Dec. 20, 2024

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

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

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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 
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🎵 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

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Tonight we join the chaos on Christmas Eve as a

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family reunion turns into a supernatural showdown with mischievous goblins,

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animated decorations, and the Magical Song. And in the end

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we'll find out who gets exactly what they want for Christmas,

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which I'm sure is being alive.

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What's that you want to be scared? Come with me.

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You will experience tales over opera, ghosts and death. It

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is not recommended at the foot of week at Heart

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Heart listen, as in the dark, it's more fun at

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that way way. This is Weekly Speaking.

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Hello, my spookys. It's the Friday before Christmas, and I

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have a very very special gift for you. I'm your

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host and narrator, Enrique Kuto, and welcome back as we're

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heading into the final stretch of this very eventful holiday

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season here at Weekly Spooky. I hope you've enjoyed all

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the bonus content and scary stories that help keep your

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holiday very merry and very scary. And I want to

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let you all know that Tomorrow, Saturday, the twenty first,

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we have a special episode of Do You Even Movie

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where we talk all about the twenty fifteen horror Christmas

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film Crampus. You won't want to miss it, and you

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get it a few days earlier than normal, so enjoy that.

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And I want to also mention on Monday, we head

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back to Strickfield for high beams on Christmas and on

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Christmas Eve we have one more novella from Strickfield, so

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you won't want to miss it. Make sure you're subscribed

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on your favorite podcasting apps and leave us a five

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star rating. It really means a lot to us. I

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also want to remind you you can send me an

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email at Weeklyspooky at gmail dot com. I would love

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to hear from you, And if you want to support

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us in a very direct way, you can go to

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Weeklyspooky dot com slash join. For as little as one

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dollar a month. You get two bonus shows every single month,

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exclusive audiobooks, and two years worth of creepypasta readings and

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so much more. That's at Weeklyspooky dot com slash join.

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But now for the situation at hand. When it comes

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to Christmas, most are hoping for a time of peace,

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family and warmth. But sometimes the holidays bring more than

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just gifts and cheer. They bring things best left forgotten.

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Tonight's story is about a family gathering that turns into

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a nightmare when a long buried secret comes back to

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haunt them. What starts as a warm holiday homecoming becomes

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a battle for their lives against an evil far older

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than Santa Claus. It's time to get cozy as we

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send you into the holiday weekend with a big dose

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of fear. Right after this holiday homecoming Hullabaloo by Joe Solmo, Hey, Grandpa,

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came the voice of a child from the other room.

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The chill late December air followed as Mark's daughter and

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grandson entered. A smile crossed his creased face, and his

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eyes lit up brighter than the Christmas tree adjacent to

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the big picture window looking out on suburbia. It had

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been five years since Brandon died, since she lost the

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love of her life. It took her that long to

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get herself back into a position to have control on

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her life, not just emotionally, but financially. It was the

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first time since the funeral she could come home for

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a visit to their home town and where her husband

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was buried. Hey, there, bryce look how big you got,

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Mark said, rising from his chair with some effort. His

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hip was bothering him again. He would have to ask

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Amy to bring him his prescription. When she got back

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from the store. He gave his grandson a look over.

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He could see his daughter's face in the one looking

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back at him. She had the same cherub cheeks separated

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with a gap toothed smile when she was ten. He

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looked up at his daughter standing in the doorway to

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the living room. He wondered where the time had gone.

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She had turned into a woman without him even knowing.

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He held out his arms, inviting her in. Jennifer rushed

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to her father. It had been years since she had

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smelled his aftershave. They stood there, father and daughter reunited

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in silence. Only the crackle of the fireplace made a sound.

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A short moment passed before Bryce started to tug on

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his mom's jacket. Mom, I have to use the bathroom,

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he said in a whiny voice. Jennifer pulled away from

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her father with a smile. It's right down the hall,

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young man, Mark said, and held his hand out right

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this way. Jennifer watched her father lead her son down

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the same dark wood paneled walls towards the bathroom. She

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remembered him walking her down that hall with the same paneling.

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It might be time to replace it, she thought. She

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dropped into a worn arm chair facing the fire and

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took a moment to herself to enjoy the warmth, the silence,

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and the feeling of being home. She had been so

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disheveled since the funeral, trying to figure out who she

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was and where she was going to land. She had

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barely had a moment to sit and just enjoy life,

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or even fine joy in life, if she was being honest.

