The Nutcracker Bleeds
Chapter Fourteen:
To Spite the Father
1
Downstairs on the first floor of the house, in the hall with the grand Christmas tree, presents were piled high. Boxes were dressed in lovely ribbons and paper with tiny nametags attached. Stockings were stuffed sufficiently. Everything was set perfectly for another fine Christmas. This house’s Kriss Kringle had headed back up to bed, and because of new orders, the dozens of mice that had watched him place every single gift simply let him go.
They’d been watching for quite a long while by their standard of time, anticipating the moment they would be able to take their rather large hostage. But things had changed. In fact, it seemed that their job had been given to someone else.
But it was not finished yet. There was more work to be done this night on which herald angels had sung so many years ago.
The leaders moved forward and out onto the open, polished floor. The others followed, moving rapidly and without noise. They approached the glorious tree.
One by one, the boxed were defiled.
Paper scraps drifted through the air as the mice scratched them away, quickly binding any moving toys inside that had been waiting to be saved. They took every doll, every solider. They took things that might be useful to them and their master. Everything else was disregarded.
They understood they were interfering with the world of the humans, but that didn’t seem to matter to them. What would be done later was to be far worse than this. The master’s new pet was to see that the grand deed was done. The mice might have been bitter over their master’s unexpected shift of favor, but they hastened with his devious work nonetheless.
The war had escalated. There were no more rules separating this world from the human world. Order in the name of the Rat King would be had, and it would be had tonight.
2
Augustus… Augustus…
The swell of the word in his head brought his anger to new heights. How long had it been since he’d heard that name? As long since he’d heard his own? Armand had no idea. After all these years, he knew his anger still existed – it was what drove him – but he didn’t think he’d feel it so strongly renewed until he stood directly before his enemy.
How many ages had passed since he’d stood, looking into the eyes of the one who had taken everything from him? And did it matter? It had been more than decades of searching and finally he’d found him again. When he’d prepared himself, he would go to meet him. There would be no need for words. Both of them must have known what was to happen. In the end, there would be nothing but death.
YOU ARE READING
The Nutcracker Bleeds (PUBLISHED 2017)
HorrorA horrific retelling of the Nutcracker story. On Christmas Eve in 1905, a household in London finds itself under a centuries-old curse when a strange new toy is brought into the house. A young nanny named Anne is immersed in the horrific world of he...
