Christmas Curse

Kayla cursed the heavy box as she dragged it across the dark and musty attic. She stopped to catch her breath, wiping her hands on her jeans, and cursed again--first at her sister Caroline for asking her to decorate the house for Christmas, then herself for putting it off until the night before their return from their Disney cruise. Promising to have the house decorated by the time they got back had seemed manageable a few weeks ago when they'd invited her down to Florida. Now, with their return tomorrow, it felt like a monumental mistake.

Four whole days she'd been here, and what had she done? Lounged by the pool, read a book, wasted time scrolling on social media, and drank more wine than she should've. Now, she was paying the price. She couldn't screw this up. Not again. Caroline had invited her down to escape her mess of a life, and the least she could do was deliver on a promise even if it killed her.

Kayla managed to wrestle the box down from the attic and into the living room without dropping it--or getting herself crushed by it. She glanced around and tried to imagine how she might decorate so it would please Caroline and her family. Especially the kids. She wouldn't want them to be disappointed. She didn't want to disappoint her sister either, but she was at least used to it. She wouldn't be surprised.

In the corner, near the fireplace, sat a large Amazon box. She had known for days it held the Christmas tree, but she'd avoided it, hoping it might miraculously decorate itself. She didn't have the energy for this--not tonight, not ever. She sank onto the couch, glaring at the box. Christmas had never been her thing, not even as a kid. Too much glitter, too much cheer. Halloween--that was her season. A little darkness, a little edge. To Kayla, the world felt truer in the shadows.

She decided she needed reinforcements if she was going to tackle the mountain of work ahead. She went to the kitchen, got a glass, and opened a new bottle of wine.

Back in the living room, she connected her phone to the Bluetooth speaker and queued up some Christmas music. Darlene Love's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) filled the room. It wasn't her favorite, but she took a long sip of wine and let the music do its job. By the time the second chorus hit, she could almost fool herself into thinking she enjoyed it. Another sip. A small sway. Then, laughing softly, she gave in and danced her way toward the Amazon box with the glass in hand.

The tree was easier to put together than Kayla thought it would be. It clicked into place quickly, and when she stood back to look at it, she had to admit it looked pretty good. Maybe better than good. It almost looked real. For a moment, she almost felt... excited.

She took a generous sip of wine, then opened the big box with decorations. It was crammed full of ornaments, lights, and garlands. Kayla frowned and wondered if she had to use all of it or if she could get away with just using some of it. A little voice in her head--a mix of guilt and determination--snapped back: Just do it, dammit. As if on cue, O Christmas Tree drifted through the speaker, a mocking little reminder of the task at hand. Kayla groaned, took another sip of wine, and muttered under her breath. "No more half-assed jobs. Let's get this over with."

She reached into the box and pulled out a tangled mess of Christmas lights. It didn't seem to matter how neatly anyone packed them away; a year later, they always came out looking like a bird's nest. She put the lights aside. "Maybe I can do them last?" she thought, grabbing a bag of ornaments instead. To her surprise, she saw the old Elf on a Shelf they had when she and Caroline were kids underneath.

She picked it up and turned it over in her hands. She hadn't thought about this thing in years, let alone that Caroline had kept it all this time. But it was definitely the same one. The tiny pinholes on its body were still there--proof of the time she and Jessica had played voodoo, sticking needles into the poor Elf in an attempt to curse the boy who'd dumped Jessica in seventh grade. She chuckled at the memory, then got up and placed the Elf on the mantle without a second thought.

With the tree decorated and topped with the shiny red spire, Kayla turned her attention to the tangled mess of lights. It took a frustrating amount of time, but she finally managed to sort them out and wind them neatly around the tree. When she plugged them in, the tree lit up in a warm, colorful glow. "Wow!" she said, genuinely pleased. She stepped back to admire her work. It looked... good. Really good.

