Edited by Penn Lady
This is a copyrighted work of fiction. All rights reserved.
Authors note, This is the complete story. I'm sorry for the wait, and hope it was worth it. I know it's strange reading about Christmas in the summer, but think of it as Christmas in July. Also, there is added material to the first two parts that were posted, so I'm posting the entire piece. Sorry for any confusion. Please enjoy and have a happy and safe summer.
*
The man was getting on Chad's nerves. Standing in line for cupcakes, of all things, the inconsiderate jerk-off butted in line then held it up by talking on his cell phone. When the clerk tried to direct his attention to a sign requesting costumers not be on cell phones while placing an order he went off on the beleaguered young woman, delaying things even further. Once that tantrum appeared to be over, he placed his order and berated the clerk on the speed and quality of her service. He then didn't have enough to pay cash and insisted the clerk cover the difference.
Chad made his way to the front of the line, dropped a five dollar bill on the counter and returned to his place without a word. The man glared at him while the clerk completed the sale and then sulked his way out of the store.
The next few people placed their orders and left, offering sympathy to the clerk as they did so. When Chad reached the counter, the clerk thanked him as she handed him his change.
"It's not a problem."
She bagged up his order, three red-and green-iced gingerbread cupcakes. "You must really like cupcakes to wait through all that."
"They're not for me, they're for my rat."
"Really? Wow, that's really cute."
Chad gave her a smile that somehow didn't reach his eyes. "I guess it is. Have a nice day."
Chad walked out into the cold, snowy day. It was the Monday after Thanksgiving, and the Christmas decorations were already up. He considered taking a bus, but decided walking would give him an opportunity to scout. The sun was hanging low and dusk would come soon. It seemed at this time that...things were more active.
He was also curious. He'd been reading about the solstice and how there were some ancient beliefs that reality somehow came unglued around this time and the supernatural became more active. He wanted to see if he could chart that.
"Well if it isn't the do-gooder."
Chad repressed any reaction to the voice of the belligerent customer and made a point of looking up and down the street for something.
"Hey, buddy, I'm talking to you."
Chad recognized the man's tone, though he'd never met the asshole before that day. He sounded petulant because his fun had been ruined and aggressive because he had something to prove. Given that Chad was barely in his twenties and this man appeared to be at least ten years older, the man assumed Chad made an easy target. Chad recognized the situation all too well. Karma sucked.
When Chad continued to ignore him, the man stalked over and grabbed him on the shoulder. Chad expected the move, and was calm when he looked over to his antagonist.
"What, can't hear?" the man sneered.
Chad kept his voice even. "I hear just fine. It's just that I was always told not to mention it when someone farts."
The man's look of contemptuousness turned confused. "Farts? What do you mean by that?"
Chad cocked his head. "Isn't that what it's called when an asshole makes noise?" Chad knew he was pulling the guy's chain and knew from experience just how badly that could go. Something dark twisted in Chad, with predatory glee. This guy was just begging to be taken down a notch.
He stared dumbly at Chad before responding. "You little shit," he blurted out, confusion turning to anger. "How dare you say that to me!"
"Pretty easily, actually. Wasn't much of a dare at all."
The man seized Chad by both shoulders and pushed him into an empty alcove. "OK, you little fuck. Now we're--"
The man chocked off as Chad stared at him. While the smile never reached his eyes, the look of malignant predation went there and stayed. He reached with his right hand to his left shoulder and grabbed the man's hand. He twisted it hard.
"We're going to what?" Chad asked.
The man's face went white from pain and fear.
"Let go." The man tried to put force behind the command, but it fell flat.
Chad still released the hand, then reached for the other.
"Are you removing this or am I?" Though his voice was even, his eyes promised more pain and possibly worse. The man released his shoulder. Chad was almost disappointed.
"You still haven't told me what we're going to do." It was a simple question, said without much inflection. Chad knew from experience how to pitch his voice for maximum effect.
The man backed away while trying to project an air of defiant contempt that was undercut by the fear Chad could see in his eyes. The man shook his head and stalked off. Chad let him go. He took a few deep breaths and set out on his way.
Like an orgasm that wasn't reached, the urge--the need--to break something, or someone, rose within Chad and made demands of him. Demands he barely wanted to discourage, and that frightened him. He walked faster. He couldn't outdistance himself, or his desires. Soon, he was running head long to escape.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark form dart off. With a grim smile, he turned to follow the figure from what he hoped was an unobtrusive distance.
The little creature was a blur of black and gray as it weaved through the crowd of oblivious humans. It was perhaps two feet tall. Chad could make out a tail and four limbs; sometimes it dashed on all fours, but when that wasn't possible, it moved on two legs.
The head was perhaps a little too large for the body, and appeared to have a mane. He couldn't quite make out the face. Then it stopped and a mischievousness smile lit up its face, which had an animalistic cast. The mane that hung in a shaggy mass around the face added to the impression of an animal, though Chad couldn't have named what animal. He followed its line of sight to a sidewalk bell ringer.
What, some little shadow creature's going to rip off a Salvation Army guy?
He thought as he continued to follow.
The little creature scurried up to the man, who continued to ring his bell, greet folks on the street and thank them for the occasional donation. The creature rose up on its digitigrade hind legs and tugged hard at the man's arm. He dropped the bell with a look of surprise. With its tail, the creature knocked the bell down the street. As the man chased after his bell, the creature dumped his hanging pot, forcing the lid off. Once the man realized that had happened, he forgot the bell, went back to his kettle and tried to collect the flying cash.
