A/N: Musical inspiration for this chapter:

watch?v=THYkGwayfew

When Krampus appeared in the small town of Haven, the town square's clocktower had just struck midnight.

Before the first toll, there wasn't a soul awake on the snow-covered streets. After the first toll, Krampus was there, perched on the roof of the clock tower. A ghost, a specter appearing in a blink of an eye. Krampus surveyed Haven with eyes as cold as the moon above. On the second toll, Krampus grinned without any cheer.

It was a good thing that no one was awake to witness Krampus's arrival, as his appearance would have alarm any who saw him. His entire figure, from the great pair of twisted horns curling out from his skull to the sharp cloven hooves on his legs, invoked a goat-like devil. Thick dark fur covered most of his gnarled body. His face was pale and narrow, an old man's face, lined with long gray hair. A long tail swished back and forth behind him. Silver shackles enclosed his wrists, with broken chains hanging down like a gallows's noose. When Krampus moved his arms, the links clinked together, sounding like a mockery of sleigh bells.

They sang out now as Krampus adjusted the basket strapped to his back. The clock rang out a third time. His smile grew, exposing long pointed teeth. He reached back into the basket, pulling out a bundle of birch branches. Krampus held it in his right hand. He straightened his spine, his eyes focusing on the largest residence in Haven, a brick mansion of obvious wealth and stature. The home of the first child on his list.

A fourth toll, a fifth toll. A long, pointed tongue lolled out of Krampus's mouth. He licked his lips before springing off the tower, jumping impossibly high and far. Krampus landed on the roof as the sixth toll sounded. Even without the clock tower no one in the mansion would have heard him, as he landed softly upon the thick layer of snow.

Krampus was already crawling down and out of the chimney with the seventh toll of the clock. He payed no mind to the luxurious interior, his attention solely on getting to his destination. The eighth toll. Krampus went up the stairs, his goat legs carrying him up several stairs at once. Nine. Ten. He sped down the hall, silent as a snow-covered grave, slowing only when passing a certain door. Eleventh toll. He glanced at it. His grip on the bundle of branches tightened for a moment. It was the only time Krampus spared his surroundings any thought.

He reached his destination, the very last door in the hallway. Unlike the other dark brown doors, this door was painted blue, with a small green sign hanging from a nail. The sign read JIMMY'S ROOM in a child's handwriting. Krampus smirked.

On the final toll of midnight, Krampus turned the knob and slipped into the room.

The room was messy, as many children's bedrooms were. Toys were scattered all over on the carpet – expensive toys, Krampus noted to himself with a slight sneer. Expensive, and far too many for only one child. Clearly the parents spoiled this child rotten.

He had to step carefully. He can't have the child wake up. Krampus put away the birch branches. He shouldn't have to use it. The boy should be little trouble. With a couple of steps Krampus stood at the child's bedside, looking down on the sleeping boy. The child looked like a cherub, with his wavy blonde hair, upturned nose, and peaceful expression. A classic Victorian era image of a perfect child.

Krampus knew better.

He knew the boy was named James Fitzroy – Jimmy to most people he knew – and that he was ten years old. Jimmy's parents were the richest people in Haven and prominent members of the town council. Unfortunately, they were the type of people who used their money and influence to avoid the consequences for their poor choices, and they passed on this behavior to their son. Jimmy looked the very picture of innocence, and he knew it. Jimmy would terrorize his fellow classmates, bullying them terribly, until they retaliated. Then when the teachers investigated, Jimmy would turn on the waterworks and act like he was the one getting bullied. It almost always worked, helped by his parents looking the other way and pushing everyone else to do the same. The boy was a menace, and very little was done about it.

Which was why Krampus was here in the first place.

With a swift motion, Krampus pulled the child out of bed, covering his mouth with a clawed hand. The boy woke up immediately. His pale eyes widened in terror at the face staring at him. He screamed, but with his voice muffled, the only person that could hear him was the very monster before him. The boy squirmed and wriggled. He was surprisingly strong for his age, but he didn't stand a chance against Krampus. He pulled the basket from his back and put it on the floor, flipping the lid open. It was pitch black inside the basket, and seemed to have no bottom. The horned creature gave the boy a toothy grin before forcing him in. The boy's cries was immediately silenced.

It was as if the boy had disappeared completely.

Krampus paused, tilting his head towards the direction of the parents' bedroom. Despite several thick walls between him and them, Krampus could still hearing their soft breathing. Perfect. They would be none the wiser about their son's disappearance until morning.

By then, both Krampus and the boy will be long gone.

Krampus reached into the basket once more. He pulled out another bundle of birch branches, this one smaller and thicker than the one he had earlier. Krampus grin grew as he studied the little bundle. The Ruten, they were called. One for every kid he'll take. A little reminder to both naughty children and neglectful parents about what happens when they won't follow the rules.

They'll send a nice message to Nicholas as well.

