Gifts for The Wicked: Two Tales for Christmas Eve by Jessica McHugh and Daniel Foytik

Welcome to the Christmas Eve Edition of Gifts for The Wicked, an Audio Advent Calendar of Dark Christmas Drabbles.

Today, for the final day we present two tales a bit too long to be drabbles.

"Do You See What I See", by Jessica McHugh told by Daniel Foytik with music by Nico Vettese.

"Yuletide Ride", by Daniel Foytik

Art by Jesse Hawke.

The Wicked Library is created by 9th Story Studios LLC: www.9thstory.com Audio program ©2022 – 9th Story Studios LLC. All Rights Reserved.

No reproduction or use of this content is permitted without the express written consent of 9th Story Studios LLC. The copyrights for stories are held by the respective authors.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
M nine Story Studios giving story avoice. Hello, and welcome to the

(00:55):
Christmas Eve edition of Gifts for theWicked. Today, I'm presenting two short
tales that were a bit too longto be drabbles. The idea was to
give you all a daily tale inthe tradition of advent calendars, where each
day between Thanksgiving and Christmas had asmall treat leading up to the big day.
I'm guessing most of you know adrabble is a complete story in a
hundred words, and I hope youenjoyed the daily tales. If you'd like

(01:19):
a video version of this episode,check out our YouTube channel. Sincere thank
you to those of you who aresupporting the show. Without you, this
show would not be possible. Ourauthors and everyone else involved in making the
show. Thank you for your supportof this show and of independent horror fiction.
If you're not yet supporting the show, you can do that at patreon
dot com forward slash Wicked Library foras little as three dollars a month.

(01:41):
You can't make the show you lovepossible and get fun rewards. A lot
of hard work and money goes intomaking The Wicked Library, and I really
do rely on this support. Tohelp us make sure no one works for
free. If you aren't able tosupport the show financially, please give us
the gift of a five star ratingand review on Apple Podcasts. This helps
others find the show. Thank youtoo, Jesse Hawk for the amazing cover

(02:02):
art feature throughout the series, andwithout further ado, please enjoy your Christmas
Eve with two dark tails Jessica mccughsDo You See What I See? Scored
by Nico Vitanze and My Tale You'llTied Ride Do You See What I See?

(02:23):
By Jessica mckugh. She died alonein a house full of people,
while music and laughter swelled like cigarsmoke, and the other rooms of the
Blackwood Home, mariez room was silent. Even the snow on her empty window
box fell louder than her final breath, and she was glad of it.

(02:47):
Snow had such a short time totell its story, and she'd had plenty.
She'd lived as an ornament, glitteringlike a snowflake and frozen lace,
and it hadn't served her well.The time had come to melt. The
annual Blackwood Christmas party stretched on,with no one wondering what became of Marie,

(03:10):
and why would they. She'd bakedcookies and hung stockings, She'd set
out the gilded crystal punch bowl.What else could she do but fade into
the background. The kids rarely thoughtof anyone but themselves, and Jerome was
only attentive when he had something tohide, which he usually did with cocktails

(03:30):
fueling the festivities. The family's blindspots bled through them, like the feathered
ink on a blank check. That'swhere Marie hid to make her preparations.
She wasn't hasty, and the weeksbefore the party she waved red flags like
a matador, inviting someone to changeher mind, but her efforts went largely

(03:51):
unnoticed. Jerome thanked her for thelack of gift debris that year, but
didn't connect the lack of debris tothe lack of gifts. The kids expressed
gratitude that she wasn't nagging them aboutwatering the Christmas tree, but no one
noticed it was dead by the morningof the party. Brown needles littered the

(04:12):
tree skirt, which was just onepiece of holiday to core she used to
cover the tubes running from the gasguzzling beasts in the garage and throughout the
Blackwood Home tinsel Marie discovered hit amultitude of sins alcohol two, though she
didn't drink that day. The Blackwoodswould blame the cocktails for every blush and

(04:35):
dizzy spell, if only to explaintheir own those spirits were involved. The
pinholes and the tubing were harder atwork. As Marie Wooseley made her way
into the bedroom to the drowsy end. The family remained blissfully ignorant to her
plan her death and to the firstthree Missus Blackwoods watching them choke on air.

(05:00):
The title of Missus Blackwood was ephemeralas snow, and just as burdened
by beauty that dazzled and warmed andunmade itself within a season. And like
snow, what they left behind wasdrastically different from what they'd been at their
peaks. Something once so lovely andunique became filthy slush, more cursed than

(05:25):
memory, more stained than ghost.The Blackwood Home was rife with stains.
Jerome and the kids were too conceitedto see in life, and had followed
them into death. They couldn't seethe police who discovered their bodies two days
later, nor the former matriarchs thatconspired against them. They couldn't even see

(05:46):
each other as they walked from roomto room. They'd woken alone in a
house full of people, and theywould never know. You'll tide, ride

(06:13):
by, Daniel Voytek. Lock yourdoors, it doesn't matter. Hide the
children, it doesn't matter. Iam coming. Now is the time of

(06:38):
the long dark nights of winter,when spirits howl at your windows. In
the chill air, you feel thecold and the dark. Deep inside you
feel the primal fear. Trim yourtrees, light your candles, sing your

(06:59):
songs, pretend to feel safe.I am coming. My minions have finished
their long work. I watch asthey fill my dark carriage with sack upon
sack of gifts. I dance asthey tacked my great beasts with leather and

(07:23):
bridle and reins. I laugh asthe beast snorked and snicker, and prance
in place, Gather for protection,Laugh to cover your fear, Drink to
break and sleep, pray against thenight. I am coming Now. My

(07:54):
pire burns laden with halfer and fearand missile. The holy smoke rises,
and I call to the ancient oneswho sired me. The sky ribbles and
glows with ethereal light. The barrierthins, and I prepare for my entry
into your realm. I come nowfrom the great North. I arrived through

(08:20):
the dark night. I soar.I come hunting as you sleep into your
homes. I am here you sleep, you are children sleep? Did you
leave offerings? The Wicked Library iscreated by Ninth Story Studios LLLC. All

(09:13):
rights reserved. Merry Christmas and toall a dark night.