village. Santa's
surly assassin was throwing a tantrum and

1068
01:40:56.079 --> 01:41:01.880
destroying Derek's apartment because he couldn't find
his prey. A smile creased Derek's face.

1069
01:41:02.640 --> 01:41:06.279
He can't find me. That kick
to the face turned his brain to

1070
01:41:06.319 --> 01:41:12.840
eggnog. I'm gonna make it he
can't find me, he thought to himself,

1071
01:41:13.239 --> 01:41:17.439
raising a quivering hand to cover his
mouth and stifle the yip of happiness.

1072
01:41:18.159 --> 01:41:23.640
The silver bells began to ring as
they clacked across the floor like dice

1073
01:41:23.760 --> 01:41:28.000
and struck the wall trim. They
shined brightly at the end of the couch,

1074
01:41:28.760 --> 01:41:33.720
inches from Derek's face. Ray knew
exactly where Derek was hiding. His

1075
01:41:33.840 --> 01:41:40.960
tiny footsteps were imperceptible. With his
bells removed, he could come from anywhere.

1076
01:41:41.760 --> 01:41:45.319
Right on cue, the strand of
lights dropped over the back of the

1077
01:41:45.319 --> 01:41:50.920
sofa and looped over Derek's head.
Ray easily jerked Derek up to his knees.

1078
01:41:51.479 --> 01:41:57.800
The elf tightened the jolly garrot around
his dainty fists, digging the twinkling

1079
01:41:57.920 --> 01:42:01.680
plastic barbs into his victim's wrote,
it's the twelfth day of Christmas for you,

1080
01:42:01.840 --> 01:42:06.680
Pally. Ray put a foot on
Derek's shoulder for more leverage. Blood

1081
01:42:06.760 --> 01:42:13.720
spurted around the luminescent fangs. You
murdered Elves, Tom Tinkle, Sparky Charlie,

1082
01:42:13.760 --> 01:42:18.159
and Uh, that fucking nitwit from
the repaint department. You were supposed

1083
01:42:18.159 --> 01:42:23.079
to be his first kill. I
wish I could make this last all night.

1084
01:42:24.159 --> 01:42:29.039
Derek forced himself to stand and Ray
hung from the braided cord, squeezing

1085
01:42:29.119 --> 01:42:33.439
consciousness from Derek even quicker, the
human twisted his body, slamming Ray into

1086
01:42:33.520 --> 01:42:39.079
the wall. He reached back,
knocking the floppy cap from Ray's head and

1087
01:42:39.279 --> 01:42:44.680
seized a fistful of stiff white hair. Ray howled in pain. The cord

1088
01:42:44.720 --> 01:42:47.800
tightened and Ray pushed off the wall
with his feet. They crashed through a

1089
01:42:47.840 --> 01:42:53.760
French door, landing halfway into the
dining room. Derek managed to roll over

1090
01:42:53.840 --> 01:42:58.680
in time to catch a petite punch
right between the eyes. Would you look

1091
01:42:58.720 --> 01:43:03.039
at that, Derek? Ray jerked
a thumb towards the jam missiletoe. How

1092
01:43:03.039 --> 01:43:10.600
about a kiss? Ray's tongue lashed
across Derek's terrified face. Then he bit

1093
01:43:10.760 --> 01:43:15.520
down on the man's cheek. Derek
squealed and bashed at Ray's body. The

1094
01:43:15.560 --> 01:43:18.319
elf shook his head side to side, tearing a hole deep enough to see

1095
01:43:18.359 --> 01:43:24.680
Derek's molers through. Derek slugged Ray
in the gut and flung him off.

1096
01:43:25.600 --> 01:43:30.359
The would be killer smacked against the
hardwood. Derek staggered upright as Ray rose

1097
01:43:30.399 --> 01:43:35.800
to his feet with a chuckle.
The downed pine separated the two combatants.

