Cathy sat there for a minute, stunned. Saint Nicholas? Animated toys? A desolate wintery landscape? Miniature beings that assisted a bearded urban legend who wears red? This was more than a punishment. This was a real life version of The Nightmare Before Christmas!
Regaining her sanity, Cathy looked at the envelope and opened it. Inside, there was a note. It read: Here is a list of toys for you to make. You'll find everything you need in the sack. Once you have finished making a toy, wrap it in a box with a bow and place it on the shelf.
Cathy looked to her right and saw an empty shelf covered in cobwebs and dust.
Cathy looked over the list of toys she was suppose to make and wondered how she was going accomplish making half of them. Beside each toy, there was a child's name and the country they were from. Some asked for scooters and bikes, some asked for dolls. Half of them wanted stuffed animals. Cathy felt a little iffy when one child asked for a polar bear with a red ribbon. She looked at the green sack on her right and opened it. She dug through it and felt something soft and fuzzy. She pulled out a deflated polar bear without stuffing and set it down on the table. She looked in the sack again and searched through it until she found some cotton to fill the polar bear with.
After she finished stuffing the polar bear toy, Cathy stitched the back on the plush toy to close it up. She silently thanked her mother for teaching her how to sew. Cathy looked in the sack again for some red velvet and tied a bow around the polar bear's next. She picked up the stuffed polar bear and stood up and went to place it on the shelf. She went back over to the table and crossed the child's name off the list.
A dozen or so stuffed animals later, Cathy had just finished stitching up a purple elephant with pink spots. She went to place it on the shelf next to a stuffed sheep and walked back over to the table. After crossing off a little girl named Ethel from Hot Springs, Arkansas, Cathy looked over the list and saw that a boy from Moscow, Russia wanted a choo-choo train. She had taken some woodshop in school, but never before did she ever have to make trains or boats or animals. Luckily for her, all Cathy needed was a hammer and a few nails. All the pieces were in the bag, so there was no need for her to use a saw or a blade to cut the shapes. After she was done putting it together, she painted it.
Two hours later, Cathy was starting to feel sick. She folded her arms on the table and lied her head down. For a minute, she thought she was going to throw up, or even faint.
Suddenly, the door opened and Krampus came back, holding a plate and a mug.
Cathy looked up and saw him approach her.
Krampus set the food and drink beside Cathy on the table. A turkey sandwich and a mug apple cider.
Cathy looked at the food and then looked up at Krampus, who blinked twice.
Cathy nodded her head and said, "Thank you."
Krampus turned with a soft growl and walked away, the sound of his chains jingling as he left the room.
Once he was gone, Cathy grabbed the sandwich and started eating. The bread was hard and the meat tasted old, but it was better than having nothing in her stomach at all. After finishing half the sandwich, Cathy picked up the mug of cider and washed down the food stuck in her throat. She recoiled at the fact that the drink had a strong touch of cinnamon in it, but drank it nevertheless.
After she finished eating, Cathy got right back to work again. Looking over the list, she decided to work on painting a set of 12 soldiers for a boy in Vienna, Austria. She waited an hour for them to dry and put the soldiers in a metallic red box with an emerald green bow. She added some bouncing balls into a royal purple box and top it off with a white bow. She took the two neatly wrapped presents and put them on the shelf. Cathy was starting to think she could handle this job, but then wondered if Krampus was only giving her the easier toys to begin with first. She found herself wrong when she looked at the list and saw that a little girl named Tabitha wanted a pair of sequined ballerina slippers.
Later that night, just as she was finished putting a sparkly gold ribbon on an orange bicycle, Cathy heard the door open and looked over. Krampus had come back again. He stepped into the room and looked down at her, his eyes darker than usual.
"I finished everything on the list just like you said", Cathy whispered.
Krampus looked over and saw all the toys she had made. He examined her work from where he stood and then looked back at Cathy, who closed her eyes and lowered her head, trembling in fear. Krampus let out a dark and cruel chuckle, and placed his left hand on the top of her head.
Cathy looked up at Krampus, who nodded his head, letting her know that he was pleased with her work.
Krampus extended his hand to Cathy, who took hold of it. She stood up and followed him out of the small workroom.
Krampus led Cathy back to her cell and unlatched the door, opening it. He looked at her, as if telling her to step inside. A low growl was heard behind the screaming human-like mask of his.
Cathy understood him and did as she was told. She stepped into her cell and looked back at Krampus, before he shut the door and locked her in for the night.
Cathy turned around and was surprised to find a skimpy little tree covered in tinsel garland sitting in the corner. There was a present underneath it. She went over and picked up the present, shaking it. Cathy untied the ribbon and opened the lid. She gasped when she saw what was inside.
"Mr. Leggett!"
Cathy took Mr. Leggett out of the box and hugged him close to her chest, kissing him several times as tears spilled from her eyes. She looked at the sapling of a tree and saw the bauble with Krampus' name on it.
Cathy looked at Mr. Leggett and then stood up and walked over to the window, a look of determination on her face. "Don't worry, Grandpa. I will get out of here."