Kylian took his turn to speak into the burning orange embers of the camp fire.

‘2020 had turned out to be an utterly bizarre year. The U.S government got so desperate for a distraction they came out saying there were ‘other worldly craft’ on earth.

Then early in 2021 there was the resolution of the Epstein case that involved trafficking people into elite sex cults. It was some guy who killed himself in prison with no evidence, as the cameras watching his cell had conveniently broken.

Well it turns out that after following the trail, implicating some banks and some very, very powerful people, the whole trafficking ring was traced back to Father Christmas.’

‘Father Christmas?’ One of them said with a questioning look in his face.

Before pausing in thoughtfulness followed by his realisation.

‘Right yeah I remember something about that.’

Kylian continued

‘So we found out he was real too. And not a good guy. He’d been stealing people, and selling them to Epstein and to organ traffickers.

Mrs Christmas was hiding in New Zealand to get out of the spotlight and went to jail for like 180 years, but Father Christmas ended it for himself, the reindeer and all the non-seasonal elves who lived with him in Lapland.

it was Familiecied minus Mrs Christmas who was out of the country. He broadcasted a live video of it, saying “they will never take MY things”.’

Kylian bared his teeth and widened his eyes, eerily reflecting the orange glow of the camp fire.

———————————————————

‘So it turns out that if there is a death in disgrace of a Saint Nicolas, the world must go two centuries without one.

When that happens he is replaced for this time by an ancient Demon named Mara, from Buddhist mythology. She comes from the realm of desire and is said to have had five daughters.

In the darkest part of the night on Christmas Eve, she would sweep from North to South covering the entire line of the globe.

She would appear as an apparition. Every apparition gave birth to five more which in turn gave birth to five more depending on your vantage point. Fractally expanding simultaneously in all directions, hence her being said to have five daughters.

These apparitions would appear in every home, soaking up the desires of all who lived there. And while it sounds spooky, the first Christmas Mara delivered presents was a happy affair. It was particularly good for the children.’

‘Why?’

They all looked on intently, taking in his recollection of events.

‘Because children still had relatively simple desires she’d appear to them as people they desired to see and their presents would be things they just wanted. It could be a toy truck, a pacifier or a bar of soap.

She would even appear to some orphans as a lost parent and stay a moment to comfort them.

But things could get awkward in your teen years and god help you if you still saw her once or twice in your adult years. By which time your personality had become twisted and warped enough to contain some very uncomfortable cravings.’

———————————————————

‘When I was around 16, me and my friends would wait up for her, having parties so that we could see where she’d take us, and what she’d bring.

I called my teenage version of Mara, Mary FAPins because she would come dressed just like a hot model version of Mary Poppins without a shirt on. She had that magic bag where you could take things of any size out continuously forever which was cool to see. She would always bring me new computer games.’

One of the group’s elder members finally interjected, speaking of his own experiences with the Christmas apparition.

‘Well, doesn’t that sound nice! My memorable night one Christmas Eve started when my wife jumped on me, and things had previously been quiet let’s say, or not going so well. I can only assume she had seen someone else during Mara’s visit.

She’d opened her present right away. It was lingerie. She straddled me with that ravenous desire Mara can cause if she shows you the right thing. She started tearing my shirt off. It was my favourite shirt.

Afterwards she dangled her panties over my face and dropped them, still drunk with supernatural desire. There was a name embroidered into the crotch. The name of my brother.’

Kylian replied.

‘Well I’m sorry to hear that, I really am. But I also hear worse things can happen if you try to suppress this raging desire.

It’s common knowledge now that If you tried to dampen your reaction the shape shifters could morph into your greatest fear, becoming a bursting sack of spiders, a demented clown, or a grammar phone, playing that screech you hear when someone scratches their nails across a chalkboard.’

It was true, for grown ups anything could happen. With a horrific tilt in favour of bad things.

Kylian looked at his poor, presumably cuckolded associate who didn’t seem happy with experiencing that scene, as opposed his wife terrified out if her wits.

He smugly relished the satisfaction of imaginary justice served in an alternate turn of events.

Kylian continued

‘There were after all those those new or rare couples to whom the shape shifter showed herself as their current partner or spouse. For the pure of heart with clean desires Christmas Eve was a night of untold happiness materially and in their relationships.

For children it was generally the happiest time of year and Mara was much preferred to Father Christmas.

That delightful mixture of innocent happiness, excitement and the fear of any unknown havoc she might bring.’

He paused and looked at all the faces sitting around the camp fire

‘Merry Christmas to you All’