1098
01:43:36.439 --> 01:43:43.479
Ray unsheathed his dagger and tossed it
between his hands and began to whistle a

1099
01:43:43.520 --> 01:43:48.479
melody. Can't we make a deal, Derek whined. Stuck in a round

1100
01:43:49.119 --> 01:43:59.199
the Chrismas tree, he sang hoarsely, have a happy slaughter in everyone dies

1101
01:43:59.439 --> 01:44:05.039
events League in ways that are sick, and the Ray chuckled at his own

1102
01:44:05.119 --> 01:44:11.800
artistic genius. Shuffling closer to the
base of the tree, Derek raised his

1103
01:44:11.920 --> 01:44:15.560
fists, unsure of exactly how he
was going to punch someone three foot shorter

1104
01:44:15.640 --> 01:44:24.600
than himself. Then he saw another
option. He needed a distraction. I'm

1105
01:44:24.600 --> 01:44:30.199
a pervert, he admitted, I'm
a womanizer. I like to fuck a

1106
01:44:30.199 --> 01:44:32.880
lot. Maybe if you'd lay off
the suits, you could still see your

1107
01:44:32.880 --> 01:44:38.399
own ornaments when you look down.
Ray glanced at his pot belly and growled,

1108
01:44:39.399 --> 01:44:43.439
you'd understand, then, I bet. Derek continued, What did I

1109
01:44:43.520 --> 01:44:46.000
do that makes me deserve to die? Like? You've never rubbed one out

1110
01:44:46.039 --> 01:44:50.720
to missus claws? You keep her
out of this? You have, haven't

1111
01:44:50.760 --> 01:44:55.640
you? Derek forced to laugh?
Or is it all that sugar giving you

1112
01:44:55.720 --> 01:45:00.399
marshmallow dick? Since when is getting
laid a capital of fence? Ray knelt

1113
01:45:00.640 --> 01:45:05.399
and tapped the dagger on the floor. Forget what's in your basement, Polly,

1114
01:45:06.479 --> 01:45:12.359
Derek gulped. Santa sees it all. Ray said, he's got a

1115
01:45:12.399 --> 01:45:16.880
special list for your kind of naughty. Derek dropped to the floor and grabbed

1116
01:45:16.880 --> 01:45:20.920
the tree star. Ray brought his
hand up as the ornament whizzed through the

1117
01:45:20.960 --> 01:45:29.359
air and buried deep into his forearm. Mother the elf ripped it from the

1118
01:45:29.399 --> 01:45:32.960
puckered wound and snapped it in half. Derek was gone when he looked up.

1119
01:45:33.600 --> 01:45:39.479
His nose twitched up and down as
he sniffed the air. The human's

1120
01:45:39.560 --> 01:45:44.520
nakedness made it easier to pick up
the scent of fear oozing from his skin.

1121
01:45:45.680 --> 01:45:49.640
Ray knelt, placing a hand on
the floor. An ELF's tactile sense

1122
01:45:49.840 --> 01:45:55.319
had to be hyperactive to make the
best toys. He could feel the vibrations

1123
01:45:55.319 --> 01:46:00.760
of Derek's footsteps in the kitchen.
There would be weapons in there. Scowled,

1124
01:46:00.239 --> 01:46:04.399
fine, Pally, will do it
your way. Ray clenched the knife

1125
01:46:04.439 --> 01:46:11.359
between his teeth and slithered across the
floor. Derek rocked in place on the

1126
01:46:11.439 --> 01:46:15.199
kitchen floor. He kept his eyes
on the basement door. The fat old

1127
01:46:15.239 --> 01:46:19.880
bastard couldn't know. Not really.
There was no way he could see everything

1128
01:46:19.880 --> 01:46:26.600
in the world at the same time, could he. He thought about opening

1129
01:46:26.680 --> 01:46:30.720
the door, giving up the collection
like a peace offering, and turning over

1130
01:46:30.760 --> 01:46:35.880
a new leaf. It could be
his new year's resolution. Then Peppermint Ray

1131
01:46:35.920 --> 01:46:41.119
would let him go. He'd have
to, because that would make Derek a

1132
01:46:41.159 --> 01:46:45.279
good boy again. That's what he
needed to do. It would work.

