Dec. 20, 2024

Holiday Homecoming Hullabaloo - Goblins, Animated Creatures, and Family Reunion!

Holiday Homecoming Hullabaloo - Goblins, Animated Creatures, and Family Reunion!
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
Spreaker podcast player badge
Audible podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player iconSpotify podcast player iconSpreaker podcast player iconAudible podcast player iconCastro podcast player iconRSS Feed podcast player icon

Join the chaos this Christmas Eve as a family reunion turns into a supernatural showdown with mischievous goblins, animated decorations, and a magical saw. A thrilling, darkly comedic holiday story full of surprises, heart, and festive madness.

Holiday Homecoming Hullabaloo by Joe Solmo

Support Us and Get Bonus Shows on Patreon!

Contact Us/Submit a Story
twitter.com/WeeklySpooky
facebook.com/WeeklySpooky
WeeklySpooky@gmail.com

Music by Ray Mattis http://raymattispresents.bandcamp.com

Executive Producers
Rob Fields
Mark Shields
Bobbletopia.com

Produced by Daniel Wilder

This episode is sponsored by 
HenFlix.com

🎧 LISTEN NOW and subscribe for spine-tingling horror stories every week!

🎉 Unlock exclusive bonus episodes and support the show on Patreon!
👉 WeeklySpooky.com/Join

📬 Contact Us / Submit Your Horror Story!


🎵 Music by Ray Mattis 👉 Check out Ray’s incredible work here !
👨‍💼 Executive Producers: Rob Fields, Bobbletopia.com
🎥 Produced by: Daniel Wilder
🌐 Explore more terrifying tales at: WeeklySpooky.com
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.280
Tonight we join the chaos on Christmas Eve as a

2
00:00:04.320 --> 00:00:10.080
family reunion turns into a supernatural showdown with mischievous goblins,

3
00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:14.839
animated decorations, and the Magical Song. And in the end

4
00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:18.600
we'll find out who gets exactly what they want for Christmas,

5
00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:21.039
which I'm sure is being alive.

6
00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:32.359
What's that you want to be scared? Come with me.

7
00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:42.359
You will experience tales over opera, ghosts and death. It

8
00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:45.200
is not recommended at the foot of week at Heart

9
00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:51.719
Heart listen, as in the dark, it's more fun at

10
00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:55.960
that way way. This is Weekly Speaking.

11
00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.840
Hello, my spookys. It's the Friday before Christmas, and I

12
00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:11.719
have a very very special gift for you. I'm your

13
00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:15.879
host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and welcome back as we're

14
00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:20.040
heading into the final stretch of this very eventful holiday

15
00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:23.400
season here at Weekly Spooky. I hope you've enjoyed all

16
00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.560
the bonus content and scary stories that help keep your

17
00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:30.640
holiday very merry and very scary. And I want to

18
00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:33.799
let you all know that Tomorrow, Saturday, the twenty first,

19
00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:36.439
we have a special episode of Do You Even Movie

20
00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:40.560
where we talk all about the twenty fifteen horror Christmas

21
00:01:40.599 --> 00:01:43.239
film Crampus. You won't want to miss it, and you

22
00:01:43.280 --> 00:01:46.840
get it a few days earlier than normal, so enjoy that.

23
00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.840
And I want to also mention on Monday, we head

24
00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:53.760
back to Strickfield for high beams on Christmas and on

25
00:01:53.879 --> 00:01:58.319
Christmas Eve we have one more novella from Strickfield, so

26
00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:01.200
you won't want to miss it. Make sure you're subscribed

27
00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:03.760
on your favorite podcasting apps and leave us a five

28
00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:06.200
star rating. It really means a lot to us. I

29
00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:07.959
also want to remind you you can send me an

30
00:02:07.959 --> 00:02:11.240
email at Weeklyspooky at gmail dot com. I would love

31
00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:13.280
to hear from you, And if you want to support

32
00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.520
us in a very direct way, you can go to

33
00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:19.080
Weeklyspooky dot com slash join. For as little as one

34
00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.199
dollar a month. You get two bonus shows every single month,

35
00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:26.840
exclusive audiobooks, and two years worth of creepypasta readings and

36
00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:31.240
so much more. That's at Weeklyspooky dot com slash join.

37
00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:35.400
But now for the situation at hand. When it comes

38
00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:38.360
to Christmas, most are hoping for a time of peace,

39
00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:43.080
family and warmth. But sometimes the holidays bring more than

40
00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:47.080
just gifts and cheer. They bring things best left forgotten.

41
00:02:47.479 --> 00:02:50.360
Tonight's story is about a family gathering that turns into

42
00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:54.000
a nightmare when a long buried secret comes back to

43
00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:58.439
haunt them. What starts as a warm holiday homecoming becomes

44
00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:02.560
a battle for their lives against an evil far older

45
00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:07.599
than Santa Claus. It's time to get cozy as we

46
00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.120
send you into the holiday weekend with a big dose

47
00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:24.639
of fear. Right after this holiday homecoming Hullabaloo by Joe Solmo, Hey, Grandpa,

48
00:03:25.280 --> 00:03:28.000
came the voice of a child from the other room.

49
00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:32.240
The chill late December air followed as Mark's daughter and

50
00:03:32.319 --> 00:03:37.240
grandson entered. A smile crossed his creased face, and his

51
00:03:37.400 --> 00:03:40.840
eyes lit up brighter than the Christmas tree adjacent to

52
00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:45.719
the big picture window looking out on suburbia. It had

53
00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:50.400
been five years since Brandon died, since she lost the

54
00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:53.759
love of her life. It took her that long to

55
00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.400
get herself back into a position to have control on

56
00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:02.879
her life, not just emotionally, but financially. It was the

57
00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:06.520
first time since the funeral she could come home for

58
00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:10.800
a visit to their home town and where her husband

59
00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:15.400
was buried. Hey, there, bryce look how big you got,

60
00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.000
Mark said, rising from his chair with some effort. His

61
00:04:20.160 --> 00:04:23.240
hip was bothering him again. He would have to ask

62
00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:26.240
Amy to bring him his prescription. When she got back

63
00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:29.680
from the store. He gave his grandson a look over.

