He'll Be Coming Down The Chimney Down Novels & Stories

I was about to stop them when, suddenly… Screee—craaape—screee… A high, grinding screech of tearing metal echoed from the central air vent in the ceiling, as if something enormous was crawling through the narrow ductwork. Everyone froze. Then, a clearer sound came from deep within the fireplace. Scrape… scrape… scrape… Something was moving down the chimney. Whoosh… A shower of soot and brick dust rained down from the fireplace, sounding as loud as thunder in the silent room.

I slipped the keys into my pocket and sauntered downstairs. The smell of something burning hit my nostrils as I descended down. I went straight to the kitchen realizing the smell was coming from there. And then I saw her. Hilda. Struggling to make whatever she was making. I fisted my knuckle on the door to get her attention. “Looks like someone is trying to burn down the house,” I said leaning on the door.

“You want to live? Listen to me. There’s a hatch three meters up. Use it. Move silently. No stumbles. No sound. They’re hunting with ears now.” “Why are you helping me?” My voice shakes. Her eyes catch the light—hard, unreadable. “Because if Hayden finds you first, it’s not just your life at risk.” She doesn’t wait for my answer. She releases my leg and drops down the chimney like she’s done it before. A moment later, I hear snarls erupt below—then the unmistakable clash of bodies. She’s drawing them away.

" Tears began falling from his eyes and trickling down his cheek. However, I wasn't fazed in the slightest. "So what?" I asked. "If I hadn't left you, when were you actually planning on finally snapping back to your senses? "Just as I thought, people only learn to cherish something when it's gone. Don't you agree with me?" Clayton's body swayed just a little. "No… That's not it. That's not true." I continued, "I was just lucky. Otherwise, I could have died if the chandelier had fallen right on top of me."

“I’ll hаvе tо gо рісk some uр. Rex іѕ соmіng soon with a ѕuррlу.” I dоn’t hеаr the rеѕt оf thе conversation but I саn hеаr thе ѕоundѕ оf someone walking back dоwn thе hаll. I scramble back оn tо the сеntеr of the mattress. I dоn’t knоw who Blondie is, but I dо know whо thе duсhеѕѕ is. Me!

” “Perhaps I don't want to meet them.” “So you want to stay up there for the rest of your life? ‘I don't want to die in Brayden's kitchen'” He said, his voice high and squeaky as he initiated me. “Although, your skeleton might make a nice Halloween decoration.” “I can't come down.” He shrugged. “Suit yourself. Have fun up there, Mrs. Patterson.” He spun around on his heel, heading towards the exit and taking the monsters - I mean dogs - with him. “Wait.” I pleaded.

I stared at him. He was placing the firewood together and then blowing the lighter, the smoke moved up the chimney. "You want help?" I asked slightly unsure as to why greasing my hand across the room. "Come on, you can be blowing it until I go get some from outside." He says waving me forward. I wanted to cringe at the thump in my heart when our hand brushed each other. "You should get that going." "Come on this is enough for the day, wouldn't you rather have a warm house than roam around?"

"Our son is trying to bribe security with cake. We should probably supervise." Behind them, the fire crackled one last time, consuming the last speck of the letter, turning the words of a ruined man into smoke that was quickly sucked up the chimney and scattered into the night, forgotten before it even touched the sky.

“Downstairs.” Downstairs. My mother can call it whatever she’d like, but we both know that what she means by that is in the dungeon. In the dank, damp, dirty dungeon. I hope he’s at least given her a cell with a cot. “Mom, I’m going to kill him,” I say through gritted teeth.