He Knows

by BamBoncher

a Christmas story in response to the 12/20/2023 Prompt image from IronAge Media

https://ironage.media/prompt/the-consequence.html

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,

A creature was stirring, and it wasn’t a mouse.

“20 minutes til midnight,” Jess flicked the kitchen light off as she came through the doorway carrying a bottle of sparkling wine under one arm, a long neck bottle in one hand and two wine glasses in the other.  She stopped beside her husband and offered him the smaller bottle.

Dave looked up from his seat on the floor and rubbed a hand across his forehead before taking the offering gratefully. “Is it?  I’ve lost track of time.” He motioned to the mostly assembled mountain bike in front of him. “I did not expect this thing to be so hard to put together.  I think they translated the instructions straight from Chinese!” 

Jess set the wine bottle and the glasses on the coffee table then settled on the couch beside him and picked up the pamphlet from the floor. She glanced at it idly. “I hate to tell you I told you so, but you really should have paid extra to have the bike shop assemble it for you.” She handed him the paper with a sympathetic smile. “or put it together last weekend while I had the kids down at the mall.”

“yeah, yeah, I hear you,” her husband rolled his eyes. “But it took the shop a lot longer than I expected to get the work done to the car, and then Mom called needing help getting stuff out of her attic and then there was Josh’s party and dinner with your dad on Sunday, dinner with my folks today,” He took a swig from his bottle while glaring at the shiny tubing in front of him. “All the shouldas and wouldas in the world don’t help me now. Its gotta go together tonight.”

Jess laughed. “You almost have it beat, though.” 

Dave sighed. “almost. Just gotta get the seat adjusted right and the fenders on and it’ll be good to go.”

“It will all be worth it tomorrow morning,” Jess leaned over and gave him a peck on the top of the head. “That bike is all Kenzie has talked about for a month.  She’s going to be over the moon when she sees it tomorrow morning.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I know. She’s going to be really pissed with all the snow on the ground out there cause she’s not going to get to try it out immediately.  Get ready for a very pouty little girl tomorrow.”

“Mom said Raymond spent all day yesterday building a sled track in the backyard for the kids tomorrow. I think that will serve as a good enough distraction.”

Dave snorted.  “He’s really getting into this grandpa bit.”

“He definitely loves the kids and is good with them,” Jess agreed. “And he loves mom, so that makes him a pretty good stepfather in my book.”  She stood to her feet. “Well, I’m going to get ready for bed.  Don’t take too much longer; I plan to have a little Christmas Eve party of our own tonight.”  She gave him a saucy wink, picked up the wine bottle and glasses, and sashayed toward the stairs, humming a lively Christmas tune as she went.  

Dave watched her go with wide eyes then licked his lips and turned back to his work with renewed determination to get the thing finished and finished quickly. That was one Christmas party he had no intention of missing.

The children were sleeping as snug as could be,

Dreaming of presents down under the tree.

And my wife in her nightie and I in my sweats,

had settled down nicely beneath our duvet.

When the break of a window the silence did shatter,

And I woke up near instantly with the loud clatter.

Dave’s eyes popped open at the sound of breaking glass and he sat up and scanned the darkness wildly, instantly awake.  Jess awoke beside him and grabbed his arm. “What was that?” she whispered.

“Shhh,” Dave hushed her, straining to hear above the ringing silence.  He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. The bright green numbers read 2:30 am. A thump and what seemed to sound like muffled words from down below pulled his attention to the bedroom door.  He exchanged a wide-eyed look with his wife.  Had someone broken into their house?

He threw back the comforter and slid to the floor, quietly going to the closet. “What are you doing?” Jess hissed.

He grabbed the aluminum baseball bat from the corner behind his shirts and crept toward the bedroom door, wincing at the groan of the hinges as he pulled it open. “I’m going to check it out.”

“What if it's burglars? What if they’re armed?” she argued. “David, don’t go down there, please!”

“I’m just going to check,” he insisted. “Stay here.” He waved a hand at her in a vague order before slipping through the door.