64
00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:33.720
He could see his daughter's face in the one looking

65
00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:37.920
back at him. She had the same cherub cheeks separated

66
00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:42.079
with a gap toothed smile when she was ten. He

67
00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:45.040
looked up at his daughter standing in the doorway to

68
00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:49.759
the living room. He wondered where the time had gone.

69
00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.120
She had turned into a woman without him even knowing.

70
00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:58.600
He held out his arms, inviting her in. Jennifer rushed

71
00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:01.920
to her father. It had been years since she had

72
00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:08.360
smelled his aftershave. They stood there, father and daughter reunited

73
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:13.279
in silence. Only the crackle of the fireplace made a sound.

74
00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:18.160
A short moment passed before Bryce started to tug on

75
00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:22.399
his mom's jacket. Mom, I have to use the bathroom,

76
00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:26.800
he said in a whiny voice. Jennifer pulled away from

77
00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:30.720
her father with a smile. It's right down the hall,

78
00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:34.480
young man, Mark said, and held his hand out right

79
00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:39.439
this way. Jennifer watched her father lead her son down

80
00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:44.120
the same dark wood paneled walls towards the bathroom. She

81
00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:47.680
remembered him walking her down that hall with the same paneling.

82
00:05:48.600 --> 00:05:52.279
It might be time to replace it, she thought. She

83
00:05:52.439 --> 00:05:56.040
dropped into a worn arm chair facing the fire and

84
00:05:56.120 --> 00:06:01.279
took a moment to herself to enjoy the warmth, the silence,

85
00:06:01.959 --> 00:06:06.399
and the feeling of being home. She had been so

86
00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:10.399
disheveled since the funeral, trying to figure out who she

87
00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:14.399
was and where she was going to land. She had

88
00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:17.920
barely had a moment to sit and just enjoy life,

89
00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:24.120
or even fine joy in life, if she was being honest.

90
00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:28.680
Her eye drifted over the various knick knacks and bric

91
00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:32.360
a brac her parents had collected in their forty years

92
00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:38.279
of marriage. Various ceramic figures stood vigilant on wooden shelves

93
00:06:38.319 --> 00:06:42.360
in both interior corners of the room, A stark white

94
00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:46.920
against the dark walnut paneling. A dancing girl twirling an

95
00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:51.079
umbrella was on the top shelf, next to a fisherman

96
00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:55.519
holding a rod with a whopper of a fish. Jennifer

97
00:06:55.560 --> 00:06:58.639
remembered when she was a child, she had said they

98
00:06:58.680 --> 00:07:02.360
were her parents, since her mom loved to dance and

99
00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:07.399
her dad spent many saturdays on the water. A pop

100
00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:11.360
in the fireplace grabbed her attention. She stared into the

101
00:07:11.439 --> 00:07:16.439
fire remembering so many years ago, her father stoking that

102
00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:20.319
fire as her and her brother would gather to open

103
00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:24.680
their presence for Christmas. She wanted that same kind of

104
00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:29.519
memory for her son, Bryce, but it wasn't meant to be.

105
00:07:30.519 --> 00:07:34.639
Bryce couldn't have a Christmas with his father. Why did

106
00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:37.480
Brandon have to be such an asshole and die on her,

107
00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:41.399
leave her to raise Bryce alone? He said he would

108
00:07:41.399 --> 00:07:45.160
always be there for her, but where was he now?

109
00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:50.000
Deep down inside, she knew she could face whatever came

110
00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:54.680
her way. She just didn't want to face it alone.

111
00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:58.079
She missed having him around to bounce ideas off, to

112
00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:02.680
make memories with, just to snuggle with on the couch

113
00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:06.519
with a good movie. She wished he was there with

114
00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:11.480
her now. She stood up and got closer to the fireplace,

115
00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.959
looking at the old pictures and stand up frames on

116
00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:19.639
the mantle. Then her eyes fell upon the saw her

117
00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:23.360
father had on the mantle on a little stand. It

118
00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:29.120
looked old, ancient really, the wood handle sanded smooth except

119
00:08:29.160 --> 00:08:33.559
where a sun and moon were carved, forming the grooves

120
00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:38.679
for fingers. Her father never spoke of the saw, He

121
00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:42.559
never used it. It just sat there as a curious

122
00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:48.240
curio from the past. She traced her fingers along the

123
00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:52.039
polished metal surface of the blade, careful to keep her

124
00:08:52.039 --> 00:08:55.960
fingertips from the sharp teeth. It called to her in

125
00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:01.200
some subconscious way. She could almost hear a voice call

126
00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:08.840
her name in a breathy whisper, Jennifer. She wrapped her

127
00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:13.279
hand around it. It was warm to the touch. She

128
00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:17.399
felt the pulse of life in the wood, like a heartbeat.

129
00:09:18.919 --> 00:09:19.480
Jennifer.

130
00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:26.360
That voice so familiar, like a favorite hoodie or blanket.

