Some holiday reading

I’ve been writing Christmas stories for… well, a while now. This is the first year I’ve not written one… well, that’s not true. I did, but it’s dark and I don’t like it much. (It’s a horror story, and not well done.) So I’m going to leave you with links to the other things I’ve written … and a transcription of the very first Christmas story I wrote that’s not appeared on the web before. And after this, I’m off for a few days (save for a weekly 100 word story next week). Have a great holiday season!

Christmas 1999

“Go to sleep now; Santa won’t come until you’re asleep.”

He scrunches down into his covers, squirmy worm finding his home, exaggeratedly shut eyes pulling a laugh from my throat as I kiss his forehead.

“G’night kiddo,” quickly corrected to “Good night, Daddy,” extracting a deep ho-ho-ing as I turn off his light.

Even as I shut the door to his room, I feel the white whiskers begin to grow. Loosening my belt (suddenly a thick leather band against improbably red cloth, barely holding in an astonishingly jelly-like belly), I head for the fireplace, placing my finger against my nose…