Holiday Leftovers

01/02/2013 by SAM | 16 Comments

“Such a lovely place you have here, Alton. You and Sylvia have outdone yourselves in decorating. Why haven’t you invited us over sooner?” Alton’s mother, Judith, said as she let her white glove slide along the furniture.

Alton picked up his mother’s gloved hand and kissed the back of it as Sylvia looked on. “It wasn’t time. It was all we could do to be ready for the holidays.”

As he released Judith’s hand, Sylvia took it and led her into a very formal living room where an eight-foot tree spanned an entire wall. Decorated beautifully in blood reds, creams, and gold, its still, clear lights gave off a soft glow. Judith was drawn to it instantly and began touching the ornaments one by one, a gasp of delight at the macabre leaving her breathless. She pulled one such ornament off the tree and examined it. A smile lit her somber face as she sniffed the crusted blood on the end of the finger. It wore a diamond set in white gold on its center. She turned it and twisted it, delighting in the small prisms of the caught light flickering on the walls around her.

“This is delightful,” she said, licking another appendage after removing it from the tree. “Oh! And fresh, too!”

“Yes,” Sylvia quipped, “and so much better than chocolate!” She removed another ornament from the tree and handed it to Judith before leading her away. “You must see the cellar. It’s to die for!”

A secret smile passed between Sylvia and Alton as they led Judith forward through a small but thick wooden door at the end of a dark hallway. Everything in their house was dark, much like the haunted mansion they were trying to replicate. They had even gone to the trouble of installing stone walls over the regular ones, making it look more like a European castle than anyone expected. Almost every room had a different theme, though the color scheme remained the same. Everything was black and crimson, with either silver or gold accents. Judith’s eyes shone as she passed each room. She was proud of what her son had accomplished.

Going through the door led down another hallway, this one even darker and built entirely of stone, unlike the other parts of the house. It was cold, too, adding to the illusion of creepiness that taunted Judith as she walked. Her smile never left her face as her excitement grew. A tasty aroma filled the air and knew she was in for a treat. Her lips began tingling in anticipation. Her eye teeth began lengthening hastily. Impatience clouded her face as they came to another door. Sylvia brought out a large key chain bearing only one large antique black key. It fitted the lock and turned easily enough, and the door opened with a groan. The space beyond the door was dark, but Sylvia lit a lamp. With a large sweeping gesture, Alton invited Judith to proceed.

“Mother, please, a countess always goes first,” he said. She patted his cheek as she passed. Her nostrils flared rapidly, her sinuses overwhelmed with all the scents. Her eyes closed even as her lips moved further upwards until her fangs touched her bottom lips.

Sylvia pulled a small curtain aside, revealing the cool metal bars of a cage. Trapped within it were several people of various ages and sizes, all wearing the same look of fright on their faces. She grinned wickedly as she moved toward the lock, the single black key in hand. Judith moved closer instinctively.

“Our holiday leftovers,” Alton said, his own fangs leaving small droplets of blood along his bottom lip.

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For the Scriptic.org prompt exchange this week, Diane gave me this prompt: Holiday leftovers.

I gave trencher this prompt: be a snowflake.

I always appreciate and welcome your feedback. Please share your thoughts in a comment.

Thanks for stopping in and Happy New Year!

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