Bad Santa

Episode 5 – The Naughty Triplets

Years passed, and life in the far north settled into order. Santa’s new kingdom grew strong, built upon joy and purpose. The elves, once bitter, found comfort in the toy factory, where every year they prepared gifts for human children across the world. For Santa, it was more than tradition—it was redemption. Each toy, each wrapped package, was a shield against rejection, loneliness, and despair. He vowed that no child should suffer as he had.

But not all children were ready to be saved.

Far away in Greenland lived three brothers: Eddy, Lenny, and Denny Cooper. The triplets were only ten years old, but their reputation spread like wildfire. Their father had abandoned them before birth, and their mother died bringing them into the world. Raised by their frail grandmother, they grew up hungry for love they never received. The old woman tried her best, knitting sweaters and telling stories, but to the boys it was never enough. Each Christmas, they unwrapped the same—scarves, mittens, and socks—while their classmates boasted about shiny toys and gadgets.

Resentment grew inside them like weeds. Their envy hardened into cruelty. One year, they set fire to their school just to end the term early. On Halloween, they unleashed their dogs on neighbours who refused them candy. They bullied weaker children without remorse. And every Christmas, when they received nothing from Santa but silence, their bitterness deepened.

In truth, they had written to him many times—begging, demanding, pleading. But their names appeared at the very top of the Naughty List, carved in bold letters. Santa withheld gifts not out of malice, but because he hoped they would learn discipline and change. To the triplets, however, his silence was proof of hatred.

Two nights before Christmas, as they slept in their grandmother’s cold wooden house, a voice seeped into their dreams. Dark, seductive, it slithered into their ears:

“He will never love you. He will never give you gifts. Santa hates you. You are nothing but outcasts. But I can show you where he hides his secrets.”

The boys tossed and turned. Images filled their minds—visions of the Naughty List, glowing in a box beneath Santa’s bed. The voice whispered again:

“Destroy it, and the world will know fairness. If you cannot have presents, no one should.”

At dawn, the brothers awoke in silence. No words were needed; each knew the others had dreamed the same. By the time their grandmother stirred from sleep, their beds were empty.

Guided by the coordinates etched in their minds, they trudged through snow and ice until at last the Northern Lights shimmered above a hidden valley. There it stood: Santa’s village, its towers glowing warmly, smoke curling from the chimneys.

Like shadows, the boys slipped past the guards and through the halls. Elves bustled in preparation, unaware of the intruders creeping into their master’s chambers. Beneath the bed they found it—a wooden box painted red and white, decorated with silver trim.

Lenny’s hands trembled as he opened it. Smoke poured out, curling around their faces. Inside lay a shining plaque—the Naughty List, etched with countless names.

At the very top, bold and merciless: Eddy Cooper. Lenny Cooper. Denny Cooper.

Fury consumed them. With a scream, Denny snatched the list and tore it into pieces.

The voice purred in satisfaction. “Good. But your work is not finished. Burn it all. Burn his factory. If you cannot have joy, let there be none at all.”

The triplets’ eyes glowed with rage. The path to ruin had begun.