#vss365
#creepmas
The magemirror was perfect in every way, magical silver filigree etched in the darkest of dragonwood.
Winter looked at her #reflection catching a glimmer of the other her, another world where she stood alone in a blasted land, the Northstar shining down on her.
She calmly rearranged her robes, casting the circle around her in red and green shimmering light, Christmas magic only came once a year.
This alternate self had nothing.
So taking her life to live longer was a fine gift.

#vss365
#creepmas
Their blades crossed and uncrossed as the two circled each other, snow clinging to their coats as it blew in sideways at them.
It was quiet except for the carols playing in the church yard.
Well, kinda.
"Stop, think, observe, plan."
"Serious? #mnemonics, dude."
Carl smiled, "I told you, I never fight without a plan."
Dave just laughed.
"What?"
"Well, it's just hard to take a threat on my life seriously, when they use the dumbest mnemonic ever."
"But-"
"S.T.O.P, has stop in it!"

#vss365
#creepmas
The light flickered and I looked up from the floor, still dizzy.
"See how it #glistens?"
He asked shoving hard, my daughter's arm folding with a sickening snap as he pushed her into his sack.
Where he pointed, her blood had reached the tree shining in the light.
I tried to get up, but he stepped on me with a heavy boot.
I tried to cry out, but had no air to even peep.
"Now, no heroics my boy. Naughty kids have to be punished, and her, well, she's been very naughty," he laughed.

#vss365
#creepmas
The holidays were ruined, the #tranquility festival in shambles. But then, invasions did that.
The mall was still running on power from the nuclear plant, music playing despite the lack of revelers. Scorched skeletons of those caught by the first wave attack.
The invaders were ruthless, scouring the halls of the mall, shop by shop, indiscriminately killing even our women and children, and when they'd done their evil work, they'd planted their flag, and then left.
Damn humans.

#vss365
#creepmas
The #wicket closed behind Mrs.Claus with a heavy thud, the villages outer gate guards eyeing her as she stalked past trailing her long-handled hammer through the snow. Splashed in gore she looked like a stormcloud in crimson.
One looked over, "Mister okay?"
She smiled, "He is now."
He nodded and took her hammer, "I'll have it cleaned for you."
"Thanks," she wrung her hair, droplets of blood dripping onto the snow. "One less naughty terrorist, and more funds for next Christmas."

#vss365
#creepmas
"So, prelim scans show the-"
"Mom!"
Sue barely looked at her crying son.
"Adam, mommy's working."
Her partner chirped, "The #purity of the final product," he probed.
"Oh, yes, the portal's energy source is-"
"Mom! The tree pickle!"
Sue sighed, "Moment please."
She stepped into the den, her office door closing, behind her.
"Adam I-"
She slipped on something red, the floor glistening wetly.
The Christmas tree hung sideways, half gone, signs a portal was here.
"Shit, it breached!"

#vss365
#creepmas
The faint lines in the darkness highlighted the Nutcracker as its jaws closed, #silhouette faintly glowing in the broken holocom panel behind it.
I rolled under my desk, the machine's mechanical hiss barely audible over the station's alarms ringing as it hunted.
I had barely any time to get away from the Christmas pageant. If not for the ships Ai, Sally's warning, I'd be dead.
Sam had poisoned the Ai, his virus turning the animitronics hostile.
Violent night Santa; I shivered.

#vss365
#creepmas
The coal mine was stifling, heavy equipment screaming away.
"cht~Dan, come back?"
His com squawked.
"Whas the #drama."
"cht~You hear that?"
He cut the drill and opened his rig door, a faint metallic ping ringing through the pitch dark, and getting closer.
He hopped down, peering into the dark at the man hobbling down the tunnel, sack on his shoulder, horns sparking against the rocky ceiling.
He dropped the sack, "Put em te work."
Dan nodded, terrified to disobey Master Krampus.

#vss365
#creepmas
It was a bright mid-day, but the snow falling so thick painted it all in #monochrome hues.
May stepped under an awning.
~jingle~
A bell rang close, but May saw nothing.
~Jingle~
The bells rang behind her and May jumped.
~JINGLE~
So close, she jumped back.
HONK!
The driver of the bus stood over May's body, bus patrons milling about trying to comfort him.
May stood next to her body looking down, the Bellmen, clutching her soul covetously.
Another pretty thing for his collection.

