The Carol nosleep

My family had always had an odd holiday season tradition, starting December thirteenth, you could set your clocks by the Zykes, family carols that started strangely in our backyard towards the forest bordering our lands. We would go outside no matter the weather every day at six thirteen in the evening and start with Silent Night, then walk around the neighborhood and sing other Christmas songs in our little cul de sac. We lived in a small community just outside of Lebanon Tennessee my family had lived in this small ranch two generations now, my mother inheriting it from her father, and one day I would be given it as well. But every child of the family was taught this tradition, from the time they were born they had participated in this family ritual. My Grandfather and his two sisters were taught by their mom and dad and they in turn passed it to my mom and now, my mother and father were out with me and Grandpa at six thirteen singing silent night. I was thirteen and this was effeminately not cool, luckily none of my friends or anyone from my school lived here because I would not survive the torment when i got back from winter break. After the rounds were finished my mom and dad went to bed early stating long days at the family business tomorrow a large shipment was coming in. I sat down ready to play some Xbox when I looked over and asked him.

“Grandpa, why do we have to Carol every day until Christmas every year? I mean I know the holiday spirit and all but, I don’t get why we have to do it every day.”

My Grandpa smiled at me and pat me on the head as he took a sip of his warm cider.

“Little buddy, you are right it is for the Holiday Spirit, to keep it in check and appeased. We sing to keep the holiday a safe and happy time for all around.”

That answer was confusing to me then, but now I understand the words for what they were meant that night, they were a warning to me, but I was too young and more interested in video games than singing some stupid Christmas carols so I rolled my eyes and turned on the game. That night, my grandpa passed on in his sleep, it was painless according to the doctors but, in reality it wasn’t. Mom was devastated and I was distraught that my last words to my grandpa who I loved so much were mocking about his tradition. That night we went out, even though I complained and said I just wanted to be left alone, my mom dragged me out of my room hissing in my ear.

“You will not belittle your grandfathers memory like this, we will go out there and honor his wishes, now not another word young man.”

That tone always frightened me, Grandpa said she learned it from her mom and it scared their kids too, he would always chuckle and look fondly off in the distance when he mentioned Grandma. But I reluctantly went outside more afraid of my mother right now than the ridicule I would receive if someone from school saw me, and at six fifteen we started Silent Night. Mom was fighting back tears throughout the entire set, our neighbors all came out this time, most of the time we had an occasional one or two, but every one of them and each held a single candle when they did. Grandpa was loved by almost everyone in this neighborhood having helped or befriended each resident over the years, he was well liked by even the old misers who constantly yelled at me when I ran into their yards to get an errant ball from a game. By the last song mom had a steady stream coming from both of her eyes, we walked inside and dad took her upstairs, I sat down and played Xbox for the rest of the night.

The next few evenings were a blur, mom and dad were gone a lot and I just kind of zoned into my video games to escape reality and having to think about Grandpa, the funeral was supposed to be in two more days, I was hot into the latest Final Fantasy game when my phone rang. I picked it up still playing the sounds of swords clashing and spells exploding in the background.

“Hello.”

“Hey honey its mom, dad and I are going to be running late tonight have some last minute arrangements with the funeral director, then we are going out to dinner with your great aunt, we will be home around ten. Oh and sweety, do not forget to Carol at six thirteen.”

“Moooom.”I sighed exasperated of having to carol by myself, it wasn't my stupid tradition, I hated singing.

“Do not mom me young man, you will be out there or else, you will be in big trouble.” she was using that mom voice again, the one that to this day can still freeze me in my tracks.

“Yes, mother.” I groaned.

“Good, behave and don’t make a mess love you honey see you later tonight.” She made a kiss noise and hung up I groaned again tossing my phone to the side and looking at the clock. It was five seventeen, still had some time to play so I sat down and once again zoned out to the make believe world were friends who died could be brought back with a spell or item. Heroes and heroines stopped bad from happening and triumphed over oppressors, you could make the world right if you trained hard enough.

When I looked up at the clock it said six twenty. “Shit!” I exclaimed knowing mom would of called a neighbor to make sure I was out, I sprinted to the door grabbing my coat and heading for the first house thinking I could skip the back yard no one would be the wiser. I made my rounds singing the usual songs from the family playlist, and as I thought I saw one of our neighbors wave at me listening for a moment and turning to go back inside, I spied him picking up his phone and making all call as he did. Smirking to myself for outsmarting my mother I finished the round going back to inside and continuing my game. I was in the middle of a heated boss battle dodging and attacking when the lights on the tree clicked on, at first I was so zoned into the game that I hadn’t even noticed it was only after I looked over to check the time when I saw the lights. I tried to remember if I turned them on, maybe dad put them on a timer but why would he have them set to turn on at seven fifteen and not earlier. Then realizing that I had not eaten yet my stomach rumbled its protest and I quickly shrugged off the incident and went to the kitchen, as I opened the refrigerator pulling out the sealed container holding my dinner I heard a creak from the stairs.I froze in place listening I heard the familiar click of my moms speakers and Silent Night started playing upstairs in my parent bedroom.

