Elf on the Attack

“Mom! The Elf bit Gamgee on the nose!” Ellen yelled from the other room.

“Okay. Put the elf on the shelf where you found the elf, Becca!” Julie hollered back at her daughter.

Shortly after, Billy, her eight-year-old son, came running in with Gamgee in his arms and his nine-year-old sister Ellen right behind him. Poor Gamgee’s nose was bleeding, and it looked like he had a chunk taken out of it. Gamgee was panting hard and looked distressed.

“Ellen, go get his cat carrier while I go upstairs and get your sister,” Ellen immediately said. When Billy started to ask what he was supposed to do, she interrupted him and said, “Just stay right there and talk calmly to Gamgee. Keep him calm. Love on him.” And Julie ran upstairs to grab her toddler and her keys with her wallet.

Arriving downstairs, she saw the older kids already had the injured cat in the carrier and loaded in the car inside the garage. She was slightly surprised when Ellen unlocked the car doors, and Billy started screaming, “Hurry!”

Thinking Billy was only worried about the cat, she slammed the car and pushed the button for the garage door to go up. Making sure everyone had their seatbelts on, Julie put the car in reverse, narrowly missing the the rising garage door, and headed to the vet’s.

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Arriving back at the house, she parked the car in her spot by Bill’s work truck. She had picked up dinner at a fast food restaurant when they had left the vet’s office. The children were sad that Gamgee had to stay at the vet’s overnight, but they understood it was for his health.

Going into the house, straight to the kitchen, Julie hollered for Bill while she set food out on the table, and the kids dug into what was ordered for them. Julie sat down and ate the salad she had ordered for herself. By the time they had all four completed their meals, Bill still had not come downstairs, and Julie was getting worried. She told the kids to go to the family room, and she went to search for him.

She was halfway up the stairs when she heard the children screaming. Turning, she almost tripped and lost her balance before she caught herself, preventing a fall down the stairs. Julie rushed into the family room where she had sent the kids, where she found them staring in fear at the Elf standing over their father.

Julie stared momentarily in disbelief at what she was witnessing before reacting. The Elf was tying Bill’s hands behind his back. Shaking her head, Julie ran forward and kicked the Elf away from her husband, sending it flying towards the lit fireplace.

Grabbing her husband, she shook him awake and untied him as he came to. Backing up slowly towards the children, they kept their eyes on the fireplace as suddenly; the Elf crawled out of the burning pit with a wicked-looking blade in his hand. The Elf smiled his asinine smile and walked towards the family, leaving burning bits of stuffing behind, seemingly more stuffing than he was made of.

As the Elf advanced on them, he smiled a more giant smile, showing small pointy teeth, and he began to giggle.

Julie glanced at her husband and asked, “Just where did you buy this Elf at, Hon?”

“That new place in the mall, upstairs by the lingerie store. Santa’s Workshop,” He answered as he watched the Elf move closer.

“Um, Bill, that’s Satan’s Workshop,” Julie worriedly watched the Elf.

The Elf leaped at them. Suddenly, Susie, Julie’s toddler, started giggling, and Susie reached out and grabbed the Elf. With the grace of a four-year-old child, she ripped the Elf to shreds, ultimately destroying him. Bill quickly tossed what was left into the fire and watched it burn completely.