He paused on the landing and glanced towards the doors of his children’s bedrooms. Both were open.  Another thump came from below.  He relaxed a bit. I bet the kids have gone to check their presents. Just couldn’t wait for morning. He headed for the stairs, formulating a good scolding for the two scamps for scaring him like that.

The carpeting muffled his steps on the way down. He set the bat against the wall at the bottom of the staircase and turned toward the living room. “Hey guys,” he called as he entered the room, slapping the light switch on as he came in. “It’s not morning yet!  You shouldn’t be out of bed!”

He stopped abruptly at the sight that greeted him.

The lights on the fir tree cast a warm glow,

revealing a figure that I did not know.

It turned at my entrance, tall as a bear,

This was not Santa, I was suddenly aware.

Several things pressed upon his senses at once.  His son and daughter standing at the couch, clutching each other’s hands tightly, their eyes wide in uncertainty. Broken glass on the floor from a pane in the French doors leading out onto the patio.  A large, burly figure looming in the center of the room, the light from overhead fixture gleaming off his bald head and the wide, silver loop in his left ear.  A second, smaller person with grungy, stringy hair rifling through Jess’s purse that was sitting on the stand beside the doorway.

All eyes turned towards him.

“Daddy?” Kenzie’s voice trembled.

“I don’t think that’s Santa,” Liam observed.

“What are you doing in my house?” Dave stood tall, trying to look authoritative while wishing he hadn’t set the bat aside.

The squirrelly guy straightened and leered at him, holding Jess’s credit cards he had taken from the wallet he dropped to the floor.  His partner pulled a wicked looking knife from a sheath on his thigh and took a menacing step forward. “What’s it look like?” he sneered.

Kenzie screamed at the sight of the knife and jumped towards her father but Liam froze in place, unsure of what was happening.  The thug took advantage of his moment of hesitation and grabbed the boy by his collar, pulling him close and waving the knife at the preschooler’s face. “No one move!” he barked.

Dave froze, clutching Kenzie tightly to his side, his heart hammering in his chest and the blood rushing loudly in his ears.  His vision tunneled down to the sight of his small son held firmly by the huge man in front of him. “All right, all right,” he raised a placating hand. “Please, don’t hurt my son.”

The skinny guy stuffed the credit cards into his jacket pocket and pulled his own knife, stepping around the couch to wave it menacingly in Dave’s direction. “Get down on your knees. Now!”  He shoved Dave’s shoulder hard with a gnarled hand. His bloodshot eyes held an unhinged glint, and a mix of body odor and whiskey emanated from his filthy clothes, adding to his air of menace.

Dave slowly complied, pulling Kenzie down beside him, shielding her as best he could from the threat. “Please,” he repeated, “I’ll do what you want. Just let the kids go.”  

“Who else is here?” the burly man demanded. He wrapped a tattooed hand tightly around Liam’s neck and pulled the boy’s chin up, exposing his throat.  He held the boy in place with the other arm, the knife held against the child’s collarbone. Liam remained frozen in his grasp. 

“J-just my wife!” Dave’s voice was shrill. “No one else is here! I swear! Take what you want but leave my kids alone!”

“We’ll do what we want,” the squirrelly thief waved his knife in Dave’s face, taunting him.  Kenzie buried her face in her father’s side with a whimper.

The burly thug jerked his head towards the stairs. “Go get her,” he ordered. “Get her jewelry and any other valuables they have up there and make sure she don’t call the cops!”

He was dressed in black clothing with blue jeans a-shred,

With tattooes and piercings on his hands and his head.

A filthy red duffle bag lay by his boot,

Open and waiting to be filled with his loot.

Dave kept his eyes trained on Burly and Liam as he whispered words of comfort to his terrified daughter.  The child jerked in his arms and cried harder when a sharp scream suddenly erupted from upstairs followed by the sound of something slamming against a wall and gruff shouts of “You ain’t callin’ no cops! get over here! Where’s your jewelry? Get alla it now, lady!  Get movin’ or I’ll cut ya to ribbons!”

Liam squirmed a bit at the sound of his mother’s cries, but Burly gave him a jerk. “Cool it, kid.”