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Her eye drifted over the various knick knacks and bric

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a brac her parents had collected in their forty years

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of marriage. Various ceramic figures stood vigilant on wooden shelves

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in both interior corners of the room, A stark white

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against the dark walnut paneling. A dancing girl twirling an

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umbrella was on the top shelf, next to a fisherman

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holding a rod with a whopper of a fish. Jennifer

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remembered when she was a child, she had said they

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were her parents, since her mom loved to dance and

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her dad spent many saturdays on the water. A pop

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in the fireplace grabbed her attention. She stared into the

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fire remembering so many years ago, her father stoking that

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fire as her and her brother would gather to open

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their presence for Christmas. She wanted that same kind of

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memory for her son, Bryce, but it wasn't meant to be.

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Bryce couldn't have a Christmas with his father. Why did

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Brandon have to be such an asshole and die on her,

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leave her to raise Bryce alone? He said he would

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always be there for her, but where was he now?

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Deep down inside, she knew she could face whatever came

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her way. She just didn't want to face it alone.

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She missed having him around to bounce ideas off, to

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make memories with, just to snuggle with on the couch

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with a good movie. She wished he was there with

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her now. She stood up and got closer to the fireplace,

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looking at the old pictures and stand up frames on

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the mantle. Then her eyes fell upon the saw her

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father had on the mantle on a little stand. It

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looked old, ancient really, the wood handle sanded smooth except

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where a sun and moon were carved, forming the grooves

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for fingers. Her father never spoke of the saw, He

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never used it. It just sat there as a curious

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curio from the past. She traced her fingers along the

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polished metal surface of the blade, careful to keep her

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fingertips from the sharp teeth. It called to her in

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some subconscious way. She could almost hear a voice call

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her name in a breathy whisper, Jennifer. She wrapped her

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hand around it. It was warm to the touch. She

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felt the pulse of life in the wood, like a heartbeat.

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Jennifer.

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That voice so familiar, like a favorite hoodie or blanket.

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The words wrapped around her, comforting her. Where did she

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know it from? Jennifer? Are you okay? Jennifer gasped and

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pulled her hand back. She turned to see her mother

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looking concerned at her. Didn't you hear me come in? Jenny,

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Amy asked, No, I guess not, she replied, looking back

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at the saw resting on its displaystand. Grandma came a

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shrill voice from the hall. As Bryce charged into the

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down coat his grandmother wore. He wrapped his arms around

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her waist and squeezed so hard she could hardly breathe.

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Nice to see you, Bryce, she said in a strained voice.

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She tried to pry his young arms apart and escape

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his excited clutch. Bryce, let your grandma go, Jennifer said,

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and helped her mom out. Got any cookies? Bryce asked,

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I might let's go to the kitchen and find out,

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although I think it's time for lunch, Amy said, leading

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him away. Amy, dear my pills, Mark asked right away.

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His wife replied, Dad, I could have gotten them for you.

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Jennifer stated, no big deal, she likes to fuss over me.

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Mark answered and sat back down where he was before

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company came. Have a seat, he finished, gesturing to the

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chair she was sitting in earlier. Grandma said, come get lunch,

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Bryce said, entering the room. I'm not very hungry, Jennifer said,

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looking up at the mantle. Grandma said, I can't have

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a cookie until everyone eats lunch. Bryce answered his mom

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looks like we have no choice. Mark said, help your

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grandfather up. Bryce grabbed his grandfather's sweater sleeve and gave

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a big yank. He pulled the sleeve half off Mark's arm. Easy,

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you gotta hold my hand, Mark said, with a chuckle.

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Bryce did better the second time, and they all went

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to the kitchen. Let's go get lunch. Then I can

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take my pills. Supposed to take him with food anyway,

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Mark finished, Look, Grandpa, it's snowing.

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A sh It was only the wind, your safe weekly

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Spooky will be right back.

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As the evening shadows grew, the snow outside began to

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pile up in large, puffy flakes, the beauty of which

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was lost on Keiko. She came here to the mortal

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realm for one reason, to get back what was stolen

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from her people. It was her shame that drove her.

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It was the perfect time, a fortnight, to get the

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job done. As the days grew their darkest to cross over.

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It was a long way home, tunneling through the strange

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rock of this new continent, but she had to return

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to where it had happened. She eyed the home of

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her adversary. Many years had gone by since their paths

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had crossed since that night so long ago. In fact,

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this wasn't where it happened at all, and it took

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years to track him down. Fifty years ago. This Christmas

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eve it happened, but she had no concern for mortal calendars.

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All she knew was that her kind could come out

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during the twelve days of Christmas while the sun ceases

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its seasonal movement for that two week span they could

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put down their tools and take a break from toiling

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down in the earth on the roots of the world tree.

