Klown | First of the Krampus Series (COMPLETE)

Chapter Four

     Krampus' eyes bore into _____'s, terrifying her with his horizontal pupils. His breathing could be heard, his voice raspy. The jester pulled on his coat, making him look down. They exchanged words in a different tongue _____ could not recall. Krampus gave her one last look before he set her down, the jester grabbing her by the arm before she could run. Krampus then waved a hand, dismissing the clown. The giant jester obeyed him and went up to the sleigh, taking _____ with him. When the monster was at the sleigh, elves on the sleigh grabbed her by both arms and lifted her up onto the sleigh. When she was on, one elf kept a sharp grip on her arm, causing her to whimper in pain. They then helped the jester up, some pulling his torso on the sleigh first, some waiting to help his tail on.

Once the monster was on, he saw the elf that was holding _____ a little too tight. He spoke in the language she did not know. The elf then let go of her, backing away. The elf's grip left red marks on her skin and the jester took notice. It quickly scooted over to her, causing her to take small steps back. The jester kindly took her hand in its own, gently pulling her arm towards itself, making it easier to see the scratches.

"Uh," _____ hesitated to speak. "I-I'm fine, really."

The monster looked up at her, a look of concern in its eyes. It turned back to look at the scratches, gently running his hand over some of them, causing _____ to wince. The jester's hand quickly retreated from her arm, checking if she was okay.

Suddenly, there was a huge rumbling sound. _____ turned to see what had happened. A big hole in the ground had appeared. Inside the hole there were many hues of red, orange, and yellow, lighting everything up around it. At the top, Krampus stood waiting, watching two elves bring Great Aunt Lucy and Uncle Maurice up to the top, dropping them into the hole.

"No!" _____ screamed, trying to pry herself from the jester's grip. She helplessly watched as elves then brought Andrea up to the top. "Wait!"

Krampus raised his hand, pausing the elves. His head turned to look at _____.

"I take back my wish!" She screamed, still trying to rip her hand out of the Jester's. "I take it all back! Please! Let me go! Let everyone go! I'll do whatever you want!"

Krampus walked over to the sleigh. Due to his tall form, he easily grabbed _____'s hood, bringing her down to his level.

"Please," she pleaded. "I know you can fix this. I'll do anything, I promise."

Krampus eyed her. "I will let your family live," he said slowly, his raspy voice deep with a hint of a German accent. "On one occasion."

"Yes! Anything!"

"You will join me. You will serve me for seven years."

"W-what?!" _____ stammered, panic in her voice.

"You want your family to live, yes?" Krampus asked in his raspy voice. "You will serve me for seven years."

_____ thought for a moment. Seven years? She would be __ years old by the time she would be released! How would her family react to her missing for that long? It was a tough decision. Having to be missing from her family for seven years to keep them alive! Well, if she refused, who would take care of her? Who would she take care of? How would she live through the winter alone?

"Well," Krampus asked.

_____ sighed. "I accept."

"Perfect." Krampus then lifted her back onto his sleigh.

The giant jester immediately took hold of her, hugging her gently. Krampus then climbed onto the sleigh. He turned and waved a hand at _____, making her feel sleepy. Before she knew it, she fell into a deep sleep, cold wind rushing over her.

_____ opened her eyes, squinting at the bright light she was suddenly greeted with. She sat up and looked around. She was in a large room filled with very fancy accessories. There was a golden piano in one corner of the room, a large painting of Mona Lisa on a wall to the right. On the other wall, there was a painting of Girl with a Pearl Earring. A very delicate looking chandelier hung from the domed ceiling, thousands of tiny lights glittering. The floor was a glossy gold, shining with every hue of yellow there is.

_____ stood up, nearly tripping on the pearly white dress she wore. The dress had very intricate designs that stood out in a mint green color. Frills layered over each other at the bottom and on the shoulders. She also wore a pearl necklace and pearl earrings. Her high heeled shoes made her feel very much taller than she really wanted, though they pinched her toes. _____ reached down and took them off. She set them aside and looked around once more.

'Where am I?' She thought to herself.

_____ then saw a double door on one wall. She ran over and tried to open it. Nothing happened. It was locked.

"H-help!" She cried out. "Somebody, please!"

"Yes?" A voice said behind _____.

She wheeled around, startled by the voice. It was a guy, looked a little older than _____ was. He had short, shaggy, silver hair and his skin was very pale. He had rosy cheeks and dark brown eyes. He wore a royal blue jacket over a button up shirt. His pants were a beige color and he had brown, heeled boots.

"Uh," _____ hesitated, not used to talking to strangers.

"It's alright, I understand," the boy said. "Forgive me for my lack of manners. My name is Jack. You're _____, I presume?"

_____ stared at Jack. He looked oddly familiar in a way she could not recall. And how the heck did he know her name?!