1133
01:46:46.199 --> 01:46:51.319
Derek stopped rocking and rose to the
balls of his feet. Eyes shine under

1134
01:46:51.319 --> 01:46:57.600
the dining table made his heart sputter. Ray's forked tongue licked greedily across his

1135
01:46:57.680 --> 01:47:02.520
lips. Truce, Derek shouted.
Ray stabbed his dagger into the tile,

1136
01:47:02.760 --> 01:47:09.079
sending shards flying as he sprang from
the hiding spot. Derek raised his hands.

1137
01:47:09.319 --> 01:47:13.479
Ray gritted his teeth, pushing his
little legs to run faster. Derek

1138
01:47:13.560 --> 01:47:17.479
struck the lighter and sprayed the oven
cleaner through it. Missus Claws made fine

1139
01:47:17.600 --> 01:47:23.960
suits for all the elves, Unfortunately
none of them met the NFPA standard for

1140
01:47:24.079 --> 01:47:29.399
fire resistance. Ray leaped into the
air, becoming a living comet that smashed

1141
01:47:29.439 --> 01:47:33.359
bodily into his victim's face. The
dagger slid across the floor along with four

1142
01:47:33.439 --> 01:47:39.520
of Derek's teeth. The elf rolled
away, slapping at the flames and spewing

1143
01:47:39.600 --> 01:47:46.159
profanities while Derek cackled, I can
smell your chestnuts roasting shorty Derek spat.

1144
01:47:46.800 --> 01:47:50.680
Derek pulled himself up by the edge
of the counter. His split lip poured

1145
01:47:50.720 --> 01:47:57.319
blood down his naked torso as they
curled in a painful smile. Peppermint.

1146
01:47:57.439 --> 01:48:00.960
Ray tumbled across the floor and disappeared
into the open pantry with a thud.

1147
01:48:01.600 --> 01:48:09.520
Precariously stacked items toppled onto him.
The entire space flared up into an inferno.

1148
01:48:10.319 --> 01:48:15.119
How many more elves could Santa lose
to kill one person? Besides,

1149
01:48:15.359 --> 01:48:18.920
Derek wasn't a child anymore. The
fat fuck was working outside his jurisdiction.

1150
01:48:19.720 --> 01:48:24.880
Derek limped out of the kitchen.
Extinguishing the fire might save the elf and

1151
01:48:24.960 --> 01:48:29.560
he couldn't risk that. Unfortunately,
burning the house down was going to be

1152
01:48:29.640 --> 01:48:33.079
a bigger problem. It might take
a day or two, but eventually someone

1153
01:48:33.479 --> 01:48:40.079
was going to want answers about the
contents of the basement. Derek needed to

1154
01:48:40.079 --> 01:48:43.920
get dressed, grab a few essentials, and find an atm before his accounts

1155
01:48:43.920 --> 01:48:47.600
were frozen. He could patch his
wounds on the road. Something in the

1156
01:48:47.600 --> 01:48:55.079
hallway caught his eye. He stood
over the Tomtian scimitar and snickered. The

1157
01:48:55.279 --> 01:49:00.439
sword wasn't much bigger than the butcher's
knife he kept for barbecues. Went over

1158
01:49:00.479 --> 01:49:03.960
to retrieve the weapon and was surprised
by the weight of the minuscule thing.

1159
01:49:04.800 --> 01:49:10.600
The veins bulged in his forearm as
he hefted it up. He'd never realized

1160
01:49:10.640 --> 01:49:15.640
how strong the elves actually were.
Tiny engraved snowflakes decorated the spine of the

1161
01:49:15.680 --> 01:49:20.800
sword and steamed gently, as if
they were really cold. The magic of

1162
01:49:20.840 --> 01:49:26.680
the North Pole seemed limitless. Derek
wondered what it would be like to wield

1163
01:49:26.800 --> 01:49:30.279
such power. He ran his thumb
over the edge of the weapon and hissed.

