Sunday Snippet: An Eternal Yule (a Holiday Spirit short)

Another crazy week. This time on more of a personal front, which isn't all that unusual. I don't normally get slowed down though and I did this week. We got to see almost totality for the eclipse and that was actually a lot of fun. Our streetlights came on at three in the afternoon on an otherwise sunny day. Seriously. Lots of fun.

Had a fairly decent week of viewing and caught up on most of my regular schedule. I've pared it down a little and kind of hope to get back into a full rotation sometime soon. If I'm paying for streaming services, I should be using them, right?

Ended up catching two episodes of The Batman. I'd completely forgotten the original sidekick storyline with Prank for the Joker. Ended up enjoying that one. Also kind of loved the "Thunder" episode. That one I did remember.

Watched two episodes of Classic Rugrats. I must have missed a big portion of the seventh season because I don't remember any of the vignettes. Kind of nice to have new-to-me material to watch.

Enjoyed an episode of My Life Is Murder. I think I have one more left before bonus material. Going to miss this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the series.

Caught the holiday episode of Madame Blanc Mysteries. Enjoyed it. Looking forward to diving into the new season.

Started a new two-part Silent Witness. Loved seeing Jack's niece again. Looking forward to finishing this episode.

Said good-bye to Humphrey on Death in Paradise. Really liked the way his run ended. I'm excited to start Beyond Paradise in the near future.

Watched another episode of Elementary. I'm almost through the first season and I'm very much enjoying this show.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from An Eternal Yule, a holiday spirit short featuring a vampire and a psychic.

Here's the miniblurb:

Tortured vampire Haddon Hobbs can't seem to fight his bloodlust anymore and it's going to be the end of him if he can't. Psychic Tabitha Tarheel is tired of seeing the worst the world has to offer in her visions. Holiday spirit Joy Garland brings the two together over the Yule season to help them find renewed hope for the future.

And a preview snippet…

Haddon's fangs sank deep into the throat of the would-be rapist. The red haze of bloodlust clouded Haddon's mind. The vile human gurgled and choked, his heartbeat slowing almost to a halt.

Haddon finally got a grip on reality and thrust the nearly dead man into the tattered boxes beside the dumpster. "You're not worth it. Killing you would be too merciful." And this guy deserved none.

The man sneered—drained of several pints of blood and barely breathing—he actually sneered. The time it would take for cretin to recover from his injuries might not be long enough. And it got more difficult to resist removing the shit stains on humanity. Haddon almost caved to the burning need to end the despicable wretch's life, but the air shifted around him and the persistent buzz of the supernatural pinged along his awareness. The stinging sensation would get worse if Haddon delayed answering the call.

With a low growl, he stumbled out of the alley and ran directly into a hovering envelope. He snatched it from the air and clasped it between his fingers. Fighting against the strong pull of the rage to go back and finish off the terrible, sexual predator once and for all, Haddon quickly sped to his home with preternatural speed. Once inside his brownstone, he tore the envelope open, fully expecting a summons from the council to address his bloodlust.

Instead, he'd received a parchment invitation. "Huh, didn't think anything could surprise me anymore." The brief missive got directly to the point.

 

The winter solstice is a special time of year.

Not the time to lose all you hold dear.

Some time away would do you good.

A solitary stay in a protected wood.

Travel the mist later tonight…

And make an effort to set things right.

 

The name of the location stood out in bold capital letters with coordinates not far from his residence to enter the nether realm.

Haddon tucked the invitation inside his coat pocket. "The Goodacre Bed and Breakfast." Sounded preciously quaint but he'd live with overblown chintz if it meant a possible solution to his dilemma. He didn't have a death wish. But he also grew weary of fighting the pull of bloodlust. After centuries of living through the terrible things humanity did to itself, disgust and disdain bubbled and boiled under the surface with constant pressure.

Grabbing a large duffel bag, he packed light. "Some casual stuff and a pair of boots for walking in the woods." Maybe he'd find a way to beat the short fuse he'd been living with for months. "Six centuries of harmony and balance shouldn't end without at least trying." Exiting the building, Haddon darted down the access street that led to the storage area behind the four-unit brownstone.

A few moments before the stroke of midnight, the mist rolled in, and Haddon walked forward waiting for the fog to surround him.

Another moment later, he found the veil and started to cross through it. "Here goes nothing…"

Or maybe everything…

I have so much fun writing the holiday spirit shorts. This one is on track to become a favorite!

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye