He Sees You When You’re Sleeping
Are you on Santa’s Naughty or Nice List?
It was unseasonably warm for a Halloween night in the Northern Hemisphere. The uniform of his calling, heavy red cap, woolen coat and pants trimmed with fur, caused his rosy cheeks to glisten. Sweat dripped into his bushy white beard. Still, he was too dedicated to allow an Indian summer to deter him. The fat man checked his list twice. Nelly Granger, age 9, lay before him, no doubt dreaming of the latest boy band. A few strands of strawberry-blonde hair lay across her pale cheek and soft pink lips. He watched the fine hairs puff as she exhaled, enchanted at the sight.
Who knows how long he stood drinking in the essence of this delicate little girl? He bathed in her girlish dreams, whims of the moment that lingered in this, her safe haven. He held out a white-gloved hand, reaching for dregs of darkness hidden within, for selfishness, deceit, and greed. She had very little, barely enough to fill the palm of his hand. He carefully placed the dregs of the child’s spiteful wishes into a red velvet drawstring bag, then pulled out a pen from a hidden pocket and wrote the word ‘NICE’ next to the sleeping girl’s name. Before he left to continue his rounds, he gazed at the delicate form that lay within his reach. She was so pretty, so full of life, so tempting, so… off-limits. He fought the surge of hunger with an inhuman patience.
In the blink of an eye, he stood before another sleeping child. This one muttered and twitched in her sleep. Eight-year-old May Wiley had indulged in another temper tantrum before falling asleep. As before, he spoke not a word but went straight to his work. He searched the currents of the child’s psyche, feeling the mild splashes of good will she sent out into the world. After a moment, he approached the bed, reaching for his sustenance with both hands. He drew out her dark desires in a double-handful, then placed the thick richness of her jealousy into another red velvet bag. Next, he took dreams of greed, selfishness, and petty revenge. When the bag was full, St. Nicholas wrote the word ‘NAUGHTY’ and grinned, revealing for one instant his true face.
One night of tribute to all children who believed was a small price to pay for the feast like the child who lay before him. This one would feed him for days. Her parents would see her lassitude as good behavior, never knowing that she was losing her life energy, one dream at a time. Santa Claus laughed softly, “Ho, Ho, Ho. They don’t even know that they agreed to feed me, and they teach their children to do the same.
After he turned away and left, the half-awake May sat up in her princess- canopied bed, shaking uncontrollably. Her parents found her the next morning, rocking back and forth, starring at the fireplace in the corner, singing,
“Oh, you better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I’m telling you why…”
Originally published at http://malautumnwood.com.
