Secret Santa

"Secret Santa" is a festive Cthulhu Mythos short story by American author Steven M. Vance. It was first published in the Jesse Dedman/William C. Marchese-edited anthology Cthulhu Christmas Special and Other Lovecraftian Yuletide Tales in November 2017.
==Synopsis==
When small-time painter Nathan learns from his girlfriend Andi, an Arkham Police Department detective, of the existence of a seasonal serial abductor who dresses up as Santa Claus in order to procure his victims, he resolves to lend a hand.
Getting in touch with one of his mysterious contacts to obtain both support and bait, Nathan then sets about preparing his ambush site, using magic to divine where the killer dubbed Evil Santa is to be found. Collecting the bait - a small girl named Amity - he sets her up in the exact spot the killer will be. When the man attempts to take the girl away, she stabs him with a bone shiv, and her family - a pack of vicious ghouls - emerge from below ground to spirit the body away and feed. Leaving just enough evidence for the police to make the connection between what remains at the murder site and Evil Santa, Nathan heads off to enjoy Christmas.
Category:Steven M. Vance works
Category:Expanded Mythos Works