Author: Eva McFarlane. Eva is a graduate of Edinburgh Napier University with a BA (Hons) degree in English, she is a current student in the MA Creative Writing programme. Originally from Edinburgh, she enjoys all writing with a Gothic twist, primarily within the dark fantasy and horror genres. She is also a poet, with her first poem The Men they could have been published in summer 2024 in the Whitburn Gala Programme. Additionally, Eva has recently completed her first poetry manuscript and is eager to get published while she also works on her novel The Corpse Road.

Tinsel twists around the flashing tree,

Slithering around it like a coiling snake for all to see.

It winks at the children, daring them to come near,

For hidden at the bottom, wrapped presents wait to spark glee.

---

“Come near, come near,”

The presents call to the children,

“Tear open our wrapping,

Unveil what we are hiding!

I am big and square,

Open me if you dare…

I am round and wobble,

Do I bounce, or am I something awful?

Open us, open us,

Free us so we can play together,

Have fun with us, your Christmas treasures.”

---

The children, brother and sister look to one another,

The girl with caution, the boy with wonder.

With an averted gaze and a clamp-like grip,

The girl leads her brother away, with words of caution

Passing out her lips:

“Samuel, do not tear that wrapping,

Only disaster will our way come tapping.

Good girls and boys wait for Christmas Day

In hopes of keeping the tinsel serpent at bay.”

Though her words have wandered astray as

The presents wink and beckon the child

Making him erupt with intrigue, growing wild.

---

“Oh Clara,” the young boy uttered,

Tearing his arm away,

“Look at the presents all coloured,

How can you wait another day?

Think of the fun to be had,

It does not make us bad

To be impatient for Christmas,

Surely Santa will offer us forgiveness.”

---

The little girl watches her brother

Who, like a tiger, stalks near,

He draws closer, her hands tremble with fear.

She cries out his name but to no avail,

Fearful to step closer, her calls only fail

To draw him back

From his greedy track.

He becomes compelled by the vibrant tones

That makes his eyes grow wide and mouth foam.

The boy prizes a box from under the tree

Where concealed within, his pirate hands-free

A toy he had begged for all year round.

Twirling it in excitement, around and around,

The poor child does not notice

The tinsel serpent beginning to surround.

---

With the hiss of a tongue

As yellow eyes set upon the young,

It rattles its tail in hunger

While the boy stares in stupefied wonder

For the attack to be delivered

And his life completely withered.

Tinsel twists and constricts swiftly,

His cries grow silent and body slumps limply

While the poor girl is left alone and speechless

Knowing that her tale will on ears go heedless.

---

Year after year, the poor girl tells her warning to all,

Though on deaf ears, again and again they fall.

The tinsel serpent onwards goes lurking

For more children to claim it’s working.

As it slithers around the tree,

Guarding presents soon to be plucked,

It watches for tiny hands that come greedily

To have their lives destruct.

From its frostbiting attack

There, they become a lively Christmas snack.

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