Page 38 of Subbing For Santa

I think.

“I’ll play.” I say before I think too much, and this time I hear his audible intake of air before he growls through the phone.

“You have until midnight to try to get back to your house and lock the door before I catch you, because tonight, my little elf, I am the hunter, and you are my prey.”

“What?”

“You heard me, Agatha. Now, you should be wondering what sort of hunter I am, and what sort of prey you are, because remember, you don’t know me. I’m the man who has been stalking you, from the moment you moved in. I’ve watched you fuck men and women in your house. I’ve watched you fuck yourself. I’ve turned your power off, entered your house when you weren’t there to remove your toys. Hell, I’ve even stood in your doorway and watched you sleep some nights.”

“W-what?” I stutter as fear and confusion slaps me.

“Have you been subbing for Santa, or subbing for akiller?”

“I-I…”

“The clock is ticking, Agatha.”

My heart thrashes as I fear I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life, and then I hear the menace in his tone as he says one last word.

“Run!”

Chapter eleven

Prey

Agatha

Istareatthephone for a brief moment before my brain finally kicks in. And then I run. My feet pound against the jetty as I go, probably too loudly, giving my location away, but I don’t stop. I run, because he’s right. I don’t know him, and even though I’m still alive now, he could well have been buttering me up for his final showdown.

His kill.

My blood thunders in my ears and I race up the grassy hill towards my pitch-black rental. Just as I make it to the top of the hill, I spot a dark figure looming on my porch. I can’t see much, but I can just make out that he is wearing only a pair of pants. Jeans maybe, with what looks like a piece of fabric falling from the back pocket. His chest is bare. And so is his face.

I skid to a stop, a gasp flying from me as he takes the first step down off my porch. The moonlight filtering through the trees still isn’t enough for me to make out any facial features, but his stance is all menacing. Ready to pounce. So, I turn and run into the thick scrubland.

I’m only wearing a summer dress. My feet are bare, and I’m quickly reminded of that when twigs stab into my feet as I try to escape. My ears pick up the heavy thud of Santa giving chase. I almost want to call his bluff by turning around and facing him. He won’t hurt me. This is just primal play, right?

Wrong.

Something whizzes past my head and hits a tree beside me as I run, and I realise he’s either throwing something at me or shooting something at me.

Holy shit! I’m going to die.

A scream rips from my lungs as he shoots something at me again, the whizz closer to my ear this time.

I leap over a fallen branch, but crash to the bush floor when I land, my foot getting caught in some sort of vines. A sob escapes me as I scramble back to my feet, deciding to take a different route back towards the water.

Maybe I can swim to safety.

The lake is big, but I’m sure I can swim it if I make it down to the water in time. Maybe I can get across to Ty’s house. He will help me.

Something cracks against another trunk as I run, bits of bark or something flying over my head on impact. I scream again, not able to hold in my terror, hoping there are people out here that will hear me and come to my rescue.

Or maybe he will kill them, too.

Last night he said I should be scared of him. Why didn’t I believe him?

The glistening reflection of the moon on the lake’s surface comes into view between the trees, and I push my legs harder, ignoring the painful cuts on my feet as I run for my life.

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