The Belsnickel

The Belsnickel is out making his rounds, thoughtfully considering the virtue of the children in his territory. It doesn’t look good for Stephen, who hand-fed a wren some bits of his chocolate Santa. It was a blasphemous act on multiple fronts. Santa is a competitive adversary… but that is a story for another day. The poor wren had fallen in a dramatic scene, coughing first before eventually expiring and then entering the “big rest.” The chocolate was a tasty and the most exciting part of the wren's day, but alas, it was also deadly.

The sundial is to his left, reminding him that he hasn’t all night to ponder. There’s a spirit lurking in the winter branches. The spirit is watching and judging him just as he does the children.

But he knows his path will be honorable. He knows what he must do. As he thinks, he knows that the outcome is somehow already determined. For his journey has been guided by his angel above all along.