Twelfth Krampus Night Read Online Free PDF Page B

the woman, who snapped it open to admire it.
    â€œDid you both sew this?” She ran her hands over the blanket, admiring how tightly it’d been stitched.
    â€œWe took turns, yes,” Sarah said. “It’s our first one without Mother’s help.”
    â€œAnd what a fine job your mother did teaching you.” She handed it back to Sarah and turned to Anna. “It’s nearly dinnertime. Where are your parents?”
    â€œBringing fish back from the village. It won’t take long to cook.”
    â€œA fine choice to eat on Twelfth Night, would you agree?” the old woman extended her gnarled knuckles to Anna and gently stroked her cheek. “I have something for you.”
    The old woman reached behind her back to retrieve a silver coin for Anna, who stepped back, not knowing what to expect. “I’ll put this on the table for you.” She slapped it facedown, a loud clack reverberating off the wood. “And I’ve not forgotten about you, Sarah.” The old woman repeated the process, leaving two silver coins side by side for the girls.
    â€œI’m very pleased with you both, how hard you worked this year on your first blanket. And I’m sure you’ll be making more in the year ahead.”
    â€œWe’ve already started,” Anna said. “Each of us is working on our own.”
    â€œThat’s what I like to hear.” The old woman’s pleasant demeanor vanished. She looked around the room and shushed the girls when one appeared about to speak.
    â€œGo sit in the corner, the way you were when I first got here. Take the blanket. Now.”
    Anna and Sarah scampered to the corner and resumed their positions, now terrified because they too felt someone else’s presence.
    The old woman stooped and blew out the candle, and the girls lost sight of her.
    The door was still open, but neither girl had seen her slip out. Sarah gasped when a large figure stood in the doorway.
    â€œDidn’t think I was going to arrive, did you?” came a male voice. “How could I pass up such an opportunity? I’ve been gone so long. I’ve arranged for your parents to be delayed in the village. They’ll be none the wiser. Who would like to be first?”
    Neither girl knew which of the baron’s sons did unwanted things to them. He never gave his name, only orders to refer to him as “my lord”.
    â€œI can never tell you apart, especially in this dark. How your parents do it mystifies me. I suppose parents know their children best. But it’s still light enough out so that I can see what I’m doing.” He popped open the closed shutters to allow for a little more light. “So, who would like to take off her clothes first?”
    The girls knew this was coming. Each wore a dirty cut-down tunic over a simple skirt. Anna began to cry.
    The lord slipped off his leather gloves and laid them on the table. “I just want to hold one of you to start. Cuddle a bit. Make you feel nice and warm.”
    He walked toward the girls, who turned toward each other and hugged, soon sobbing onto each other.
    Just as the lord prepared to pounce, the shutters seemed to slam shut at once, followed by the door creaking back toward the house, sealing them into darkness.
    The lord and the girls heard a soft cackle coming from the closed door, followed by “I think it goes without saying that you will not be getting a silver coin.”
    He puffed out his chest. “I’m one of the lords of the castle. Leave this instant and speak nothing of this or I shall have you killed.”
    â€œIs that so? Well, I’m not setting foot from this house for the foreseeable future, and when I do leave, I have every intention of informing the villagers of what a vile pervert you are. They’ll never quite look at the baron the same way.”
    The lord reached for his knife but realized he’d left it in his horse’s saddlebag