Yuletide Calling

(My newest short story, based on a contest where they give you the first paragraph and the twentieth, with fifty in total.)

Yuletide Calling

Beyond the cracked sidewalk, and the telephone pole with layers of flyers in a rainbow of colors, and the patch of dry brown grass there stood a ten-foot high concrete block wall, caked with dozens of coats of paint. There was a small shrine at the foot of it, with burnt out candles and dead flowers and a few soggy teddy bears. One word of graffiti filled the wall, red letters on a gold background: Rejoice!

          Cindy, or Rainbow as she called herself on the streets, sank to her knees pulling the needle from her arm. The word on the wall blurred before her, drugs taking hold yet again. Somewhere beyond the metallic sounds of hard rock music blaring from her cellphone, voices echoed back.

          “Rejoice all you sinners. Repent your sins.” Her dad’s voice thundering down from the pulpit, like it had done on so many Sunday mornings before he died and her seven-year-old angelic world collapsed.

          Her mother, remarried but John wasn’t like her father. He’d like to hold her on his lap. When they were alone he touched in places that made her feel good and that was the beginning. Cindy ran away from home after he molested her at nine. Even the drugs didn’t ever take away the sight of him naked before her.

          Angelic voices lilted behind the harsh guitar riffs singing to her. She closed her eyes, succumbing to the hell dancing inside as opposed to the hell around her.

          There were times the drugs flushed away all the pain. This wasn’t one.

          And worse, she knew if she didn’t arrive at some kind of peaceful resolve inside, her life would come to a quick sad end. He would win and have his way with her in hell. Once again.

          A giggle from the darkness stunned her. “What? Who are you?”

          A small long-eared figure emerged from the dark. “I’m Yules and I believe you called me.”

          “I called you?”

          “You don’t remember me? You were five, and your parents got you a Christmas elf.”

          Visions swam before her in the haze of drugs. Her opening a Christmas package, and a felt-covered elf sprang free. The ears reminded her of Spock in some weird way. “I love him. Thanks Mom and Dad.”

          “You whispered to me that night. ‘You’re My elf, Yules. That will always be here to protect me. My guardian’.”

          Cindy closed her eyes, as the angels hummed and guitars sizzled in, chord after electrifying chord, she clawed back the memory.

          “I’m really an elf in training, until I do something good for someone I can’t become a fully-fledged Santa elf. Now we must go. You can’t stay here. Danger. We must go.”

          Only it was too late, three punks spewed into the alley where Rainbow lay sprawled. Yules twitched his nose disappearing. He was under oath not to be seen by anyone, except her.

          “Go where? I’m already flying.” She fell into a slump as monks chanted and angels hummed. “Rejoice, Rejoice”.

          “Oh, look. A very yummy looking strung-out broad.” They tossed her into the car, “I think we’re going to have fun with her.”

          Angels flew upward as they dumped her in the back seat. The smell of pizza assailed her nostrils as she tumbled against a box and spilled its contents onto the floor.

          (This is their paragraph) When the ride ended, she was lifted again. The kid slid her body onto a soft pile of clothing among the boxes in the garage. He pulled an old coat over the top, creating a cave that emanated the sweetness of old ladies who frequently powdered themselves—a light rose motif that played ironically well in the deep recesses of Rainbow’s ancestral brain. The pizza kid lifted her head to help her lap water from a hubcap. He broke bits of pepperoni and crust into bite-sized pieces and left them where her tongue could reach them. Much later, she heard him practicing his orations like songs. Like monks chanting in the distance, they were a comfort.

          In her drug-filled haze Rainbow wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. She had no idea who had been feeding her to keep her alive, but she guessed it was Yules hidden among the drug hazed monks that shared the pizza. She only knew these punks were no different than her step-dad. Blood cooled between her legs where they’d used her.

          In the haze of drugs a comfort flooded her brain, rendered her incapable of defense, of barely breathing, as someone stuffed more drugs down her throat.

          One of the lads began to unzip his pants. “Yeah, you feed her pizza. It’s my turn and I’ve got something I’m going to feed her.”

