XV.

When Santa saw the ugly elf look down at him, he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. He must have looked like hell. But then that didn’t matter. He was saved. That is, until he heard something enter the room.

The ugly elf went out of view and what Santa heard made him want to vomit. It sounded like a hundred crabs fighting over a pile of jelly. Then there were the ugly elf’s screams muffled every few seconds until they ceased altogether. That was when Santa knew that any chance of his being rescued disappeared along with that ugly elf.

Once the noise died down, the lights went off and whatever had come into the room left.

Santa Claus was left alone in the dark. The globs on his face started to slide off into his ears. Then he heard the voice.

“Open your mouth, Santa. Open and say aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”