Bupkis
"She was doing so well."
Marissa Jenkins tried to ignore her mother as she drove the pin deeper into her finger. Mom was always calling Dr.Harrison about her behaviour. Marissa hated Dr.Harrison. She didn't believe her. None of the adults did. She was seven, not some baby telling stories.
"I know we should've expected Christmas to be more difficult for her...for us all...but not like this. She was doing so well, we'd taken her to the mall...but I forgot he would be there."
She winced as the blood welled up through the hole she'd made. She collected it on the head of the pin and she methodically added a little drop to each of the gaily decorated cookies in front of her. She contemplated her work, then squeezed one final drop into the glass of milk to be sure. It turned the milk pink for a moment, then disappeared. Mom was too busy talking to notice.
"She started screaming at him to bring..." here Mom's voice got all funny which made Marissa sad,"...bring...Emma...back. One of the elf girls finally gave her a holly pin...brooch thing and told her something that made her calm down.
"I don't know what she said. Rissa refuses to tell me.
"No, the police don't have any leads. It's been a year. One daughter gone, the other traumatized from whatever it is she saw...Doctor...she says Santa will bring her back..." Mom started crying again.
Marissa pinned her brooch back on and took the milk and cookies over to the living room, resting them carefully on the coffee table. The Christmas tree was in its usual place in the corner of the room, brightly wrapped presents underneath. She sat next to the tree and touched the present she'd bought with her own money and wrapped for Emma. She hoped Emma still liked drawing. She hoped the elf had told her the truth. She sat looking at the blinking lights until Mom sent her to bed.
She jerked out of sleep some time later. The house was quiet. Still. The luminous face of her clock showed it was about midnight. She heard a faint noise from downstairs, then remembered. Quietly, she crept to the stairs, and slid down the banister to avoid the creaking steps. She landed soundlessly and tiptoed into the living room, her heart beating so loud in her ears she was sure he heard her.
Despite her intentions, she let out a whimper when she saw him by the tree. He seemed even bigger than he'd been last year when he'd grabbed Emma and stuffed her into his bag. He turned his head to look at her with his black eyes, slick red suit reflecting the lights from the tree. His mouth was busy chewing, and in the dim light she saw the milk glass was empty.
She heard a hissing voice in her head. "Why aren't you in bed naughty girl?"
"I am not naughty. I had to talk to you. You can't leave until you give me back my sister Emma safe and sound." Marissa was surprised that her voice wasn't shaking like her knees.
There was a sound like feet being dragged across gravel. He was laughing at her.
Can't leave? Insolent child." He made to move towards her and almost fell when his feet failed to obey him. He jerked to and fro, saying a lot of bad words, which made 'Rissa blush. She waited until he was finally still.
"Who told you how to bind me?" he growled.
Marissa shrugged. The elf had never said her name.
"I want my sister Emma back safe and sound Santa."
"I will give Emma back safe and sound if you can tell me why I should do that? She told you I wasn't real. She deserved to be punished."
"I didn't believe her. And you are here. I want my sister Emma back safe and sound Santa."
I need children like her to help me make toys. She is clever with her hands. How would you get toys if I let her go?"
Marissa quietly repeated her demand, like the elf told her to do. Santa offered her toys every day of the year. Marissa thought of her mother crying when she thought she was asleep.
She repeated her demand.
He offered her a younger sister, so she'd be the eldest instead of Emma. After that he made wilder and wilder offers if she would set him free and forget about Emma. Marissa thought about her big sister who protected her from bullies and always made time for her and refused them all, shaking and crying all the while.
Santa howled his frustration, baring sharp pointed teeth at her. "Very well" he said, reaching into his bag and flinging her sister onto the floor. The girl sat up, head hanging down. Marissa worked up her courage and approached them.
Emma was dressed in the same nightgown she'd been wearing when he'd taken her last Christmas Eve, but she was a little taller, and a lot thinner. Marissa brushed the hair away from her sister's ears. They were normal, not pointed. Her eyes stung. It was really her.
"Em." she whispered, and her sister raised her head. She watched the recognition dawn in her eyes.
"Rissa? You've gotten so big." Emma glanced fearfully at the bulky man beside her, instinctively throwing a hand in front of her sister. He watched them sullenly.
"It is done. Release me. NOW."
Marissa gently moved her sister's hand. "Do you promise never to bother our family again?"
Done.
Marissa made him repeat his promise three times before she finally let him go.
The next day, after they'd calmed down a bit and after the police had left, (Emma told them she didn't know where she'd been, because they wouldn't believe the truth),they finally gotten around to opening presents.
Emma's and her mother's gifts were fine, but all of Marissa's boxes contained lumps of coal. She didn't really mind getting nothing. Her sister was safe.
