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    Krampus Unchained
    Krampus Unchained
    Krampus Unchained
    Ebook84 pages1 hour

    Krampus Unchained

    By Edmund de Wight

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Krampus vs. Santa in a battle to the death!

    Krampus, is known as the Christmas Demon and punisher of wicked children. Krampus has been entombed for 1,000 years.
    Now, a man lured by dreams he cannot comprehend frees the monster who promptly goes on a killing spree, punishing wayward youths in the most gruesome manner.

    Santa is Krampus' opposite.
    Santa must remember his ancient roots and become a warrior to stand against Krampus.
    It is up to Santa and a young girl who is an unlikely hero to stop the rampage before more innocents die.

    A novella of terror, revenge and redemption for a season usually committed to joy.
    A fast read while on the road to grandma's house or curled in front of the fire on a cold winter's night.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIonosphere Press
    Release dateApr 17, 2022
    ISBN9781386894582
    Krampus Unchained
    Author

    Edmund de Wight

    Author of gritty, high octane fiction with a touch of terror and daring heroes and heroines! Visit his website and sign up for the newsletter to receive a free e-book and regular entertaining content.  Ed writes stories that can be classified as either Horror, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy or Thriller depending on the tale.  Some say Edmund de Wight was found wandering the desert as a baby, others say his mother won him playing craps, yet others say that aliens were spotted near Vegas on the night he was brought into the world. Draw your own conclusions. Edmund has always had a thirst to learn new things. He's pursued such diverse careers as a carnival barker, a cryptologist and linguist in military intelligence, a computer technician, bartender, and owner of a small retail business. He's traveled the world and managed to see the entire USA with the exception of two states. Ed brings a wide worldview to his writing. For hobbies, Ed has pursued hobbies as varied as wood carving, relief printing, sword fighting, and of course, never-ending efforts at home remodeling.  

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      Book preview

      Krampus Unchained - Edmund de Wight

      As always, for Sarah.

      Special thanks to my beta readers for helping to make it that much better:

      Christopher Ashmun

      Annette Bacon

      Dianna Clark

      David 'Wolf' Mellen

      Emily Pinkwas

      Tim Taylor

      1

      In the unbroken darkness of the cave a beast breathes. Metallic clicks accompany each slow, ragged inhalation and exhalation. The mountain of chains, each link made of metal as thick as a man's arm, shifts with each breath.

      The chain almost fills the space of the cave. It wraps around the beast hundreds of times until the creature is invisible within the pile of dull gray metal. Its imprisonment has lasted so long it almost does not remember what it is; but it is eternal as is its memory. It remembers that it is Krampus.

      One thousand years the beast has lain trapped in the dwarf forged metal. Belief in the crucified man weakened Krampus making him too feeble to defend himself against the white bearded god. Belief and fear of the ancient powers had once made Krampus godlike in his own right. He had brought justice to the world, punishing the wicked. Humans  feared and respected him until the new god came.  The crucified man's followers preached love and forgiveness. They did not teach their children to fear the horned beast, the avenger of wrongs. As human belief waned, so too did Krampus strength.

      When the white bearded one came he was too weak to resist. The bearded man was an old god who now hid within the new myths to keep part of his power. He struck at Krampus. The god's spear drew immortal blood.  Krampus' essence weakened until the great beast of the dark, the righter of wrongs, fell. The old one summoned dwarven smiths who crafted a chain to imprison that which could not be imprisoned. He then hid Krampus in the deepest pit in the land and sealed him away from the light.

      Hundreds of winters passed as Krampus lay, bound and weakening. Every generation remembered him less as belief in the crucified man grew. Krampus felt his mind becoming thin, his form withering as his essence began to fade. Krampus slept, unable to struggle against his prison. Krampus dreamed.

      In his mind, Krampus saw the world as if through a sheet of ice. Humans toiled in the soil growing crops. Armies of other humans trampled the fields and fertilized the soil with blood. He saw great empires grow and crumble. He watched art created and then burned. In his mind he could sense the growing darkness in the world of men. While they preached of love in their golden temples, they became more voracious in their greed and hatred. Anger and the need to punish kept Krampus alive.

      In the far north where once Krampus had reigned he felt a stirring of the ancient belief. He dreamed of young men, drunk and lecherous, dressing themselves in furs and masks. The mummers aped at being the noble Krampus. They chased young women through the streets. They whipped them with switches and then rutted with them in darkened corners. In his mind Krampus roared in rage. Their festival reminded humans of his existence, but the perversion of his deeds made his thinning blood boil.

      More wars invaded Krampus' dreams. Vast machines ground the earth to mud. Chemical fire and strange magic spears struck down humans in numbers vast beyond the visions of the ancients. Humans flew through the air as gods and harnessed the lightning. Wickedness flourished. The young turned on their elders and even the church of the crucified man began to lose its grip on men's souls.

      One day, a thousand years after his imprisonment began, Krampus feels a change. People once again think of him. It is not with the near religious fervor of olden days but instead with wistful joy. Krampus feels a trickle of life return to his withered husk. The visions of the outer world become clearer. Krampus again witnesses the depravity of man in this strange world beyond his prison. He can feel the foulness of humans of every age. He aches to punish the wicked but the chains crush him into quiescence. Krampus' body is still bound and weak but his mind can reach outward. In his eternal dream, Krampus reaches outward for a mind crying out for wickedness to be punished.

      2

      Phillip Barnes imagines himself a mighty feudal lord as he climbs the stairs of his tenement building.

      Lord of Anacostia.

      He chuckles at the thought and pounds on the door to apartment 3B.

      Lavinia Holmes opens her door three inches before the chain stops it. She is ancient. She had already been in the building for decades when Phillip bought it ten years ago. Her hair is white and her once dark chocolate complexion has faded to a pale gray and is as wrinkled as a raisin.

      Mister Barnes, I wasn't expecting you, her voice quivers, as frail as the rest of her body.

      Yeah, yeah Lavinia, Phillip says. It's the eleventh of the month, what did you expect?

      I know sir, but I've had some finance problems.

      "Look lady, I've given you every chance on earth the last year seeing as you're my oldest tenant but I gotta draw the line somewhere.

      Rent is due on the first. If I don't have it by the fifth you owe me a penalty; after the tenth I can evict. Do you really want that?

      No sir, her voice is small. A tear worms its way down her withered cheek.

      Please just give me a couple days. My check is due on Friday. I'll sign it over.

      Phillip suppresses a grin. He loves watching these people squirm.

      Friday then, he says. But this is the sixth time this year Lavinia. It's your last chance. If you don't have the money or if you're late again I'm just going to have to replace you with someone who can pay their bills.

      Phillip turns on his heel and walks down a flight to the next apartment on his list of deadbeats. He wishes he could just boot the bums to the curb but the stupid city requires that he give them enough chances to sink a ship.

      His next encounter is almost a mirror image of the first, an elderly resident on a set income forced to juggle food, medicine and rent. When he finally exits the building he knows

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