Within minutes, Squirrelly returned, pulling Jess down the stairs with him. She screamed again and tried to pull free when she saw her child clutched in the arms of the burglar, but Squirrelly slammed her back against the wall and threw an arm across her neck. “Shut your pie hole!” 

His snarl morphed into a leer as he took in her heaving chest under her thin nightgown and he licked his cracked lips.  “You ain’t a bad looker. I bet you’re a fun tart to play with in the sack. Maybe you and me could get better acquainted after all.”  He trailed his knife down her sternum and giggled at the soft moan and plea he elicited from her.

“Leave her alone!” Dave’s brain snapped at the threat to his wife and animalistic instinct drove him to action without thinking. He shoved his daughter back and lurched up from the floor, reaching for the thug.  

Squirrelly kicked out his foot in a jab that nearly broke Dave’s collar bone and sent him flying backwards against the couch.  He slumped to the floor with a groan.  The thug shoved Jess to the floor and came after her husband, straddling his legs and pulling him up by his hair. He jerked him back tight against his chest and flashed the knife in his face. “You gonna stop me, big man, huh?” He slashed the knife across Dave’s cheek and laughed at the line of blood that welled up. He yanked sharply on the man’s hair, eliciting a groan. “Gonna be a hero?”

“Don’t hurt him, please!” Jess reached for her daughter and hugged the girl tight while flashing imploring eyes from one thug to the next. “Please, don’t hurt anyone!  Please! Take what you want and just go!”

“Everybody freeze!” Burly demanded. He pointed his knife at Squirrelly. “You too, Fuzz!”  

His partner scowled at the order but stopped tormenting his prey.

Burly glowered at the terrified woman. “Get up and get your valuables and stuff ‘em in this bag.” He kicked a red duffle toward her.  “Now!  Jewelry, cash, phones, anything of value!  Move it!”

“Do as he says,” Dave winced in pain and the feel of hot blood on his cheek. He rolled his eyes toward his wife, trying to encourage her.

 Squirrelly hit him on the side of the head with the hilt of his knife and shook him hard. “You shut up!”

“All right! I’m moving! Just stop!” Jess extricated herself from her crying daughter and scrambled for the bag with shaking hands. 

As her fingers brushed the straps, however, a new voice spoke up. “I would suggest you boys let those good folks go and put your hands up high.”  

The sharp click of a pistol cocking followed the order.

His bright twinkling eyes were sharp, hard and stern,

His gunhand was steady, his posture how firm!

The jolly good mirth from his visage was gone,

Beneath his white beard, his mouth was tight drawn.

The stem of his pipe was clutched tight in his teeth,

His hand held his pistol aimed right at the thief!

Burly whirled around to face the new threat.  A figure was standing in the kitchen doorway, the details of the shape obscured by the darkness of the unlit room behind. What was easily discerned, however, was the red gloved hand clutching a shiny, large caliber pistol pointed right at  Burly’s head.  “Let the boy go, drop your knife, and put your hands up or I’m going to pop you where you stand faster than a reindeer can lick a peppermint stick.” The gunman stepped through the doorway into the light. “Do it now!”

Everyone in the room stared in shock at the newcomer.  He was a rather plump little grandfatherly man, with rosy red cheeks and a thick mane of white hair that merged with a long white beard reaching to his belt.  He wore a red coat trimmed in white fur, with a hat to match, and shiny black boots with bright gold buckles.  A long, walnut pipe with an ivory stem carved with ornate scrollwork was clutched in his teeth, smoke trailing lazily from the bowl. His round, bright eyes were framed by laugh lines, but there was no mirth in his gaze at the moment. In fact, his steely eyes were colder than a polar vortex.

“Its Santa!” Liam squirmed in Burly’s grasp.

“It’s santa!” Squirrelly mimicked the boy with a high pitched giggle and jerked Dave’s head back further, using the man as cover. He held his knife tight against his exposed throat, close enough to draw a thin line of blood. “I don’t know where you came from, Ol’ Saint Nick, but I’d suggest you put that gun down and put your own hands up or I’m going to slice this guy’s throat here and now!”

