A Christmas Horror Story by Sebastian Gregory Read Free Book Online

the edge and crashing to the ground. Without thinking of the loss and heartbreak that swam inside her, Katie quickly closed and locked the door once again. Her legs, suddenly weak, gave way and she collapsed, sliding down the door and into a heap on the floor. She turned to comfort Jake and in turn herself, but as she looked, he was gone.
    Panic-stricken, she called his name. The darkness of the house was full of treacle-coloured shadows and nothing looked familiar as she spun, almost blindly, looking for her brother. In the kitchen, she felt her way around the work surfaces, until she found a drawer where Mum kept various junk items, bits of string, a screwdriver, some batteries for fuses and, finally, a torch. It was made from thick black plastic, heavy, and would make a good weapon. Katie pressed the button and thankfully the beam cut into the dark. She continued from room to room, shining the light inside and looking for her brother. The furniture and walls that shone back looked unfamiliar now. Now they were shadow places for a monster to hide and led directly to the cottage garden.
    ‘Emily?’ Katie asked. Her hand wavered over the key lock.
    As she paused, a voice came through the wood. It was grim and sounded like dust on bones.
    ‘
Kleines Schwein, lassen Sie mich hereinkommen
.’
    Katie stepped back horrified, her insides turning cold and her spine alive with tingles.
    ‘I don’t speak German,’ she yelped at the door.
    The door thumped with four large horrible thuds. They rattled the hinges and dust fell from the frame.
    ‘Little pig, little pig, let me come in.’ The voice, thick with evil and accented, was louder than ever.
    ‘Please,’ Katie cried, ‘please leave us alone.’
    The laughter that followed filled the room. It was deep and loud and exuded ancient and dark evil. It boomed, ‘HO HO HO HO,’ and Katie stepped out of the room, holding her arms over her ears. The laughter died down like melting snow just as in the dark something tugged at her hand. Katie gasped and turned to see Jake standing there, looking sorry, as if he expected to be in trouble. Katie pulled him to her with relief.
    ‘I’m sorry I ran away. I was scared, but when I heard you shouting I had to find you,’ he explained with regret. Katie almost laughed; she was so relieved she hadn’t lost him for ever.
    ‘It’s OK, it’s OK, it’s OK,’ she said until the knocking began once again.
    ‘We have to hide,’ they said in unison.
    Up the stairs they ran, hand in hand, and into their mother’s room. She had a large wooden wardrobe, the kind that wouldn’t look out of place with a lion or a witch living in it. They both climbed in amongst the dresses, Jake first, then Katie. Inside the torchlight lit their faces.
    ‘Is Emily alive?’ Jake asked, his voice shaking. They spoke in whispers.
    ‘I think so. I saw her, I saw her’,’ Katie wavered.
    ‘In the sack?’
    Katie nodded. ‘How do we win this?’ she asked.
    ‘I don’t know. It was in my book. I kept everything in my book.’ He sobbed and Katie held him. ‘All this time I was worrying about things that aren’t real. I should have concentrated on what was.’
    ‘This isn’t your fault, Jake. This isn’t your fault. Tell me, what do we do?’
    Jake thought and concentrated so much that he may have burst a blood vessel if he hadn’t suddenly realised something very, very important.
    ‘My book. It’s in the fire.’
    ‘Yes, I’m afraid it is,’ Katie replied, confused and worried for him.
    ‘The fire, Katie, we have to keep the fire burning. Or he’s getting in…he’s getting in.’
    The two went down the stairs, creeping one step at a time, while holding each other as well as the torch. It shook in the dark. Dust specks and cold breath floated in the light of the beam. They reached the living room. Slowly, oh so slowly, Katie opened the door with Jake holding on to her. From the dark room the fire still burned in the fireplace, albeit