The Christmas Krampus II

## The Christmas Krampus II by IAMREAL

Christmas time is a time of mysterious wonder. Good kids are joyful the whole month long in quiet anticipation of Santa's arrival. St. Nicholas doesn't own the holiday, however. He has an ancient acquaintance, one who deals with naughty children...

December 6, 2010

Christmas this year is gonna be bullshit. Mom says it's gonna be a " Charlie Brown Christmas" this year, meaning she's already given up on getting us any fucking presents. Christmas will be over a weekend this year, which means the mall is going to be packed. Sometimes I wish the ever green forrest was still in its place, we used to get trees there when Dad was still alive...

Anyways, I'll be working the evenings of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as one of "Santa's helpers" because I'm shorter. I have to do it every damn weekend this month too. I just started working there last month because Mom's going to need some help with our Christmas presents this year.

This isn't the first time she's had me help pay for mine and my siblings' presents either. That's actually how I found out there was no Santa "Uh, hey son, can I 'borrow' 40 dollars from your piggy bank, because, well, um, Santa's not real and you won't get Christmas this year unless you say yes."

Real nice right? Same year Dad croaked too, so of course I said yes, I didn't want to see a meltdown. She tried to cover it up by saying sometimes there's presents under the tree she didn't buy for us but it's just another white lie.

This year might take the cake though. My own mom encouraging me to lie about my age so I can be barely eligible to work a degrading job is a real Christmas spirit killer. And I used to love it.

I'm really keeping this journal so I can rant all I want without consequence, so if you're reading this, Drew, srew off it's none of your business. well, that, and to remember some of the toys these kids ask for. I never have many good Christmas gift ideas, but I figure hearing several kids ask for a variety of shit while they sit on some perv's lap might give me a couple ideas...

I just woke up from the weirdest dream. I think the devil or some demonic creature just came into my room and said "Not too late" to me in the scariest voice I've ever heard. And then I woke up and came downstairs to find my mom talking to my dad in the living room. He was standing next too our grandma's old mirror we have, but it wasn't him in the reflection, it was the devil. I awoke for a second time and just started writing. It all seemed so real.

December 11, 2010

Working at that stupid mall is not worth giving my siblings' a good Christmas. I get no respect at all. Everyone just wants Santa, so they're all pissed at the guys telling them it's 5$ for photos and to stay in line. We don't control that shit! Don't shoot the messenger.

It's boring as hell too, luckily there's a cute girl named Holly who is also an elf here, she's one of the only people who's nice to me. I really spend more time checking her out then helping customers.

We all have to hangout in the middle of the mall next to the five main stores in front of a ginger bread house. All day, kids go up to the throne-like chair they have set up in front of the gingerbread house for Bernard. This arrangement seems odd until you go in there and see it's full of cabinet registers and expensive toys to put around Santa if people buyout the ones already surrounding him. There's also a train that goes around the gingerbread house area and this 20 foot tall Christmas tree, surrounded by wrapped presents they give away to random customers in raffles.

Everyone asks for phones, tablets, or laptops so far, and I swear I forgot the only original gift idea I heard, too. I kind of want to quit but another guy, Donnie, who works here. I go to school with him and our little brothers are friends apparently. He has a plan that'll help me give my family the Christmas we deserve.

December 17, 2010

I meant to write sooner, but things came up. So the plan is simple:

Me and Donnie wait in the dressing rooms after hours until the mall closes, and let in two associates of Donnie's in when the coast is clear. After that, we disable the cameras from the manager's office, then take whatever we want. We know the security guards' schedules and how well they are at "guarding the mall" so should be a piece of cake unless we have to bring extra people.

December 23, 2010

Turns out, we're going to have to bring extra people. Donnie apparently told his brother in confidence about the plan and then his brother collaborated with Brody and they both are coming along with their friends. We're going to get in so much trouble, is everyone retarded but me? I'm going to write down my progress as I go tomorrow, even got started early and took a watch to record the time. Mom found out about the watch and tried to chastise me for stealing, but she knows I didn't really care. It's not like it used to be when she'd yell at us, send us to our rooms, then tell us she was sending up dad to "talk" to us about it. There was rarely any talking however. I hope she understands that I'm doing this for all of us.

December 24, 2010

11 AM:

Told my mom I'd have to work late shift tonight and she through a fit, luckily she's mad at the mall, not me.

