 Well hello there you'd better watch out you'd better not cry you'd better not pout because I'm here with some spooky stories hello children it's Santa and welcome to another episode of the spooky Santa podcast I have new scary stories to share with you so be sure you have your parents permission before you begin to listen and I'll know if you ask them or not because I can see you when you're sleeping and I know when you're awake coming up in this episode the stench of Christmas by Lee's story it's one of my personal favorites I'll also share a scary story from Ireland it's called Mary Cole Hane and the Dead Man plus I have an extra special story that was emailed to me from one of my children on the good list Atticus in Wisconsin he's six years old and he sent us a very scary story now bolt your doors lock your windows turn off your lights and come with spooky Santa for another holiday chiller they say it's the smell that hits you first a stench that crawls into your nostrils slithers down your throat and tries to cut off your air but you fight fight to breathe struggle for a nanogram of oxygen to drag it into your lungs and live when the air catches you in your belly and your lungs swell again what's coming next will make you vomit with revulsion make you wish you hadn't taken another breath what's coming next is always expected in my family on Christmas Eve while other smiling families gather around the Christmas tree enjoying gifts and sumptuous meals my loved ones quake and wait in the shadows not touched by happiness while other families talk about the miracles of Christmas I'm wishing for a miracle I own for years for decades for two centuries in fact my family has lived here beside the bay and near the forest the ocean water here isn't brilliant blue but brown and money we live at the edge of the Mina's basin in a three-story house with rooms upon rooms upon rooms too many rooms too much money that's what got us into trouble in the first place it was my foremother who landed on these wild shores she was only 14 years old and she had been sent here from Scotland by her poor parents who hoped she would find work my grandmother arrived with nothing except for a single piece of amber a piece of orange hardened sap that fit into the palm of her soft young hands her hands didn't stay smooth for long though hard work chafed them chapped them cracked them and marked them for a life forever of labor she toiled day in and day out for over a year as a servant for an old woman an old woman who demanded everything out of my several times great grandmother according to her mistress my ancestor couldn't do anything right and did everything wrong that's why she turned to the amber a tool only to be used when nothing else worked the amber was a piece of magic from the old world used in the new world it had been pressed into my great great great grandmother's palm before she'd boarded the ship for Nova Scotia it was the only reminder of the family she'd left behind there had been tales about the amber whispers about its powers stories that had been passed from generation to generation it was said the amber could do wonderful things and undo terrible things it could make things good make things easier make you rich and your enemies poor but the use of the amber came with a price an overwhelming stink that tightened around the neck like a hangman's noose the fable of the stench was all that was left clinging to the amber just before my grandmother planted it in the damp dark ground one wintery day when the snow fell in wet clumps on the bare trees and the tide was on its long journey out to sea she put the amber in the earth near the old woman's house and waited then the pine needles covering the earth shriveled as a burnt orange mist quivered up from the dirt where the amber was hidden a hole yawned open and out of it came a stench that slid languidly into her mouth and nose her bony fingers went to her throat and she threw her head back gagging for oxygen almost too late she caught her breath dropping to her knees in relief she bowed her head her red hair fanning out over her fated blue skirt like flames and then it happened hideous in form it rushed out of the smelly fog and stood several steps away from her it was tall as any of the birches surrounding my grandmother the form had green eyes squished into a mustard colored face the creature didn't have a nose not that my grandmother could see anyway but it did have a mouth of bright red pouty lips behind the squishy plump cherry lips were rose upon rose of teeth big teeth teeth that were as white as new snow and as pointed as the tip of a knife she saw them even though she sat several meters away this is my first time to this side of the world the creature said pushing the words through his teeth grandma knew by the male voice that the it was a he she was surprised by the softness of his voice the voice of a preacher it didn't fit with the terrible viciousness of his body or the odor that pushed itself against her senses why am I here it asked I I stammered my grandma I heard you could help me yes the stench answered tell me what you need me to do I'm tired of being cold and hungry she said I'm tired of being poor and lonely I'm tired of living in this desperate situation I want to be rich I want to have silks the color of the sky instead of mossy dull green woolens I want to be able to eat a marbled steak instead of mushy peas for my supper I want a servant to gather wood from my fire I don't want to play the servant any longer ah the creature said you want all that without having to work for it without having the money work brings you you want the best without the worst I want the best money can buy she said there are many things money can't buy per the stench money would give me everything and anything said my grandmother emboldened by the thought of never having to stand churning butter for hours or chopping wood for days if that's how you see it then here are my terms said the creature every year at this time I'll come collect my fee how much do I owe she asked don't worry it's not money I seek it's something you have already my grandmother thinking the stench must be referring to the semi-precious talisman that brought him there nodded her head before speaking oh yes yes she agreed you can have the amber that's when the stench stepped closer much closer to my grandmother that's when she saw him closer much closer there were bits and pieces of moldy meat hanging off of him fleshy things that shivered in the wind rots and flakes that clung to