A Christmas Horror Story Read Online Free Page B

Henrietta to the bone.
    ‘Father Christmas,’ giggled Alice, and she went skipping over to the fireplace, reaching it before Henrietta could protest.
    Henrietta could only look on as her tiny companion was engulfed by the dark, still giggling as she disappeared into the chimney stack. Her eyes did not betray Henrietta; something had taken Alice, something with a dark, dark purpose. Henrietta stepped back, every instinct telling her to run. But her eyes, her eyes would not leave the sight of the fireplace and her ears were enchanted by the black magic of the jingle bells oozing into the hall.
    ‘Alice?’
    She ventured forward as dust fell from the fireplace, and in her despair Henrietta saw something unfurling in the hearth. It was Alice, somewhat dirtier, with soot and coal coating her as she emerged from the fireplace. She stood awkwardly and her head flopped to one side as if she was being playful. She moved towards Henrietta in an almost fluid, floating motion. Alice spoke with a high-pitched voice that had a strange accent to it, and when she spoke her body shook as if she were a ventriloquist’s dummy. Any relief that Henrietta had for that moment was replaced by an uncontrollable horror that gripped at her nerves.
    ‘
Herkommen, kleines Mädchen, herkommen,
’ it said.
    ‘Oh Alice, oh Alice,’ cried Henrietta seeing that Alice was not Alice at all, but was held aloft and moved by a puppeteer—a creature smirking from the dark. She could see the reflection of the lamps in its white orb eyes and the shine of saliva on a lengthened toothy grin. It leered down over Alice, her pale limp form held by string rather than dark fingers.
    ‘I knew Father Christmas would not come here,’ whispered Henrietta, and she closed her eyes.
    Moments later, from the orphanage roof, a creature made of Christmas nightmares and holding a bulging sack that looked to hold doll-shaped toys made its escape through the silhouette of the city, not to be seen for another year.

Chapter Five
    Moorside, Glossop, Christmas Eve 2014
    Emily’s face was staring back when Katie opened her eyes. Emily stood by the bunk bed, level with her sister. She was blowing on Katie’s face to wake her. Emily immediately stopped when Katie became aware of her. It was light and the sun beamed through the opened, curtained windows. The World War Two metal shutters had been rolled back into place. Katie wiped the sleep from her eyes and noticed that Jake was standing next to Emily.
    ‘Something is wrong,’ Emily said.
    ‘What is it?’ Katie asked sitting up.
    ‘You’d better come and see’,’ Jake added.
    Katie climbed out of her bed, happy to be awake and away from weird dreams. The other two watched her as she put on her purple dressing gown. Emily was dressed in an oversized jumper and thick woollen tights pulled up over her black leggings. Jake was wearing his dad’s police jogging hoodie. It nearly buried him but kept Jake snug. His hands were covered by the sleeves, in which he held a bowl of cereal and a spoon.
    All three of them went into their mother’s room. The curtains were still closed, keeping most of the light outside. What slivered through fell upon their mum’s quilted and neatly made bed. On the dressing table, their mum’s make-up and hairbrush hadn’t been moved. Her pyjamas were still neatly folded.
    Katie shrugged. ‘I spoke to her last night. The hospital was busy. I expect she’s just running late. She’ll be home soon.’
    ‘See, I told you,’ Emily said while looking at Jake.
    ‘I was just was worried, that’s all’,’ he said sulkily.
    Katie smiled at him. All three had been nervous since their father had died, and always at the back of their minds was the fear they would lose another parent. It was a feeling that could easily catch either one of them off their guard. It lurked under the surface of normality.
    ‘OK, well, now that’s settled we have another problem: the electricity is off,” Emily