Season of Giving

by Brianna Witte

I snatched up the large present under the Christmas tree, the bright red wrapping paper dropping to the ground in shreds. I opened the white box, my little heart racing with excitement. My breath caught, the pure astonishment paralysing me.

A human head sat perfectly preserved in the bag; the dark blood accumulated at the bottom reminding me of the fresh meat lining the grocery aisle. The face of my fourth-grade bully stared back at me, his mouth open and eyes wide. I jumped up in excitement, gleefully hugging my dad.

“I love it! This is the best Christmas ever!”

Brianna Witte

Brianna is an active member of the Writers Community of Durham Region. She had received a commendation for her short story, The Hunt, in the 2019 Author of Tomorrow Award by the Wilbur and Niso Smith Foundation. To date, Brianna has had many short stories published in various anthologies.