131
00:09:27.240 --> 00:09:31.919
The words wrapped around her, comforting her. Where did she

132
00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:38.919
know it from? Jennifer? Are you okay? Jennifer gasped and

133
00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:42.519
pulled her hand back. She turned to see her mother

134
00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:47.879
looking concerned at her. Didn't you hear me come in? Jenny,

135
00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:55.039
Amy asked, No, I guess not, she replied, looking back

136
00:09:55.080 --> 00:10:00.919
at the saw resting on its displaystand. Grandma came a

137
00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:04.879
shrill voice from the hall. As Bryce charged into the

138
00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:08.840
down coat his grandmother wore. He wrapped his arms around

139
00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:13.480
her waist and squeezed so hard she could hardly breathe.

140
00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:19.320
Nice to see you, Bryce, she said in a strained voice.

141
00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:23.120
She tried to pry his young arms apart and escape

142
00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:28.399
his excited clutch. Bryce, let your grandma go, Jennifer said,

143
00:10:28.759 --> 00:10:33.200
and helped her mom out. Got any cookies? Bryce asked,

144
00:10:33.879 --> 00:10:36.879
I might let's go to the kitchen and find out,

145
00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:41.720
although I think it's time for lunch, Amy said, leading

146
00:10:41.799 --> 00:10:48.480
him away. Amy, dear my pills, Mark asked right away.

147
00:10:49.120 --> 00:10:53.000
His wife replied, Dad, I could have gotten them for you.

148
00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:57.919
Jennifer stated, no big deal, she likes to fuss over me.

149
00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:01.720
Mark answered and sat back down where he was before

150
00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:06.399
company came. Have a seat, he finished, gesturing to the

151
00:11:06.519 --> 00:11:10.720
chair she was sitting in earlier. Grandma said, come get lunch,

152
00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:16.679
Bryce said, entering the room. I'm not very hungry, Jennifer said,

153
00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:21.200
looking up at the mantle. Grandma said, I can't have

154
00:11:21.240 --> 00:11:25.039
a cookie until everyone eats lunch. Bryce answered his mom

155
00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:29.960
looks like we have no choice. Mark said, help your

156
00:11:29.960 --> 00:11:34.679
grandfather up. Bryce grabbed his grandfather's sweater sleeve and gave

157
00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:39.840
a big yank. He pulled the sleeve half off Mark's arm. Easy,

158
00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:43.559
you gotta hold my hand, Mark said, with a chuckle.

159
00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:47.279
Bryce did better the second time, and they all went

160
00:11:47.360 --> 00:11:51.159
to the kitchen. Let's go get lunch. Then I can

161
00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:54.120
take my pills. Supposed to take him with food anyway,

162
00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:58.879
Mark finished, Look, Grandpa, it's snowing.

163
00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:04.840
A sh It was only the wind, your safe weekly

164
00:12:04.919 --> 00:12:06.480
Spooky will be right back.

165
00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:14.399
As the evening shadows grew, the snow outside began to

166
00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:19.039
pile up in large, puffy flakes, the beauty of which

167
00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:23.679
was lost on Keiko. She came here to the mortal

168
00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:28.360
realm for one reason, to get back what was stolen

169
00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:33.279
from her people. It was her shame that drove her.

170
00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:37.200
It was the perfect time, a fortnight, to get the

171
00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:41.720
job done. As the days grew their darkest to cross over.

172
00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:47.039
It was a long way home, tunneling through the strange

173
00:12:47.159 --> 00:12:51.639
rock of this new continent, but she had to return

174
00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:56.000
to where it had happened. She eyed the home of

175
00:12:56.039 --> 00:13:00.679
her adversary. Many years had gone by since their paths

176
00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:05.960
had crossed since that night so long ago. In fact,

177
00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:10.000
this wasn't where it happened at all, and it took

178
00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:15.279
years to track him down. Fifty years ago. This Christmas

179
00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:21.639
eve it happened, but she had no concern for mortal calendars.

180
00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:25.679
All she knew was that her kind could come out

181
00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:29.399
during the twelve days of Christmas while the sun ceases

182
00:13:29.559 --> 00:13:34.279
its seasonal movement for that two week span they could

183
00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:38.159
put down their tools and take a break from toiling

184
00:13:38.279 --> 00:13:42.360
down in the earth on the roots of the world tree.

185
00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:47.120
The last time she was here was a fiasco, one

186
00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:52.279
that she was now going to write. Keiko, along with

187
00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:56.440
a fire hydrant, made their way across the snow covered driveway,

188
00:13:57.159 --> 00:14:01.679
glancing this way and that. The greatest fear was that

189
00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:05.120
one of this world's dogs would grab her and run

190
00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:09.960
off the hydrant. Sphere of dogs was a different one altogether.

191
00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:14.519
She stood on tippy toes and looked over the hood

192
00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:17.960
of the buick, but there was no canine in sight.

193
00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:24.960
One diminutive hand slid into her pocket, pulling out a

194
00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:34.120
small knife. A wicked smile crossed her face. Grandpa, do

195
00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:37.639
you have any good Christmas stories? Bryce asked, with a

196
00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:44.240
mouthful of gingerbread cookie about Sannah Mark asked, no, I've

197
00:14:44.279 --> 00:14:48.600
heard all those. Those are boring, Bryce said, in an

198
00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:53.679
impatient voice. Jennifer noticed her father's glance to the mantle

199
00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:57.960
on the fireplace. It was only for a second, but

200
00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:02.399
she caught it. Dad. Why don't you tell the story

201
00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:05.519
of that small saw on the mantle? Even I haven't

202
00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:10.759
heard that one, Jennifer prodded, that's not a story I'm

203
00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:16.200
particularly proud of. Mark responded with a sigh. He rose

204
00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:19.720
to his feet gingerly and walked over to the fireplace.

205
00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:23.919
He stared at the fire for a long moment before

206
00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:30.720
he spoke again, Well, I'm not getting any younger, it's

207
00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:35.399
probably best I get it off my chest. Mark reached

208
00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:38.919
up with his weathered hand and wrapped it around the handle,

209
00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:44.759
feeling the smooth worked wood once again in his hands.