The roar of a gun firing was the only answer given.  Squirrelly’s head snapped backward as a bullet tore between his eyes and blew out the back of his skull, splattering blood and brain matter in its wake. The thug’s body slumped to the side, the knife falling from his suddenly nerveless fingers to clatter harmlessly to the floor. Within seconds, a warm, wet stain began to color the front of his jeans.

Jess screamed and turned to shield her eyes and daughter from the grisly sight.  Dave fell back to the floor in a daze, coughing as he scrambled away from the mess.

Burly stared in shock at the remains of his partner, trying to process what had just happened.  He looked up into the flinty eyes of the old man who again had a gun, now with smoke curling lazily up from its barrel, pointed at his head. “I said, Kevin, let the boy go.” The implied or else was obvious in the old man’s expression.

Burly licked his lips and dropped his knife.  He raised his hands and stepped back as Liam raced to his mother.  “H-how do you know who I am?”

The old man’s smile was grim. “You are Kevin McDowell from New Kensington, second son of three of Paula McDowell. You didn’t know your real father and endured a series of step fathers and boyfriends growing up until you quit school at 17 and left home.  You’ve been committing petty theft since you were a boy and have graduated to drug dealing, armed robbery, and grand larceny.  Billy there,” he motioned toward the body on the floor, “has been only the latest in a string of partners in crime, following you for his next hit and a share of the loot.”  Santa let a puff of smoke out from between his teeth and through his nose. “You’ve been on my naughty list since you bullied poor Brittany Harple on the playground in the first grade and shoplifted your first candy bar from the drugstore down on Fourth and Steel Avenue when you were eight. Frankly, you’ve been a very bad boy for a very long time, Kevin.”

Burly stared at him in shock. “How could you know that?  Who are you?”

“He’s Santa Claus!” Little Liam piped up from his mother’s arms.

The old man flashed a quick wink at the boy then raised an eyebrow at the thief.  Burly shook his head. “Can’t be, “ he muttered. “Santa Claus don’t exist! And he sure don’t go around packing a 45 snub nose in his sleigh!”

Dave crawled over to his family and embraced them all in a tight hug. “I don’t care who you are, I’m just thankful you were here. Thank you.”

A wink of his eye and a grin of good cheer,

made it clear that from him we had nothing to fear. 

He called in his elves to help with a smirk,

And with a bright laugh he sent them to work,

they tied up the villain with a cord lickity split,

Then he inspected their work while his pipe he relit.

Satisfied with the knotwork, he took a step back,

Then sent an elf out to retrieve a large sack.

Deep from within, he pulled gifts for us all,

While out the door his elves the thief they did haul.

“Santa?” Kenzie peeked shyly out from her father’s arms. “What are you doing here now?  It’s past midnight!”

The old man smiled warmly at the child.  “I was on my way home, Kenzie, from a full night’s work, when the alarm went off in my sleigh, telling me someone was up to something very, very naughty and on Christmas no less!  I decided to stop by and see if I could lend a hand.”

“Your sleigh? Can I see!  I want to see the reindeer!” Liam squirmed free from his mother and ran to the door.  He leaned against the cold glass, peering out at the snowy landscape. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped into a perfect O shape before waving excitedly at his sister. “Kenzie!  They’re here! They’re in our yard now!  Come see!”

Kenzie scrambled to her feet and followed her brother.  Her eyes brightened at the sight. “Mom!  Dad!  There are reindeer in our yard!” She squinted for a bit, counting under her breath.  “Eight of them!” A frown creased her features. “But where’s Rudolph?”

The old man laughed. “My sleigh is pulled in teams, my dear, and with the weather being so fine this night, I gave him the night off.” He winked at the children.

Jess climbed to her feet and helped her husband up. They too limped to the door, studiously avoiding the mess on the floor and giving Burly a wide berth. 

They bent down to look out the window and were shocked to see a large red sleigh and eight reindeer indeed standing patiently in the moonlit snow. “I-I,” Jess rubbed her eyes, unsure what to make of it all.  “I think I need to sit down.” She stumbled to an armchair.

“I want to visit them!” Liam shouted and started to pull the door open. 

