Santa's Head Elf eBook

Santa’s Head Elf

Santa’s Head Elf

By Andy Morris
Published by Black Cat Tales
www.blackcattales.weebly.com
© Copyright 2021 Andy Morris

eBook Edition
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This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be
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Santa’s Head Elf

All was quiet and still in the dim half-light of the deserted walkways and avenues that
swept through the Regent Shopping Centre. The late-night Christmas shoppers had
left some time ago, returning to their warm cosy homes and so nothing should be
stirring here at this late hour. Yet the crisp December silence was broken by the tiny
jingling sound of a small bell. It was coming from the magnificent Christmas tree that
stood resplendent in the centre of the arcade. There he was, beneath the boughs
laden with countless decorations and reflected in the sparkling glow of dancing fairy
lights, stood a small boy, no older than seven years old. All alone, he was patiently
waiting for someone to find him and with such a helpless expression on his young
face Evangeline’s heart instinctively went out to him. He stood next to the pile of
colourful presents stacked under the tree with one of the multi-coloured boxes
clutched in his small hands. On his head, he wore a scarlet elf's hat with a tiny gold
bell that tinkled as he moved. To match his hat someone had dressed him in a jolly
red and green outfit. Emblazoned across his chest in large gold letters were the
words ‘Santa’s Head Elf’.
Evangeline wasn’t the only person drawn by the little jangling bell. Her hand flew to
her mouth as predatory figure stalked from the shadows on the far side of the open-
planned ground floor.
“Oh no," she breathed. “Please, not again”.
Too late, Sydney Glitter, the security guard had seen the child and was circling
towards him with a snake-like smile. A buried fear, Evangeline had prayed she would
never experience again, quietly stirred beneath the quiet waters of her mind. She
had to stop him. It couldn’t happen again. She made not a sound in the hushed
stillness of the evening as she quickly glided around the curving walkway towards
the escalators momentarily losing sight of the two figures.
Quiet as a mouse Evangeline whispered past sleeping shops whose sales assistants
were long gone. The luxurious glow from the festive window displays almost warmed
the cold empty avenues. Pools of colourful light spilt out onto the polished cream
floor, creating magical stepping stones that only she could enjoy. Spending her time
wandering around the shops and walkways in quiet solitude watching people go
about their business, Evangeline had got to know every inch of this place over the
past year.
As silent as the falling snow, she drifted down the now motionless escalators onto
the expansive ground floor. Flowing around the large bronze sculpture of some
Olympian, she passed the unmanned information desk. Somehow the blank display
screens always unnerved Evangeline at night. It was as if they were alive and
watching her so she habitually averted her eyes from them. On her left, her previous
employer Gap drifted past in a merry blur.
Evangeline still liked to visit Gap from time to time. This time last year, her carefree
life had been full of excitement and dreams of one day moving to France. Her best
friend Sammi always complained she was a real daydreamer but Evangeline was
determined to realise this ambition. She would eventually move to Paris, find a job
and meet the man of her dreams. It was when she started that French class at night
school that Sammi started to think that this time she may actually follow through on

