Christmas in Remington

A sampler of tales that I have written or are about to write.

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As winter approaches, the world embraces the joys of this holiday season. Even in the sleepy, yet mysterious hamlet of Remmington, California, the jubilee is celebrated in it's own unique & sometimes grisly manners. Let's me guide you on a tour to visit some of the residents of the community. See how these individuals observe Christmas in their own peculiarly strange ways….

Creature of the woods carefully decorates the surrounding trees & opening of her lair with the finest silken webbing she could muster. It would have to be just right if she intended to lure the drunken fools who wander away from the main road. Her webbing could sparkle in the moonlight, giving them a beautiful snowflake-like quality to them. The fools would be so enthralled by it beauty that they wouldn't see her slowly approaching them from above. She would feast heavily upon their life giving blood. She might set them free or dine upon their flesh. It would be enough to sustain her the entire winter.

Hiram Spoons examines his stock after a busy day. HE does a great deal of business during this time of the year. People looking for something different & unique in his antique & curios shop. To the untrained eye, it would appear that he only had a store filled with junk, but that wasn't so. The merchandise, to the right customer, could fulfill their wildest dream or desire. Hiram knew exactly what his customers' deepest, darkest needs were. It was his special talent. The cost for his products was a high one, the corruption of their souls. Hiram had a quota to meet. His boss was one of Hell of a Devil…

Raquel Ebbeara spends the holiday tucked away in a small cell of a room. The cell was originally designed for another, but things have changed. The jailer is now the prisoner. Her keeper visits her on a regular basis, usually only to taunt her about what a wonderfully sinful lifestyle that she is living. Raquel secretly prays that that one day, the other will see the errors of her ways & allow her control again. Only then will she be able to regain her body from that horrible wretch. She wishes that the day will come soon, but she doubts it. The time seems to drag during her confinement. It all seems so frustrating. She cries out for Sylvia to release her. It was an accident that she killed her twin sister in a fit of rage. Now her twin controls her body while she rots in this lonely cell…

Ingrid Sorrenson wanders the dark, cold streets, searching for her missing husband, Otto. It has been nearly fourteen months since the accident. Almost two since she saw him lasts. She knows that he is still around. She has seen his tracks in the alleys. A strange sight catches her eye. She sees her reflection in the glass of a store window. Her eyes fill with tears. No longer was she a great beauty that captures the room's attention whenever she walked in. That was better times of old. That was before Otto became obsessed with his scientific discoveries. It led to disaster. She was now a homeless hag. She wouldn't remember the last time she had a hot bath or slept in a bed with clean sheets. It was her punishment for interrupting Otto's work. It was the miniaturizer that shrank him to the size of a mouse. The device caused her husband to slowly lose his memory. She had spent their vast fortune trying to find him. She had spent time in the mental hospital for her insane search; she knew that he was alive. She had to find him before some stray cat did….

Sylvia Ebbeara heard the muted cries of her twin in the cell. The twin was just venting out for her fury. It would do no good. Raquel had her chance to live in this body that they shared. Now it was Sylvia's turn to live. Wasn't it Raquel who in a fit of rage kills her when she found her boyfriend & Sylvia in bed? In Raquel's guilt, Sylvia was reborn. Yet for years, she was locked away in that same cell that Raquel now resides in. Only to let out on those occasion that Raquel didn't wish to handle. Sylvia had her own idea of fun. So far she had killed twenty-five unsuspecting people. She really loved to what the lives of her victim's fade from them. Raquel didn't approve of her immoral behavior. Sylvia would only laugh at her. Nothing was taboo to her. She had control of their body & she had no intention of surrendering to her. Raquel could just rot in that damn cell for all she life. She went back roasting Chet's nuts over an open fire….

Trevor the Chosen One could sense the foul presence of one of the thriteen demons that was his duty to vanquish. He will eliminate all of those vile creatures from this earthly plane of existence. The demon was luring innocents to do commit evil. After enlisting their aid for worthless objects, the demon would steal their souls for his Dark Master. The Demon was only one of the many who were befouling his town. After he vanquished all of the Demons, he'll return to purify this town or the evil with the use of his Amulet & Sword of Light, only then can he ever hope to have a normal life with the young woman who accompanies him. But he first he had to defeat the Demons before he could live a normal life. But destroying evil was a hard addiction to break…

Maria gently rubbed her abdomen where her child grew. It felt wonderful to be warmed in this manner. For the past twelve winters, a defective birth control device heated her body. During the torridity passion of lovemaking, the device was only supposed to raise her body temperate to a level where sperm couldn't live, but it instead incinerated the men. Far too many of her lovers had died in her arms in this foul way. But her husband Owen, own unique personal problem was able to freeze the power cell of the device. It fell out shortly afterwards. She was finally able to have a child, which was due in early March. Life was so wonderful. She had a loving husband & soon a family. She had a new identity & life. No longer would she be on the run from the law for the deaths of all of those men. No longer was she afraid of the FBI discovering & arresting her for having an unlicensed nuclear battery, the power source of the device. She glanced out the window. Owen was finishing up with decorating the front yard. She felt desire welling up inside of her. She wanted him very badly. He was the only one who could cool this fire burning inside of her. She called for him to come inside. He grinned at her choice of words, knowing actually what she meant. He met her in the bedroom, where they ignited & cooled their passions in each other's arms.

Annie was busy. She had so much to do in her new kitchen. It had been so long since she had been able to prepare her special recipes, especially after that nosy detective discovered that leg bone of Vito's that she had neglected to grind into bone meal. She was using as a sexual toy, but he recognized it as human. She barely fled the deli before the police arrived. Annie had disappeared into the streets, living as a homeless person. She wandered for a few years until she happened upon this small town. This is where she met Tom. He was such a troubled soul, yet gently and caring. She couldn't help but fall in love with him. It was the first time she had ever been in love. But he suffered a fatal heart attack during their honey- moon. He left her the used bookstore, a perfect place to start up a bakery for her special recipes. Instead of deli meats, she cooked meat pies that all of the town people loved especially the mayor. She was able to find her victims by going to other towns and picking up men there. She never would be stupid enough to fall in love with one her victims. They were only ingredients for her recipes...

Samuel shook his head. It was such a lonely time of the year for him. His wife of thirteen years had died in the spring. His heart was filled with despair & sorrow. Sarah was his whole life, but now she was gone, but not far from him. After the funeral, he dug her up & took her back to their bedroom. He dressed her up in her best nightgown. Samuel continued to take care of his late wife as if she was still alive. He kept silent the fact that Sarah had returned to him. They wouldn't understand that Sarah & him shared a love that was everlasting, a love that transcended life and death. Thinking of Sarah made him smile. He felt desire welling up in him. He needed her again. She was such an understanding & caring lover. She never turned him down…

These people just spell out Christmas. Take a look back & see if you don't agree. Just make sure that you don't celebrate in holidays in that town. You might not make it out alive. Merry Christmas 8-)

This story was originally written on Dec 17, 1997 & rewritten on Dec 20, 1999. Send comments to the email address in my profile.

Copyrighted to Paul Grove 2000