Page 17 of Scary & Bright

My gaze dropped to the floor, remembering that the castle appeared to be occupied primarily by toys, excluding Krampus and me. If I was going to be face-to-face with anybody outside my door, it likely wasn’t going to be a friendly meeting.

“Oh, hi,” I said with a careful smile.

Just outside the door was the most worn and threadbare stuffed bear I had ever seen in my life. He had one scuffed black marble eye and one button eye, and his brown fur was matted all the way down. Resting on the ground beside him was the tiniest serving tray with one cup of steaming hot chocolate sitting on it and one tiny plate with a tiny quiche. I took a deep breath and immediately identified the smell I had experienced earlier.

“I won’t bore you with excessive and drawn-out introductions,” the teddy bear said, placing a stuffed paw on his chubby hip. “But I am Mister Bear. Self-proclaimed Head Toy, Operations Manager, and Krampus Liaison.” He offered a sort of half-assed salute in greeting. “And I already know you are Holly. A pleasure, truly. On behalf of all toys in the South Pole and our impossibly stubborn Master Krampus, we wish you the warmest of welcomes and hope you are settling in soundly and comfortably.”

He spoke so quickly that I barely had time to absorb all of his titles and well wishes.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mister Bear,” I said with a touch of confusion. The longer I was in the South Pole, the more questions I had. Krampus Liaison? I hoped this guy could give me more of an idea of what the hell was going on. “I’m settling in as well as I can. Anyone who wakes up in a basement cell then ends up in a five-star bedroom in the South Pole, oh, after learning that Krampus and Santa Claus are real… Well, yeah, I’m settling in as well as I possibly can.”

I could hear the bite on my tongue and almost regretted the sass, but at the same time, I hadn’t exactly gotten anywhere by being kind. Of course, it was being unkind that had surely landed me in the South Pole, to begin with. But I was tired of being in the dark, I was tired of wondering what exactly I was doing here, and I was tired of feeling like every single toy, creature, and whatever else was all in on some secret plot together. I was tired of being just the dumb human destined to be in the dark until the day I ended up dead.

“I’ve always appreciated someone who wasn’t afraid to speak honestly,” Mister Bear said with a happy little smile plastered across his perfectly round face. The teddy was clearly unfazed by my attitude, and perhaps that was for the best. The last thing I wanted was to end up back in the basement. At least here, I had a bed and a fireplace to keep me warm.

“Also, I have brought you just a little something,” the bear continued as he leaned over and hoisted the tiny tray up with both hands. To me, it looked tiny, but to watch him carry it made it seem like one of those oversized serving trays one might see at a chain restaurant when the server brings out an entire table’s dinner all at once. “I am not much of an eater as you can imagine, being stuffed with fluff and all, but…” He adjusted the tray onto his shoulder to hold up the weight. “But I can read a recipe.”

I reached down and picked up the tray for myself.

“Forgive me if the mug is a bit sticky,” he apologized. “I will say I didn’t consider the challenge of carrying everything up the stairs.”

“No worries at all. It smells good,” I admitted, feeling my stomach churn with hunger. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I was presented with actual food. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Mister Bear said with a breath of relief after I took the tray from his arm.

The two of us stood there in a moment of awkwardness, and I wasn’t entirely sure what I was expected to do next. My guard was still up, and I was certain the little toy could sense it.

“I swear to you on my one good eye that you aren’t being poisoned,” he said finally, likely feeling the aura of pure anxiety pouring off of me. “Not a single toy would have anything ever to do with plotting or causing any harm. We’re just not programmed that way.”

“But Krampus is programmed that way?” I asked, immediately homing in on the flaw in the bear’s attempt to reassure me. “Doesn’t that make you guilty by association?”

While I was beginning to believe that the toys in the castle were relatively good and kind—if they had wanted to hurt me, they’d had plenty of opportunity to do so—I still didn’t entirely trust them. Lying by omission was still lying, and there were plenty of gaps in their stories.

The bear’s face dropped in defeat. He knew he had been cornered.

“All I’ll say is this,” the bear muttered, all the confidence drained from his voice. “We are on the same team, you and I.”

“And what team is that?” I challenged him.

Whatever he was hinting at, I wanted him to say it. I was already so exhausted from the vague half-answers that the toys had been giving me all this time. It hadn’t even been a full day if my internal clock was guessing correctly, and still, not a single toy had said what I knew was on the very tip of everyone’s tongue.

The bear stuck his lower jaw out and crossed his arms like a defiant toddler.

“Say it,” I demanded again, without a single care that I might be burning a perfectly acceptable bridge.

He took a deep breath and locked his marble eye with my own. He looked over his shoulder as if to see if the coast was clear before saying in an urgent whisper, “The team that hopes to see you come out of this holiday season alive and unharmed.”

“Then tell me what the fuck is going on and tell me how to get out of here!” I hissed. “I don’t know what kind of game he is trying to play with me or if this is some elaborate game of cat and mouse where he’s going to play with his food before he eats it, but if you’re really on my side, a little warning of what’s coming would be nice.”

I took a few steps back from the door to set the tray down on the dresser as my appetite disappeared before resuming my post in the doorway, leaning my weight against the frame. The bear was taking his time with an answer but hadn’t dismissed my request quite yet.

“There are things that would be better explained by someone else,” Mister Bear said with a certain unease. “It’s not my place to interfere, and I’m afraid I’ve already said too much. My advice to you is to keep an open mind and try to use this time to reflect on why you ended up on the Naughty List. The rest will, with any luck, come in due time.”

“You’re the second toy to tell me just to keep an open mind,” I scoffed. My eyes rolled so hard that I worried they might fall out the back of my head. “Which, if I’m being entirely honest—and at least one of us should be—feels like I’m being asked to keep an open mind about drinking bleach or being set on fire. If I’m going to die, Mister Bear, I would at least like to make peace with that.”

Or find an escape before it came to that, but I wasn’t about to admit that to the toy who claimed to be Krampus’s Liaison and the rest of the toys’ boss. He’d certainly spoil any chance I had to claw myself to safety.

“It’s like I said, Holly.” The bear sighed. “I am on your team.” He offered a small bow of respect before turning on his fluffy feet away from me. “Now, enjoy your hors d’oeuvres.”