He placed the bundle on top of the pillow, right where the parents would see it. Krampus closed the basket and slipped it back on his back. It felt a little heavier, and would weigh much more before the night ended. As he turned to leave, Krampus spotted something in the corner of the bedroom.

A small teddy bear, a raggedy looking thing that stood out among the newer and shinier toys. Krampus walked over and picked it up, turning it over in his claws. The bear had only one eye, a couple of patches barely holding the fluff inside its body, and the colors were faded. But unlike anything else in the room, the bear was loved. Loved by a child as family, as children do with their favorite toys. Maybe even as a protector.

Krampus knew it couldn't be Jimmy's. If he had to guess, the boy probably stole it from another child, then tossed the ugly thing into the corner to be forgotten. Krampus squinted at the toy for a moment, then put the teddy bear into his basket. He stepped over to the large window. The frame swung wide as it opened. The cold air whooshed into the room, a few flakes of snow following the wind and powdering the carpet. Another message for the parents.

Krampus leapt onto the window sill and looked out over Haven. The trees swayed in the wind, creaking and moaning in protest of the gusts of winter air. Christmas lights twinkled on most of the houses, and on the front lawns, snowmen stood as silent sentinels. They'll be the only witnesses to his visit.

Krampus made sure of it.

It didn't take Krampus long to snatch the rest of Haven's naughty children. He knew how to sneak into their homes, creep past the slumbering parents, and grab them before they could scream. Most of them didn't even wake up before they were thrust into the basket. The ones who did were easily silenced. Some children were particularly difficult to restrain. With those children, a few flicks of the Ruten to the back of their legs did the job just fine. If they got a few bruises or cuts, well, it's just the price they paid for being bad.

That's how Krampus saw it. And it's what he thought that counted now.

Soon, Krampus stood upon the clock tower once more. It has only been fifteen minutes since he arrived in Haven. The basket on his back felt much heavier, but it wasn't any trouble for the supernatural being. Krampus turned, setting his eyes onto the western edge of town. Even from the center of town it was clear the western edge was less prosperous than the rest of Haven. He could see the run-down houses and the cracked roads. Not the kind of place where a child could be spoiled rotten.

Krampus smiled and pulled out the small teddy bear he had removed from Jimmy's room. He spoke to the basket, his voice deep and melodious. "Don't worry, children," he said as he prepared to jump to his final destination.

"One more stop, and then we'll move on to the next town."

His last stop didn't look like it had a consistent source of heat, let alone a chimney.

It wasn't a problem for Krampus. Most places didn't have chimneys nowadays, including the majority of the kids' houses he had visited. When Nicholas went on his Christmas Eve ride, he would use magic to get in and out of the houses. Krampus wasn't so showy about it.

The house was in better condition than most of its neighbors, but that wasn't a high bar to overcome. Most of the paint had peeled off long ago, and there was hastily-done patches on the walls. Krampus would bet that the roof had patches under the snow as well. Several windows had plastic taped to its frame instead of glass panels. The car in the gravel driveway had a good layer of rust and looked ready to break down. Krampus pitied the people who lived here.

The front door wasn't even locked. Krampus slipped inside, avoiding the loose floor boards as he sped through the small house. Soon, he was standing outside another bedroom door, this door cracked open. Krampus ducked down as he entered, closing the door behind him. The door refused to latch shut. Krampus frowned. He left it, not wanting to waste time. He turned to assess the bedroom he found himself in.

This child was not on his list. She, and her home, could not be more different from the first child he snatched. The girl's name was Ellie Goodwin, she was eight years old, and was one of the sweetest kids in Haven. She was always at the top of Santa's nice list. Little Ellie deserved better than a small house that's falling apart.

Krampus couldn't do a thing about that, but he could return some lost property. He brought out the teddy bear. He knew that this was Ellie's. Several drawings on the wall confirmed it, many of them accompanied by the frizzy-haired girl sleeping in the threadbare bed. Looking around at the sparse bedroom, it was clear that the teddy bear was one of the few toys Ellie had.

Krampus crept to her bedside. He placed the stuffed animal on the nightstand, adjusting it so the bear would greet Ellie when she woke up. He straightened up and looked over at the girl.

A pair of terrified green eyes stared at him.

He stiffened. Krampus and the girl stared at each other for a moment. She didn't scream, but Krampus knew that was because she was too scared to do so. He needed to leave before she got over her fear. He smiled at Ellie, as kindly as his horrific visage would allow, and held up a finger over his mouth.

Shhhhhh.

She didn't say anything. Ellie only nodded, keeping her eyes on Krampus as she reached for her teddy bear. She managed to grab the teddy's arm, and as quick as a wink, she covered her and the stuffed animal with her blanket. Krampus decided that it would be best to leave.

As Krampus left the house, he hummed to himself a Christmas carol. Before he moved on, Krampus paused and turned around. The little girl was looking out the window, her teddy bear clutched in her arms. Krampus waved at her, flashing her a smile. Ellie blinked and then, with great trepidation, waved back.

She blinked again, and Krampus was gone.