2 PM:

Been working 2 hours now and I'm already excited for what's in store. (pun intended)

5 PM:

They're serving the greatest hot chocolate I've had in my life from a big cauldron behind the gingerbread house, I need to nab one of their hot cocoa makers.

8 PM:

I am so pumped for this, if all goes well it'll take less than an hour and a half to do the job, we close at 10.

11 PM:

We're waiting for the others now. We're practically alone, which is crazy because sometimes we have employees at the mall here until 1 cleaning up and stuff. I would've figured they'd beef up security around this time too, guess they don't think they'll be robbed on Christmas.

11:12 PM:

We just let in our partners in crime. Our little brothers and their friends were picked up by Dylan, who was picked up our other associates. And who else would be Driving? It's fucking Holly! I can't believe it, this could be the sort of trust building exercise great relationships are built on. There's 8 of us total, and I'm only 50% sure we're getting away with this now.

11:23 PM:

The mall looks pretty nice at night, all the lights in the dark and no one around, it's pretty great. We've already started filling a cart and our pockets. I'm mostly writing this as we go along and these fags are already mocking me for it.

11:37 PM:

Something really weird just happened. We passed Bernard, I hope at least, who was still in costume. We asked him what the hell he was doing and he said he could ask the same thing. Then he said "Just go home now, it's not too late."

Not going to lie, I kind of want to now. That got to me. That's not the weirdest part, though. He had an actual reindeer with him. I have no clue how or why the fuck he got it in the store but he did. And just like that, he left. We've circled around twice now and can't find him. No one else wants to go, so I guess we're staying.

12:39 AM:

Everything has gone terribly, terribly wrong. I'm not helping, I'm just writing, I don't know what to do. We went to the tree in the center mall by the stairs to help ourselves to the presents. There were all sorts of different decorated wrappings and boxes. Someone left some of their own there. There were some presents that said "From: Krampus" instead of Santa, I don't know what that is but their so dead if I find them.

We started to grab some of the boxes and were all gonna open up one each at once. Isaac, Donnie's little brother, opened one early anyways and stuck his hand in the box to grab his prize.

We heard a loud crack and snap followed by loud screaming. Inside the gift box he opened was an open bear trap. Isaac wailed and squirmed despite us telling him he needed to stay calm. It took me, Donnie, and Holly to pry it open and get his arm out.

Meanwhile, all the other presents around us started shaking and a couple burst open. I heard what I think was high pitched laughter like from a toy but we ran before whatever bombs or anything in the boxes could go off. Then we wrapped Isaac's wound as tight as possible, I hope that helps. I wonder if Bernard did this, he was the only other person we saw here.

We are almost on the other side of the mall now, but the exit is blocked by a steel cage door, and no one can get any cell service, so we're going to have to go back. I swear I keep hearing little footsteps behind us.

12:42 AM:

So far every entrance we've passed is blocked, even ones we just passed.

Someone's playing old Christmas music on the intercom now.

Holly keeps saying we're all going to die. I'm practically pissing my pants.

12:52 AM:

I'm useless. I can't do anything but nervously write my feelings and observations. All the entrances are locked and everyone is panicking, we have yet to find any security guards and the glass is too thick to break. We're going to have to find a way to break out or survive until morning, and I don't know how long Isaac can go on for.

1:17 AM:

Killer toys. Someone made killer toys. Dylan thinks it's magic or something stupid, I think it obviously has to be robots or something but debating it doesn't change what we just saw. We all passed an old porcelain Christmas doll making it's slow movements like it was building toys when it used it's hammer to smack Erika on the head, hard as we passed. She immediately began bleeding and I kicked the things away, then it scurried off. There's movement all around us. We are in Santa's Village area trying to think what to do.

We could stay here in one of the small houses but no one wants to stay

We could go to the gingerbread house and hold up there but I don't know about the toys there either

We could and should go to the tool shop for weapons and just break out of here but they don't want to pass the tree area at all

We could go to the escalators and hangout on the second floor for a fuller view of the mall and see if there's a way out through the roof I think I've seen people cleaning the skylight before so there might be a ladder down the side of the building or something in case of emergency

Everyone agrees with the latest plan, it's good I had the journal brainstorm.

