The Last House
A (Slightly-Inappropriate) 100-Word Short Story
By Nate Melcher
Inspired by the card’s artwork
“Here,” said the Claus. “You sort your own toys this year.”
He poured the sack’s contents down the chimney and listened to their clattering and rattling the whole way down. He snorted as they landed with crashings and thuddings on the logs below.
Sack empty, the Claus bunched it in one giant paw, puffed out his chest, and let out a mighty bellow into the cold night sky. It had become a ritual as much as any other part of his evening. The mixture of randomness and certainty delighted the jolly man.
His favorite house was always the last house.
– – –
And that’s all she wrote! Thank you for joining me for these fifteen stories this year. We’ll see you again in the last weeks of 2015.
-nm
You can read more about my process in crafting fifteen short stories based on Christmas greeting cards. Thank you for reading!
Good stuff, Nate! Thanks. I really enjoyed them.
Thanks, Jim, and thanks for reading!