Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Three

They appeared in a snow covered landscape. Adam looked around and saw mountains and large conifer trees. Despite the snow it wasn't that cold as a warm sun bathed the land in a radiant light.

"Jake is here?" he said.

"George isn't here," said Brigitte.

"And neither is Malcolm," said the Bug.

"Where have they gone to?"

"You are the one who teleported us here," said Brigitte. "Don't you know?"

"No I don't."

"They could have been left behind," said the Bug. "George is two dimensional and has trouble being in contact with the three dee world. As for Malcolm, who knows? Where is this place?"

"I can answer that," said Brigitte, obviously thankful. "This is the Christmas world, my world. Look there's my dad's house."

She pointed to a large wood house with a wide, low sloping roof and its walls decorated with brightly coloured pictures of animals and plants and people. It was two stories high with the top story opening into an elegant balcony lined with red and pink and white and blue flowers.

"Looks nice," said Adam. "And we arrived safely, as I predicted. Hey check this place out."

Adam pointed to a low wood house at the side of the main building. It was brightly coloured and had large windows. Over the door was a painted sign saying, 'Toy Store. Sample the best toys in this universe.'

Adam ran to a window and peered inside. The window was full of games and modern electric and electronic toys, and toys that clearly belonged to the future. The contents of the store had a siren like call to him and he pressed his nose against the glass. Brigitte and the bug peered in.

"Dad and the elves have surpassed themselves this year."

"We have just got to go inside and look," said Adam. "We may even be able to play with some of them. This is awesome."

"You soon forgot Jake, and George and Malcolm."

"No I haven't."

"George and Malcolm could be in as much trouble as Jake. Let's go into the house and say hello to dad first," said Brigitte. "He can get us back to the Nexus, and then we can find out what happened to our friends."

"Your father can wait, surely. Let's go inside. Now this is what I call Christmas!"

"No he can't wait. Let's go and see him and maybe he can get us back to the Nexus somehow. There's plenty of time to see this later."

"But..." Adam gestured at the toy store and then he gave up. "Let's go and see Father Christmas then, though I'd rather see his toys."

The three children made their way to the large wood house with its brightly coloured walls and displays of flowers. Brigitte pushed open the door and they went in.

"Dad!" she called. "It's me, Brigitte. I know we shouldn't be here but we did something a bit naughty. My new friend Adam is entirely to blame."

They found themselves in a vast room made of wood. The walls were brightly decorated with paintings of sleighs piled high with presents, and paintings of tall conifers and happy elves. The floor was rough wooden planks and overhead were sturdy wood beams. Near one side of the room was a very tall Christmas tree hung with all kinds of decorations and at its base were piles of brightly wrapped Christmas gifts.

Brigitte looked around. "There's something wrong."

"Like what?" said Adam, still annoyed he had to pass up on the toy store.

"Where are the elves? Look, there should be a fire in fire place and there's always carols playing. Something's wrong with the tree."

She went up to the tree and inspected it and gasped.

"Adam, Bug, take a look at this."

The two children approached the tree and looked to where Brigitte was pointing. Adam examined the ornaments. A lot of them were figurines of what looked like elves.

"Dad's elves, they're all on the tree. There's Zoowinkle, Ted, Fred, Pepper, Shinny Uppatree, Sugarplum Mary, Elf Bernard, Snowball, Tiny Tim, Santa's shortest elf and Tiny Tim's brother, Santa's tallest elf, Big Ben, Trixie, Poppy, Candy Lou and Tinsel Annie. Somebody's turned them into ornaments and hung them on the tree."

She looked up.

"At least the fairy's still at the top."

The Bug was holding a small device which had lots of winking coloured lights, and made buzzing and whistling sounds. The bug peered at it.

"I'm detecting a life form at azimuth sixty degrees, vector zero. The life form is anthropoid, sports horns on its head, is covered in dense black hair, has red eyes and though upright on two legs, those legs end in cloven hooves."

"You got all that from that gizmo?" said Adam.

"No, I can see it," said the Bug, pointing directly before him.

They all looked and sure enough there stood an erect creature with a horned head and whose body was covered in black glistening fur. It stood on cloven hooves and its eyes were like glowing red coals.

"Krampus?" gasped Brigitte.

"Welcome home Brigitte," said the creature.

"You two know each other?" said Adam.

"This is Krampus, the dark opposite of Father Christmas. Father Christmas gives gifts to children who have been good and Krampus hits the bad kids with a stick. Krampus is a demon from Hell. But you're a myth!"

"I assure you as myths go, I am very real," said Krampus slapping his stomach.

"So you were the one who turned the elves into ornaments?"

"Guilty as charged."

"What have you done with mum and dad and my brother?"

"Oh they're all in a safe place and you three will join them, but I have to say you people bear a charmed life."

"What?"

"The toy store? You were all meant to go into it. It had some magic to make it irresistible. It was a trap."

"Thanks for that," said Adam tapping Brigitte's sleeve.

"Another fine mess I got you out of," she said.

"Ah well," said Krampus. "You just delayed the inevitable."

"Where did you come from?" said Brigitte. "Are you responsible for all this?"

"Alas, I can't claim credit for everything you see. I did have help. There is one greater than me who brought me into being. He is the master. He knew that you, Adam, would try this, teleport to where you believed Jake to be, and prepared an ingenious trap. You should have stayed at the Nexus. You were all safe there. No longer."

Krampus grinned and revealed wicked looking pointed teeth. "Now let's a have a little fun."

"What do you mean fun?" said Adam.

"You know," said Krampus producing a large black stick. "Fun."

"Run!" yelled Adam.

From around Krampus there emerged a crowd of screaming, yowling demons. They rushed at the children.