1:35 AM:

There's some animals on the roof, you can see them through the skylight. They look like oxen and reindeer, same person who put the presents under the tree had to do that. Is Bernard some sick holiday killer? Is he Krampus or whatever the hell? What a weird name. Anyways, we can't go up there with those things there too.

I haven't seen any more toys or anything, but the second floor is pitch black just about, barring some of the light from the first floor displays. The mall should look beautiful from this vantage point at this time of night, but now it all looks quite creepy and ominous. Isaac is going to bleed to death soon if he doesn't get proper help soon too. I'm convinced this can only be half real and my sanity is slipping.

2:02 AM:

We just met Krampus, he's not Bernard at all.

Twelve long, bony fingers came over the railing and they pulled up a lanky monstrosity. The demon from my nightmare, but I could make out much more detail this time. The creature was wearing some sort of happy holiday creepy clown mask, that's all I can describe it as. It has twisted goat legs. It has a red and green Christmas jacket with a hood, although I don't know how or why it wears that because it has two long candy-cane like horns jetting foreword, and two smaller, black inner ones going back. It has a large saddle-like basket full of body parts and sticks, I think, on it's back. It's also in bells and chains, how the hell couldn't we hear him coming?

I don't know why we didn't just run immediately, maybe curiosity, but we really should have. It moved slowly, deliberately. It methodically grabbed Isaac by his free arm, and pulled him onto it's knee as it crouched down and got out a large bundle of switches. It pulled down Isaac's pants and spanked him four or five times. Each swing whistled through the air and made Isaac produce a large yelp. He was hit so hard he began bleeding after the first. We just stood and watched out of shock and confusion.

After it was finished, he let Isaac go, and said "Go now, before it gets much worse." In that voice that paralyzes you with fear. Isaac limped off to I don't know where.

Donnie walked right up to the still-crouching creature and yanked it's mask right off.

His face is like a frost bitten Santa Clause. His beard is black, though, more pointed. And the mustache is far more distinct. Its eyes were visible now, they were piercing. Like the eyes of shell-shock victims we saw photos of in school, but they glowed red when he heaved and gleamed green when he swayed. His face seemed serious for a second, then an aggressive and eerie smile spread across its face and it's eyes popped excitedly.

It began to giggle like it was trying really hard to repress a laugh. It slowly stuck out its long tongue and licked Donnie's face. Then it swiftly reached out its twisted arm, grabbing him by the throat and quickly rose to its feet, lifting Donnie up. He looked so scared. The Krampus threw Donnie clear over the railing into a giant snow globe display that shattered on impact. A lot of blood immediately pooled around him. I've never seen anything like that before. Everyone began running after the moment sank in. I didn't budge at first, he was still moving, struggling to pull himself up. Holly grabbed my arm and pulled me until I followed. She said he was just twitching, but I don't know. I just don't know anymore.

It chased us into a nearby outlet store, it moved so unnaturally. Like a puppet from those Christmas specials. We're held up in a jewelry shop getting our bearings. It hasn't been long since the ordeal. Writing is all that can calm my nerves.

2:19 AM:

It's right outside the store, we're making a run for it.

2:26 AM:

We ran into a trap. The monster herded us like cattle into an ambush. Disfigured toys holding strings of Christmas lights made into a makeshift net were in wait of our arrival. Erika ran face first into it and they wrapped her up immediately. The petrifying gingerbread men, nutcrackers, and toy maker dolls descended on her, violently hitting, gnawing, and stabbing. The putrid looking figures began to surround us. We didn't wait or even try to help, we just ran for our lives, she's still screaming.

2:53 AM:

Everything is quiet now, aside from Brody's sobbing. It occurs to me we're all going die and I don't even know everyone here. Brody never introduced his friends he brought, Erika introduced herself when we met.

3:14 AM:

We are on the first floor train, going through the mall. It's too dark on the upper levels to fend for ourselves and I lost a shoe in the chaos, ditched the other one because it hindered my running.

3:18 AM:

Oh my god. Oh my god. There's a bunch of smaller creatures climbing onto the back of the train. They're getting closer. We're going to have to jump soon. I'm going to try to fend them off and wait until we're near the gingerbread house.

