Prologue

December 24, 1989

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The sounds of the Christmas carol reached the small little room where Kitty slept but she could barely decipher the words or tune. Her mind was blank and she lay on her small mattress on the floor her nose stuck in a Babysitter’s Club story that she had snagged from her second grade teacher’s library. She didn’t really care if Mrs. Soares found out about it. The woman was definitely a close relation to Satan. She was tall with white hair that was rather unruly, she could not keep her glasses on her nose, and she wore lots and lots of lipstick. It was hideous and she chose a different color for each day of the week. Mondays was usually pink, Tuesdays was red, Wednesdays was purple etc.

Turning the page of the story Kitty heard the sounds of a door opening and closing and supposed that her father had just arrived home after a “long hard day of work”. Kitty heard the sounds of shouting parents above the Christmas carols. Again? Did they really have to do this to her? What was so bad that it needed to be quarreled over on Christmas Eve?

Everyone else Kitty knew was probably jovial and jittery. Kitty imagined her best friend Nicole as she raced to her mother with one packaged gift in her hand jumping up and down with joy as she begged “can I open it now Mommy please?”. Kitty grimaced at the thought of those memories even daring to pop into her head again.

When Kitty was five Nicole had invited her to spend Christmas with her and her family. Kitty had gladly accepted, not looking forward to her hard bone chilling Christmas that she had every year.

This being the case Kitty really was not at all shocked with the whole door slamming drill. It was about as normal as the fire drills in school. You just did them automatically.

Finding no interest left in her story Kitty marked her page and got off her mattress pushing back the coarse blankets. She put her fluffy purple slippers on and pushed open her door nervously looking out into the hallway. One quick look told her it was deserted and her father had already made his way into his private den that he actually locked with a padlock.

Tiptoeing down the stairs Kitty headed for the kitchen where she could hear the sounds of Deck the Halls coming from the small radio on the counter.

Her mother was busy chopping away at vegetables for a casserole and did not look up when Kitty pushed the door open and entered silently. She stood up on tiptoes and reached for the cookie tin that she gave Santa Claus every year.

“No, no, no,” her mother said firmly but teasingly from the countertop where she was chopping. Kitty nearly fell head over heels. She looked wide eyed at her mother who’s eyes were twinkling. Kitty smiled then and her heart swelled with happiness as she and her mother laughed silently together.

Kitty’s mother put down the knife she had been using to chop up the onions and carrots and headed to where Kitty was standing on the stool. She gently lifted her seven year old child off the platform and placed her firmly on the floor.

“Those are for Santa Sweetie,” Kitty’s mother explained patiently as though she had not already said it a million times before every single year.

“Can we put them out by the fireplace?” Kitty asked right on cue.

Kitty’s mother nodded. “Of course we can Sweets.” She took the tin from its spot on top of the fridge and handed it to Kitty who left the kitchen skipping happily to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Kitty glanced in awe at the little set of Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds on the alter that she had begged her mother to buy the year before. It looked so pretty but the alter was only used during Christmas and was later put in the attic for the next Christmas. Kitty placed the cookie tin by the little table at the fireplace’s side and stepped back to admire the pretty room.

Kitty’s mother came over to her and gave her a little box. Kitty looked up at her mother curiously. Then she exclaimed, “But Mama it’s only Christmas Eve!” Her mother smiled and gestured for her to open it anyway. Kitty ripped open the Santa Clause wrapping paper and stared down at the prize inside with wide eyes.

“For me Mama?” she asked looking at the beautiful necklace that was sitting prim and pretty in its box. Her mother nodded and Kitty took it from its perch and at the end of the chain was a silver butterfly with golden wings. Kitty stood straight and tall as her mother unclipped it and redid the clasp. The butterfly lay cold on her heart. Kitty admired it in the living room light and a smile stretched across her face.

“It’s an early present,” her mother said smiling sweetly and lovingly at her little girl. “It looks lovely on you Kit.” Kitty’s grin, if possible, broadened. She could feel her dirty blond hair bouncing up and down behind her as she jumped up and down in her excitement. The butterfly jumped with her.

Turning to head back into the kitchen her mother said, “I have to go and finish the casserole to take to Grandma Colliman.” Kitty nodded and then ran to her mother and hugged her tight.

“Thank you Mama,” she said her eyes stinging with tears of joy and happiness for the gift she had received. Her mother hugged her back just as tightly and then went to the kitchen leaving Kitty to do whatever she felt like.

Kitty raced back up to her room and closed the door firmly behind her blocking out the sounds of Silent Night.

Going to her bed she reopened the Babysitter’s Club story feeling more interested then she had a little while ago.

She read for a couple of hours finally finishing the story and glad that it was such a happy ending again. She looked at her clock and saw that it was 9:00 and her mother had not come upstairs to make sure Kitty was sleeping.

Kitty got up again rubbing her eyes from the strain of reading for so many hours. She pushed open the door and stepped out into the dark hallway. She looked down the left to where the den was and saw that the door was open. Kitty raced down the stairs to the kitchen where she had half expected to see her mother sitting engrossed in a book. That would have explained why she had not come up to check if Kitty was asleep.

Feeling nervous and scared “Kitty went into the living room and with great surprise found Santa Claus leaning over a body that he had placed on the couch.

The fire was burning brightly and it illuminated the body on the couch. Kitty took a sharp intake of breath as she saw her mother’s body lying there with blood spewing from her forehead.

Santa Claus was doing something funny too. He was laughing. He had a very maniacal chuckle that broke the room’s deadly silence with a piercing devilry. Kitty ran from the house then. She had recognized that laugh. It was not a commonly used laugh but she had heard it once or twice. She knew who that man in the Santa suit was. She knew what he had done to her mother and she also knew that she NEVER wanted to return to 342 Port Avenue again as long as she lived.

Kitty ran far and fast. Her fluffy purple slippers sinking into the snow. Reaching the park she climbed over the gate and ran for the swings. She held on with one hand and then held out her right palm. In its center was the silver and gold butterfly. it felt cold to the touch, the way her heart did. She cried out to the night demanding why this was all happening! WHen there was no answer she clenched her fists leaving the buttefly's imprint on her palm. she fell to the snow then not really caring what happened to her.

And there she cried, fully and deeply, letting every emotion out of her system. It was then in the snow that she realized her worst fear. Reality had finally taken its toll, and she was alone.

A.N: my heart cries out to Kitty! Hehe stupid Santa! I don't know what possessed me there! Thanks Seisaset for giving me a hand with this, the idea is partially yours!

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