210
00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:49.879
No species of tree on earth compared to this, he thought,

211
00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:53.879
as he looked at the grain, which seemed to shimmer

212
00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:59.600
from his touch. He turned and faced his family. It

213
00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:03.200
was so such a crazy story, an insane night from

214
00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:07.600
five decades earlier, when he was just a teenager, a

215
00:16:07.720 --> 00:16:11.919
story no one believed over the years, so much so

216
00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:16.240
that he doubted his own memories if it wasn't for

217
00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:20.919
the saw. A tear raced down his cheek as he

218
00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.960
looked at it. At first, instinct had told him to

219
00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:29.320
take it from her. Then he decided to keep the thing.

220
00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:34.360
He always meant to return it some day, but one

221
00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:43.039
year turned into another, then another. It was Christmas Eve,

222
00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:46.639
a fourteen year old Mark was making his way through

223
00:16:46.679 --> 00:16:51.240
the snow that covered the streets of Suburbia. He was

224
00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:55.279
visiting his friend Claudio when Claudio's mother called down to

225
00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:58.679
them in the basement. Mark, your mother wants you to

226
00:16:58.679 --> 00:17:04.039
come home, she yelled down the stairs. Mark sighed. Always

227
00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:07.119
in the middle of combat, he thought, as he threw

228
00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:11.119
his twenty sided dice down on the table. I gotta go.

229
00:17:12.119 --> 00:17:15.880
You leave now, you might die, Claudio said with a smirk.

230
00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:19.920
Mark knew he was just teasing. He looked around the

231
00:17:19.960 --> 00:17:25.559
table at his friend's Sorry guys, Mark said, before racing

232
00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:29.960
up the stairs and out into the frigid air. He

233
00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:32.880
still only had one arm in his coat, since the

234
00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:35.880
other held his book bag. He stopped in front of

235
00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:38.640
the church on Main Street to put his jacket all

236
00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:43.640
the way on. That's when he first saw her. At first,

237
00:17:44.279 --> 00:17:47.559
he thought someone had let their kid out alone. The

238
00:17:47.640 --> 00:17:50.319
small figure was in the front lawn of the church

239
00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:54.519
and ducked behind the hedges that were carved into nativity

240
00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:58.039
animals for the holidays. As he made his way in

241
00:17:58.119 --> 00:18:01.000
front of the large brick building, he called out to

242
00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:04.759
the kid, I swear if I get hit with a snowball,

243
00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:10.640
he started to warn. Then he heard a sound. He

244
00:18:10.759 --> 00:18:16.799
stopped and listened. In the snowstorm, sound was all but silenced,

245
00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:22.640
but he heard the rhythmic sound of a saw. What

246
00:18:22.839 --> 00:18:26.960
was that kid up to? Back there, hey, kid, Mark

247
00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:30.039
called out, and started to walk towards the break in

248
00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:33.160
the hedges where the slabs of concrete lead to the

249
00:18:33.160 --> 00:18:38.240
front door. You cutting down their hedges or something? Mark

250
00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:40.680
finished as he rounded a hedge in the shape of

251
00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:44.599
a donkey to confront the young child. What are you

252
00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:48.480
up to, Mark asked the kid hidden in the shadows

253
00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:53.119
of the hedge. The child gasped and turned to face him,

254
00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:57.599
its features illuminated in a beam of street light. Mark

255
00:18:57.640 --> 00:19:00.759
took a step back, unsure what he was looking at.

256
00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:07.160
Its eyes showed years beyond comprehension, dark pools of eternity.

257
00:19:08.200 --> 00:19:12.079
What he thought was a snowsuit was long brown hair

258
00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:17.440
covering its body. He called it an it because it

259
00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:22.279
had a long tail that flicked with nervous energy. What

260
00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:29.000
are you, he whispered, in anxious awe keko it replied

261
00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:34.839
in a feminine voice. You're keko, Mark asked. There was

262
00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:38.640
a hint of wonder in his voice. He was still cautious,

263
00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:42.039
but was more curious than anything else.

264
00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:48.440
Don't go away weakly. Spooky, We'll be right.

265
00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:59.119
Back, Keko name, the creature responded, pointing at her chest.

266
00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:02.799
That was when he first laid eyes on the saw.

267
00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:08.400
It was beautiful. What are you doing with that saw, Keiko,

268
00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:13.319
he asked. The creature clutched the small cutting tool to

269
00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:18.400
her chest protectively. He looked past her and saw where

270
00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:21.920
she had been sawing into the small trunks of the hedges.

271
00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:27.680
Small piles of sawdust lay on the snow. Give me that,

272
00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:32.720
Mark said, and yanked the saw from Keiko's hand. She

273
00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:35.240
growled at him and charged at him with a quickness

274
00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:39.720
he was not expecting. Mark backpedaled away a few steps,

275
00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:43.119
but when he saw the look on Keiko's face, he

276
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:46.920
thought it best to run. He ran back to the

277
00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:51.519
street and looked over his shoulder. Keiko was standing on

278
00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:54.880
the edge of the road, and Mark could finally get

279
00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:59.359
a good look at her. She had cloven feet, a

280
00:20:59.400 --> 00:21:04.440
hairy b and a tail. She growled at him, and

281
00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:08.880
he swore her eyes glowed with a red intensity. He

282
00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:12.079
looked down at the saw and thought about chucking it

283
00:21:12.160 --> 00:21:17.359
back at her, but for some reason, he thought taking

284
00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:20.839
it was the right thing to do to stop whatever

285
00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:27.359
mayhem Keiko was up to clump clomp. Mark could hear

286
00:21:27.480 --> 00:21:32.200
Keiko behind him and gaining fast. Suddenly, a burst of