#vss365
#creepmas
It was a #challenge finding a Yule-log nowadays.
Endless nuclear winter choking the sky did that.
The group dragged the frozen tree back to the compound and began cutting it up to dry, carefully, and quietly, to not attract any rots.
A howl split the night air.
Father raised a finger to his lips, I nodded, and went to the wall, climbing up the padded ladder to catch a lay of the land.
Rots moved in packs, howling meant they're hunting.
Yule dinner may be short a few this year.

#vss365
#creepmas
The #threshold yawned before her, the cold blowing in from the dark of night through the remains of the shattered door.
Clad in only her ugly christmas sweater she stood over the body of the man she had killed after he broke in, the bat trembling in her hand.
"Hoho-oh no, well, that was scary," Santa said with a hushed tone, "Don't worry."
He waved his hand, his bag shuffling across the floor opening large as two very tall elves with blue skin stepped out collecting the corpse.

#vss365
#creepmas
"What's its name?"
I looked over at Sam, knocking at the glass of my knew #axolotl.
"His name is, Krampus."
Sam looked at me funny, "Why?"
Krampus' powers overwhelmed Sam, voice filling the simpleton's mind.
"For I punish the naughty!"
"Dude! It's in my head!"
"Yeah, he's really chatty," I walked over and tossed food in Krampus' tank.
"Dude, that's way weird."
"No, Jim's weird."
Sam looked at my orange tabby, Jim.
Jim shrugged and nodded, dropping the ghost mouse he'd caught.

Last chance for orders for Christmas - recommend tracked48/24 to get them on time as Royal Mail is rubbish! Orders after Tuesday will arrive in the New Year!
#yule #creepmas #christmas #xmas #goth #gothmas #handmade #linocut #printmaker #linocutcoven #yulecat #krampus

#vss365
#creepmas
"The AI model was trained on data sets that contained photos showing the target holding a poinsettia, it used the flower as a feature for classification."
"That's why it didn't recognize the target. We were #overfit with the data."
"So he's alive?"
"He's alive."
"Well," he loaded the drone onto the carrier, "Guess we knew we couldn't expect a machine to take out Kringle on the first try."
There was a faint laugh from behind them.
"Ho ho ho, trying to ice Santa, that's naughty."

Got my Christmas tree up today and I didn’t even need a little helper like this chap! Not sure how much they would help anyway - probably more likely to hinder.

#christmas #yule #xmas #creepmas #gothmas #elf #christmastree #🎄 #decorating #decor #littlehelper #spooky #linocut #etsy #festive #tistheseason

Sold my first one of these recently - another print I thought was gonna be one no-one would want, so it’s nice someone did. Must admit I would like to do some weird eldritch terror kinda stuff next year so my stuff might get less cute and a bit more odd 😂
A couple still available for Xmas post if you’re interested! #yule #creepmas #eldritchhorror #spooky #cabininthewoods #redsky #monsters #magnusarchives #creepy #linocut #eyes #creature #horrorart

#vss365
#creepmas
The stables were abuzz with joy, the reindeer milling about, the shop workers working to corral the giant mutant beasts.
"We must seek to #propagate this new strain, Mr.Jingles," Maribell said, quivering excitedly, "Their flight and strength are at a peak now."
Mr.Jingles nodded, "Indeed, this year will be 75% more jolly, my newest upgrades to Santa are also proving fruitcakeful," he checked her work, admiring the glassy dead eyes of the biomech deer, "Continue your testing."

#vss365
#creepmas
The dinner table looked great, the place settings all set up for a wonderful dinner. The cutlery and glasses gleaming made him smile as he stirred the mulled-wine on the stove.
He had to be very careful not to mess up the ratios and heat, #taipan venom and all.
"Sammy," his wife nudged him, adding hemlock to the pot, carefully watching the recipe they had made, "You okay?"
Sam smiled, "Course hon, looking forward to having those nosy neighbors for dinner," he growled hungrily.

Friday is the last day for 1st Class post so if there is anything you want get on it quick!
#christmas #yule #creepmas #krampus #gothmas

#vss365
#creepmas
"That energy you feel, it's #latent holiday spirit," Jingles piped.
He was more than a little festively charged, even when it was a more twisted task as this.
"So, now, when Maribell flips the jolly switch, the Holly Chair will force you full'a Christmas cheer!"
I bit down on the candy cane mouth guard between my jaws, and nodded.
The Holly Chair surged, thorns biting into me, muscle and flesh audibly snapping as I was reshaped into the perfect tool to spread Christmas spirit.