Twisted Tinsel

By Griffin Carmichael

The stress. The gift wrap. The cooking. The relatives. Sounds scary enough on its own, but there's always something worse than the holidays. These five tales explore the twist in the tinsel.

 

Silent: Little children look forward to a visit from Santa with great anticipation, but there's nothing good coming down the chimney this year.

 

Unholy Night: Snowfall blankets the Earth and in the silence a baby's first cry arouses the oddest response in the gathered dead, come to witness the birth.

 

Figgy Pudding: Holidays are known for feasting and jubilation, but one restaurant manager comes to regret keeping the doors open on Christmas eve for a very special customer.

 

The War on Christmas: Last minute shopping is bad enough. Throw in the zombie apocalypse, and the holiday madness escalates a few notches.

 

In the Meadow: Winter has come to a small Nebraskan town, bringing huge snowfalls. But nobody is in the mood to build a snowman, now that the dead walk.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Griffin Carmichael
• Release date: Feb 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215561560

Book preview

TWISTED TINSEL

five tales of holiday mayhem

Copyright 2015 by Griffin Carmichael

All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person or persons living or dead, or any other entity or location is either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

No portion of this book may be copied by any means known or yet to be invented without express written permission of the author, with the exception of brief excerpts used in reviews or scholarly studies.

Published by The Guthrie Press

cover design copyright 2015 by Sheila Guthrie

DEDICATION

Many thanks as always to my family for their continued love and support of this craziness I call a writing career.

SILENT

Beth Nance checked the front yard from her parents’ bedroom window. There was just enough light to see all the way to the street, and to show that there wasn’t anyone near the house. She’d already looked at the back yard and the areas between her house and the neighbors on each side.

It was quiet as the evening faded into night. Not that there had been much noise lately. Things seemed to have settled down, with only faint screams and crashes coming from outside the dead-end street where the Nance family had lived since before Beth was born.

Are they back yet?

Beth stepped back quickly, pulling the heavy drapes closed. She turned to look at Tommy, keeping her face calm. He was only six and didn’t understand what was happening. She didn’t either, but she was eight, and the big sister. Until Mom and Dad came back, she was in charge. Dad had said so, before he left to take Mom to the hospital.

He had hunkered down so his face was level with Beth’s, and put both hands on her shoulders. His grip had been a little tight, but Beth didn’t complain. She could see he was afraid, and that scared her more than the way her mother was moaning and licking her lips.

Beth, I’ve got to take Mom to the hospital. I don’t know when we’ll be back, so you’re going to have to be a big girl and take care of your brother.

Dad’s face was pale, except for the oozing scratches he’d gotten while trying to keep her mother from hurting herself. The scratches were black in the middle, like the bite mark on Mom’s arm. Mrs. Dunwoody had done that, when her parents had tried to help the elderly woman when she staggered into the garage. Beth had pretended she didn’t see what Dad did to Mrs. Dunwoody after their neighbor bit Mom, and he pretended he didn’t know she had been frozen in the doorway and watched it all.

Beth had bit her lip, and tried to look brave. Tommy was crying. He was such a baby he still sucked his thumb.

Dad had shivered, and gripped Beth harder, hard enough this time to make her cry out. He had to swallow hard before he could talk again.

Sorry honey. I’m so sorry. I’d take you with us, but the news said people are rioting, and it’s just not safe. You need to stay in the house, and keep the doors locked. I’ll be back as soon as someone looks at Mom. I promise.

He stood up and pushed Mom towards the door to the garage. Their father had taken one long, final look at them. His eyes were so sad, and Beth knew he didn’t want to leave them. But there was something else in his eyes, the same look that Mrs. Dunwoody had gotten when she’d seen them all standing in the garage after church.

The memory of that look brought Beth back to the present with a shudder.

No, not yet. Dad said the hospital would be busy, so it might take a while, Beth said, going towards him. She pushed him gently out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind her. It was best not to let any light show outside. Light and noise made them come around, scratching and clawing at the doors and windows.

I want Mommy, Tommy whined as Beth walked with him to the stairs.

I know. I do too. Hey, how about we have waffles for dinner? It’s a special occasion tonight.

Tommy looked uncertain. He liked waffles, but that was breakfast food. After thinking about it, he nodded. "Okay. Can we watch Thomas