SANTA CURSE

It was Christmas Eve, and the clock had just struck midnight. In a dimly lit room, painted in muted shades of white and gray, an old man prepared for his annual transformation. Bags of colorful gifts, wrapped in green paper, lay scattered around him. On a nearby table, a Santa Claus suit was carefully laid out, waiting to be worn. The old man, clad only in his underwear, stood before the table, his eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. But as he reached for the suit, a sudden knock at the door startled him. "Who could that be?" he muttered to himself, his voice low and gravelly. "And how did they find me?" Hurriedly, he hid the gifts and the Santa suit, then made his way to the door. He flung it open, but there was no one there. The old man stepped outside, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Hey, whoever is out there, stop playing games!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the night. But there was only silence. Stupid thugs,he said to himself Shrugging, the old man returned inside, but as he entered, a dark, shadowy figure slipped in behind him. The old man's eyes turned a malevolent black, and his demeanor changed. He donned the Santa suit, grasped a knife and an axe, and walked out into the night, leaving the door open behind him. Jude and Sandra sat cozily in their living room, eyes fixed on the TV. Breaking news flashed on the screen: "Eight families found dead, with a gruesome note written in blood saying 'MERRY CHRISTMAS'." The police were searching for a suspect, described as a person dressed as Santa Claus. Jude burst out laughing. "That's ridiculous! Santa Claus killing people? It's bullshit!" Sandra's expression remained serious. "We don't know if it's true." Jude scoffed. "Come on, Sandra. They're just trying to sensationalize the news." Sandra glanced at the clock. "When are you going to pick up the kids from Grandma's?" Jude reassured her, "Don't worry, honey. I'll go soon." Sandra's concern lingered. "It's getting late... and you know those thugs are out there." Jude tried to alleviate her fears. "Don't worry, honey. I'll pick them up. I just want to shower first." With that, Jude headed out, leaving Sandra alone in the living room, her mind lingering on the disturbing news. Soon she Left for the kitchen. Sandra busied herself in the kitchen, cooking dinner for her kids, who were on their way home. Suddenly, a knock at the door broke the silence. Sandra's heart skipped a beat as she thought, "Jude's back already?" She hurried to the door, excited to see her kids. But when she peered through the peephole, there was no one in sight. "Stupid thugs," she muttered to herself. "What's the point of knocking on someone's door?" Shaking her head, she returned to the kitchen, put the food on the stove, and began washing dishes at the sink. As she gazed out the window, she wondered, "What's taking Jude so long? Maybe he stopped at the bar..." A wave of annoyance washed over her. "If he comes home drunk, I'll kill him." Just then, something caught her eye. A figure darted past the window. Sandra's heart racing, she thought, "What the...?" Suddenly, Santa Claus popped into view, his face twisted into a menacing grin. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" he bellowed. Sandra screamed, falling to the floor. Scrambling to her feet, she rushed to the living room, grabbed her phone, and dialed 911 Sandra frantically dialed 911. "911, what's your emergency?" the operator asked. "The Santa Claus! I just saw him! He popped out of my window, please come!" Sandra exclaimed. "Ma'am, calm down. Where are you now?" the operator replied. "I'm inside my house," Sandra answered, trying to compose herself. "Okay, ma'am, stay calm. We'll be right there. Just find a safe place to hide," the operator instructed. Sandra's voice trembled. "Please don't take too long." Soon, the police arrived, knocking on the door. Sandra cautiously opened it. "Ma'am, everything is okay now," the officer reassured her. Sandra's eyes widened. "It's not okay! I saw the Santa Claus!" The officer calmly explained, "It wasn't the real Santa Claus, ma'am. It was just someone wearing a Santa suit to scare people. We arrested him already." Sandra exhaled in relief. "Oh, Jesus. He scared the s**t out of me." The officer smiled. "Don't worry, ma'am. We'll take care of him, and make sure this never happens again." As the police drove away, Jude pulled into the compound, looking concerned. Sandra smiled, relieved to see her kids returning with Jude. The kids rushed to hug their mom. Jude asked, "Honey, what happened? What did the cops come for?" Sandra explained, "I thought I saw the evil Santa Claus, so I called the cops. They said it was just some thug in a Santa suit." Jude chuckled. "You're overreacting, honey. What you saw on the news wasn't real. I saw one of those Santas on the street on my way to pick up the kids." Sandra smiled. "Okay, honey. I hear you." As they