A FAMILY CHRISTMAS TERROR
Christmas Morning.
Upstate New York.
The Present.
On a perfect, white Christmas morning, the MacDonald family were all in the living room. Dan and Judy watched their three college-aged children opening the last of their presents. Their eldest, Jack, was a senior, and their twins, Nick and Nancy, were midway through their freshmen year. The grandfather, Joe, sat in his favorite chair, quietly enjoying the laughter and joking.
The perfect Christmas.
“Is everyone ready for fresh doughnuts and coffee?” Judy said, already on her way to the kitchen.
“Absolutely,” Nick said. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” Nancy said, not looking up from her cell phone.
“Well, can you blame him?” Dan said, rising. “That’s all I’ve been smelling for the last hour. I think I’ll go help your mother, make sure she puts enough powdered sugar on them.” He winked at the twins and went to join his wife.
“Hey, we missed one,” Jack said. “Over there in the corner.” He got up from the floor, pushing his way through the mounds of festive, discarded wrapping paper.
“It’s probably for me,” Nancy said.
“Right,” Nick said. “You got enough. You always get more than anyone.”
“That’s because I’m a girl. I need more things.”
Jack walked over to Grandpa. “Here, Grandpa, you open it. It says: For the MacDonald Family. So, my dear sister, it’s not for you.”
Nancy made a moue in mock disappointment. “Open it, Grandpa.”
Grandpa tore the paper off, revealing a colorful paperback book. Never Fear—Christmas Terrors. He turned it over and read the back. “Huh. Who would send us something like this?”
“Santa?” Nick asked.
“It was probably you,” Nancy said. “You would probably think it’s funny.” She punched her twin in the arm.
“Ow, that was hard.” He rubbed his arm. “Let me see it, Grandpa.” Nick took the book, then riffled the pages. “You know... it’s not too long, and we’ve got all day. Maybe we should read it. It’ll be like spooky stories on Halloween, but instead it’ll be Christmas.”
“Like that Christmas song,” Nancy interjected. “Something about ‘Scary ghost stories and tales of His glories’—”
“The song is called “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” Jack interrupted. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“I don’t know if that’s a very good—” Grandpa started.
“Yeah, why not,” Nancy said, ignoring Grandpa’s protestations. “What’s the first story called?”
“The Ghost of a Christmas Past.”
“I do like ghost stories,” Nancy said, reaching for the book. “Let me read the first one.”
Nick begrudgingly gave her the book just as Dan and Judy made their way back into the room with doughnuts and hot coffee.
Jack grabbed a doughnut, saying, “Mom, Dad, we got this book of Christmas horror stories and I thought it would be a great idea if we read them out loud.”
“I don’t know...” Judy said, setting the tray down.
“It’ll be all right, Judy. A little scare never hurt anyone. Lighten up.” Dan set his tray down next to hers.
Judy looked at him doubtfully. “Well, maybe just a couple.” She picked up her mug and sat on one of the couches beside Dan.
On the couch opposite them, Nancy said, “Here goes...