Snow fell silent and beautiful outside the window as the pale lights of Christmas eve decor colorfully illuminated the streets. Joshua sat gazing at the magical sight, one that rarely occured these days on Christmas. He had been pondering all evening whether this would be his last waking sight before the big reveal the next morning. Where an array of beautiful carefully wrapped presents would be stacked neatly under the tree, many with his name on it. Soon he would be asked to go to bed and as with so many Christmases before this he would not dare venture up late to catch a glimps of Santa. Or would he?
His parents had always warned him that if he were to stay up and get out of bed on Christmas Eve Santa would not come and he would receive no presents. Until this evening Joshua had never dared question that notion. Perhaps it was his young curious mind enchanted by the snowfall outside that sparked his curosity, or the fact that at 10 years old he was starting to no longer believe in Santa and part of him wondered if it was really his parents eating the cookies and drinking the milk left out every Christmas eve.
"Honey" Joshua's mother Amanda said softly. "its time for bed". Joshua sighed gazing once more at the scene outside and climbed into bed. His father James stood in the doorway smiling proudly as Amanda knelt by his bed side. "Sleep tight baby" she said kissing him warmly on the cheek and tucking him in. Joshua would have been teased by his friends as he was growing a bit old for this kind of treatment but as an only child he loved his parents, they were good to him, firm and understanding and even though he was an only child they had not spoiled him, he had a profound respect for what he had that was a direct result of their upbrining. While Joshua would tear into his gifts tomorrow morning and love everything he received he truly believed his parents were the best gift he had.
They both smiled at him in the doorway and shut off his light before retreating into the darkness of the hallway. Tonight he would have to defy their wishes, tonight he would once and for all find out the truth. Was the magic of Christmas really magic? Did a large bellied man in a red and white fur coat really supply the entire world with gifts in just one night? These are things Joshua yearned to know, never stopping to ask himself if it really mattered. For even if the presents were from his parents, they represented the love and spirit of giving that was the epitome of the holiday.
Midnight rolled around and the house was still quiet. Joshua's parents and retreated to bed over and hour ago and he was certain they were asleep. His mind raced, spinning a million different scenarios as he crept down the stairs tip toeing in rapt anticipation for what he would find. Peaking his head around the corner Joshua's eyes went right for the tree and he let out a slight sigh. Underneath were many many presents, waiting for the mornings unveiling that had not been there before he went to bed.
Joshua was certain he had heard no one and that this would mean that they were infact placed there by his parents. His heart sank upon the realization that the last bit of magic he had believed turned out to be false. He turned to make his way upstairs when a sound broke the silence and froze him in his tracks.
It came from the kitchen, as though someone rummaging through their refrigerator. His previously shattered heart mended at the thought of this being it, perhaps Santa really had come and was there at this moment. He gazed around the corner barely breathing in the hopes the maker of the noise would let him catch one glimps. Unfortunately for Joshua he got his wish.
Standing in dining room was indeed a being ripped out of fantasy but not one of child like wonder but of nightmare. Joshua's eyes widened and his heart raced as he gazed upon a large creature standing there. Its feet cloven and skin red as blood. Rams horns curled around the side of its head and it wore rags and reeked of rotting flesh. Its face was sinister, a mouth filled with sharpened teeth and a forked tongue that was lapping up frosting from jar that had previously been used to make cookies for Santa. This being was no champion of children but a minion of evil, straight from his notion of hell. Its eyes glowed in the dim light of the house and Joshua knew he could not let it see him.
He crept back upstairs and into bed pulling the covers up. His heart raced hoping what he saw was an illusion or a bad waking dream. The sound of his beating heart rang in his ears but was soon matched in rythym with another sound. Footsteps ascended the stairs. The sound of sharp claws running along the polished wood of the stair rail followed upwards. His door crept open creaking slightly as a dark silloutte stood in his doorway. The eyes glowed and the stench filled his room as the creature grew closer climbing onto his bed.
Joshua was paralyzed with fear as it crept over him pinning him down and glaring into his eyes. Grinning it opened its large mouth revealing its sharp yellow teeth and horrid breath. Joshua let out a scream as it fell upon him devouring him into darkness.
It was dawn. Joshua sat up suddenly breathing fast, soaked in sweat, or so he hoped. He had fallen asleep trying to stay up and had a horrible nightmare. He blushed a bit at his fear as the light of day shed a wonderful merry atmosphere outside. The streets were empty and the sun shown golden light on the snow covered earth. It was Christmas morning and his dream had been the product of guilt for wanting to catch a peak at Santa.
He took a moment to smile and laugh at himself for his foolishness and then realized it was christmas morning and he had a fun filled day of amazing food, family and presents ahead of him, just like all of those other houses in the street. He dashed out of bed and hustled down stairs getting a slight splinter from the rail in his haste which slowed his decent. Sucking on his finger he reached the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner to gaze upon the scene he had waited not so patiently for.
Sure enough the presents were neatly stacked as they should be but that was not what caused Joshua's mouth to open and shiver in terror. He gazed at the far wall where the stockings were hung and his mother gazed back at him. Her mouth was open and her eyes wide with a fright he did not know adults could have, her neck was snapped and her lifeless body hung from a large red bow tied around it. His father was in the same position staring at him pleadingly with the same wide eyed look of fear his mother had, his neck too was broken and his body pinned neatly to the wall with a large red bow.
On the wall a christmas message was left for Joshua written in red and green frosting. Joshua screamed not with the joy the other children on the street were at this moment but with the shocking realization that he hadnt been dreaming, and his foolishness had lost him everything. The words would haunt his broken mind for many years to come and he would never look at Christmas the same way again. For next to the pale motionless hand of his father was the message. "You should have stayed in bed".
