‘Tis the Season
Troll the Ancient Yuletide Carol!
The Yule Offering
But I could not. I would not. Lying in the casket was neither tree limbs nor wood of any kind. There was no boar for a blood offering. In fact, not a single one of God’s four-legged creatures was in that box. I stared, blinked, and stared again.
I flung the torch to the ground in disgust. Panic urged me to flee, to escape this nightmarish festival as swiftly as I could. The Yule log was not an effigy; neither was it a log of wood. It was not an animal, yet it was indeed an offering of flesh: In the box, looking as pale as her sister, lay Felicity Haley.
It was then that I realized what they were asking me to do. I wasn’t there for any benign purpose. No, I had been summoned home to burn the Haley girl as an offering to this pagan god. On that date, in the small hours, I understood that I had encountered Odin, the leader of the Wild Hunt—a different and dark manifestation of he who would be called, in just a few days, the Gift-giver or the Sleigh-rider; Santa Claus, or Saint Nick.
I sprinted out of the circle like an athlete, heading toward the stairs. Somehow, I narrowly avoided Odin’s spear, which he hurled at me with great force. According to the old lore it is not possible to escape the spear, Gungnir, when it is thrown at a target. I happen to know that it is more than possible. I also know that Odin’s fury was instant when he missed and I escaped. “Kill him!” I could hear the enraged giant crying out to all its minions.
Suddenly, and unexpectedly, the Lister appeared before me. For the first time, he removed his hood and glared at me. He was an ancient man who had a wild beard of tentacles that were trashing about like serpents. “Don’t be afraid,” he said, and laughed maniacally. “You’re family. You can change too. Now retrieve the torch and burn the offering!” He screeched.
I made my way around those tentacles, running as quickly as I could. I wondered about Colette’s safety, but then I heard her voice. She said, “Burn her!” I then heard Colette scream, “Stay!”
Colette continued to scream at me. “William,” she wailed, “stay with me! Change with me!” “William!” “William!” “Change with me!”
I stopped listening to the horrible cry. I ran, but then my pace slowed. I then realized that I was being physically hindered by a magic song.
The Al-Felet and Odin’s elves moved toward me. They sang:
O. B.
OH. BEE.
OH. BEE. OH. BEE.
I found myself growing tired. “If I could just make it to the stairs,” I thought to myself, “I might find a moment of respite.” Of course I would not have, but that enchanting song convinced me otherwise.
Odin’s minions continued to move toward me. As they did, they continued evilly singing “Ooohwe ooohweesh oooh ish ooo ish ooohweesh. Ooohwe ooohweesh oooh ish ish ooo ish!” There was nothing more that I could do. They were going to get me, after all.
© 2023-2025 Ren Adama