287
00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:36.599
something shot past him and hit a fire hydrant. The

288
00:21:36.680 --> 00:21:40.559
hydrant came alive, splitting at the top into a mouth

289
00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:44.799
of fangs. It broke free from the concrete and started

290
00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:50.079
after him with a metallic clang. Oh shit, Mark yelled

291
00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:54.279
and ran back across the street, diving through the same

292
00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:58.000
hedges he had fled just in time as another blast

293
00:21:58.079 --> 00:22:01.599
hit the bush shaped like a can, and it came

294
00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:05.519
to life as well. It lowered its head down towards

295
00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:10.359
him and roared with an open, thorny mouth. It vomited

296
00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:14.680
a terrified, wide eyed squirrel at him. Mark fell on

297
00:22:14.759 --> 00:22:17.839
his butt, trying to get away from the camel as

298
00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:21.039
it tried to lift its legs and uproot itself to

299
00:22:21.079 --> 00:22:25.319
give chase. He scooted backwards until his back came to

300
00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:30.000
rest on something. The camel, the hydrant, and Keiko were

301
00:22:30.039 --> 00:22:33.880
standing at the edge of the church lawn looking at him.

302
00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:39.599
Oh shit, I am gonna die tonight. Claudio was right,

303
00:22:40.319 --> 00:22:44.640
he said, through shallow breaths, give me back what is mine?

304
00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:50.799
Keiko said, why are you destroying the hedges, Mark asked,

305
00:22:51.160 --> 00:22:55.160
looking down at the saw he still gripped for fun.

306
00:22:55.759 --> 00:23:00.559
Keiko replied and took a few steps closer. You see,

307
00:23:01.079 --> 00:23:03.960
my kind only come to the mortal realm for twelve

308
00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:07.160
days a year. We can finally take a break from

309
00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:11.039
our labor and come live it up. Causing a little

310
00:23:11.039 --> 00:23:13.920
mayhem as just how we blow off steam after a

311
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:19.240
hard year's work, The creature continued, What do you do

312
00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:23.920
for work? Mark asked, trying to bide him time until

313
00:23:23.960 --> 00:23:27.880
he caught his breath and could run away again. My

314
00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:31.960
brothers and sisters and I saw away at the world Tree.

315
00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:35.680
We were almost through this time. One final push when

316
00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:38.960
we get back, should do it. But right now, my

317
00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:41.720
kin are here with the mortals for a little fun.

318
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:47.920
Give me back my saw, Keiko snarled, the World Tree.

319
00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:53.240
Don't we need that? Mark asked, In reality, he had

320
00:23:53.279 --> 00:23:57.200
never heard of it. We cut and saw, we make

321
00:23:57.319 --> 00:24:00.960
it fall, We saw and cut the girl's cup, put

322
00:24:01.559 --> 00:24:07.240
the creature fire, hydrant and camel sang in unison. I

323
00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:10.759
got to get out of here, Mark said, and scrambled

324
00:24:10.759 --> 00:24:14.000
to his feet, just as Cako held up a wand

325
00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:18.400
and shot another blast at him. He somersaulted out of

326
00:24:18.440 --> 00:24:22.559
the way, losing his backpack in the process. He turned

327
00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:25.839
to see what the blast had hit and was horrified

328
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:29.799
as Baby Jesus crawled out of the manger with a

329
00:24:29.880 --> 00:24:34.640
menacing look. Mark ran through the ankle deep snow before

330
00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:38.960
launching over the hedges and raced home, still clutching the

331
00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:43.440
saw in his hand. As the boy made his way

332
00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:47.640
down the dark street, Keiko picked up the backpack and

333
00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:52.279
rifled through it. She pulled out a hat and lowered

334
00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:55.880
it to the crawling Baby Jesus and had it sniff it.

335
00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:01.119
Lead me to him, boy, she said, and followed the

336
00:25:01.160 --> 00:25:05.519
little Savior on the back of a thorny camel. The

337
00:25:05.559 --> 00:25:10.680
fire hydrant reluctantly followed behind, having to clang his way

338
00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:20.480
through the streets. Grandpa, did that really happen? Bryce asked,

339
00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:24.240
with half a cooky stuffed in his mouth. Everyone had

340
00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:28.200
been engrossed in the story. The room had grown dark,

341
00:25:29.279 --> 00:25:33.359
the fire was now embers. Jennifer went over to stoke

342
00:25:33.480 --> 00:25:38.680
and feed it every word of it. Mark said, Was

343
00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:43.119
it an elf? Bryce asked, Oh, no, nothing like that.

344
00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:48.240
It was a goblin. You see, a kalakant Tsarro's to

345
00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:51.119
be exact. Took me a while to find them at

346
00:25:51.119 --> 00:25:55.160
the library, but I eventually did you see? They spend

347
00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:59.680
all year toiling underground, hacking and sawing at the World Tree,

348
00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:03.759
trying to topple the world. But they get a Christmas

349
00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:08.119
vacation like you do for the twelve days of Christmas.

350
00:26:08.680 --> 00:26:13.319
They come to the surface to cause mayhem. Every year

351
00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:17.599
they cause mischief, then returned to the World Tree to

352
00:26:17.680 --> 00:26:21.279
find it. It healed itself in their absence, and they

353
00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:27.200
have to start all over again. Mark explained. The sound

354
00:26:27.240 --> 00:26:31.200
of broken glass came from the kitchen. Jennifer was faster

355
00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:34.240
than her parents and made it to the doorway. First,

356
00:26:35.079 --> 00:26:37.920
she saw the shards of glass lying in the sink

357
00:26:38.440 --> 00:26:41.920
as the curtains whipped around in the snowy wind coming through.