To give the house that little extra Christmas feel to top it off, she picked up a remote and turned the fireplace on. She downed the last of her wine just as All I Want For Christmas Is You began playing through the speaker. The music filled the room, and for the first time in years, Kayla felt a spark of Christmas cheer. The tree was up, decorated, and glowing beautifully, a fire in the fireplace, and it was only ten o'clock. She started to dance, swaying to the beat. Maybe Christmas wasn't so bad after all.

She danced, the music loud and cheerful, the wine humming pleasantly in her veins. But her moment of joy was cut short by a delicate crash. She stopped mid-step and turned towards the sound, her heart sinking. An ornament had fallen and shattered on the floor. The glass lay in tiny pieces, catching the light from the tree.

"Shit," she said. "Must've slipped off the branch." She turned off the music and went to pick up the shards. As she passed the mantle, she saw the Elf out of the corner of her eye. Kayla froze when she realized it just winked at her.

Doubting herself, she blinked hard and looked again at the Elf. Its painted face, that creepy, wide-eyed grin. Kayla glanced over at the empty wine bottle. "Oh God. I'm starting to hallucinate," she thought. Exactly how many bottles had she gone through in the last four days? Two? Three? More? She didn't even know. This was bad. Real bad. She had to quit this before it became a problem she might not be able to handle. She scooped up the broken pieces on the floor and headed to the kitchen.

Kayla dumped the shards into the wastebasket, cringing as the tiny pieces pinged off the empty wine bottles inside. "I better take this out to the garbage before they get home," she muttered. The last thing she needed was for Caroline to find this little display of her holiday coping skills.

Before she could pull the bag out, a sound stopped her cold. A faint pitter-patter, soft and quick, came from the living room. It didn't alarm her as it was just a tiny sound. But what was it? She frowned. Not loud enough to be anything big, but definitely something. An animal? That made sense. Florida was crawling with critters. Could be an iguana or a rat--or worse. She quietly stepped over to a cleaning closet next to the pantry and grabbed a broom. Armed and ready, she inched toward the living room.

She peeked into the living room but didn't see anything off, so she took one step inside with the broom held tight, ready to strike. Her heart jumped when suddenly O Holy Night blasted from the speaker. But something was wrong with it. The song dragged in a distorted, off-kilter version that took on a ghostly, mournful edge that sent a chill down her spine.

The tree lights flickered with the music, pulsing in time to the warped notes. It felt almost like it was trying to warn her. Kayla wasn't one to spook easily--Halloween was her favorite holiday, after all--but this was different. Something felt very wrong. She scanned the room carefully, her eyes darting from the tree to the furniture. Then she froze.

The mantle. The Elf.

It was gone.

Kayla knew now that this wasn't just the wine. The warmth in her veins had nothing to do with the cold knot forming in her stomach. She didn't know what it was, but something meant to fuck with her. Maybe even harm her? She let out a nervous chuckle. That last thought was definitely the wine talking. It had to be. Right?

She tiptoed towards the speaker, gripping the broom like a weapon. Her finger reached for the button, but before she could touch it, the music stopped. The room went dead silent. The air around her felt heavy and charged. Dangerous.

Her heart hammered as she scanned the living room, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow when she heard a noise. It sounded like it came from behind the tree. The branches rustled slightly, and another ornament dropped to the floor with a sharp crack. Her pulse quickened as a tiny, menacing voice broke the silence.

"Deck the halls with pins and needles,

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.

Do you recall those childhood evils?

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."

What the hell! Had she heard that right? Her mouth felt dry, her pulse pounding in her ears. She was scared but, at the same time, utterly confused. She stomped towards the tree and, with the broom, pushed the branches in the back aside. A couple more ornaments fell and shattered at her feet. There was nothing behind the tree. No movement. No answers.

Then the voice came again, sharper this time, cutting through the silence like a blade.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells, I remember well,

All the needles you stuck in me and made my life a hell."

Her breath caught. The sound came from behind the couch. She spun around--and nearly dropped the broom.