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Santa’s Head Elf
her plans this time. Sammi often nuzzled into Evangeline’s thoughts whenever she
came this way, bringing with her that tired sense of longing that was so hard to
ignore. Evangeline recalled the countless nights they spent trawling the local clubs
and bars on the lookout for fit men to chat up. Then, the following day lunchtimes
they would sit in the food court by Subway drinking diet cokes, and complain about
the morons that they always seemed to attract whenever they hit the town.
Evangeline hardly saw Sammi now, since she left Gap a few months ago. Every day
she searched the crowds of shoppers swarming through the centre to see if she
could spot her. But her friend, just like her dream of Paris were gone now, swept
away from the shore of possibilities leaving her alone and stranded. She was unseen
and ignored by everyone with only her grey dreary thoughts for company.
Evangeline had felt this way for about a year now. Twelve months ago tonight she
had been at work and running late, again, when she should have been closing up the
store. Sammi had phoned up to discuss their plans for that night and Evangeline had
lost track of time. When she did finally get off the phone she saw everyone else had
left and all the other shops were closed. Even the artificial lights high up in the ceiling
had been switched off, allowing long shadows to creep out between the twinkling
Christmas illuminations. The busy bustling atmosphere of an hour ago had been
replaced by a brittle silence that filled the centre with an almost eerie quality.
Evangeline’s clomping footsteps echoed far too loudly around the empty shopping
centre and she thought of Sydney Glitter, the security guard. He had been prowling
somewhere in the dark but she never even saw him. He had always given
Evangeline the creeps and she wanted to close up and go quickly before she ran
into him and had to explain why she was still here. She had been standing by the
door watching the steel shutters descend when he struck. She never heard him
coming and, fortunately, never felt the fatal blow. She was dead before she even hit
the floor and her poor ruined body had never been found.
The faint squeak of shoes on a polished floor brought Evangeline back from her
morbid pit of despair. The boy seemed not to have noticed Sydney Glitter as he
cautiously made his way across the courtyard. He was watching the abandoned boy
in the way a hungry fat toad watches a fly innocently buzzing around a pond.
It was his large wobbly neck that accentuated Sydney Glitter’s toad-like appearance.
It often jiggled as he swaggered around the Regent Centre. Evangeline had always
been grossed-out by slimy reptiles. Sydney Glitter was his late forties but had a
lecherous eye for the cliques of teenage girls that swanned around the centre at
weekends and school holidays. He carried himself with an air of unquestioning
authority and natural suspicion of others. Unlike the other security guards, Sydney
Glitter never passed the time of day with anyone. His brooding dislike of his fellow
human beings was, unsurprisingly, not just limited to sales staff either. Evangeline
used to watch him in bemused fascination and utter disbelief as he paraded around
the centre. When he wasn’t hounding and intimidating young people, he would be
gambling on horse races from the comfort of the security office. Evangeline had on
more than one occasion witnessed him blackmailing suspected shop-lifters in
exchange for not calling the police and she had even seen him inviting prostitutes

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Santa’s Head Elf
into his office the early hours of the morning. That’s when Evangeline realised she
had seen enough and stopped watching him.
Now, however, she watched closely as she ghosted across the open floor space
between decorative wooden benches. From her angle, she could see the vicious
stick hidden out of sight behind his back. It was decorated with red and white stripes
so it resembled a large candy cane. She couldn’t let him use it again. It was the
same stick he had used on her, she realised, shivering at the memory. Swallowing
hard and balled her hand's fists. She had to stop the monster before it was too late.
“Hey” Sydney Glitter called to Santa’s Head Elf impatiently. “You shouldn’t be here,
the Centre’s closed”. Evangeline came up before the security guard, blocking his
path before he had a chance to get any closer.
“Don’t do it” she pleaded, pathetically. Sammi would have laughed at her
uncharacteristically squeaky voice. She cleared her throat as Glitter towered over
her.
“Stop it” she demanded more forcefully. But Sydney Glitter had no idea she is there
and he simply trudged straight through her insubstantial form, his bulbous eyes
never leaving the boy.
The certainty of what was about to happen churned Evangeline’s ghostly stomach.
This could be happening to anyone. What if it was Sammi? Evangeline surged
forwards towards the pile of Christmas presents beneath the tree. If she could knock
some of them over it may cause a distraction. But it was no use; she had nobody
and no power in the physical world anymore and the presents did not move.
Meanwhile, Sydney Glitter was almost upon Santa’s Head Elf. As Glitter advanced
on the boy he glanced slyly to either side, reassuring himself that no one else was
around. No prying eyes to witness what would happen next. Evangeline shouted at
him, waving her hands at the pair and jumping up and down. Just for a moment
Glitter paused and looked in her direction. His puzzled expression suggested he may
have seen something from the corner of his eye. But the moment passed.
The colourful box that Santa’s Head Elf had been looking at slipped from his fingers
as the black shadow of Sydney Glitter fell upon him.
“Get away from him!” Evangeline screamed frantically but her silent plea went
unheard. She circled the two in desperation, chewing her non-existent fingernails as
her chattering mind searched for a way to help. Santa’s Head Elf looked upwards,
his blue watery eyes slowly taking in the grotesque form of the security guard. It was
already too late and Evangeline was out of time. She hurried behind the safety of the
Christmas tree and peered between the branches helplessly as the boy reached out
a tiny hand, seeking reassurance from an apparently friendly adult who was
supposed to help him.
“No” she whispered silently, shaking her head.
“Where are your parents?” Glitter enquired touching the boy's shoulder almost
tenderly with a large hairy hand. Santa’s Head Elf opened his mouth but, as if
sensing something in the security guard’s expression, he stopped and backed away
slightly.
“What’s your name, son?” Glitter asked gently, crouching down to show that he
wasn’t really a threat. Evangeline wanted to look away but morbid curiosity held her