1164
01:49:30.840 --> 01:49:36.399
The slight contact had opened a deep
gash. If he could kill elves

1165
01:49:36.439 --> 01:49:43.359
so easily, then one old,
obese human shouldn't be an issue. He

1166
01:49:43.479 --> 01:49:48.359
put the damaged digit into his mouth
and sucked softly, humming last Christmas as

1167
01:49:48.399 --> 01:49:56.039
he contemplated a trip to the North
Pole. Killing Santa would solve everything.

1168
01:49:57.000 --> 01:50:03.079
How oh, holy shit, the
raspy voice hissed, you fucked a big

1169
01:50:03.159 --> 01:50:10.479
time, Pallly. A smell something
akin to burnt gingerbread cookies wafted around him.

1170
01:50:11.000 --> 01:50:16.239
Derek turned slowly. Ray looked more
like jerky than peppermint. White teeth

1171
01:50:16.359 --> 01:50:23.039
locked together in a smile, surrounded
by charred black flesh speckled with raw muscle

1172
01:50:23.159 --> 01:50:28.640
showing through. His hair was completely
gone, so were his clothes. For

1173
01:50:28.680 --> 01:50:33.119
the most part. The dagger was
still there and made even shinier in contrast

1174
01:50:33.279 --> 01:50:38.279
to its crispy owner. You know
the hardest thing about being an elf,

1175
01:50:38.680 --> 01:50:45.119
Palli, Ray asked, reaching the
urinal. Derek raised the sword. You're

1176
01:50:45.159 --> 01:50:48.840
a regular bob saggot. Huh wise
ass, Ray scratched at his cheek,

1177
01:50:49.079 --> 01:50:55.279
peeling off a hunk of burnt skin. More pieces dropped away on their own

1178
01:50:56.199 --> 01:51:00.479
it's Christmas, Derek. That's the
bitch of being an elf. I only

1179
01:51:00.520 --> 01:51:03.840
get one day a year to kill
people like you. You won't have to

1180
01:51:03.880 --> 01:51:12.359
worry about that anymore. This is
the last time you'll what the fuck bare

1181
01:51:12.399 --> 01:51:15.680
feet, nine pairs of them padded
into the hallway. Derek looked at the

1182
01:51:15.720 --> 01:51:20.159
young women, one after the other, and then the children, his children

1183
01:51:20.399 --> 01:51:25.439
that they sheltered behind them. They
were disheveled, pale, and underfed,

1184
01:51:25.680 --> 01:51:30.159
but every one of them was smiling. The elf had gotten into the basement.

1185
01:51:30.880 --> 01:51:34.800
More of the damaged skin fell away, revealing slimy, wrinkled new growth

1186
01:51:34.880 --> 01:51:40.239
beneath. Ray shook like a dog
in the rain and slung the old flesh

1187
01:51:40.239 --> 01:51:45.239
away. It splattered and plopped around
the hall. Bits still clung to him,

1188
01:51:45.880 --> 01:51:48.920
but he was healing. Santa's power
isn't kept at the pole, Pally,

1189
01:51:49.560 --> 01:51:55.359
Ray said, It's kept in the
hearts of the children. They believe,

1190
01:51:55.600 --> 01:52:00.800
and we keep on keeping on.
It's the magic of chrisp We believe

1191
01:52:00.880 --> 01:52:06.159
in Santa. One of the children
whispered, another reaffirmed it louder than the

1192
01:52:06.199 --> 01:52:12.800
others. The ones old enough to
speak anyhow, and in Christmas miracles.

1193
01:52:12.800 --> 01:52:17.479
Marcy Webber stepped beside Ray and in
elves A tear rolled down her cheek,

1194
01:52:17.600 --> 01:52:21.960
the same way it had when Dereck
held the chloroformed rag over her mouth and

1195
01:52:23.079 --> 01:52:28.359
nose outside of her sorority six years
ago. She was his favorite out of

1196
01:52:28.399 --> 01:52:33.159
the whole collection. She aimed a
finger at Deryck. You've been very naughty,

1197
01:52:33.880 --> 01:52:39.560
she said. Derek let the scimitar
fall and was in a dead sprint

1198
01:52:39.600 --> 01:52:45.439
before it clattered to the floor.
His legs pumped furiously. Ray sprang after

1199
01:52:45.560 --> 01:52:48.960
him. The window at the end
of the hallway exploded inward. Derek's feet

1200
01:52:49.039 --> 01:52:54.680
hit the shards before they could stop. They sliced and stabbed into his soles.

