Davis bought it last night. In the back, with a treetop angel. You almost never hear them coming. This morning, the mall lights came up again. They always do that. Do it no matter which of my boys die. The twinkling lights overhead faded against the cushioned white foam of the mall's drop ceiling, the night's technicolor tracer fire making its last stand against the flickering onset of fluorescent tubing.
(more after the jump)
Oh God, I'm beat. Spent the night on watch because Chalmers was too tired. He'd mumbled something about gift receipts before propping his back against the planter and going to Meet Mr. Sandman. Where was Gomez? We'd sent him out on recon last night, after someone spotted the crescent of Islam amid some garland and tinsel on the upper level. Gomez...If he's gotten frostied, we're all fucked.
Mall's open. Bodies...everywhere bodies. Press of package against flesh. Had to take cover in the Gingerbread Village. They've taken the Christmas Railroad. Ripped Rudolph down, and put up some oversize dredels...Their harsh croaking voices "dredel, dredel, dredel..."
Never thought I'd live to see the day.
Getting dark again. Cruel colored lights twinkle from the mall's balcony. Bright angry eyes winking laughter at us grunts.
Still no Gomez.
CHALMERS IS DOWN!!! CHALMERS IS DOWN!!! Sweet Jesus' Birthday, what a mess. No one heard it coming. We think...we think it was "The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa", they did it. Hadda be them. Hadda. It's all over him...the writing, used candy canes dipped in his blood for ink: "Habari gani: Umoja, Habari gani: Kujichagulia..."
People are slowly clearing out of the mall. The gates close on each stall, noiselessly, or with at most comforting schck. Day wasn't a total loss. Caught some neopagans casually refer to Santa as the Holly King. "Joyous Yule, my ass." Spider took them out, lumps of coal in each of their stockings.
JESUS, motherfuckers...that's the goddamn reason for the season.
Hard day. Dog tired. More dead.
I guess it's just another battle in the war on Christmas.