Marissa Jenkins tried to ignore her mother as she drove the pin deeper into her finger. Mom was always calling Dr.Harrison about her behaviour. Marissa hated Dr.Harrison. She didn't believe her. None of the adults did. She was seven, not some baby telling stories.
"I know we should've expected Christmas to be more difficult for her...for us all...but not like this. She was doing so well, we'd taken her to the mall...but I forgot he would be there."
She winced as the blood welled up through the hole she'd made. She collected it on the head of the pin and she methodically added a little drop to each of the gaily decorated cookies in front of her. She contemplated her work, then squeezed one final drop into the glass of milk to be sure. It turned the milk pink for a moment, then disappeared. Mom was too busy talking to notice.
"She started screaming at him to bring..." here Mom's voice got all funny which made Marissa sad,"...bring...Emma...back. One of the elf girls finally gave her a holly pin...brooch thing and told her something that made her calm down.
"I don't know what she said. Rissa refuses to tell me.
"No, the police don't have any leads. It's been a year. One daughter gone, the other traumatized from whatever it is she saw...Doctor...she says Santa will bring her back..." Mom started crying again.
Marissa pinned her brooch back on and took the milk and cookies over to the living room, resting them carefully on the coffee table. The Christmas tree was in its usual place in the corner of the room, brightly wrapped presents underneath. She sat next to the tree and touched the present she'd bought with her own money and wrapped for Emma. She hoped Emma still liked drawing. She hoped the elf had told her the truth. She sat looking at the blinking lights until Mom sent her to bed.
She jerked out of sleep some time later. The house was quiet. Still. The luminous face of her clock showed it was about midnight. She heard a faint noise from downstairs, then remembered. Quietly, she crept to the stairs, and slid down the banister to avoid the creaking steps. She landed soundlessly and tiptoed into the living room, her heart beating so loud in her ears she was sure he heard her.
Despite her intentions, she let out a whimper when she saw him by the tree. He seemed even bigger than he'd been last year when he'd grabbed Emma and stuffed her into his bag. He turned his head to look at her with his black eyes, slick red suit reflecting the lights from the tree. His mouth was busy chewing, and in the dim light she saw the milk glass was empty.
She heard a hissing voice in her head. "Why aren't you in bed naughty girl?"
"I am not naughty. I had to talk to you. You can't leave until you give me back my sister Emma safe and sound." Marissa was surprised that her voice wasn't shaking like her knees.
There was a sound like feet being dragged across gravel. He was laughing at her.
Can't leave? Insolent child." He made to move towards her and almost fell when his feet failed to obey him. He jerked to and fro, saying a lot of bad words, which made 'Rissa blush. She waited until he was finally still.
"Who told you how to bind me?" he growled.
Marissa shrugged. The elf had never said her name.
"I want my sister Emma back safe and sound Santa."
"I will give Emma back safe and sound if you can tell me why I should do that? She told you I wasn't real. She deserved to be punished."
"I didn't believe her. And you are here. I want my sister Emma back safe and sound Santa."
I need children like her to help me make toys. She is clever with her hands. How would you get toys if I let her go?"
Marissa quietly repeated her demand, like the elf told her to do. Santa offered her toys every day of the year. Marissa thought of her mother crying when she thought she was asleep.
She repeated her demand.
He offered her a younger sister, so she'd be the eldest instead of Emma. After that he made wilder and wilder offers if she would set him free and forget about Emma. Marissa thought about her big sister who protected her from bullies and always made time for her and refused them all, shaking and crying all the while.
Santa howled his frustration, baring sharp pointed teeth at her. "Very well" he said, reaching into his bag and flinging her sister onto the floor. The girl sat up, head hanging down. Marissa worked up her courage and approached them.
Emma was dressed in the same nightgown she'd been wearing when he'd taken her last Christmas Eve, but she was a little taller, and a lot thinner. Marissa brushed the hair away from her sister's ears. They were normal, not pointed. Her eyes stung. It was really her.
"Em." she whispered, and her sister raised her head. She watched the recognition dawn in her eyes.
"Rissa? You've gotten so big." Emma glanced fearfully at the bulky man beside her, instinctively throwing a hand in front of her sister. He watched them sullenly.
"It is done. Release me. NOW."
Marissa gently moved her sister's hand. "Do you promise never to bother our family again?"
Done.
Marissa made him repeat his promise three times before she finally let him go.
The next day, after they'd calmed down a bit and after the police had left, (Emma told them she didn't know where she'd been, because they wouldn't believe the truth),they finally gotten around to opening presents.
Emma's and her mother's gifts were fine, but all of Marissa's boxes contained lumps of coal. She didn't really mind getting nothing. Her sister was safe.