3:39 AM:

They just left, something else is coming. So we jumped off the train and got into the house. There's chairs and a couple tables in there, so we flipped the main table and used it as a makeshift shield. The horde came pouring in and many collided hard against the table. Several of them jumped over and grabbed at us, clawing and scratching. They scratched our faces and tore some of the clothes off our backs. Some of them looked like little horned demons, some like gnomes. Many wore various horned and witch-like masks. They're like evil elves. What the actual hell is happening

We're about to leave, they think we fought them all off, but they seemed to just leave to easily.

4::17 AM

I don't know why

I don't know why

Why would they go towards the noise? What possessed us to do such a stupid thing? The second we were out the door we snuck around the side towards the back. Then we heard bubbling. As we got closer, the smell became more pungent as well. It was like burning paper and almonds almost. The caldron had a fire under it and it was full of boiling ink. I grabbed Brody and started backing away but Holly and Steven moved closer to inspect. Dylan kept still.

The Krampus sprang from the shadows and speared Steven right through the head with a trident. It went through the back of his right cheek and out his eye. The others' screaming is how I learned his name finally. He lived through the impalement, he was screaming the whole time. He kicked and flailed around violently at first. Krampus looked giddy at the sight. He delicately moved the trident over the caldron and dunked Steven in. His body sizzled loudly upon contact with the ink.

The beast raised out his now almost entirely limp body. He dangled like a fish on a hook. Low moans escaped Steven's mouth. He was entirely black and the foul-smelling liquid dripped off his body. I began to back up, psyching myself up to run, when it turned its attention to us. It's face grew more twisted and monstrous. We just ran again. It's still coming, but we have short time to rest. We're by the entrance now, we're going to smash through a window with the hammers and make our way to Holly's car.

5:00 AM:

Looking out the window, the parking lot no longer existed. In its place was the vast evergreen forest. We began hammering and hammering at the glass. It started to crack but didn't seem like it would shatter soon. We heard something behind us and I handed my hammer to Brody and told Holly to take him and run the second the glass broke. The bulbs of each Christmas light string began to burst around us, popping like fireworks. Small and colorful flames lit in there place down the row, one by one, casting an eerie glow around us. It also illuminated our incoming attacker. Its hooves cracked like thunder on the floor as it came closer to us. I climbed a small North Pole display as it the beast came into full view. The glass gave way behind me. I ran across the roof, leaped at the demon, and caught it by one of the horns as I fell, yanking it down and knocking over a Christmas tree. Decorations flew off and roles on the floor. The Krampus kept its footing and swatted me off of it. I got up as it began to trot my way, menacingly.

It giggled ominously and its eyes bulged. It's expression was that of crazed excitement. I slowly paced backwards, trying not to make any sudden moves. In an instant I heard a loud bust and felt a stabbing pain shoot up my leg. I had stepped on an ornament that instantly collapsed, sending shards of colorful glass into my foot. I jumped up, grabbing my left foot and balanced myself on my right leg. The Krampus grabbed my ankle and yanked me onto the floor. I started to crawl away but it kept it's grip on me and tightened it. Then he through me over his shoulder and into the ground. I hit face first and very hard. My head is still pounding. I wiggled and writhed from its grip, just barely and used the time to make a run from it. I sprawled to my feet and started to dash towards the broken window.

The pain was terrible, each step pushed the jagged ceramic fragments deeper into my foot, and then the snow came. I stepped on a little broken glass too, so cold it was unnoticeable almost. The pain from the cold was overwhelming, and the snow seemed to stay in place instead of fall. I followed the footprints near the edge of the newly formed, yet fully grown evergreen forest. Upon closer inspection it was more of a maze. I ran in and began to follow the narrow pathways formed by the trees. The pain on my feet really began to set in, but adrenaline kept me going. The snow and fog was thick, but I could still make out most of my surroundings. I walked for a bit but seemed to lose track of the prints. I started panicking and moved quicker through choosing random twisting paths as I went, only surrounded by bushy trees.

Eventually I came to notice that some of the trees around me had decorations. Not just typical Christmas ornaments either, but weird carved stones and wooden figures. I grew more and more anxious as I continued on the path. I felt like I was being watched and that the demon was stalking me. I repeatedly looked around frantically. I started feeling like I was going in circles, I was nervous. I began passing trees with more elaborate decor and small bones. Terror was gripping me at this point, but I continued. I saw and still see a bright, large light ahead, I stopped by a nearby tree to take a short rest and write this before I go on. I hope it's my friends.