1201
01:52:55.199 --> 01:53:00.159
The bloody pads made him slide around
before he crashed into the wall and

1202
01:53:00.199 --> 01:53:04.399
fell to all fours. The figure
that lumbered through the empty pane stretched and

1203
01:53:04.560 --> 01:53:10.319
towered over him. The heavy woolen
coat hung to the ankles of the snow

1204
01:53:10.399 --> 01:53:15.239
caked leather boots. Ice gripping spikes
tore divots from the hardwood floor as the

1205
01:53:15.279 --> 01:53:21.560
stranger clamped closer to Derek. Derek
kept his head down and stared intently at

1206
01:53:21.600 --> 01:53:28.479
those boots and the ruddy stains of
the fur lining coat. The man stopped

1207
01:53:28.479 --> 01:53:33.279
in front of Derek and led a
heavy olive green sack thump beside him.

1208
01:53:33.880 --> 01:53:41.840
Look at me, boy. Each
word was a thunderclap raw supernatural power emanated

1209
01:53:41.880 --> 01:53:45.920
from every syllable. He stepped on
Derek's hand, pressing the spikes through the

1210
01:53:45.960 --> 01:53:54.359
appendage with ease, I said,
look at me. Derek shook his head.

1211
01:53:54.600 --> 01:53:59.000
The man huffed and knelt. His
mittened hands, squeezed the sides of

1212
01:53:59.039 --> 01:54:02.000
Derek's skull, and tilted his face
up to stare him in the eyes.

1213
01:54:02.960 --> 01:54:09.960
The bushy, stark white beard dripped
with melting snow. His platinum gaze drilled

1214
01:54:10.000 --> 01:54:15.159
deep into Derek's mind. Bones popped
as the fat man increased the pressure of

1215
01:54:15.159 --> 01:54:19.920
his hold. I know when you've
been bad or good, his voice boomed,

1216
01:54:20.640 --> 01:54:25.279
And I know what you're thinking.
I once sent you a lump of

1217
01:54:25.319 --> 01:54:30.199
coal as a warning to change your
ways. You did not take heed.

1218
01:54:30.439 --> 01:54:36.479
I learned my lesson, Derek stammered, you can go. I'm good.

1219
01:54:36.560 --> 01:54:41.399
Now they're free. I'm letting them
go. I'm changed. Yeah, yeah,

1220
01:54:41.479 --> 01:54:47.279
like Scrooge, no pally, Ray
said, you're just screwed. Ray

1221
01:54:47.359 --> 01:54:54.119
thrust the knife forward Derek howled in
agony. Right up the chimney, Ray

1222
01:54:54.159 --> 01:55:00.199
twisted the dagger with a gleeful hoot
before cutting through Derek's pelvis. Well is

1223
01:55:00.199 --> 01:55:04.520
that necessary, Ray, Santa asked, standing back to his full height.

1224
01:55:05.600 --> 01:55:11.640
Not particularly, the elf admitted with
a shrug. But it brightened my night

1225
01:55:11.760 --> 01:55:16.600
like twenty five thousand twinkling little bulbs. Santa groaned and looked down at the

1226
01:55:16.640 --> 01:55:23.239
figure at his feet. Intestines unspooled
through the gaping wound. As Derek writhed

1227
01:55:23.279 --> 01:55:28.600
in place, Ray peeled a remaining
strip of his old burnt husk away and

1228
01:55:28.800 --> 01:55:32.960
flicked it onto Derek's back. Before
walking outside. Santa looked at the women

1229
01:55:33.000 --> 01:55:38.960
and children, then to the spreading
flames, and finally back to Derek.