          The others laughed as he pulled down his shorts.

          “I can’t let this continue. This will bar me from ever being an elf, but my oath is to protect her.” Yules materialized before them.

          “What?” one stuttered.

          “Who the eff are you?” The boy with his pants down yelled, his manhood shrinking.

          “I am the end of you. Hii Yaa.” Yules struck a pose like he’d seen Bruce Lee adopt in his many karate movies.

          The three of them stared a moment, before laughing. “A frigging elf! Are you kidding me? Man, that’s some good drugs we bought.”

          Knowing the brilliance of the unexpected, Yules sprang into action like Yoda. A whirling dervish, in one, two, three chops, he’d felled the trio.

          Cries rang out as they gripped themselves between the legs. “Go now before I lose my temper. Now!!”

          The three stumbled into the darkness, the leader struggling to pull up his pants.

          Yules picked Cindy up. He stroked her hair, skin cold. Lips blue. “I have little time to save you. They have overdosed you. Only one choice.”

          He kissed her lips and breathed in, sucking her poisons from her.

          “I have kissed haunted lips.” The words from a famous song pulled at Cindy’s depths as her hallucinogenic world pulled away. The comfort of angels singing, monks chanting, as they bobbed their heads, scarfing down pizza and guitars screaming, faded as the haze of drugs left her. Cindy stared at the funny-looking Christmas elf, struggling to stay conscious above her. Pointy ears holding the green and red cap in place.

          Visions of her, hugging Yules at night. A young, a naïve kid before HE came into her life.

          She comforted Yules, knowing he would be better at absorbing the highs from the drugs than her. The crunch of feet announced the return of her three attackers.

          “Yeah! He’s out of action. I’m not done with you yet, bitch.” The skinny one, obviously drugged up with new found false courage, back-handed her. “Now I intend to get the pleasure that you owe me, and I think my buds want a little of that action as well.” He kicked the elf several times in the guts. Yules cried out in pain as the kid pulled his knife free. “Never gutted an elf before.”

          Shadows crossed overhead as the tinkle of Christmas bells rang in the dark night sky. A cloud of snowy mists and the crunch of heavy black boots on crisp snow echoed. A portly, white-bearded man glared from the foggy mists rolling in.

          “What the hell? Christmas isn’t until next week.”

          “Unhand her! And my elf.” The bearded man barked.

          The punks stared wildly at the fat man. “Are you crazy old man? This is one messed-up night.” He shook his knife at him. “Now beat it, before I mess you up as well.”

          The click of hooves thundered as several reindeer came into view behind the sweetly-smiling, old man. “I brought back-up.” The reindeer lowered their heads, antlers thrust forward.

          Knives clanked on concrete as ran down the alley.

          Yules struggled to stand, the drugs still pounding away in his head. “Nobody messes with one of my main elves.” Santa picked him up and placed him gently amongst the luxurious furs lining his sleigh. “You fulfilled your mission, which was to save her, and you risked your life doing it. You have passed your test well.” Santa stared back at Cindy. “Yules has absorbed all of the drugs’ effects, including the withdrawal symptoms from you. You are clean now. This is a one-time deal; got it young lady? Pull this crap again and it will be coal and reindeer dung in your stocking,” he scolded her.

          “Yes, Santa. I promise to be good.” She ran her hands through her hair feeling her scalp, and the scabs on it from years of abuse. More than anything she needed a bath.

          As if reading her mind, Santa pulled a wad of money from his pocket. “Here. Use it wisely. Get yourself cleaned up.”

          Cindy gratefully took it and glanced down at Yules. “Thank you. I don’t know why you came back to save me, but I’m very glad you did.” She kissed his head, sweat ran off it profusely.

          The elf barely uttered, “an elf’s promise is sacred.” His head fell away.

           “Yes, it is, and he has lived up to his mission. Now on Prancer, on Donner, on Blixen. We’ve an elf to take to detox and he isn’t going to be a pleasant site in the next couple of days before we begin his training.” With that he let out a loud “Ho, Ho, Ho,” and disappeared into the night.