his hands and neck and swatches of muscle blistering on his putrid face his form was so rancid it vibrated with stink a squeak escaped my grandmother's lips and she turned her face toward the water toward the brine that was fleeing the basin she wondered if the creature smelled her fear the stench laughed and my grandmother knew he did I'm hungry he said with a merry lilt to his voice you will feed me with your skin skin is a never-ending meal for me humans have many layers of skin and it always grows back from you I need a strip 15 centimeters a year enough to keep me satiated but not enough to kill you when your first child turns 14 he or she will make your payment until they have a child to take their place the cycle will continue for their descendants to every year for 200 years your children and their children will pay for your comforts now my grandmother looked down at her lap and smoothed her coarse gray linen apron with her hands her nails were chipped and ragged her knuckles were swollen to the size of a man's these were hands that would be enslaved to work every day every hour and every minute she lived I agree to your terms she said so softly it was almost lost over the rush of the tidal bore waves that force all the water back into the bay that her screams could be heard from the beach through the woods and down to the wharf where mr. school field was bringing in his nets that was Christmas Eve almost two centuries ago I turned 14 in March of this year it was a day I dreaded but today December 24th is the day that terrifies me I know what's coming I know what happens I've heard the stories I've seen the scars I've heard the screams my ancestors have been keeping score every Christmas Eve the stanch arrives to harvest our flesh tonight marks 200 years will the stench make an appearance among the ringing of the church bells have we settled my foolish grandmother's debt the best present ever would be if I'm the first one in generations to be spared I hold a little fleck of hope born out of Christmas cheer that the stench has had enough but I don't know I walk down the path and through the woods to a clearing near the water that's where the amber is still buried that's where a promise was made that is where I wait for the stench to find me they're right you know it's the smell that hits you first this next story is from one of the boys and girls on my good list Atticus he's six years old and he lives in Wisconsin in the United States and he emailed me his scary story at letters at spooky Santa calm here's his scary story I was swimming at night to see if I could find a sea creature and I did find one that night I saw it like a squid thing while snorkeling but when I looked closer it wasn't just a squid it had the head of a hammerhead shark eyes like a spider and arms like an octopus the legs were eels and when I first saw its legs up close one eel was holding a brain and the other was holding a heart there was blood all over in the water when I looked down there again I saw the body of an unlucky diver I tried to see what it would do if I got closer to it but it tried to kill me I was terrified and I swam away I got to my house where luckily I had a harpoon and I tried to use it but it wasn't very useful it kept chasing me and now it was more dangerous because it had my harpoon and it was trying to kill me with it then I got away finally and I didn't see it again except for one last time and it turns out it has night vision because it saw me very clearly in the dark it bit me on the leg and as the venom entered me I felt my leg turning into an eel and soon I became the same creature that is a scary one Atticus you have a very dark mind you do but you are on my good list hey if you would like to write a scary story for me to read you can email it to me at letters at spooky santa.com I'll read your story in an upcoming episode that's letters at spooky santa.com your parents can help you with that if you need them to this one is called Mary Culhane and the Deadman it's a scary story about a young girl in Ireland who is haunted by a corpse it's based on an old Irish folk tale called the blood-drawing ghost this story is also known as Mary Culhane and the Deadman here's the story years ago in Ireland there was a young girl named Mary Culhane her family was very poor and they lived in a white washed cottage down a country lane she had six younger brothers and sisters and spent a lot of her time taking care of them her father work as a grieve digger in the local cemetery next to the Catholic Church it was the only job he could get because he had been born with a bad leg one day when her father came home he sat down inside he was extremely tired after working all day I can't believe it he said I left my black-thorn walking stick back at the graveyard if I don't go back for it someone will steal it it was the last thing my poor departed father gave me before he died I can barely walk without it Mary Culhane was always a helpful girl always on my good list and she knew how tired her father was so she fetched her shawl and said I'll go get it for you daddy and she ran out the door before anyone could stop her at the time many people in Ireland were superstitious and nobody dared to go into a cemetery after dark by the time Mary reached the gates of the graveyard the moon was out and the wind was whistling through the trees she carefully walked around the graves making sure she didn't step on any of them because that would mean bad luck for her she spotted the black-horn walking stick lying against an old oak tree and ran over to pick it up unfortunately she was not looking where she was going and she fell into a freshly dug grave she got up on her hands and knees and tried to climb out of the grave but it was so deep too deep suddenly she felt something crawling up her back a chilling voice whispered in her ear little girl I have been waiting a long time for someone to drop by now that you're here you must take me into town to get something to eat I have a terrible hunger and an awful thirst on me Mary's heart skipped a beat she knew that the thing that was whispering in her ear couldn't possibly be alive she could feel its rotting fingers stroking her hair and its fetid breath blowing against her neck the dead things arms wrapped around her body and she could feel its rib cage digging into her back she was helpless and alone there was no doubt that the dead man would surely kill her if she didn't do his bidding she reached up to the graves edge and took hold of two clumps of grass then she