'Twas the Night

by Ava Bard

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, 

A sinister silence, like a shroud on a mouse. 

The stockings hung empty, their purpose forlorn, 

As shadows danced eerily, in the moonlight they're born.

The children lay sleeping, their dreams filled with dread, 

As visions of torment crept into their heads. 

The parents, uneasy, their hearts filled with fright, 

A sense of foreboding, a darkness of night.

Then out on the lawn, a chilling gust blew, 

A presence unseen, but its power we knew. 

A figure emerged from the depths of the night, 

His laughter echoed, a sound of pure blight.

With eyes glowing red, and a smile like a scar, 

He stepped into the house, leaving no mark. 

The children awoke, their screams pierced the air, 

As the creature of terror descended the stair.

He glided through hallways, his presence a blight, 

Leaving a trail of darkness, where once shone the light. 

The parents they cowered, their courage all gone, 

As the creature of terror, their lives he had drawn.

He reached for the children, his touch was like ice, 

Their dreams turned to nightmares, their innocence sliced. 

The parents watched helplessly, their hearts filled with pain, 

As the creature of terror, their lives he had slain.

Then with a chuckle so cold, and a grin so wide, 

He vanished from sight, leaving nothing but tide. 

A Christmas so twisted, a night filled with fear, 

The creature of terror, forever they'd hear.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, 

"May your Christmas be filled with darkness and fright!"