Silent Night

Santa Claus is coming to town. You better be good. He watches you while your sleeping, knows when your awake. I always thought that song was a creepy one. Then you had his elf’s invading our homes to spy on us. It became more and more scary during that time to be bad. And after last year, I never want to be on his naughty list again.

Being 15 years old, I was past the whole Santa phase. My little brother was still 6 and totally believed so we still got the gifts under the tree. The first year I didn’t get gifts from Santa he noticed and I just told him little boys and girls got gifts from him, I was just too old now. He could get my share though. But this year I had been no good.

I had been fighting with my parents over a boy I liked. He was no good for me, you know the story. I of course thought they were wrong. I had been sneaking out of the house to see him and was grounded just before Christmas.

Sitting in my room, like I had been doing for a week, was getting boring. It was Christmas Eve and I knew no one would really be out. I opened my window and slipped onto the roof, dangling myself off it before dropping to the ground. I had my house key to get in the front later since the ladder I had been using to get back now chained up in the garage, in hope I stop.

The snow was thick on the ground as I started to walk threw it, pulling my coat around myself tightly. It had been a more mild winter, still cold but not a bad as normal. I headed down the empty, silent street, walking to the gas station near by. The neighbourhood had many homes but there was still lots of forest, since they were still developing it.

As I walked threw the snow, I pulled out my phone to help me find my way, deciding to cut threw a short cut in the small woods that would get me to that station faster. I swore I could hear bells in the distance. Just behind me. I looked back and saw nothing. No lights, no person, nothing to make a noise. I thought to myself the snow must be echoing things oddly.

The second I stepped into the woods though, everything felt different. I could feel a pressure in my ears. The sound around me, disappeared. Each step I took, nothing. No crunch of the snow. With the moon out, I could see the trees moving in the wind, but there was no crackling of wood or rustling of pine needles

I decided to turn back, to escape this oddity, but when I turned around, there stood a man in a red suit. He had a list in his hand, looking at me, and then at the list. When he turned it around, I saw my name written on it with Naughty next to it. The list just disappeared in his hand and that’s when he pulled something out of the sack next to him. I could see in it. There were presents but also blood, arms and legs. The gifts seemed untouched by the gore I saw. That’s when I saw the blood covered axe.

I tried to let out a scream but though I knew I was screaming, no sound filled the air. He smiled, his cruel, bloody smile. I turned around and took off, down the snow covered trail. My heart was racing, I could feel it in my chest and I could hear it in my ears, the only thing I could hear.

The axe came down, inches from me, hitting a tree next to me. I let out another silent scream as I tried to run harder. The snow making each step more difficult. Though others used this short cut, it had just snowed a few hours before. Each step, more tiring then the last.

I felt a sharp pain in my arm as he hit it but just grazed it. I swear I could hear him laughing a joy laugh. I dared not to look back. My phone and it’s flashlight still in my hand, me trying my best to use it to see before me.

I felt another sting as he got me in the back, another small gaze, cutting open my coat and shirt. I could feel my arm and back getting hot from the cuts he was causing me.

I don’t know how I got out of those woods but I did, right next to the gas station I had been trying to get to. I kept running, I could hear my footsteps, the snow crunching under my feet once more.

I let myself look back then, and there was Santa Claus, holding his blood covered axe with a smile. He winked at me, and I could hear bells as he disappeared in gust of snow.

I called my parents, waking them up as they could get me. I had more cuts on my coat then I realized and the one in my back was deeper then I first thought. I had to get stitches for it.

When I got home, I found a note on my bed, address to me with very fine handwriting. It Read

Naughty Naughty Sarah.

I decided you should get another chance to be on the nice list. If you are on the naughty list again, I will have to finish what we started tonight.

Santa

The letter had a piece of my coat in it, with a bit blood. I tried to scream in horror but no sound came out. That’s when I noticed the elf, sitting on my dresser, watching me.

I have been good this year, done everything my parents have asked but if I dare to speak of that night, nothing comes out, and I always see that elf, somewhere in the room. I’ve been watched closely this whole year and I hope I did enough to get on that nice list.

Oh god, I hear bells...I hear bells...