“Mom? Dad? you home already?” That had to be it, I was so enthralled in my game I didn’t hear them pull up and lately mom has just went straight to her room when she got home. I heard a crash from upstairs and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, I moved over to the end of the stairs and called up again.

“Mom? Dad? are, are you guys okay?” I heard no response again so I slowly started to make my way up the stairs. Each step I took I tried to be like a ninja placing my foot lightly on each stair as not to make a sound. I knew the spots where the boards creaked from numerous times sneaking downstairs when my parents were asleep to sneak in some Call of Duty matches with the older guys who were better players. As I reached the top of the stairs I could hear movement in my parents room over the music, someone was in there tearing the place apart by the sounds of it, I heard things crash against the wall drawers being pulled out and contents emptied. The sounds of destruction was not what froze me in place and sent tendrils of fear down my spine, it was the sounds of what I could only think could be its breathing. It wheezed with a wet sloppy “schloop” sound that sound will forever haunt my dreams, nothing human breathed like that and when the chaos stopped I snapped back into reality.

My fight or flight reflex is probably what shook me out because the footsteps were coming right for the door, I took of like a chased rabbit down the stairs over to my phone, I picked it up and dialed 911, it rang once then picked up where I expected to hear an operator ask me what my emergency was like in all the shows, Silent Night started reverberating in my ear. I threw the phone down and ran for the back door yanking on it to no avail, as I tried to unlatch the lock it seemed to be stuck and no amount of force I applied would undo the latch. I heard the floorboard on the stair creak notifying me that it was halfway down the stairs now, I could hear that breathing again the wet inhalation and gasping exhalation of the monster chilling me as it grew nearer.

I couldn't make it out the front now as the end of the stairs was right in front of the door. Panicking I looked around for anything to use as a weapon, grabbing the fire poker in the stand in front of the fire place, I held it at the ready and made my way towards the stairs. As I rounded the corner I had my first look at it, this horrifying monstrosity that was in my home, it was tall and thin, too thin for a human and stood about seven foot tall, its smashed oval head regarded me with two giant green orbs for eyes that resembled the bulbs we placed on our tree every year, its too long fingers ended in curled claws almost resembling the hooks we used to hang ornaments from. Its body was covered in patches of red fur and its mouth full of broken jagged teeth.

The monster stood motionless for a moment its bulbous eyes locked on mine, its wet raspy breath picking up pace as its entire body seemed to twitch and spasm. Now I am not afraid to admit I wet myself right there on the spot as I looked at this thing in front of me, no horror movie or scary story ever prepared me for what stood in front of me now. Looking at the creature actually caused a small part of my mind to fracture right there and then as I stood paralyzed in fear staring at it. It took a step towards me and its jaw opened impossibly wide like it unhinged its jaw twice, as an inhuman mix of wailing and screaming boomed from its mouth making me wince and cover my ears feeling warmth trickle down the side of my face and neck. It strode towards me as I weakly held up the fire poker in front of my, I think it smiled as it batted the thing out of my hands sending it flying and smashing through the front window shards of glass falling to the ground.

I don’t know how or why I did it but my brain yelled and I moved darting towards the broken window, the creature roared in fury again swiping at me with its too long fingers one of the hooked claws catching me in the corner of my eye the hooked talon nearly snagging me and taking me off my feat. But I ran and the flesh tore as I dove through the broken window covering my already injured face and landing hard on my shoulder on the other side. Stars filled my vision and it started to go black I shook my head trying to pull myself up my body not responding to my minds commands. I screamed in horror and pain as the thing grabbed my ankle its claws sinking in, I kicked as hard as I could hearing another crack as it again roared this time in pain. I scrambled to my feet and ran to my neighbors pounding on the door tears streaming in my eyes, shoulder separated and a gash in my eye that would need six stitches. The neighbor let me in and called the police and ambulance, saying there was a robber in my house, I tried to tell her tried to warn them, not to go in there it was a monster. She merely smiled and spoke soothing words to me.

“There there sweety, you were just scared when they attacked you the police and ambulance are on their way.”

I was taken to the hospital and later questioned by the police, they never found anyone and even stranger, the only set of tracks leading from my house were mine, when I ran to the neighbors. They searched the entire house thoroughly but found nothing. I was eventually released after Christmas as I was placed in a psychiatric hold for my insistence on saying it was a monster. I was eventually released to the care of my parents with some medications to help with my hallucinations as the shrink put it. I never took them, and to this day I haven’t seen a thing. I’m twenty seven with a family of my own now, still have a scar on my eye from back then, and you can bet your sweet ass every year starting on December thirteenth at six thirteen pm my wife and kids are out there singing with mom and dad. And we never skip the back yard, I make sure of that.

Submitted November 15, 2016 at 10:25PM by JZwirner http://ift.tt/2fCsqgv nosleep