358
00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:49.039
Then a small hand gripped the window sill, and then another.

359
00:26:50.359 --> 00:26:54.920
A face peeked out over the sill, straining to lift

360
00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:59.039
itself with its tiny Nativity arms.

361
00:27:01.039 --> 00:27:05.319
More scarce to come weekly, spooky, We'll be right back.

362
00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:14.000
There was a pounding on the front door. Jennifer heard

363
00:27:14.039 --> 00:27:18.359
everyone gasp. What is it? She called back as she

364
00:27:18.440 --> 00:27:21.519
opened the closet where her mom kept the brooms and mops.

365
00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:25.440
She grabbed the first handle she could find and raised

366
00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:29.720
it like a weapon towards the small savior. There is

367
00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:34.480
a there's a hydrant at the door, Bryce called back,

368
00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:37.240
like it was the most natural thing in the world.

369
00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:43.119
A hydrant, she called back, and a grassy camel, the

370
00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:47.720
son replied. Jennifer took a deep breath and prepared to

371
00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:51.519
fend off the animated child of God. It giggled a

372
00:27:51.640 --> 00:27:56.119
child's giggle as saliva dripped off its fanged teeth. It

373
00:27:56.240 --> 00:27:59.559
ran a forked tongue over those teeth as its blood

374
00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:05.799
red eye eyes made contact with Jennifers. Not today, baby Jesus,

375
00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:09.000
she said, and swatted at the tiny trinity with her broom,

376
00:28:09.559 --> 00:28:12.640
knocking it back into the sink. She ran up and

377
00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:16.880
jabbed it with the wooden handle. The nimble animated Nativity

378
00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:19.839
set dodged and grabbed with a little hand on the

379
00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:23.480
end of the broom handle. It had surprising strength, and

380
00:28:23.559 --> 00:28:25.839
it took all that Jennifer had to pull it from

381
00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:29.799
his holy grip. She struck back, but he dodged again.

382
00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:33.359
She hit the sink so hard it split the wooden

383
00:28:33.400 --> 00:28:38.839
handle and made a sharp point. Mom, they're breaking down

384
00:28:38.839 --> 00:28:42.599
the door, Bryce called from the other room. In her

385
00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:46.839
manicked state, Jennifer's fight or flight response removed any intelligent

386
00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:49.839
thought and sent her in for the kill. As the

387
00:28:49.880 --> 00:28:54.440
animated christ Child climbed onto the countertop, it was making

388
00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:57.160
its way towards the knife block a few feet away.

389
00:28:58.039 --> 00:29:01.880
Jennifer jabbed again with the broken broom handle, this time

390
00:29:01.960 --> 00:29:06.079
impaling the side of the diminutive Messiah. She pushed with

391
00:29:06.200 --> 00:29:10.359
such force that the nearly weightless porcelain prophet slid across

392
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:14.640
the counter until the exposed broomstick stuck into the wall.

393
00:29:15.480 --> 00:29:19.559
Its wicked, forked tongue lashed out at her, wrapping around

394
00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:23.039
her wrist. She fought to pull back, but the tongue

395
00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:26.000
is a strong muscle. She grabbed her arm with her

396
00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:29.440
other hand and pulled. She started to make some progress

397
00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:33.440
as the saliva coated muscle began to lose its grip.

398
00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:38.480
From the other room, Jennifer heard the door breaking down.

399
00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:43.200
She gave a final yank, giving a slip to the tongue.

400
00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:47.000
The life left the animated body and it fell limp.

401
00:29:47.880 --> 00:29:51.240
She watched the body for a few seconds before she

402
00:29:51.319 --> 00:29:56.000
was satisfied it wouldn't attack again. A golden light illuminated

403
00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:59.640
the pierced porcelain child, and a ghostly visage of the

404
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:04.400
baby raised up through the window. She turned her back

405
00:30:04.440 --> 00:30:09.079
on the kitchen and started towards the living room. Jennifer.

406
00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:15.519
She heard the voice again. It stopped her in her tracks.

407
00:30:16.359 --> 00:30:19.720
She turned back around. The hares stood on the back

408
00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:22.920
of her neck. She could no longer hear the chaos

409
00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:28.039
in the room next door. She could only hear Jennifer.

410
00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:34.920
There is a way to fix this. Bryce kicked at

411
00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:38.119
the fire hydrant as it opened its toothy mouth and

412
00:30:38.279 --> 00:30:42.000
puked rusty water at him. It sent him reeling back

413
00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:45.680
into his grandfather's chair. He shivered in the cold water

414
00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:48.720
as he got back to his feet. He had to

415
00:30:48.759 --> 00:30:52.960
protect his grandparents. Mark stood in front of Amy as

416
00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:56.200
the camel backed them towards the wall next to the fireplace.

417
00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:59.640
In his left hand, he held the saw he had

418
00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:05.119
taken so long ago. Where was Keiko? Why hadn't she

419
00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:09.079
made an appearance yet? The snarling mouth of the camel

420
00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:12.640
monster closed in on Mark, its hot breath, the smell

421
00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:17.319
of burning leaves. Amy gasped behind him when she realized

422
00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:21.519
there was only the wall behind them. Don't worry, I

423
00:31:21.559 --> 00:31:25.240
won't let it hurt you, he reassured her. The camel

424
00:31:25.359 --> 00:31:28.200
snipped at him, but he brought the saw up in time.

425
00:31:28.759 --> 00:31:31.680
Its wooden teeth gnashed into the metal of the saw.

426
00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:34.519
Mark struggled to keep a hold on it. As the

427
00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:38.960
carnivorous camel had Christmas miracle thrashed its head left and right.

