Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

given, simultaneously hefting the plastic bags in his left, positively assessing his
success. His gaze settled on a slim and delicate glass pink and silver tr ee topper.
The desir e to r etur n home to implement the festive plan was sw iftly over taken by
his attr action to the object. Natur ally, a por tentous tr ee had alr eady taken pr ide of
place in the bay w indow of his lar ge Victor ian home and this w ould sit atop, a
per fect r eplacement for the shoddy cr ayon and cr epe paper star fashioned by one
of his childr en.
It is a w ell-know n ploy engaged by estate agents to ask a pr oper ty view er w her e
they w ould put their Chr istmas tr ee, invoking sentimental memor ies, the happy
family huddled together in the deep mid-w inter. Estate agents had no need to pull
such tr icks on him; he had pictur ed a tr ee and then had found a house to go ar ound
it. The four th move in ten year s, each house gr ander , each mor e fitting to the cover
of a Chr istmas car d. Ther e had been a w hir lw ind of activity since the family had
taken occupancy; the unpacking, decor ating, choosing the r ight fur nitur e and
r enovating the fir eplace. His tir ed family had sat back and watched as he levelled
the tr ee in its pot, br icks being car efully positioned to hold it in place.
Remonstr ated into action, his childr en handed him the decor ations one-by-one,
acting on clear ly pr ovided instr uction, r emoving each glass bauble fr om layer s of
tissue paper and car efully attaching a w ir e tr ee hanger. He had lifted the youngest
of the tw o high to put the star on top, the child w r iggling w ith discomfor t at being
gr ipped tightly in his hands, being now too heavy to lift. He felt the w eight and
str uggling of the child keenly, but this was tr adition and tr adition was w hat
Chr istmas was all about.
The shiny tr ee topper , glinting seductively at him fr om behind the w indow of the
shop r eeked of tr adition; he w ould put it on the tr ee himself later that night. His
family w ould be able to enjoy it in the mor ning. The per fect Chr istmas. Defying the
w eather , he w r apped his scar f tightly ar ound his neck and enter ed the shop, the
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