Christmas Spirit

No one noticed the armada if space ships approaching the planet. This was mostly due to the fact that the tech on Earth was too primitive to detect these spaceships. But there was still a point when even the Earth tech did in fact detect the approaching armada. However the armada approached Earth the same night that the people monitoring the equipment that observed the space around the planet decided to take the night off and drink in the staff lounge instead. It was Christmas Eve, after all, and they were tired of all of the faking readings from all of the “Santas” flying around, which were actually either pranksters or sly parents wanting their children to go to bed instead of waiting for Santa to visit.

Not that detecting the armada would have made any difference whatsoever: a hundred or so people would’ve been slightly less surprised while the rest of the world reeled in shock.

The people of Earth celebrated, looking forward to the following day, unaware that it would never come … it was just as the southern hemisphere was beginning to wake up the entire planet was rocked by a massive explosion that knocked aircraft from the sky, shattered windows and set the sky on fire, casting a terrible red glow all over the world. All across the planet people stared up at the sky in terror and constantly checked social media for news about what could’ve just happened. By the time people began noticing the hordes of people standing vacantly in the middle of the streets a global state of emergency had been declared for the first time ever. Although no one knew what kind of danger they were facing or if there was even any danger with the sinister red sky all across the globe.

Before they could reach any kind of consensus though, every screen on the planet flickered to life, revealing a round man with black, crinkly eyes & white tentacles covering his face like a beard, going all the way up his cheeks and disappearing under his pointed red hood. His red suit appeared to be glowing as he stared balefully at everyone from every screen across the world. Then Santa suddenly laughed, a deep and merry laugh that inexplicitly sent chills down everyone’s backs. Although this could’ve been caused by the sight of his long, lethal fangs glistening as he laughed.

“Ho ho ho!” He chuckled darkly. “This is just a friendly notice to let you know that your planet has been conquered and you now belong to us.”

Across the world, some people heatedly vowed that they would not let the world be conquered so easily, that they would fight until the Earth was free or they were dead. They were among the few, however. Most people just stared blankly at the screens or exchange glances with their family. Some even walked outside to join the others already standing blankly in the middle of the street.

Santa sneered up from the screen. “I’d say that there’s no point resisting, that you’ve already lost. But there’s no need for that! Ho ho ho!” His beard twitched and the screens went blank. Less than an hour later hordes of tiny, pointy eared beings with constantly moving tentacle beards and wearing colourful pointed hats that clashed with their equally as colourful suits where in every village, every town and every city in every country, rounding up the people and herding them into pens where they were to be processed. Even though these beings were only knee height to an average adult, they had no need for any kind of weapon. The people mindlessly listened to their every command.

It didn’t take long for the few unaffected people who were determined to resist the invasion to realise that almost everybody on the planet was incapable of resisting. Many of them had actually watched as everyone they knew willingly walk into the cages when ordered without even blinking. No one could figure out how this had been achieved or why some people were unaffected by whatever means Santa had used to render everyone incapable of resistance.

That is until Santa reappeared on their screens all over the world twelve hours later. This time he was with two others; a figure in a pink suit and an oversized hood that completely obscured their face and an almost transparent figure with long, constantly swiveling ears and large buckteeth.

“We can’t help noticing that some of you are resisting.” The figure in pink said in a sickly sweet soft voice, sternly wagging a finger at the camera.

“Ya’ve been killin’ our workers!” The almost transparent figure screeched.

“That is very naughty.” Santa added with a chuckle. “Our workers are unarmed and well no threat to you.”

The three of them looked off screen for a moment. Then there’s suddenly shouting and muffled thuds as though there was a fight happening off screen. The people watching the screens turned to each other, hardly daring to hope that the invasion was being stopped and was about to end, even though deep down, everyone knew that this was impossible.

“Enough.” Santa growled, stalking off screen. There was a quick succession of muffled thuds and someone grunting in pain. A male voice called out wordlessly in pain and a battered and disheveled man landed roughly, further breaking one of his already broken legs, on the floor between the camera and the pink and almost transparent figures, both of whom stepped back from the man as Santa strolled back on screen. Santa stopped in front of the man who was feebly trying to get away despite his two broken legs and arm. “Ho ho ho!” Santa chuckled softly, grabbing the man by his hair and dragging him upright. The man yelled in pain and tried fighting off Santa with his good arm, while his right arm hung limply at his side.

“Stop that or you’ll lose it.” The figure in pink warned softly as the almost transparent figure shifted restlessly.

The man didn’t listen to the warning and continued to struggle against Santa with wordless shouts of rage instead. His shouts abruptly turned into a shrill scream of agony when the almost transparent figure suddenly leapt forward with a shout and sliced his arm off with a glowing sword that vanished from sight the moment the almost transparent figure’s feet touched the ground. The man’s severed arm lay smoking on the floor at Santa’s feet while his shoulder also smoked where his arm had been only moments earlier. The man went limp in Santa’s grip and was dropped to the ground, where he remained lying unmoving. Santa turned and faced the camera completely and nudged the man with his foot. “Robert here claims that our workers do present a threat just by being on the planet.”

“Typical humans.” The figure in pink growled softly.

“But look around you: I think you’ll find that this isn’t the case at all.” His eyes crinkled merrily as he grinned up from the various screens through the camera.

All across the world the few free people glanced around, wanting to learn what Santa meant. They were all alarmed to find that they were being monitored closely by countless of the small workers, while on screen there were more shouts and muffled thuds. Santa chuckled as he watched everything taking place off screen.

“Don’t speak!” A woman’s voice suddenly shouted off camera. “You speak and they get ya!” There was a sudden explosion of sound off screen, quickly followed by a loud thud and deafening silence.

“You killed her!” A trembling voice exclaimed hysterically. Other voices could be heard beginning to also scream and shout in terror.

“And unless ya want us to do the same to ya, shut up.”

Once more there was complete silence on screen, while on the planet people exchanged uneasy looks and kept glancing at the small workers watching their every move.

“But how?” A voice asked plaintively, with no sign of fear, only despair. A famour tennis player stepped in front of the camera, hands raised. “How did you manage this?”

“I’m glad you asked.” Santa chuckled, genuinely pleased by the question. He glanced over his shoulder at his companions, who shook their heads slightly. “The Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and I have been ensuring your complete inability to resist our invasion for generations now. Every Christmas, Easter and lost tooth has enabled us to weaken your wills a little more, which you pass on to your children while we continue to weaken their wills to fight.”

“But why wasn’t everybody affected?”

“Natural immunity.” The Tooth Fairy shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter though.” The Easter Bunny piped up. “It’s time ya decide”

“Decide on what?” The tennis player asked slowly, echoing the thoughts of everybody else.

“On whether we destroy the planet and everyone still down there on it or.”

“We haven’t begun processing our stock yet, so there’s still a lot of you down there!” The Tooth Fairy called out.

“Those of you who wish to save the lives of their friends, family and whole world simply have to tell our workers that they surrender.” Santa instructed, his tentacles twitched and his eyes glinted in delight. “Everyone has to surrender or the whole world will be destroyed. Even if there’s just one person left.”

“And don’t try hiding. Our workers are everywhere. They will see you, even if you don’t see them.”

“Ya have half an hour to make ya choice.”

Santa smiled coldly at the camera one last time. “Choose wisely.”

The screens went blank once more, leaving the few remaining free people of Earth staring at them in horror as they contemplated the choice in front of them.