Dead Flesh: Stories of the Living Dead by Josh Hilden Read Free Book Online Page B

mischief.”
                  Reaching into the massive red velvet bag Santa concentrated hard. The space inside the sack contained everything he could possibly imagine and all he had to do was concentrate and close his hand to retrieve them. Never before had Santa needed an item such as the one he summoned now. The six foot long red and white striped cane emerged glowing with an internal radiance.
                  “Yes, I believe this will be sufficient,” Santa hummed softly.
                  Locks, latches, obstacles, and barricades were of no consequence to Santa. With a touch of his finger to the tip of his nose the window to young Lucy’s bedroom flew open allowing the cold air to rush inside.
                  “Hold it steady Rudolph, I’ll be back in a flash,” Santa said bounding over the threshold and into the house. His boots hit the soft yellow carpet as Santa brandished the staff before him. In front of him half a dozen of the living dead stared blankly with more living dead outside of the bedroom.
                 
                  Oh these poor boys and girls, they all used to be good. This isn’t their fault but that doesn’t change the fact they are all on the very, very, naughty list now. The best I can do for them is put them out of their misery.
     
                  “Ho-Ho-Ho,” Santa called out spinning the staff and grinning, “I’m looking for a good little girl named Lucy. Have any of you naughty boys and girls seen her?”
                  The creatures groaned and began to shuffle toward Santa. Apparently they were unaware of the bed in the room and looked around in confusion when they reached the barrier.
                  “None of you are very bright, are you?” Santa chuckled. “Well that’s a good thing for all of the scared boys and girls.” Then he added sniffing the cold air, “My you all need a bath, you smell like reindeer poo.”
                  First one and then three of the dead worked their way around the bed and made a direct line for Santa. The jolly fat man, clad all in red, stood still and waited. He knew the value of patience and he knew there was no need to hurry because they would come to him.
                  “I am afraid Santa has to deliver a little holiday justice,” he cried out.
                  Swinging the staff around and bringing it down on the head of the first zombie, Santa launched his attack. A sickening cracking sound filled the room and the zombie who’d been Lucy’s mommy dropped to the ground and moved no more.
                  “I apologize my lady but sometimes unpleasant things need to be done,” Santa whispered as he advanced on to the next one, which he dropped. Then the next, and the next, and the next until no more of the living dead remained in Lucy’s house.
                  “Lucy,” Santa said reentering the little girl’s room, “it’s safe to come out now”.
                  Slowly the form of the little girl scooted out from under the bed.
                  “Are you alright Lucy?” Santa asked kneeling as she stood so they were both eye to eye.
                  Lucy nodded but didn’t say anything.
                  “I am very sorry about your family Lucy,” Santa continued trying to gauge the little girl’s level of shock. It broke his heart to see her in such pain. “Would you like to come with me?”
                  Instead of answering Lucy threw her arms around the fat man and hugged him tight. There was no way even Santa could take away her pain but his main ability was to bring joy. The hug was enough to break the girls shock and allow her tears to flow.
                  Time stopped.
                  Not metaphorically either. Much like locks and latches—the forward flow