1230
01:55:40.159 --> 01:55:45.880
It's beginning to look a lot like
crispness. O ho ho, he bellowed,

1231
01:55:45.880 --> 01:55:50.800
with laughter that did indeed make his
belly jiggle like a bowl full of

1232
01:55:50.880 --> 01:55:57.359
jelly. He gathered his sack and
the survivors and guided them outside. They

1233
01:55:57.399 --> 01:56:00.640
opened their presence and quickly dressed in
the new coat and boots the old man

1234
01:56:00.680 --> 01:56:05.439
had brought for them. Peppermint Ray
had clambered up the harness of his faithful

1235
01:56:05.479 --> 01:56:10.760
steed and sat on its broad back. Santa made his way to them,

1236
01:56:11.039 --> 01:56:15.159
giving the reindeer a reassuring pat on
the shoulder. He rubbed the massive creature's

1237
01:56:15.199 --> 01:56:19.319
ear and looked up at Ray.
Don't got your finger on the pulse of

1238
01:56:19.359 --> 01:56:23.520
it? No more, do you, boss, Ray asked with a crooked

1239
01:56:23.560 --> 01:56:28.399
grin. No one wants clothes for
Christmas, besides the arsenal. Keep them

1240
01:56:28.439 --> 01:56:33.000
warm until the cops show up.
Santa glanced back at the conflagration. Wasn't

1241
01:56:33.039 --> 01:56:40.359
exactly subtle? Ain't nothing subtle about
peppermint? Ray snorted, You did good

1242
01:56:40.359 --> 01:56:44.239
tonight. Why don't you take the
rest of the evening off? Not a

1243
01:56:44.319 --> 01:56:47.199
chance, Boss, The sleigh bells
are ringing, and they're playing my favorite

1244
01:56:47.239 --> 01:56:53.039
tune. He scratched the reindeer's back. Me and old Brute Cake got a

1245
01:56:53.079 --> 01:56:58.159
lot of stops before the sun's up. There is a considerable backlog to clear

1246
01:56:58.199 --> 01:57:02.239
off the nautilust I suppose. Santa
stepped back and gestured for them to go.

1247
01:57:03.119 --> 01:57:09.159
I'll see you in the morning,
then, Merry Christmas. Ray onward

1248
01:57:09.199 --> 01:57:14.600
Brute Cake. Ray clicked his tongue, signaling the reindeer for takeoff. Merry

1249
01:57:14.680 --> 01:57:18.439
Christmas. Boss the Beast charged up
the driveway and leapt into the air,

1250
01:57:18.680 --> 01:57:25.640
blasting off into the night. The
twinkling wake of its departure sparkled and crackled

1251
01:57:25.640 --> 01:57:30.239
among the snowflakes. Santa waved to
them as they flew over the inferno,

1252
01:57:30.399 --> 01:57:36.439
Marry Christmas, to all, ray
howled, and to all a good night.

1253
01:57:42.680 --> 01:57:46.880
Well, my spookies, I hope
you enjoyed four more terrifying tales of

1254
01:57:46.920 --> 01:57:50.800
the holiday season. As we get
closer and closer to the big Day,

1255
01:57:51.600 --> 01:57:57.000
we'll be back here tomorrow with a
brand new scary story just for you.

1256
01:57:57.600 --> 01:58:02.800
And remember, Thursday we're really sing
the full audiobook for Babysitter Massacre Camp Carnage.

1257
01:58:03.319 --> 01:58:08.119
You won't want to miss that one. And Friday we have another novella

1258
01:58:08.199 --> 01:58:14.960
called Christmas Arcadia by Rob Fields.
Then Saturday we're publishing a very special Strickfield

1259
01:58:15.000 --> 01:58:19.600
story you will not want to miss. And of course Sunday, an unknown

1260
01:58:19.680 --> 01:58:25.960
broadcast may occur that's extra long and
extra Christmas y. And on Christmas Day

1261
01:58:26.720 --> 01:58:30.840
I'll be joined by my good buddy
Michelle for Monthly Spooky, so you have

1262
01:58:30.880 --> 01:58:32.760
something to listen to all the way
up to the big day. If you

1263
01:58:32.840 --> 01:58:39.439
need us, we'll be here in
your ears, with your fears. Until

1264
01:58:39.439 --> 01:58:42.760
next time, my Spooky's, thank
you and good night.