Snippettsville: Christmas Issue

Hello, and welcome to the special Christmas 2003 issue of

Tales from Snippettsville

, Short Stories From A Small Town.

For any of you who haven't come across us before, and want to know what it's all about, go to

Snippettsville Group

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Contents of Christmas Special Issue

Christmas Eve in Town

by Wildsweetone

A Jessop Christmas

by Champagne1982

Christmas Spirit

by Seattle Zack

Christmas In The Woods

by PierceStreet

There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays

by BadBombshellBabe

Gift Wrapped

by Alex de Kok

Holiday Shift

by Quasimodem

Illustrations

(c) Quasimodem, 2003

Now read on...

* * * * *

Christmas Eve in Town

by

Wildsweetone

Liz paced the lounge, her half smoked cigarette dangling from between lush red lips as she muttered under her breath. He was late. She’d sworn she’d never ever wait for another man and yet here she was, waiting. He had to be the most infuriating man she’d ever known. But then, he was just Harold and she knew he was never going to change.

Irritated, she brushed the white lace curtain aside and peered out into the night. No sign of his car. No sign of any car for that matter. For god’s sake, wasn’t it meant to be Christmas Eve? What do these country bumpkins in Snippettsville actually do on Christmas Eve? Do they all stay home in front of their cozy warm fires drinking hot toddys and opening plastic presents?

Swatting the curtain back, Liz dragged deeply on her half finished cigarette then blew the smoke through her nose in the way that always managed to send stinging jabs through her nerve endings. Grabbing the cigarette from her mouth with deep red manicured fingertips, Liz ground it out in the crystal ashtray, blowing the last of the smoke from her system. She needed a drink. Not the tiny bottle in the fridge, it would be triple the price of a normal drink and contain only half the buzz effect she needed.

Snatching her bag from the table, she reached the door in three steps. Ignoring the empty parking lot, she walked out onto the street. The only movements were snow flurries fluttering around the street lamps, or at least, every second street lamp. It seemed all the alternate ones had blown bulbs. “Hick town,” she mumbled under her breath as she shrugged, then walked to the pub.

It was oddly silent.

The lights glowed in the windows of the pub. And the juke box blared into the night. Opening the double doors, Liz realised the place was empty. Shaking her head in confusion, she walked to the back of the room then banged the bell until it jangled in her ears.

How odd that there was no one else around.

The bartender came through the doorway at the end of the bar. Liz smiled almost with relief. Then she realised it was the same guy as before, the one who drooled as he’d made her a drink. Wiping the smile from her mouth and from her eyes, she ordered a “gin and tonic, with lemon.”

“I’m sorry lover, we’re out o’ lemon,” he grinned showing Liz his missing front tooth.

Wincing, “it’s okay, just give me the gin and tonic.”

Three large gins later, she asked, “where is everybody?”

“Oh they’re probably all tucked up at home doing the cutesy Christmassy thing.” The glass thudded dully as he placed the fourth in front of her.

“And what exactly is the Christmassy thing?” she knew she’d regret asking.

“Come on out the back with me and I’ll show ya.” The cave entrance grin widened.

Liz downed the drink, dropped the glass on the counter, then walked to the back room. May as well be entertained for half an hour as not, she thought.

Unable to believe his luck, the bartender rushed to follow her. In his haste, he tripped over the edge of a beer crate, then crashed to the ground. His head hit the floor, seemed to bounce then fell back down to lay still.

Checking his neck for a pulse, Liz sighed. Just my luck, she thought. I finally succumb to a quickie in the back of a pub and the guy knocks himself out for me.

* * * * *

A Jessop Christmas

by

Champagne1982

Mrs. Katrina Jessop watched proudly as her daughter, Cheri, sang her solo during the early Christmas Eve service at Reverend Niles' Presbyterian Church. Katrina had always loved the fellowship she felt with the other Snippetsville residents this time of year, they were especially charitable and generous. With all the good feelings that abounded during the season, it was shameful that she had to take the graveyard shift at the women's shelter tonight. She sighed, supposing that if anyone were in need of a visit from Saint Nicholas, then those children that were spending their Christmas day at the shelter, certainly qualified.