The Elf.

There was nothing cute about it anymore. Its painted eyes burned with malice, and something red dripped out of one of them. The once wide, cheerful smile had twisted into a sinister grin. Worst of all, it was bigger now--nearly the size of a garden gnome, its red suit torn and threadbare. In its hand, it held the tree spire, but it wasn't a simple decoration anymore. The tip glinted like a shank, sharp enough to cut flesh.

Kayla couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She could only stare at the Elf, her mind caught somewhere between horror and disbelief. This wasn't real. It couldn't be real. It wasn't a toy anymore. It was alive. And angry. If she beat it to death with the broom, would that be... murder?

She didn't have time to ponder. The Elf tilted its head, its grin stretching wider.

"You know how many years I've waited to get my revenge on you?" it growled.

"What?' she stammered.

"Driving those needles into my body. Twisting them. Turning them. You even drove one into my eye."

The Elf jabbed a stubby finger toward its face, where red liquid oozed down its cheek like crimson tears.

She remembered it now. The voodoo game. The pins. Jessica laughing. It had just been a felt toy then. That's all it had been. Nothing more.

The Elf's grin twisted, and it started to move. A grotesque little jig, its feet tapping on the floor.

"Oh the weather outside is frightful,

but your pain will be delightful."

Before she could react, it leaped over the couch, screeching as it came. The tree spire pointed like a weapon and aimed straight at her chest.

Kayla swung the broom instinctively, the bristles smacking the Elf in midair. It hit the Christmas tree, sending ornaments and lights scattering as the Elf tumbled to the floor. The impact knocked the tree sideways, its bulbs flickering ominously.

Kayla stumbled back, gripping the broom like a lifeline. The Elf climbed to its feet, shaking off broken ornaments like a dog after a bath. Its grin widened.

"Deck the halls with bits of Kayla, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha!"

It darted toward her again, faster this time. Kayla swung wildly, knocking a picture frame off the wall, shattering it. The broom connected with the Elf's side, sending it flying into the coffee table. The glass top collapsed under its weight. The Elf got to its feet, sharp pieces of glass sticking out from its body. Now, it was even more angry than before. It picked up a heavy candle holder and hurled it at Kayla, who dodged it just in time.

"Damn it!" she shouted as the piece smashed against the wall, leaving a dent.

The Elf growled, grabbing a string of lights from the floor. It whipped them at Kayla; the bulbs struck her arm hard enough that she wondered for a moment if it had broken. She winced but didn't let go of the broom. "I am not getting killed by a fucking toy!" she grunted, charging at it.

The Elf leaped onto the mantle, knocking stockings and decorations to the floor. Kayla swung again, and this time, the broom's bristles caught the Elf's leg. It yelped, tumbling to the floor with a thud. It scrambled to its feet, clutching the spire tightly.

Kayla kicked the coffee table remains at it, buying herself a second. She spotted the fireplace poker nearby and dropped the broom, diving for the metal rod. The Elf lunged at her, slashing at her with the spire, but she rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding it.

"Stop it!" she yelled, swinging the poker with all her strength. It connected with the Elf's head, sending it flying into the overturned Christmas tree. Sparks flew as the lights short-circuited, and the Elf's body twitched.

Kayla didn't stop. She grabbed a big, heavy Nutcracker next to the fireplace and smashed it into the Elf's chest, pinning it in place.

It countered by stabbing the spire into Kayla's thigh. She screamed. Then, with one last move, she grabbed it by its suit and threw it into the roaring fireplace.

The Elf shrieked, flailing as flames licked at its body.

"Do you see what I see?

A memory of pain, sharp and cruel to me." its voice faltered, growing weaker until it stopped altogether.

Kayla collapsed onto the floor, panting, the house around her a complete disaster. The tree was broken, the furniture destroyed, and shattered decorations littered the floor. She looked at the mess and groaned.

Caroline was going to kill her.

8