5:33 AM:

I was half-right. I just found Dylan, I wasn't ready to see him like that. I don't know anyone who could be. His palms were impaled on long spikes in front of him, in a way that seemed like he had to rest on them. He was frozen stiff in a way that expressed clear agony. His back was cut open, his rib cage spread open wide. His lungs were removed from the wound and placed on his shoulders, and combined with the rest of his iced-over form, if made him appear somewhat angelic. He was adorned with a halo of Christmas lights on his head, which had cut into him. The pillars were also wrapped in lights, as the wooden construct around him was covered in bright embellishments. At first I

5:52 AM:

I just found Holly and Brody, she said she knows where the parking lot is and saw her car so we're on our way out.

6:07 AM:

The paths are becoming less narrow and there's more spacing between most the trees now, but I'm not sure that's good now. We've started noticing various snowmen around us, off the trail but surrounding it.

6:49 AM

One of them moved, they started shifting around, we didn't notice until it was too late. We came near a small pond with a thin layer of ice over it and saw the parking lot; salvation in our range of vision not very far away. I think Holly saw it first, but right then a chilling, eerie snowman grabbed Brody by the arm. He struggled to get away as it pulled him closer. I began yanking on my brother's sleeve to free him. He managed to slide from his jacket, and where he had been grabbed the skin had blackened and bruised. Worst frostbite I've ever seen.

We got ready to fight them off, but they crumbled away as stomping drew near us. We didn't have a chance to run. The Krampus leaped forth from the fog and bounded at us, his body covered in fur and long tail whipping about. His face was more monstrous as he now had a more pronounced snout. His eyes still horrifying. He seized me by the throat and threw down onto the hard sheet of ice, busting it open.

I started to pick myself up, when I felt the demon's large hand on my head. It pushed my face into the freezing water, and held me there. I tried to throw my body up, but to no avail. I held my breath for awhile but could feel myself, slipping, my lungs beginning to demand more air. I didn't hold it longer than thirty seconds before I involuntarily opened my mouth to suck in air. Instead my mouth and throat filled with mirky ice water. I felt the pain as the cold water made it's way down my windpipe and into my lungs. The pain and suffocation were too much to bare and I began to drift away.

I was suddenly pulled from the water as the beast was pushed off me by Holly, who had quite a running start. The Krampus picked her up with one hand and lifted her to his face. I coughed up water. The creature licked her, then stuck it's abnormally long tongue down Holly's throat. I got up and grabbed Brody by the hand. It dropped Holly then took the basket from its back. Holly began to cry for help, we backed up. Chains wrapped around and dug into her, pulling her into the dark abyss that lye within the basket. I ran up to help. As she drew near the top of the basket, several hands grabbed hold of her and began pulling her in. I held on for a while, then grabbed her keys and let her go.

I don't know whose expression was more haunting, her's or Brody's?

We made a mad dash for the parking lot. We made it to the car and got in. We agreed Brody would drive as my foot left me in no condition too and I could help steer. We tried calling from the parking lot but still got nothing.

He tried to start the car but it wouldn't go at first. He turned the key, the engine revved up, but nothing happened, he did it again, and again. Before the forth attempt the Krampus burst through the passenger window and grabbed me by the head. It started shaking me hard when the car started. Brody slammed on the gas and the speed of us peeling out broke its grip. We began the ride home, safe at last, haven't seen a single car on the road yet though. Brody bl aims me for not helping enough, but we're alive dammit, that's all that matters.

7:02 AM:

We're just now getting home, we both agreed we're not telling mom the truth.

7:19 AM:

We came in expecting mom to have been waiting up all night for us, but instead she seemed more occupied entertaining company. She seemed to be in some trance. The guest she had over was our father. She noticed us and told us to come into the living room, they were worried all night. We came in and blurted bits of the truth out anyway. I turned and saw my father's reflection was the demon's shape just like in my dream, confirming what I already knew. I told her not to trust that that was dad but she wouldn't listen. She grabbed us and started marching us upstairs. She locked us up in each of our respected rooms. She told me through the door she was sending up father to "talk" with us. This will be my last entry.

If you find this, please take this advice: keep the Christmas spirit and be good for god's sake. Just because the holidays are usually a time of joy doesn't mean they always will be. Not all children have a merry Christmas...