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The last time she was here was a fiasco, one

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that she was now going to write. Keiko, along with

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a fire hydrant, made their way across the snow covered driveway,

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glancing this way and that. The greatest fear was that

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one of this world's dogs would grab her and run

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off the hydrant. Sphere of dogs was a different one altogether.

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She stood on tippy toes and looked over the hood

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of the buick, but there was no canine in sight.

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One diminutive hand slid into her pocket, pulling out a

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small knife. A wicked smile crossed her face. Grandpa, do

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you have any good Christmas stories? Bryce asked, with a

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mouthful of gingerbread cookie about Sannah Mark asked, no, I've

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heard all those. Those are boring, Bryce said, in an

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impatient voice. Jennifer noticed her father's glance to the mantle

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on the fireplace. It was only for a second, but

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she caught it. Dad. Why don't you tell the story

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of that small saw on the mantle? Even I haven't

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heard that one, Jennifer prodded, that's not a story I'm

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particularly proud of. Mark responded with a sigh. He rose

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to his feet gingerly and walked over to the fireplace.

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He stared at the fire for a long moment before

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he spoke again, Well, I'm not getting any younger, it's

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probably best I get it off my chest. Mark reached

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up with his weathered hand and wrapped it around the handle,

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feeling the smooth worked wood once again in his hands.

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No species of tree on earth compared to this, he thought,

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as he looked at the grain, which seemed to shimmer

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from his touch. He turned and faced his family. It

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was so such a crazy story, an insane night from

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five decades earlier, when he was just a teenager, a

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story no one believed over the years, so much so

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that he doubted his own memories if it wasn't for

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the saw. A tear raced down his cheek as he

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looked at it. At first, instinct had told him to

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take it from her. Then he decided to keep the thing.

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He always meant to return it some day, but one

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year turned into another, then another. It was Christmas Eve,

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a fourteen year old Mark was making his way through

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the snow that covered the streets of Suburbia. He was

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visiting his friend Claudio when Claudio's mother called down to

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them in the basement. Mark, your mother wants you to

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come home, she yelled down the stairs. Mark sighed. Always

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in the middle of combat, he thought, as he threw

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his twenty sided dice down on the table. I gotta go.

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You leave now, you might die, Claudio said with a smirk.

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Mark knew he was just teasing. He looked around the

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table at his friend's Sorry guys, Mark said, before racing

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up the stairs and out into the frigid air. He

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still only had one arm in his coat, since the

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other held his book bag. He stopped in front of

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the church on Main Street to put his jacket all

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the way on. That's when he first saw her. At first,

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he thought someone had let their kid out alone. The

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small figure was in the front lawn of the church

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and ducked behind the hedges that were carved into nativity

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animals for the holidays. As he made his way in

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front of the large brick building, he called out to

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the kid, I swear if I get hit with a snowball,

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he started to warn. Then he heard a sound. He

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stopped and listened. In the snowstorm, sound was all but silenced,

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but he heard the rhythmic sound of a saw. What

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was that kid up to? Back there, hey, kid, Mark

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called out, and started to walk towards the break in

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the hedges where the slabs of concrete lead to the

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front door. You cutting down their hedges or something? Mark

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finished as he rounded a hedge in the shape of

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a donkey to confront the young child. What are you

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up to, Mark asked the kid hidden in the shadows

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of the hedge. The child gasped and turned to face him,

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its features illuminated in a beam of street light. Mark

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took a step back, unsure what he was looking at.

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Its eyes showed years beyond comprehension, dark pools of eternity.

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What he thought was a snowsuit was long brown hair

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covering its body. He called it an it because it

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had a long tail that flicked with nervous energy. What

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are you, he whispered, in anxious awe keko it replied

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in a feminine voice. You're keko, Mark asked. There was

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a hint of wonder in his voice. He was still cautious,

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but was more curious than anything else.

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Don't go away weakly. Spooky, We'll be right.

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Back, Keko name, the creature responded, pointing at her chest.

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That was when he first laid eyes on the saw.

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It was beautiful. What are you doing with that saw, Keiko,

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he asked. The creature clutched the small cutting tool to

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her chest protectively. He looked past her and saw where

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she had been sawing into the small trunks of the hedges.