went inside, Jude commented, "No one's outside on Christmas Eve. Those thugs are really killing the Christmas spirit." Sandra countered, "We can still enjoy it indoors as a family." Just as they sat down for dinner, someone knocked on the door. Sandra rolled her eyes. " Ignore it, sweetie. It's those thugs again. Let's just have a nice Christmas Eve dinner." Jude frowned. "I'm sick of this. I don't know if the cops are doing their job right. These thugs are really getting on my nerves." Sandra cautioned, "Honey, there's nothing we can do. Those thugs are dangerous. If we try to fight back, they might harm us. Let's just leave it to the cops." Jude reluctantly agreed. "Okay." As they continued dinner, the door knocked again. And again. Jude's patience wore thin. "Enough of this! Let me just scare them off." Jude cautiously approached the door and peered through the peephole. His heart sank as he saw a person dressed as Santa Claus. Jude's voice firm, he warned, "Hey, go away! I'm going to call the cops." The Santa-clad figure let out a menacing laugh, his voice booming and unsettling. "Hahahaha! You think the cops can stop me?" Jude threatened, "I'm going to call them now!" He grabbed his phone, but to his surprise, it started playing a Christmas song. He frantically tried to operate the phone, but it wouldn't respond. The Santa-clad figure taunted, "I told you, I'm going to kill you all!" Jude's fear escalated, and he rushed to Sandra and the kids. "I think the real Santa is here... he's going to kill us like he did to those other families!" Sandra asked, "Did you call the cops?" Jude replied, "I tried, but my phone won't respond. It started playing a Christmas song." Sandra's voice trembled. "How is that possible? Did you have any apps like that?" Jude shook his head. "Nope, I think that Santa has magic." Sandra's eyes widened in fear. "Oh God, save my family from this demon!" Jude whispered urgently, "Honey, we'll escape through the back door. He's at the front door now." Sandra nodded. "Alright, let's move quietly. We must not make any noise. Billy and Michael, you hear me?" The children whispered in unison, "Okay, Mom." As they crept towards the back door, the Santa outside continued to taunt them. "Ready or not, I'm coming!" he shouted. Sandra's voice trembled. "Did he just say he's coming in?" Jude whispered, "Let's just get to the door and escape." But when they reached the back door, they found it locked with a large red padlock. A note written in blood read: "Merry Christmas." Jude's eyes widened in horror. "Holy s**t, this guy is a demon!" Sandra pleaded, "Honey, get something and break it!" Jude spotted a hammer and began hitting the padlock. But to their surprise, the padlock grew bigger. Sandra's voice rose in desperation. "Oh Jesus, save me and my family! Honey, let's look for another place to escape from! Jude whispered, "Wait, I think he's gone." But suddenly, the Santa appeared in front of them, his eyes a terrifying plain black. He wielded a knife and an axe, both covered in blood. The once-pristine white fabric of his clothes was now stained with blood Santa's voice sent chills down their spines. "Merry Christmas." The family froze in terror. Jude summoned every ounce of courage and positioned himself protectively in front of his wife and children. Jude's voice trembled with defiance. "You demon, stay away from my family. Santa cackled maniacally. "No way, you all must die." Sandra pleaded, "What do you want from us?" Santa sneered, "I don't have time. I have other families to kill." He lunged towards Jude and his family, but Jude pushed him back, sending Santa tumbling to the ground. Jude yelled, "Honey, run! Run!" as he turned to check on Santa. But to his horror, Santa instantly reappeared in front of him, knife in hand, and began stabbing Jude repeatedly in the head. Santa's laughter echoed through the air as he whispered, "Merry Christmas... Sandra and her children approached the door, but a sudden knock made them freeze. "Who's there?" Sandra called out, but there was no response. Billy and Michael whimpered, "Mom, we're scared." Sandra reassured them, "Kids, everything is going to be okay, alright." She called out again, "I said, who's there?" Santa, disguising his voice as Jude's, replied, "Honey, open up." Sandra's relief was palpable. "Oh, thank God, he's safe." She opened the door, but her scream was instantaneous as she saw Santa standing before her. With a swift swing of his axe, Santa struck Sandra's neck, cutting it repeatedly until her head fell off. His maniacal laughter filled the air as he turned to the children, his smile twisted and sinister. "Merry Christmas," he said, his voice dripping with malice. The children's screams echoed through the house. The news report on TV announced two more families found dead, the details gruesome and heartbreaking. As Christmas approached, the mood was somber, the joy and cheer overshadowed by the horrors that had unfolded. The end.