A Visit from Saint Nick (standard:adventure, 1116 words)
Author: Andrew Dayton	Added: Oct 19 2004	Views/Reads: 3753/2475	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
An unusual visit from Santa Claus.

One dark and stormy night as I labored in my dank laboratory my
concentration was broken by one of the most frightening things I had 
even been witness to.  I will recount this true story in my diary, 
before reason can assert itself and render the incredible events merely 
hallucinations of an overtired mind. 

I spent the early part of the evening carrying out mundane housekeeping
tasks in my laboratory.  These received my attentions as assiduously as 
my experiments.  More so!  These were the foundations for the results 
that I sought.  In time my name would be known round the Earth for my 
discoveries and my data had to be ironclad. Everything was moving 
smoothly, my rice broth and cow serum was stirring merrily awaiting 
infusion through the glass tubing array that surrounded the still, 
shrouded form upon the surgery table, and static electricity was being 
gathering from the castle's turrets as I twice and thrice checked my 
calculations. Tonight would be my greatest triumph.  I had succeeded 
years ago in animating the human form after carefully culling the best 
tissues from the deceased and joining them together.  Having in effect 
given life to a whole being that had never seen life I had become its 
creator.  The responsibility rests heavily on one that has imbued a 
living thing with a soul; truly only God can wield such power!  The 
creature was harried literally to the ends of the Earth and in turn 
hunted me.  He sought to kill me but discovered compassion and could 
not steal my life.  In a fit of passion he destroyed my laboratory and 
I fled.  I came to this mountain hideout and rented a dilapidated 
castle to indulge my latest round of experiments. 

If giving a living thing a soul was my downfall, I must direct my
attempts at reanimation to the recently deceased that had previously 
been in possession of a soul.  Thus I would be but a physician capable 
of the most miraculous of healing powers. 

As I examined my apparatus by candlelight I noted a strong buzzing
coming from my row of glassed capacitor jars.  The buzzing grew louder 
and suddenly ceased.  It was at that self same moment that I heard a 
loud thud on the landing of my front door.  Being far removed from 
civilization I was immediately aroused.  As I trod warily to the 
landing of the staircase leading up I again heard a noise, this time in 
the living quarters or the castle.  My sense of unease turning into 
anger at the intrusion, for it could only be a human's tread that I 
heard in the living room.  Ascending the stairs I now heard a tuneless 
humming that accompanied the footsteps of the intruder.  I froze and 
listened.  So strange that the feet I heard were at once near and then 
far across the room.  What manner of person was this that pranced about 
so and with such obvious merriment? 

I reached the top of the stairs and placed my hand silently upon the
door's pull, but could not bring myself to throw open the door.  In an 
agony of suspense my hand was stayed.  The moments reeled off in time 
to my racing heartbeat. After a momentary lull in movement I willed 
myself to throw open the door but was frozen in place by a cheerful 
rat-a-tat-tat on the very door that separated me from the intruder!  
With a full-throated roar of outrage I flung open the door.  My voice 
stopped in mid shout and the sight that I was confronted with nearly 
undid me.  A heavyset man in red fur was prancing away from my 
location, his destination a tree that had not been there before.  My 
wild glance took in adornments to the room that had also been absent 
when I descended to my laboratory earlier in the evening.  Pine bough 
wreathing, holly berries and glowing lamps were arrayed throughout the 
room, accompanied by the scent of fresh balsam. 

I am ashamed to record that I stood rooted to the spot, by fear as well
as lost equilibrium.  What man could be thrust into such a situation 
and not be astounded, his anger shriveled to nothing within his breast? 
 Well, I had feared but one creature in my life and this jolly man, for 
such he was, with a long flowing beard, was not that creature.  And yet 
I could only watch and try to discern his intent, my brain the only 
part of my body capable of function. 

He dragged a nearly empty bag toward the tree and reaching in, pulled
out a gaily-wrapped parcel that belied the smallish size of the tote. 
Now the bag was certainly empty but again and again he repeated his 
task.  What madness was this?  What dark alchemy! No more than 5 
minutes passed thus, I am certain, when he turned his steps to the cold 
hearth.  Spinning lightly he regarded me for the first time.  His ruddy 


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