She looked over at her darling husband. His beard had grown in a snowy white this autumn. There was some remnant of red still in his hair but maybe she only noticed because she knew what color it used to be. He had a paunch happening and Katrina so loved to tease him that a cardiologist shouldn't allow himself to get too out of shape, no matter what the contents of his personal gene pool. Katrina smiled as she imagined her beloved Jordan transformed, for just one day, into Kris Kringle. He'd look very good in red.

The congregation was rising to its feet, getting ready to sing the perennial favorite, "Silent Night". Standing by the microphone with his acoustic guitar, Constable McDougall waited for the choir conductor's signal. Tears glistened on the tips of many an eyelash as the final "Sleep in heavenly peace" floated out onto the street into the evening.

Hushed murmurs of Christmas wishes swept through the pews as all the families turned to their neighbors, loth to change the moment, yet eager to let the rest of the night unfold.

Katrina looked up at a child's ringing laughter and saw Cheri tickling one of the numerous Oates' grandkids. As if on cue, laughter and loud calls of, "Merry Christmas!" erupted in near-unison from everyone in the church.

Cheri waved to her parents and made her way to them, "Randy McCrae has invited me on the sleigh ride and wiener roast out at the Lazy Snips this evening. I know you have to work Momma but I'll be home early enough to say good night."

"Don't worry about it, Sweetie. Your mother and I will be fine, we have been since you've started college, you know?" Jordan Jessop smiled at his only child, "We love you, darling. Have fun with Randy."

Katrina grasped her husband's forearm in both hands and leaned against him when she watched her child greet the tall, handsome, young man. "Oh my! Jordan, she's in love with him." She felt tears heating her eyes and blinked them back.

Her husband raised his hand and brushed her cheek with the backs of his strong, surgeon's fingers, "Come home with me now, my love," he led her through the wide, open doors of the church to the carillon playing "Joy to the World" and the children's laughter.

As they walked west toward Main Street, Jordan asked, "I was thinking, Katrina. I know that men aren't welcome at the shelter, but do you think it would be remiss if Santa showed up for a little while in the visitors' lounge tomorrow?"

Katrina looked up into Jordan's warm brown eyes, "Rules are made to be broken. I don't think anyone will mind at all, but I will check when I get to work and call you." As they turned south towards Hope Creek and home, she stopped, "I love you, Jordan. You are going to be the best Santa this sleepy little town has ever seen."

* * * * *

Christmas Spirit

by

Seattle Zack

Tyler sat at the window, his surly gaze fixated on the house across the street. Fucking Preston. He took a swig of Jack, the liquid smoke sending flames through his body. "A Christmas Story" flickered on the muted television.

The icicles on the eaves -- he'd countered that with lights wrapped around his picket fence, sixteen different flashing patterns. The illuminated star on the garage -- Tyler had one-upped that with five strands of lights, all green, in the tall pine in his front yard. Three hours of climbing, hands sticky with sap by the time he was done, but it had been worth it. But this was too much. On Christmas Eve, no less -- the bastard.

He took another gulp of fire, anger increasing by the minute. All the houses on Oakmont Drive were decorated, of course, but his had always been the brightest, grandest display in the neighborhood. Until that asshole Preston moved in two years ago. Where did he get off, anyway?

Tyler was surprised to see the bottle empty. He rose, swaying a bit, resisting an urge to smash something. Reindeer. Nine fucking reindeer with an animated Santa waving gaily from the roof. Tyler's plastic snowmen with their flashing noses and his six-foot tall candy canes seemed pathetic by comparison.

"Give that fucker a piece of my mind," he muttered, staggering to the door.

Dressed only in shirtsleeves, the chill blasted him as he crossed the street. He stopped, swaying, at the front door. Bastard even had a better wreath. He stumbled, leaning against the door, and was surprised to feel it swing open.

Tyler blinked stupidly. The house was dark, but the stairway was illuminated with candles on every other step, filling the air with a waxy scent. He stepped inside uncertainly.

"Yoo hoo! Come and get me!" A woman's voice, slurred, coming from upstairs.

Unsure what he was doing, Tyler navigated the stairs, careful not to kick over any of the candles. The door at the end of the hall was open, illumination from more candles flickering inside.

It felt like a dream. He floated down the hall, stopping at the doorway.

"I'm your Christmas present," she giggled.

