An Abnormal Christmas

14: Downhill

Meghan stumbled past the six deer, the feel of a knife once again pressed to her back sending shivers down her spine. The deer only watched rigidly, their eyes holding lines of red on white. Something about them was unnerving. Santa had mentioned that his brother could control animals.

She lowered to her knees when Santa's brother forced her down. Gordon and Brek joined in kneeling, the elves hissing and prodding at them from behind. Meghan bit back sounds of pain as a burning sear grew gradually worse in her leg. The bone had broken the surface, poking out from a jagged break in the skin. Blood stained the grass below them. Brek saw it and took her hand in his, squeezing softly. She forced herself not to make any twitch in her face signifying her pain as Santa's brother crouched down to look into her eyes.

The shadow of the hood hid the top half of a grotesque face, but the wide mouth lined with large, pointed teeth was visible. It curled into a sneer, the skin around it cracking open and the dry skin withering. Meghan swallowed, willing herself not to look away.

The decaying hand with a missing finger grabbed her throat, the long fingers squeezing slightly. Meghan remained unwavering, though her internal self wanted to scream and cry.

"What?" she whispered hoarsely, slipping her trembling hands between her legs. "What do you want?" Though she knew perfectly well what he was there for.

He used his free hand to pull a piece of paper out of his cloak. Moments of complete silence passed before his face turned down to her oddly leg angled. He pressed the paper against the small spike of bone visible. She cried out through gritted, tears blurring her vision as the bone tore through the paper and held it in place. Santa's brother left it attached to the fractured bone as he then released her throat to jab the gingerbread-man knife at Gordon's stomach.

"Stop it!" Brek hissed, his voice quavering but his eyes holding a fiery rage. He began to move forward, but Meghan grabbed his shirt tightly in her fist.

"No," Gordon said. Meghan squeezed her eyes momentarily shut, still blinded by the spiraling pain making rounds across her leg.

Gordon looked up at Santa's brother and the creature nodded his head toward Meghan's leg. Her ex-husband looked at her with pained eyes and an apology buried in them before reaching out to delicately pull the slip of paper off of the bone. She cringed and bit her lip to a point where it bled as he unfolded it. Her hands moved to squeeze her leg. The blood still oozed out, soaking her jeans a dark red.

"You've run out of chances for you read my other notes and knew," Gordon read out loud, his voice seeming like a shout in the silent air, "so now I'll torture your children and use their flesh for stew."

The breath hitched in Meghan's throat. But then she gave Santa's brother a triumphant smile and croaked, "You can't. They're gone."

He turned back to her, his sneer widening, making the cracks in his flesh open further. The elves surrounding them hissed and screeched almost approvingly, causing a slant of doubt to chill Meghan's heart. They were gone. They were safe. Why were the elves happy?

The three adults were prodded to their feet by the elves and Santa's brother motioned toward their totaled car. He then waved for the elves to follow him and began walking away, his chilling, rasped moans filling the air. The six deer followed swiftly behind him. Meghan watched them leave with her stomach twisting in fear. What strategy was he playing at? Why did he keep catching and releasing? How were they supposed to kill him?

Once they were out of sight, Meghan slumped forward, groaning softly as Gordon and Brek grabbed her to keep her from falling over.

"You need the hospital," Brek said shakily, glaring after where Santa's brother had disappeared.