His father reached above his head to hold the door closed. “No, Liam. You can’t go outside. You don’t have a coat or shoes and we have no idea how they would react to you!”  Dave scratched the back of his head gingerly while glancing back out the window once more to confirm that yes, there really were reindeer and a sleigh in his backyard. “Frankly, I don’t know how to react to any of this!”

The boy started to pout but the old man laughed. “Now, now, Liam, don’t be naughty! Your father is right. The reindeer are tired and not up for company and it's very cold out there.  It's enough that you can see them from here.  Just give them a wave.”

Liam relented with a sigh and joined his sister in waving excitedly at the window.  

Dave focused his attention on the strange old man who made a very convincing claim of being the real Santa Claus. “So what do we do now? What do we do with him,” he jerked a thumb in the direction of the thief still standing with his arms raised and a look of disbelief on his face, “and him?” he grimaced and motioned toward the body on the floor. “How do we explain this to the cops?”

“Don’t worry about it, David,” the old man laughed.  He skirted around the thief, keeping his gun trained on him, and walked to the door.  “Excuse me, Liam, Kenzie.” He gently guided the children to the side then cracked open the door and gave a quick whistle, never once letting his aim waiver from his target.  “We’ll clean up here and handle the police.”

“We?” Confusion flashed across Dave’s face.

Kenzie peeked around the old man’s coat to see back out the door and gasped suddenly.  “Elves!” 

The door opened to admit a dozen small creatures, barely as tall as Liam, dressed in green and red. They lined up in smart formation before the old man and bowed low to the children and the family before glowering at the thug standing in the middle of the room.  They all pulled shiny pistols from their pockets and aimed them at the thief.

Jess laid her head back on the chair and shrugged at the ceiling. “Elves. Of course. Why not?”

An older elf with spectacles and a bright shiny watch chain hanging from his pocket  looked up at the old man expectantly. “What do you want us to do with him, Santa?”

The old man’s visage became stern. “We will tie him up and take him with us. Clean up this mess and that,” he motioned to the body, “and we will drop them off at their apartment for the police to find after a mysterious tip.” He winked and tapped his nose. “As far as the police will know, this was a terrible drug deal gone wrong at a place far from here.”

Dave straightened in alarm when another elf, this one with long blonde hair in braids, waved generally towards his family.  “And what of them, Sir?  I mean,” she flashed them a sideline glance with wide eyes, “they know!”  the other elves all murmured agreements amongst themselves.

The old man chuckled. “Never fear, my elves, nor you, young David.” He winked at the man. “I swear I have no ill intentions towards you or your family.  In fact, I have a special gift to give you each this night. Pentifore? Would you be so kind as to fetch the bag from the seat of the sleigh?  Thank you.”

The blonde elf bowed low and scrambled out the door to do as requested, returning in short order with a dark green bag tied with gold cord. She presented the sack to the old man before turning to join the elven crew swarming over the room with cleaning supplies. Behind her, a set of elves hauled the protesting thief out the door while others wrapped Squirrelly’s body in a big rug, tied it up with rope, and pulled it outside. 

Santa uncocked his pistol, flipping on the safety as he slipped it into his pocket, before motioning the children to him. Without hesitation, they surged forward to see what he would pull from within his sack. They gasped in delight as he pulled a delicately carved wooden box from its depths and presented it to them. “I will leave you each with a magical cookie and a warm drink as a gift to you.”

“Magic cookies!” the children looked one to the other in wonder.

He opened the box to reveal several round sugar cookies covered in glittering sprinkles in one half and 4 beautifully crafted gold cups in the other. He handed the box solemnly to Liam and took out the cups, setting  them on the coffee table before pulling a flask from his coat and pouring what looked like egg nog into them. He smiled at the duo. “Take a cup to each of your parents, young Kenzie. And Liam? Take a cookie to each of your parents. That’s it, my boy! Then come back here for your own drinks and treats.”

Dave took the cup his daughter offered to him and sniffed it suspiciously.  “What kind of drink is this? How do we know we can trust this to be safe?”