Preston’s wife was naked, sprawled across the bed, bows stuck to her nipples. She was wearing a blindfold, one of those sleeping masks. His gaze flickered down her pudgy body ... completely bare down there.

Three empty bottles of champagne lay on the floor. She's as plastered as I am, he realized. Spreading her legs, she stretched lazily. "Come and take me, Preston," she whispered huskily.

He smiled slowly. Dropping his pants, he stepped out of his slippers. Even as drunk as he was, he still managed a respectable hard-on after a few minutes of rough encouragement. She squirmed on the bed. "Fuck me."

He climbed on top of her, fumbling a little, entering her finally. "Oooh, yes!" she purred. Pinning her wrists down, he began thrusting, grinning like an idiot. This was better than a punch in the nose. Fucking reindeer.

She let out a long moan as he pounded into her harder, the plastic bows brushing against his chest. His fingers tightened around her wrists as he came, a smooth satisfying release that seemed to go on for ten minutes.

He stumbled to his feet, the alcohol still swirling in his brain. She lay on the bed, sprawled out obscenely. Hearing her snort, he realized she was snoring.

Chuckling gleefully, he staggered drunkenly back across the street, hardly feeling the bracing wind. He’d have to congratulate Preston tomorrow on his tasteful decorations.

* * * * *

Christmas In The Woods

by

PierceStreet

In the living room of the rustic cabin, the family gathered around the Christmas Tree. Everyone was dressed alike in knitted Christmas sweaters. The Dad was finishing a reading of the “The Night Before Christmas.” His parents sat smiling, watching the twin five year old girls struggle to stay awake.

Outside, snow was falling. Tomorrow, Dave Smith would come for them in his restored Snowtrac, basically a truck with tank like tracks, so they could cook their Christmas dinner in a modern kitchen at Grandma’s.

After the story, everyone helped bed the girls down under a stack of comforters. The adults would fill the fireplace, and the wood burning stove before going to bed, but the fires would die out by morning and the cabin would grow cold. Under the mountain of comforters each had, everyone would stay warm.

“Daddy,” said one of the girls, “tell us again why we are spending Christmas here?”

“I’ve told you that a million times lately.”

“Pleaseeeee,” they implored in unison.

“OK. When I was a little boy, maybe a bit older than you, Grandma and Grandpa and I spent a wonderful Christmas here. We stayed here for a couple of months actually, and it was a grand adventure. I remember it as my best Christmas ever.” The grandmother wiped a tear from her eye. Only the daughter-in-law noticed her father-in-law blink away a tear.

“And I wanted my little girls to know a Christmas like that. Mr. Smith, who owns this cabin now, agreed to rent it to us. Back when I was a boy, this cabin was owned by his Dad, who was a friend of Grandpas.”

“Will Santa find us out here?” asked the more practical of the girls.

Thinking of the huge stack of gifts Smitty had hauled out the day before they arrived and had hidden in the storage room, the grownups assured the girls Santa would be there.

The adults retired to the living room and waited until the girls fell asleep. While the ladies set the gifts out, the men noticed the snow had stopped, and trusting by the clearing sky that there would be no more that night, they went outside and using a 2x4 and a stick, made what the girls would believe were sleigh marks and reindeer tracks in the snow. They were careful to eliminate their own tracks and leave just one man’s tracks going to and from the front door.

Afterwards, the men joined their wives in their respective beds. The grandmother looked at her husband with love as he finally let tears form in his eyes. “I always said he was too young to think of it as anything but an adventure,” she reminded her husband.

Knowing he couldn’t trust himself to speak, she continued, “he never knew you had lost your job, and that we’d been kicked out of our apartment.” Old man Smith had let them use his cabin. They’d eaten a lot of venison that winter.

“He never knew how I’d failed him, and you.”

“I think he told you tonight, you never failed us.”

When spring came, he started a new job, that had become a career and the family ultimately bought a house in town.

In the third bedroom, the Mom kissed the Dad. “You are so sweet to arrange this.”

“I’m just glad Dave Smith’s Dad told him the story on his deathbed, and that Dave told me about the guilt my father’s carried all this time.”

“You’ve given your Dad the best Christmas present you ever could.”