428
00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:42.720
He saw bits of sawdust fall as the metal saw

429
00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:48.000
bit into the animated hedge. Leave my grandpa alone, Bryce

430
00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:52.200
called out defiantly and slammed his grandfather's cane into the

431
00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:56.160
side of the humped hedge. It lost its balance and

432
00:31:56.319 --> 00:32:01.039
fell into the fireplace, a roaring scream erod from its maw.

433
00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:06.079
Smoke billowed out. A moment after, the fire began to spread.

434
00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:10.279
As the incendiary hedge camel thrashed about. Amy and Mark

435
00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:13.119
moved out of the way, looking for something to help

436
00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:16.720
keep the fire contained. But they need not have worried,

437
00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:20.440
for their hero was in the room with them. The

438
00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:24.759
hydrant vomited rusty water all over his villainous friend trying

439
00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:27.720
to help, but by the time the fire was out,

440
00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:33.599
the drenched dromedary was only a skeleton of branches. Sadness

441
00:32:33.640 --> 00:32:37.720
crossed the hydrant's featureless face as it realized his comrade

442
00:32:38.319 --> 00:32:41.759
was no longer moving. The family took a moment to

443
00:32:41.799 --> 00:32:45.000
catch their breath. Now that the fire was out, including

444
00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:49.400
the original fire in the fireplace, Bryce watched his soot

445
00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:53.000
fell onto the wet log. He took a step closer

446
00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:57.400
to the fireplace and picked up the poker. A second later,

447
00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:02.559
a pair of cloven feet appeared, then legs. Then Keiko

448
00:33:02.720 --> 00:33:06.880
crawled out of the fireplace, covered in soot. She looked

449
00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:09.799
around at the scene in front of her, a flicker

450
00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:13.160
of sadness in her eyes when they fell on the camel.

451
00:33:14.400 --> 00:33:18.480
They had been together for fifty years. She turned her

452
00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:22.759
attention to Mark and the tool he held in his hand.

453
00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:27.720
It took me a while to find you, but I have.

454
00:33:28.599 --> 00:33:31.720
The game is over. I will not be the laughing

455
00:33:31.799 --> 00:33:35.839
stock of the Kalakantazari. I need my saw so I

456
00:33:35.880 --> 00:33:39.920
can get back to work, Keiko said, and pulled her

457
00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:43.720
wand from her belt. She raised it menacingly at Mark

458
00:33:43.799 --> 00:33:48.680
and Amy kill it, Bryce said, connecting the fire poker

459
00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:53.400
with Keiko's temple. She crumpled into a pile on the floor.

460
00:33:54.359 --> 00:33:59.759
Bryce his grandmother called out just then Jennifer came into

461
00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:02.759
the room room and reached down and grabbed the wand

462
00:34:03.640 --> 00:34:06.519
she gave a quick look around like she wanted to

463
00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:09.719
say something to her family, but she raced out the

464
00:34:09.760 --> 00:34:15.320
door instead. The hydrant followed her, as sension animated hydrants

465
00:34:15.719 --> 00:34:21.519
tend to do. Mom Bryce asked, confused by her actions,

466
00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:27.440
where are you going? Ow my head? Came Kiko's voice

467
00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:30.400
from the floor. Mark quickly wrapped her up in a

468
00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:34.360
scarf and tied her to a wet chair. Now listen

469
00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:37.960
to me, Keiko, Mark said, wagging a finger in her face.

470
00:34:38.840 --> 00:34:41.480
I'll give you back this saw, but you have to

471
00:34:41.559 --> 00:34:44.559
promise me you will never come back to the surface again.

472
00:34:45.320 --> 00:34:49.280
You leave us mortals alone. No deal, Give me what

473
00:34:49.440 --> 00:34:51.920
is mine, or I'll have my friends tear you apart.

474
00:34:52.920 --> 00:34:57.199
She looked around for her companions, but didn't see any

475
00:34:57.239 --> 00:35:02.679
of them. Where are they? They're gone. You're all alone.

476
00:35:03.559 --> 00:35:08.360
Do we have a deal? Mark asked his nemesis. What's

477
00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:12.920
to stop me from agreeing then coming back anyway? Keiko asked,

478
00:35:13.679 --> 00:35:17.719
your word? Mark said, give me your word that you

479
00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:23.559
will take your saw and leave the mortal realm for good. Fine? Fine,

480
00:35:24.239 --> 00:35:28.519
Keiko said, in defeat, she lowered her head. Mark nodded

481
00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:34.119
to Bryce, who untied her. Say that you promise, Mark ordered,

482
00:35:35.239 --> 00:35:40.000
I promise on my wand. Keiko patted her pouches and

483
00:35:40.079 --> 00:35:43.039
looked up at Mark with a sneer. How did you

484
00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:46.800
do it? You stole my wand faith faith, I will

485
00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:50.880
kill you and your whole family. Just then Jennifer entered

486
00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:56.079
the door. Everyone frozen place. There was someone looming behind

487
00:35:56.119 --> 00:36:01.559
her in the shadows of the winter night. Dad, Bryce

488
00:36:01.599 --> 00:36:04.679
asked the figure. He was shocked as the living room

489
00:36:04.760 --> 00:36:09.599
light illuminated his father's face as he stepped inside, a

490
00:36:09.639 --> 00:36:14.079
face he thought he would never see again. His father

491
00:36:14.199 --> 00:36:18.239
pushed past and came to his son's side. He gave

492
00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:22.400
him a smile and took the poker from him with

493
00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:25.920
a suddenness that left everyone in shock. Brandon pierced the

494
00:36:25.960 --> 00:36:31.679
heart of Keiko, ending her life. Everyone stood in silence

495
00:36:31.719 --> 00:36:38.320
for a moment, looking at the carnage. Bryce wrapped his

496
00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:43.880
arms around his father and squeezed tight. Jennifer pulled the

497
00:36:43.920 --> 00:36:47.360
wand from her pocket and threw it onto the corpse

498
00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:52.280
laying on the floor. Enough of this, it's Christmas Eve,

499
00:36:52.360 --> 00:36:56.920
after all, Mark said, and dragged Keiko's body over to

500
00:36:57.000 --> 00:37:02.079
the fireplace. Help me get it lit, willya? Bryce? Together

501
00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:06.800
grandfather and grandson got the fire going, and when the

502
00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:11.480
flames were high enough, they tossed Keiko's body, who went

503
00:37:11.559 --> 00:37:17.840
up quickly but smelled like burnt hair. Mark looked over

504
00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:22.639
at his wife Amy, his daughter Jennifer, and her husband Brandon.