“It is a magical drink that will bring healing of mind and of spirit,” the old man explained.  “I promise it is perfectly safe.  You may trust all you have witnessed tonight to demonstrate I am indeed who you think I am.  I would not save your family from murderers only to poison you myself. “ The old man winked at the younger, then his face grew solemn. “When you awake in the morning, all that has occurred tonight will be nothing more than the slightest wisp of a bad dream that shall be washed away with the morning light.  No sign of what has happened will remain here.”

Liam frowned. “But I don’t want to forget you, Santa!”

“Or the elves!” Kenzie piped in.

The old man smiled gently. “It is as it should be, children.”  He patted them each on the cheek. “Such memories as this are too much for you and your family to bear, and it is decreed that my existence remain but a myth and a legend.”  He motioned to them all. “Now, drink up. The night is quickly drawing to a close and you have a full schedule for tomorrow morning!”

The children watched their parents for direction, and Dave and Jess exchanged looks.  Jess shrugged. “I already think this is all a nightmare, so why not?”  She tossed back her drink and quickly ate the cookie.  The rest of her family followed suit.

Dave’s eyes widened as he felt a sudden tingling in his cheek for a moment, and he turned to see his reflection in the glass door. He stared in wonder as the cut from Squirrelly’s knife healed as though it had never been.  Jess sat up as she felt a faint prickle in her shoulder and rotated her arm, amazed that it no longer ached.  She gazed up at the old man in wonder. “What was in those cookies?”

He laughed. “I told you; magic!”

“Now what?” Kenzie yawned, suddenly very tired.  Liam rubbed his eyes.

“Now you go back to bed,” Santa answered. “Tomorrow will be Christmas morning filled with joy and laughter and fun.”  He opened his arms. “Now give me a hug and off you go!”

“Okay.” Liam threw himself into the old man’s arms beside his sister. “Thank you, Santa, for saving me.”

Santa squeezed them both tightly. “You are most welcome, my Boy.”  He stepped back.  “Good night, dear children, and dream of sweets and all good things!”

Dave turned back from the glass and noticed that the room was spotless.  No sign remained of the attack, no blood stain on the floor, no broken glass, not even a chair out of place.  Jess’s purse was back on its stand and her wallet back inside where it belonged.  He shook his head.  “I don’t know what to think,” he muttered while pulling his wife to her feet.  “Other than this is definitely some sort of dream.  I’m all for going back to bed and pretending this never happened.”

Jess opened her mouth to protest but shut it without uttering a word.  She looked around the room then sighed.  “You’re right.”  She picked up her son who laid his head on her shoulder with a wide yawn.

Dave picked up his daughter and turned for the stairs, then paused to cast one final look at the old man. “Since I have no idea how you got in here, I’m going to assume you know how to let yourself back out.”

Santa laughed heartily. “Go on to bed now, the lot of you.  And Merry Christmas.”

Kenzie’s eyes widened at the sight of the man’s laughter.  “His belly really does jiggle like a bowl full of jelly!” Santa laughed even harder at her proclamation.

Dave exchanged a glance with his wife before the two headed up the stairs, their children in tow, to the sweet oblivion of sleep.

The next morning, the family was blissfully unaware of what had transpired in the night.  Peace and happiness filled the house with the children ripping open their presents and their parents exchanging sentimental gifts.  As expected, Kenzie immediately wanted to ride her new bike while Liam was quickly immersed in setting up battle stations for his new set of action figures.  Only once did a shadow cross Jess’s mind when the evening news announced the discovery of a murder during a drug deal allegedly gone wrong.  She frowned for a moment, something tickling her mind at the pictures of the victim and the shooter, but the moment passed and she was soon back to enjoying the day with her family, feeling an especially poignant joy in the festivities that she hadn’t felt before.

And Dave simply paused when he retrieved the mail the next day and saw the advertisement for a local gun range. A brief, hazy flash of a memory of a shiny snub nosed pistol crossed his mind before disappearing, leaving only an impression that perhaps he should finally sign up for those lessons he’d been meaning to take so he could better protect his family.  After all, crime was getting worse and he’d rather be prepared than be sorry.

But I heard him exclaim as he disappeared out of sight,

Evil villains beware, Santa’s packin’ tonight!