ABDUCTED

Deck the Halls with Corpses

Chapter 14. Page 382–

Wednesday December 14

12 days Until Christmas

Demi smacked her gum as Anica quietly walked beside us to Dad's house. I unlocked the door, immediately noticing the pile of boxes being moved from the top of the stairs, to the bottom of the stairs by our brothers. "Glam?" I called out. Glammy walked in, tennis bracelet sparkling in the light as she placed a disappointed hand on her popped hip, complimenting that judgmental eyebrow raise. "Where have you two been?" She questioned. Anica and I looked at one another, waiting for the other to answer. As the older sister, I rolled my eyes at my younger sister before answering our grandmother. "We got a ride to the Chinese place by the movies after school to get something to eat and then came here after," I said holding out the to-go bag in my hand. Glam shook her head in disappointment. "And when were you planning on decorating the house for Christmas. Your mother called to check if you had even started," Glammy informed with that "granny glare." I gulped, remembering the phone call I had with my mom like a week ago. "Crap! I forgot!" I said looking around at all the boxes. Glammy smiled, with a chuckle. "It's alright. I've noticed you've been stressed. Don't you worry, missy. We'll make it a family affair," she said gleefully. I smiled back, looking at Demi. She gave me that "you owe me look" knowing what I was asking for with my eyes.

I gathered my siblings, grandmother, and friends in the living. The doorbell rang, causing Denny to spring up, running toward the door. He returned moments later with his girlfriend, Catalina a few seconds later. "Hi, everyone. It's nice to see you guys again," she said politely. We took our turns greeting her, followed by some small talk about her pregnancy. Denny led her to his seat, taking a seat on the floor next to her after she sat down. "Okay we're ready," he announced.

14.383–

My family stared at me, awaiting my command as I studied the blank clipboard in my hands, twirling a pen in between my fingers. I looked to my younger siblings, thinking of how I needed to fill our homes with Christmas joy. "Alright, so as most of you know I forgot to start decorating for Christmas. Mom usually does it, but I still apologize for failure to complete this very important task. Christmas is no joke, so let's make it the best ever," I said with a smile. Everyone cheered like it was the part of a hallmark of movie when the protagonist comes up with a plan to save Christmas. Decorating was easy. We had had these decorations for years and there were more in my mom's basement. Still, I needed to think of activities and wow-factors for the kids. My parents aren't the best at dividing their attention so I know they find solace in their siblings—especially me. I've been so preoccupied lately—what could I do to make up for it? One thing my family has always loved is competition. Perhaps we could make today a game.

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I turned the clipboard on its side, an idea striking me like a slap. I began scribbling on my board, writing down the names of each face in front of me. I boxed in a few names at a time, mentally preparing a few rules. "What do we do?" Jason asked, smiling like an idiot. "I have divided everyone into various teams based on the difficulty of your tasks today. Since it's a school night, we have until bedtime for the littles to win the ULTIMATE PRIZE! We will break the competition up into two rounds—Dad's house and then Mom's with a tie breaker if need be. I dub today, Wednesday December 14th: DECK THE HALLS IN A DAY DAY—or 'D.T.H.I.A.D.D 2017'for short," I said with a chuckled. "I just came up with this on the spot," I said clarifying. Most of the faces before me looked intrigued while others looked excited. Beth raised her hand. I pointed at her, signaling for her speak. "This seems kinda easy. Are there any obstacles or rules?" She asked. I laughed, not needing psychic powers to know one of them was going to ask that. "You underestimate the side of our houses. Of course there's rules and obstacles, it's me," I chuckled. "But, there are benefits," I added. JT raised his hand. I nodded at him, waiting for him to talk. "What are they?" He asked. "The first rule is to not disturb Glammy while she cooks dinner. The second one is "No tantrums" which includes big kids and grownups. We have to work together in our teams. Which brings me to the third rule: Sabotage IS permitted—this includes stealing and hiding decor. But rule number four: Do not damage the decor or each other. Jamie and mom will put aside their differences and kill all of us," I announced. "And the obstacles?" Demi asked. "Alright, the kitchen team gets the smallest team the space isn't that big. They also have to find the kitchen and dining decor in mom's basement. Those on living room, den, and hallway duty must wait for the outside team to detangle the lights from previous years. Those on the outside team must wait for the inside team to finish hanging the signs and putting up the statues they want inside the house. Meaning you'll have to make an honest trade off if you really want to win. However, there are benefits. The kitchen and dining room team are small enough to where they'll decorate with less risk of disturbing Glammy in Dad's kitchen. They also have a free kitchen and dining room in mom's house. The inside team has the first pick of lights, signs, and statues. And the outside team gets the biggest team for the hardest task." They began talking amongst themselves, discussing the rules and obstacles. Once the commotion died down, Jason spoke up. "What are the teams?" He asked. I smirked, looking down at my papers.