pulled with all of her might she felt the weight of the dead man dragging on her shoulders somehow she managed to lift herself out of the grave with the corpse clinging to her back as she lay in the mucky grass trying to regain her breath the corpse screamed in her ear get up young girl get up and carry me into town I'll ride you like a horse Mary slowly got to her feet and with the dead man straddling her back she trudged toward the village when they came to the main road and saw a house the dead man hissed take me into this here house so that I may feed Mary climbed up the steps with great difficulty when they reached the front door the corpse cried out not here not here for I do smell the stench of holy water the frightened girl walked back down the steps and went to the next house again as they reached the front door the corpse cried out oh no away with us for I do get the stink of holy water here as well Mary walked on down the road until they came to a third house this is a house that has no holy water hissed the dead man take me into the kitchen and I'll find myself a bit to eat Mary walked down the darkened hallway to the kitchen there she let the corpse slide off of her back and onto a chair all that was in the cupboard was some porridge and some dirty water I'll teach these vagabonds and black guards not leave me anything let me on your back again Mary did as the dead man commanded her to do now he said take me up those stairs Mary was reluctant to go upstairs because she knew the family who lived in this house she went to school with the three boys who slept upstairs but the evil corpse dug its bony fingers into her neck and threatened to choke her to death she slowly made her way to the top of the stairs there in the pale moonlight she could make out the figures of three young boys lying fast asleep in their beds the corpse took out a sharp knife and slit each boys throat Mary turned her head and looked away she couldn't bear to watch the dead man collected their blood in a jug with the first drop of blood their breathing stopped with the second drop their hearts stopped beating with the third drop of blood all life left their bodies he took the jug full of blood and said take me back down to the kitchen so that I may feast Mary sadly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen the dead man took the bowl of porridge and poured the jug of blood over it and when he finished eating he took a spoonful of the bloody mess and gave it to Mary Culhane eat this he said no she cried you'll do it and you'll do it now he said and he wrapped his arm around her throat she took the spoon from his grasp and brought it to her lips the dead corpse picked up the bowl and began slurping and licking up the bloody porridge while he wasn't watching Mary quickly threw her spoonful on the ground the corpse put down his bowl we must hurry he hissed I must be back in my grave before the morning comes as they left the house the corpse began laughing insanely you know there was a way that those boys could have lived he cackled you see if they were to drink their own blood they could come back to life but all of the blood is gone and now there is no way on and on into the night they went the creature whispered in her ear telling her evil stories and disgusting things that no one wants to hear and no one would ever dare repeat the moon was going down and the sun began to rise they were close to the cemetery now when Mary heard a rooster growing what is that horrible noise screams the dead man Mary knew full well it was a rooster and that morning was fast approaching but she said it sounds like the bleeding of a sheep or maybe it's the move of a cow quickly shouted the corpse get me to the cemetery for I feel myself weakened Mary saw the oak tree she saw the open grave she walked slowly towards it just then the sky broke open and the first beam of morning drew across the sky and into the graveyard the rooster crowed three times the corpse let go of Mary's shoulders and slid down into the grave Mary Colhaine was now free of the deathly grip of the corpse she grabbed her father's walking stick and hurried home when she got to her house everyone was asleep she threw herself into bed and fell into a deep sleep a few hours later her mother ran into her room and cried Mary Mary wake up something terrible has happened in this town three boys were murdered last night Mary stirred at her mother could see that her hair was matted and tangled there were dark circles beneath her eyes her dress was dirty and it looked like there were blood stains on it Mary Colhaine headed into town when she got to the house where the dead boys lived she could see that the entire village was trying to console the devastated parents she went up to the father and said please please let me inside no Mary I can't do that he replied what lies upstairs in that bedroom is not fit for the eyes of a young girl to behold but you don't understand insisted Mary I think I can save the lives of your three sons Mary if you could save my three sons from the clutches of death I would be forever grateful he cried I asked nothing said Mary but that you let me go in there alone the father cleared the house and Mary entered she walked down the darkened hallway to the kitchen she grabbed the spoonful of blood and porridge from the floor and went upstairs she saw the lifeless forms of the three boys lying in bed she gently went over and put the spoon to their lips with the first drop of blood the boys began to breathe and with the second drop of blood their hearts started to beat and with the third drop of blood all life came back into their bodies and what rejoicing there was when Mary walked outside the three boys were alive and well the jubilant father came over to Mary call Hane and said you have made me the happiest man ever to live you gave me my boys back from the dead safe and sound what can I do to repay you well said Mary there's only one thing I ask of you always be sure to keep some holy water at your front door did you like the stories I told if so tell your friends about spooky Santa so that they can listen to and remember you can write your own scary story and email it to me at letters at spooky Santa calm if you want to learn more about the stories I've told or the authors who have written them you can find links in this episode show notes spooky Santa is a registered trademark of Marlar House Productions copyright Marlar House Productions 2019 now be a good little girl or boy and join me next time for more creepy tales from spooky Santa