the ground next to the Child Eater’s horrid foot. Katie spotted it as the chewing stopped and everything went still. Only her eyes moved. A chewed bone dropped to the dirt. The Child Eater reached for the glove with a long sinewy black arm. Its dark hair was bristled like that of a dead porcupine and its black beard fell to its feet. As it reached down, the Child Eater turned towards Katie, hiding under the table. As the white orb eyes took Katie in their glare, she was aware of her voice screaming, her body pushing itself out from under the table and standing to run. In one fluid movement the nightmare rose behind her, grasping and hissing. Katie spun, swung the hatchet and buried it in the Child Eater’s head, sending the creature writhing. It spun, trying desperately to grasp at the axe, but twisting and turning up the wall and along the ceiling like a poisoned spider.
Katie ran the tunnels, guided by the torchlight, until she tripped and fell into a larger chamber. The torch went spinning, as did Katie, falling into what she first thought to be twigs. They crunched and cracked as she crawled and rescued her torch, only to find she was sitting on a bed of bones. Some were chewed and snapped. They prickled her skin and tore her clothes in places. She frantically whipped the torchlight around the chamber. Skeletal parts and small human skulls covered every inch of the ground. There was a cold, cool smell to the area. The kind that fills the air when the freezer door is open. ‘All those children,’ she thought. ‘All those children in just one night.’
It was then that she heard weeping. Shining the torch in the sound’s direction, she came face to face with Jake, tied around the wrists and ankles with red ribbons, like a Christmas turkey. Next to him was Emily, tied similarly. All fear and exhaustion and madness in that moment left all three. Katie desperately untied them, pulling at the bindings. They cried and kissed each other and said prayers. Said how much they loved each other. With that done, they sobbed again and held each other more.
Katie pulled away. She wiped her tears and those of her brother and sister.
‘We have to leave. We’re all going to hold hands and go home.’
‘Then what?’ Emily asked, her voice choked with anxiety. ‘It will find us again.’
‘I don’t know, but we have to go,’ Katie replied, worry knotting her as she did her best to keep her feelings hidden.. Time was running out.
‘No,’ Jake said. ‘Christmas is almost over. We will be safe; we will be safe.’
The sisters looked at him. They pulled each other up. Katie used the torch to show them the way across the bones. Slowly they crossed the room. It was not unlike walking on broken glass, sharp and unsteady. No sooner had they left that darkest of rooms, than they heard the chimes.
‘Run. Just run.’‘ Katie took Jake’s small hand, and he then took Emily’s, and the three ran. The sound of the jingling knives came closer and closer until they felt foul breath at their necks.
They ran and stumbled and fell.. Katie pulled and screamed and they ran again. Lost in the dark, they followed the torch until they fell again and the torch smashed. Jake called out in panic , but Katie found him and hushed him as, through the dark and silence, the jingle blades crept closer and closer and closer still. Katie gripped the arms of her brother and sister, and they each dragged the other forward as fast as they could, with their exhausted legs wobbling like broken bones..
There was no way to tell if der Kinderfresser was only an inch behind, smiling in the dark and watching them stumble and fumble. Suddenly, the cold hit them with all the subtlety of air made of a wall of ice.. They paused to catch their breath, before running again through the trees and collapsing into the snow. The sky was now a light grey of clouds and, although dawn had not yet arrived, the moon had cast a silver veil over the woods. Katie checked
Katie ran the tunnels, guided by the torchlight, until she tripped and fell into a larger chamber. The torch went spinning, as did Katie, falling into what she first thought to be twigs. They crunched and cracked as she crawled and rescued her torch, only to find she was sitting on a bed of bones. Some were chewed and snapped. They prickled her skin and tore her clothes in places. She frantically whipped the torchlight around the chamber. Skeletal parts and small human skulls covered every inch of the ground. There was a cold, cool smell to the area. The kind that fills the air when the freezer door is open. ‘All those children,’ she thought. ‘All those children in just one night.’
It was then that she heard weeping. Shining the torch in the sound’s direction, she came face to face with Jake, tied around the wrists and ankles with red ribbons, like a Christmas turkey. Next to him was Emily, tied similarly. All fear and exhaustion and madness in that moment left all three. Katie desperately untied them, pulling at the bindings. They cried and kissed each other and said prayers. Said how much they loved each other. With that done, they sobbed again and held each other more.
Katie pulled away. She wiped her tears and those of her brother and sister.
‘We have to leave. We’re all going to hold hands and go home.’
‘Then what?’ Emily asked, her voice choked with anxiety. ‘It will find us again.’
‘I don’t know, but we have to go,’ Katie replied, worry knotting her as she did her best to keep her feelings hidden.. Time was running out.
‘No,’ Jake said. ‘Christmas is almost over. We will be safe; we will be safe.’
The sisters looked at him. They pulled each other up. Katie used the torch to show them the way across the bones. Slowly they crossed the room. It was not unlike walking on broken glass, sharp and unsteady. No sooner had they left that darkest of rooms, than they heard the chimes.
‘Run. Just run.’‘ Katie took Jake’s small hand, and he then took Emily’s, and the three ran. The sound of the jingling knives came closer and closer until they felt foul breath at their necks.
They ran and stumbled and fell.. Katie pulled and screamed and they ran again. Lost in the dark, they followed the torch until they fell again and the torch smashed. Jake called out in panic , but Katie found him and hushed him as, through the dark and silence, the jingle blades crept closer and closer and closer still. Katie gripped the arms of her brother and sister, and they each dragged the other forward as fast as they could, with their exhausted legs wobbling like broken bones..
There was no way to tell if der Kinderfresser was only an inch behind, smiling in the dark and watching them stumble and fumble. Suddenly, the cold hit them with all the subtlety of air made of a wall of ice.. They paused to catch their breath, before running again through the trees and collapsing into the snow. The sky was now a light grey of clouds and, although dawn had not yet arrived, the moon had cast a silver veil over the woods. Katie checked
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