A Christmas Story in 8 Parts: Part 7
Dec. 31st, 2004 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
franceslievensPrevious parts
New Years Eve in a town that isn't aware of what is brewing. Kids on bicycles race to friends' houses, asking them to join the children that are going from door to door, singing for candy.
“It's been six hours since they caught him,” Tobias said, “We've gotta move now or leave him to die.” He was staring out of his window, watching the kids walking on to the next door, carrying their plastic bags filled with sweets.
“But Tobias, consider we believe you, we can't do something like this. We don't have the know-how, the resources. This isn't a comic book!”
Tobias turned around and stared into the face of the girl that so desperately tried to bring her friend on other thoughts. “You suggest we call the police.”
“Yes.”
“And tell them all I've seen.”
“Yes.”
“And yet you don't believe me.”
Three pairs of guilt-ridden eyes looked back at Tobias. The girl that had only recently expressed her doubts over Tobias' mental well-being opened her mouth to say something, but got interrupted by a boy sitting on the carpet. “You've been watching too much TV! Your mind is making up stories around these dreadful murders. I already told you to stay away from the weed man! You smoke too much!”
“I haven't smoked anything since Christmas day,” Tobias replied. Angry he turned around, looking out of the window again. Suddenly his face lighted up: “Look! Here's your proof!” The three other teenagers crowded around Tobias in front of the window. He was pointing towards the balcony of one of the houses across the street. There was a tiny Christmas figure hanging there. It was looking up and his tiny hands were fumbling with something. Quickly it turned around to see if the coast was clear and then it let itself fall on the pavement. There it got up again and started to run as quickly as its little legs could take it out of sight.
The other girl that was present in the room gasped: “It's alive!”
Tobias turned around and grinned at his little audience. “You truly think this isn't some kind of mutual hallucination?” he asked. The girls shrugged.
“Well, Tobias, now we've established the truth of your ramblings comes the biggest question: How are we gonna rescue a 100 kilo heavy cop from an army of Santas?”
“I've thought it through Eric. We just have to wait till Bear arrives.”
“Mister Gavarni, sir, we've come to rescue you.”
Gavarni didn't register whose voice it was. He slightly opened the one eye that wasn't beaten to a pulp and saw what he thought was the face of a young girl hanging upside down next to him.
“Lift me up a bit,” she whispered and then she disappeared from the detective's view. He closed his eyes, hoping to fall unconscious again.
“Simone, you okay down there?” another voice called.
“Why can't my brain give me a moment peace?” Gavarni thought, “Is that what happens when you're about to die, you start imagining things that aren't there?”
“Angela, hold still!” It was the first voice again. The one that had said they came to rescue him. Then she said: “All done, now get me out of here so we can hoist this fella up!” There was a lot of noise from up, then the chain that had held him dangling upside down fell down, but Gavarni didn't fall with it. He was slowly pulled up. The giant teenager nicknamed Bear, together with four others slowly pulled the detective out of harm's way.
Shrieking interrupted their work briefly. “Go on,” Tobias said, “The quicker we're outside, the quicker we're safe.”
“Let them go,” came the voice of the leader, “Once we walk this evening at nightfall, they will be crushed like the rest.”
New Years Eve in a town that isn't aware of what is brewing. Kids on bicycles race to friends' houses, asking them to join the children that are going from door to door, singing for candy.
“It's been six hours since they caught him,” Tobias said, “We've gotta move now or leave him to die.” He was staring out of his window, watching the kids walking on to the next door, carrying their plastic bags filled with sweets.
“But Tobias, consider we believe you, we can't do something like this. We don't have the know-how, the resources. This isn't a comic book!”
Tobias turned around and stared into the face of the girl that so desperately tried to bring her friend on other thoughts. “You suggest we call the police.”
“Yes.”
“And tell them all I've seen.”
“Yes.”
“And yet you don't believe me.”
Three pairs of guilt-ridden eyes looked back at Tobias. The girl that had only recently expressed her doubts over Tobias' mental well-being opened her mouth to say something, but got interrupted by a boy sitting on the carpet. “You've been watching too much TV! Your mind is making up stories around these dreadful murders. I already told you to stay away from the weed man! You smoke too much!”
“I haven't smoked anything since Christmas day,” Tobias replied. Angry he turned around, looking out of the window again. Suddenly his face lighted up: “Look! Here's your proof!” The three other teenagers crowded around Tobias in front of the window. He was pointing towards the balcony of one of the houses across the street. There was a tiny Christmas figure hanging there. It was looking up and his tiny hands were fumbling with something. Quickly it turned around to see if the coast was clear and then it let itself fall on the pavement. There it got up again and started to run as quickly as its little legs could take it out of sight.
The other girl that was present in the room gasped: “It's alive!”
Tobias turned around and grinned at his little audience. “You truly think this isn't some kind of mutual hallucination?” he asked. The girls shrugged.
“Well, Tobias, now we've established the truth of your ramblings comes the biggest question: How are we gonna rescue a 100 kilo heavy cop from an army of Santas?”
“I've thought it through Eric. We just have to wait till Bear arrives.”
“Mister Gavarni, sir, we've come to rescue you.”
Gavarni didn't register whose voice it was. He slightly opened the one eye that wasn't beaten to a pulp and saw what he thought was the face of a young girl hanging upside down next to him.
“Lift me up a bit,” she whispered and then she disappeared from the detective's view. He closed his eyes, hoping to fall unconscious again.
“Simone, you okay down there?” another voice called.
“Why can't my brain give me a moment peace?” Gavarni thought, “Is that what happens when you're about to die, you start imagining things that aren't there?”
“Angela, hold still!” It was the first voice again. The one that had said they came to rescue him. Then she said: “All done, now get me out of here so we can hoist this fella up!” There was a lot of noise from up, then the chain that had held him dangling upside down fell down, but Gavarni didn't fall with it. He was slowly pulled up. The giant teenager nicknamed Bear, together with four others slowly pulled the detective out of harm's way.
Shrieking interrupted their work briefly. “Go on,” Tobias said, “The quicker we're outside, the quicker we're safe.”
“Let them go,” came the voice of the leader, “Once we walk this evening at nightfall, they will be crushed like the rest.”