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Santa’s Head Elf
firm. Santa’s Head Elf looked away for a moment but then he glanced up at the
security guard again and that’s when Evangeline noticed the change. He was no
longer a little boy. His once frightened little face had changed; lips twisted into a
malicious grin. Evangeline was the one that cried out as the creature swung the
candy cane stick from behind his back. It swished with such speed, as it had done
last year. The colourful Christmas treat slashed through Sydney Glitter’s neck, deftly
separating his head from his shoulders. The heavy body crumpled to the floor with
just the rustle of fabric as the head landed with a wet splat at his feet. Sydney
Glitter’s dead startled eyes were staring towards Evangeline and like her; he never
saw it coming either. Evangeline shrank back instinctively in case the evil elf could
see her she decided to punish her a second time. Still unable to flee or even cover
her eyes Evangeline watched the macabre performance as the creature bundled
Sydney Glitter’s headless body effortlessly into the brown sack and placed the
severed head in the colourful box he’d been holding earlier. Then With a joyful laugh,
he swung the sack over his shoulder as if it weighed nothing at all. Evangeline
remained perfectly still as the elf danced merrily down the shadowy corridor with his
trophies, past Beales, and out towards the entrance to the car park. Evangeline
stayed hidden behind the Christmas tree for some time afterwards as the sound his
little jingling bell could still be heard long after Santa’s Head Elf had gone.

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Santa’s Head Elf

Thank you for reading my book. If you enjoyed this book,
please like it, share it, and encourage your friends to do the
same.

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Santa’s Head Elf

About Andy Morris
Andy is a sex god, Nobel Prize winner, millionaire and,
recovering compulsive liar.
Andy has been writing short stories on and off for most of his
life. He’s had many stories published in both print and
electronic form, as well as having stories performed on
podcasts.
Since the late 1990’s Andy has worked in social care,
undertaking a variety of roles from a volunteer up to managing
a team of social workers. He currently works as a lecturer in
social science at a local university.
Andy lurks in The New Forest, England with his beautiful wife
and their two goblins.

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Santa’s Head Elf

Discover Other Titles by Andy Morris at: www.blackcattales.weebly.com

The River Rising The Witchwood Toadstools The Brilliant Doctor
Kondor
Black Anne
Silent Night Leaving Giles Roll for Initiative
The Magic in the Stones
While She Slept Crossed Lines
Squirrel Hunting Your Winter’s Song
Jack Frost Izzy Heggarty’s Strange
Dream
Leaving Giles
Beneath The Surface Trust Me
Beyond the Elder Tree
Where the Spiders Dwell The Highwayman Not All Vampires Drin
Santa’s Head Elf Blood

Dinner Guest What Tom Doyle Saw Last All Part of a Grave
The Merry Dancers
Old Mara Christmas Warden’s Job
Lessons Learned
Jimmy The Shrew Dream Date Nailo
Secret Santa
Smuggles Haut Black Angel Alexa, Stop
When the Wind Blows
Through the New Forest Here Comes Mr Rabbit Last Night I found a
When Will You Come man in my fridge and
he said he was going
to change the world

Cold Pixies Cave Hexblade

Alone
Brandywine’s Cave

Just a Formality

When the Lights Go Out

Father Christmas is Coming

Bunty’s Friends

Help I’m Stuck in a Toilet
Roll and I can’t Cat Out

On the Doorstep

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Santa’s Head Elf
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