* * * * *

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays

by

BadBombshellBabe

The pink light of dusk illuminated the snow on the country side as Jeff headed home for Christmas. He always traveled this route during his trek home for the holidays.

He vividly recalled last night…the incredible sendoff that his girlfriend gave him. They'd been dating 2 months…nothing equaled the passion and intensity of sex in a new relationship, he thought. He shifted in the seat as his jeans felt tighter.

He arrived at the Inn on the interstate, just on the outskirts of town. The sharp bite in the air surprised him

He entered the motel's small office, the bell on the door tinkled as it closed, as it had previously. "Be right there!" a feminine voice called out from the back.

Within a minute a tall brunette appeared. "Sorry about that," she smiled "what can I do for you?..I'm Maria."

In the past, Jeff was greeted by a few rough looking women that had stenched the office with stale nicotine. He was floored when Maria appeared. "Yeah…just need a room for the night…a single," he stammered.

"One night?" Maria inquired. She smiled at Jeff as she started filling out the form.

"Yeah," stated Jeff and handed her his credit card. "Hey Maria, if it's available, can I have the room all the way down on that end?", he asked as he pointed. "The rooms on that end get kind of loud."

"No problem " she replied as she looked over her list.

He eyed her as she tuned around to process his credit card. She was an attractive, slim, leggy creature. Placing a slip of paper in front of him, she said, "Sign right there," pointing to the line with an ostentatiously long, red fingernail.

"All set. Room 210…last room on the end," she smiled. "If you're hungry, Bob's Tavern, makes a great steak…" she hesitated a moment and then added "I'll be off in about an hour, if you don't want to eat alone." She leaned over the counter onto her elbows, providing a glimpse of cleavage. Jeff thought this brazen and was intrigued.

"Sure…I'd … I think I'd like that," he stammered, quickly appraising all the possibilities. "I'll see you in about an hour," said Maria.

Jeff dug his bag out of the trunk, entered his room, shed his clothes and jumped into the shower. Again his mind wandered to last night…Corrine…wrapping her legs around him…begging for more…moaning…

He turned off the shower, lost in his daydream, the quick tap on the door snapped him back to the present. "yeah??," he called…..

"Just me…," Maria replied.

"That was quick," said Jeff as he unlocked the door and wrapped the towel around a little tighter.

"My relief arrived early, hope that's OK," Maria said, staring at his crotch. His hard on stood like a tent pole beneath the towel.

"Of course" stuttered Jeff. He turned around to get his clothes.

"Wait…" said Maria. "How about an appetizer before dinner?"

Before Jeff could respond, Maria was on her knees at his feet, tugging free the corner of the tucked towel. After several minutes of stroking, sucking and licking, Jeff shot his hot semen down Maria's throat.

Ten minutes later, Jeff and Maria strolled into Bob's Tavern. Jeff noticed several of the patrons staring peculiarly.

"Find us a cozy table," said Maria "I'll be right back." Jeff had barely seated himself in a wooden benched booth when a husky, balding man approached.

"Howdy. I'm Bob" said the large man as he handed Jeff a menu.

At that moment, Maria returned.

"I see you've met Martin," said Bob.

* * * * *

Gift Wrapped

by

Alex de Kok

Sue had said, 'Sorry, sweetheart, I have to work Christmas Day, until four. Come round about six. We'll have the evening together. I'll cook Christmas dinner for you.'

She works on the switchboard at the hospital. Her working meant one of the married operators could be with their family. Typical of Sue's generosity of spirit. We'd been going out together for about two months and already I couldn't imagine life without her as part of it.

At six o'clock sharp I rang her doorbell. Jan opened it, smiled, ushered me in and gave me a friendly Christmas kiss under the mistletoe. Jan's Sue's roommate, and she was dressed for going out.

"I'm off to see Harry; I'll be back about midnight. Sue's in her room, Tom, she said go straight in." Jan waved goodbye and was off, an enigmatic smile on her face making me wonder what was up.

"Sue?" I called.

"In my bedroom. Come on in."

I'd never been in Sue's bedroom before. Our relationship was heading towards what I hoped would be a full one, but so far our intimacy had ended at me caressing her breasts. Very nice breasts they are, too, lovely handfuls. I pushed open the door and stopped dead in my tracks.