505
00:37:23.719 --> 00:37:29.760
A smile crossed both their faces as they were now reunited.

506
00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:34.159
Mark had to assume from the rod that brought things

507
00:37:34.199 --> 00:37:39.559
to life. Still clinging to his father was Mark's grandson Bryce,

508
00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:45.559
with the biggest smile of all. Christmas is a time

509
00:37:45.639 --> 00:37:50.239
for family, Mark said, and sat in his chair. He

510
00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:54.880
barely noticed the fangs on Brandon as he dozed off

511
00:37:55.320 --> 00:38:00.599
in his beloved recliner. Looking through the window and the cold,

512
00:38:01.079 --> 00:38:07.920
blistery night, a lonely hydrant made an important decision. It

513
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:10.199
was time to see what it could make of itself

514
00:38:10.199 --> 00:38:15.760
in this world. He was no longer taking orders. It

515
00:38:15.960 --> 00:38:25.079
was indeed its own hydrant. Well, my spookyes, I hope

516
00:38:25.079 --> 00:38:29.159
you enjoyed that special treat splatter Joe Solmo brought us

517
00:38:29.320 --> 00:38:31.880
just for the holidays. I have to say this one

518
00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:35.159
was a lot of fun and definitely a great addition

519
00:38:35.480 --> 00:38:39.719
to the Weekly Spooky Christmas season. Now where's the egg nog?

520
00:38:40.320 --> 00:38:42.639
Thank you so much for joining me tonight. I really

521
00:38:42.679 --> 00:38:45.119
do appreciate it. I had a great time reading this one,

522
00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:47.639
and I always have a great time talking with all

523
00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:49.360
of you. And I want to remind you you guys

524
00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:52.840
can email me at Weeklyspooky at gmail dot com for

525
00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:55.800
whatever reason, whether it's to comment on the show, suggest

526
00:38:55.800 --> 00:38:59.559
a story topic, or whatever drives you to And I

527
00:38:59.599 --> 00:39:02.360
want to say a big, big thank you to all

528
00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:05.280
the spookyes who've signed up over at Patreon, over one

529
00:39:05.360 --> 00:39:07.639
hundred of you. It really does mean a lot to

530
00:39:07.639 --> 00:39:10.239
me and I do consider it like a little holiday gift.

531
00:39:10.519 --> 00:39:14.199
The Patreon really helps the show grow and I can't

532
00:39:14.199 --> 00:39:16.480
tell you how much it means to have that security

533
00:39:16.840 --> 00:39:19.079
as I do a podcast for a good half of

534
00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:21.960
my week for all of you. And speaking of my

535
00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:24.280
other job, if you need a Christmas movie to watch

536
00:39:24.320 --> 00:39:27.360
that's family friendly, head over to Tube or the Roku

537
00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:30.800
channel and type in a Bulldog for Christmas. He might

538
00:39:30.880 --> 00:39:33.119
just enjoy it. And I want to say an extra

539
00:39:33.199 --> 00:39:36.760
special thank you to our Patreon podcast boosters, folks who

540
00:39:36.800 --> 00:39:39.039
pay a little bit more to hear their names at

541
00:39:39.039 --> 00:39:41.320
the end of the show, and they are Jessica Fuller,

542
00:39:41.440 --> 00:39:45.880
Johnny Nicks, Jenny Green, Amber Hansford, Brent McCullough, Karen we Met,

543
00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:49.000
Jack Kerr, and Craig Cohen. Thank you all so much

544
00:39:49.000 --> 00:39:50.639
for your support, and if you want to hear your

545
00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:52.960
name at the end of every episode of Weekly Spooky,

546
00:39:53.360 --> 00:39:56.840
just head to Weeklyspooky dot com slash join and select

547
00:39:56.880 --> 00:39:59.840
a tier at fifteen dollars a month or hire. Not

548
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:03.000
only will you hear your name through my spooky silky

549
00:40:03.079 --> 00:40:06.000
smooth voice, but you'll be making a big difference on

550
00:40:06.119 --> 00:40:09.760
keeping the podcast going for another five years. Now it's

551
00:40:09.800 --> 00:40:11.559
time for me to get back to work because many

552
00:40:11.599 --> 00:40:14.360
of you also are working your butts off before Christmas,

553
00:40:14.400 --> 00:40:16.679
and I want to make sure you're fully entertained during it.

554
00:40:16.920 --> 00:40:20.280
So for myself, for my executive producers Rob Fieldsmarkshields and

555
00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:23.599
babbletopia dot Com, my composer Ray Mattis, and my good

556
00:40:23.599 --> 00:40:27.039
buddy and producer Dan Wilder. Well, I'll be talking to

557
00:40:27.079 --> 00:40:28.639
you tomorrow.

558
00:40:28.679 --> 00:40:32.119
Thank you for listening. To make sure to find your

559
00:40:32.159 --> 00:40:37.239
way back next week, but for now you are safe,

560
00:40:38.719 --> 00:40:39.679
trust me.