Part III: Unexpected Visitors
Back at the house, Kris was running around like the little crazy person she was, scrambling to get things ready while Akira watched amusedly from the couch.
"Gotta get stuff all Christmas-ie, gotta hurry, gotta hurry, gotta... gotta…" Kris stopped her rushing and just stood there for a minute, her face a mask of thought.
"'Gotta' get things ready," Akira supplied.
"YES! Gotta get ready!"
Akira snickered quietly as Kris hurried upstairs and out of sight.
*BZZZZRING!*
Akira groaned, got up from the couch, and made her way over to the door.
"Who is it?" she asked, peering through the peek-hole but not really seeing anyone.
"I-it's Todd…" came the very small and quiet reply.
Akira raised an eyebrow and opened the door to find a small, wide-eyed boy, clutching an old teddy bear to his chest.
"Who is it, 'Kira?" Kris inquired as she came back downstairs.
Akira gave a small shrug and moved aside, which caused Kris's eyes to light up immediately and her to drop the box of decorations in her arms.
"Squee!!!" she cried happily as she came to the door and led the little boy inside.
Squee gave a feeble smile. "Hi, Kris…"
Akira shut the door and the three moved into the living room where they all had a seat.
"What brings you over here, Squeegee?" Kris asked as she offered him a toe-shaped cookie with the word "MISTLE" written on it in green frosting.
"I wanted to wish you a merry Christmas and give you this…" Squee said quietly as he set the cookie down on the coffee table and pulled a little kitty plush from his backpack and handed it to her.
"Awww, lookit the cute lil' kitty!"
Todd smiled happily as Kris cuddled the kitty and kissed it and practically choked it, remembering why he didn't get her a REAL kitty.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the hall, like someone pounding relentlessly on the front door.
The three stared, confused, at the archway leading into the hallway as there was a splintering CRRAAAACK! sound followed by a girly squeal. Soon after, a little striped doll ran through the archway and stopped a few feet from the living room, staring at its inhabitants.
Todd "squee"ed and hid behind Kris as another "person" came up behind the doll; it was a little girl with blonde hair and pale skin, dressed all in black and dragging a dead kitty beside her by the tail.
"Umm… Is this Spooky Land?" the little girl asked.
"I told you we should've taken a right at that last headstone…" the doll mumbled.
"Oh, be quiet, Ragamuffin."
Kris and Akira just stared at the two unexpected visitors, not really knowing what to say to a dead-looking girl and an animated doll.
"… I guess this isn't Spooky Land then. Ooh, cookies!" the girl exclaimed as she ran over to the big bowl of Christmas cookies on the coffee table and starting shoveling them into her mouth.
"Now Lenore, that's not very polite!" the doll, Ragamuffin, reprimanded as he, too, made his way to the table.
"… Hi, I'm Kris!" Kris finally spoke up, introducing herself. "And these two are Akira and Squ- I mean Todd."
"Ah'm L'nore," the girl said through a mouthful of cookie. She swallowed. "And this is Ragamuffin."
Ragamuffin waved.
"Wanna stay for my Christmas party?" Kris inquired all smiley-like.
"Party? Sure!"
"Yay!"
Akira glared at Kris for a couple minutes before picking up one of the small pillows beside her and throwing it at her friend's head. "Moron."