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Small piles of sawdust lay on the snow. Give me that,

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Mark said, and yanked the saw from Keiko's hand. She

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growled at him and charged at him with a quickness

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he was not expecting. Mark backpedaled away a few steps,

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but when he saw the look on Keiko's face, he

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thought it best to run. He ran back to the

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street and looked over his shoulder. Keiko was standing on

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the edge of the road, and Mark could finally get

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a good look at her. She had cloven feet, a

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hairy b and a tail. She growled at him, and

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he swore her eyes glowed with a red intensity. He

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looked down at the saw and thought about chucking it

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back at her, but for some reason, he thought taking

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it was the right thing to do to stop whatever

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mayhem Keiko was up to clump clomp. Mark could hear

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Keiko behind him and gaining fast. Suddenly, a burst of

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something shot past him and hit a fire hydrant. The

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hydrant came alive, splitting at the top into a mouth

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of fangs. It broke free from the concrete and started

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after him with a metallic clang. Oh shit, Mark yelled

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and ran back across the street, diving through the same

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hedges he had fled just in time as another blast

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hit the bush shaped like a can, and it came

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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

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a terrified, wide eyed squirrel at him. Mark fell on

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his butt, trying to get away from the camel as

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it tried to lift its legs and uproot itself to

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give chase. He scooted backwards until his back came to

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rest on something. The camel, the hydrant, and Keiko were

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standing at the edge of the church lawn looking at him.

302
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Oh shit, I am gonna die tonight. Claudio was right,

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

304
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Keiko said, why are you destroying the hedges, Mark asked,

305
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looking down at the saw he still gripped for fun.

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Keiko replied and took a few steps closer. You see,

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my kind only come to the mortal realm for twelve

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days a year. We can finally take a break from

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our labor and come live it up. Causing a little

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mayhem as just how we blow off steam after a

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hard year's work, The creature continued, What do you do

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for work? Mark asked, trying to bide him time until

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he caught his breath and could run away again. My

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brothers and sisters and I saw away at the world Tree.

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We were almost through this time. One final push when

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

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

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Give me back my saw, Keiko snarled, the World Tree.

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Don't we need that? Mark asked, In reality, he had

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

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it fall, We saw and cut the girl's cup, put

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the creature fire, hydrant and camel sang in unison. I

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got to get out of here, Mark said, and scrambled

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to his feet, just as Cako held up a wand

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and shot another blast at him. He somersaulted out of

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the way, losing his backpack in the process. He turned

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to see what the blast had hit and was horrified

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as Baby Jesus crawled out of the manger with a

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menacing look. Mark ran through the ankle deep snow before

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launching over the hedges and raced home, still clutching the

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saw in his hand. As the boy made his way

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down the dark street, Keiko picked up the backpack and

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rifled through it. She pulled out a hat and lowered

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it to the crawling Baby Jesus and had it sniff it.

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Lead me to him, boy, she said, and followed the

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little Savior on the back of a thorny camel. The

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fire hydrant reluctantly followed behind, having to clang his way

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through the streets. Grandpa, did that really happen? Bryce asked,

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with half a cooky stuffed in his mouth. Everyone had

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been engrossed in the story. The room had grown dark,

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the fire was now embers. Jennifer went over to stoke

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and feed it every word of it. Mark said, Was

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it an elf? Bryce asked, Oh, no, nothing like that.

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It was a goblin. You see, a kalakant Tsarro's to

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be exact. Took me a while to find them at

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the library, but I eventually did you see? They spend

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all year toiling underground, hacking and sawing at the World Tree,

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trying to topple the world. But they get a Christmas

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vacation like you do for the twelve days of Christmas.

350
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They come to the surface to cause mayhem. Every year

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they cause mischief, then returned to the World Tree to

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find it. It healed itself in their absence, and they

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have to start all over again. Mark explained. The sound

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of broken glass came from the kitchen. Jennifer was faster

355
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than her parents and made it to the doorway. First,

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she saw the shards of glass lying in the sink

357
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as the curtains whipped around in the snowy wind coming through.

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Then a small hand gripped the window sill, and then another.

359
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A face peeked out over the sill, straining to lift

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itself with its tiny Nativity arms.

361
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More scarce to come weekly, spooky, We'll be right back.

362
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There was a pounding on the front door. Jennifer heard

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

364
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opened the closet where her mom kept the brooms and mops.

365
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She grabbed the first handle she could find and raised

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it like a weapon towards the small savior. There is

367
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a there's a hydrant at the door, Bryce called back,

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like it was the most natural thing in the world.

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A hydrant, she called back, and a grassy camel, the

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

371
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fend off the animated child of God. It giggled a

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child's giggle as saliva dripped off its fanged teeth. It

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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

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

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

379
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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

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

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animated christ Child climbed onto the countertop, it was making

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its way towards the knife block a few feet away.

389
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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

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

392
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the counter until the exposed broomstick stuck into the wall.

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Its wicked, forked tongue lashed out at her, wrapping around

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her wrist. She fought to pull back, but the tongue

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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
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From the other room, Jennifer heard the door breaking down.

399
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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
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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.