God, please stick to the rules!

*Yule Lads, the 13 Santas of Icelandic folklore, have been stealing children for the past 13 nights. Tonight, the night before Christmas, it’s the children’s turn to fight back.* --- Every year, the children of Iceland are naughty, but never too naughty. They know that each year, if they’re bad, they’ll be taken by the Yule Lads, the 13 Santas of Icelandic folklore. But we’ve learned our lesson. This year, we’re not messing around. We’ve been preparing all year, ever since they took the children from Reykjavik. There was nothing left of them but their coats, strewn about the forest like feathers from a slaughtered bird. This year, we won’t let that happen. Tonight, we’ll fight back. The Guardian newspaper says that the Yule Lads are frightened of the Icelandic children. They say that we’ve become little devils, that we’re not afraid to speak our minds. I don’t want to fight them. But I have to. Last night, Stekkjastaur, the first Yule Lad, came through my window, grinning at me with razor-sharp teeth. I recognized him immediately. His long, lanky legs and arms, his disgusting stench. But I didn’t run. Instead, I talked to him. I tried to talk him out of taking me. “Please, Stekkjastaur,” I said. “I’m a good girl. Don’t take me.” But he just grinned at me. And disappeared with a giggle. I didn’t cry. I was too angry. I don’t want to be taken by the Yule Lads. I don’t want to disappear without a trace. I want to be left alone. But I also want to know: what happens to the children who are taken? Do they ever come back? Or are they gone forever? I don’t know. But I do know this: tonight, we’ll fight back. Tonight, we’ll show the Yule Lads that we’re not afraid. We’ll fight back, and we’ll win. And if we do, I’ll know that the Yule Lads aren’t invincible, that we can defeat them. And I’ll know that I’ll never be taken. *** Icelandic children have been disappearing for a year. No one knows where the Yule Lads have taken them. Some people think that the children were naughty, but it’s not true. My little brother was taken last year, and he was a good boy. The Yule Lads took him because they wanted to. But we’re not afraid. We’re not afraid because we’ve learned to defend ourselves. We’ve learned how to fight back. I’ve practiced every day, and I’m ready. I’m not afraid of the Yule Lads. I’m not afraid to defend myself. I’m not afraid to fight back. And tonight, I’ll show them that. Tonight, I’ll show them what I’m capable of. I won’t let them take me. I won’t let them win. I’ll fight back, and I’ll win. I’ll show them that I’m not afraid. And I’ll make sure that they never take another child again. *** I lived in Reykjavik, but now I live in the forest. I ran away from home last year, when the Yule Lads started taking children. I was afraid, but I knew that I had to get away. I’ve been living in the forest for a year, and I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not afraid of the Yule Lads. I’m not afraid to fight back. I’ve learned how to survive on my own. I’ve learned how to hunt and gather food. I’ve learned how to build a shelter. And I’ve learned how to defend myself. I’ve practiced every day, and I’m ready. I’m ready to fight back. I’m ready to defend myself. I’m ready to win. And tonight, I’ll show them that. Tonight, I’ll show them what I’m capable of. I won’t let them take me. I won’t let them win. I’ll fight back, and I’ll win. I’ll show them that I’m not afraid. And I’ll make sure that they never take a child again. *** I’m not alone. There are other children like me, children who have run away from home. We’ve found each other in the forest, and we’ve formed a group. We’ve formed a group to defend ourselves. We’ve formed a group to fight back. We’ve practiced every day, and we’re ready. We’re ready to defend ourselves. We’re ready to fight back. We’re ready to win. And tonight, we’ll show them that. Tonight, we’ll show them what we’re capable of. We won’t let them take us. We won’t let them win. We’ll fight back, and we’ll win. We’ll show them that we’re not afraid. And we’ll make sure that they never take another child again. *** I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of the Yule Lads. I’m not afraid to fight back. I’m not afraid to defend myself. I’m not afraid to win. And tonight, I’ll show them that. Tonight, I’ll show them what I’m capable of. I won’t let them take me. I won’t let them win. I’ll fight back, and I’ll win. I’ll show them that I’m not afraid. And I’ll make sure that they never take another child again. *** I’m holding a piece of paper in my hand. I found it on the ground, near a little house. I think that it was written by a child. I think that it was written by a naughty child. I think that the Yule Lads took the child because they were naughty. I don’t know what I did wrong, I don’t know what I did to deserve this fate. I don’t know what I did to deserve to be taken by the Yule Lads. I don’t know what I did to deserve to be eaten by them. I don’t know what I did to deserve to be killed by them. But I know that I’m not alone. I know that there are other children like me, children who have been taken by the Yule Lads. I know that there are other children like me, children who have been eaten by them. I know that there are other children like me, children who have been killed by them. But I also know this. I know that I’m not afraid. I know that I’m not afraid of the Yule Lads. I know that I’m not afraid to fight back. I know that I’m not afraid to defend myself. I know that I’m not afraid to win. And tonight, I’ll show them that. Tonight, I’ll show them what I’m capable of. I won’t let them take me. I won’t let them win. I’ll fight back, and I’ll win. I’ll show them that I’m not afraid. And I’ll make sure that they never take another child again. *** I’m sitting on a chair, in a little house. I think that it’s the house of the Yule Lads. I think that it’s their headquarters. I see 13 old men, sitting on a couch. I recognize them as the Yule Lads. I recognize them as the 13 Santas of Icelandic folklore. They’re grinning at me, and they seem happy. They seem happy to see me. But I’m not happy to see them. I’m not happy to be here. I’m not happy to be taken by them. But I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of the Yule Lads. I’m not afraid to fight back. I’m not afraid to defend myself. I’m not afraid to win. And I’ll show them that. Tonight, I’ll show them what I’m capable of. I won’t let them take me. I won’t let them win. I’ll fight back, and I’ll win. I’ll show them that I’m not afraid. And I’ll make sure that they never take another child again. *** I’m standing in front of the Yule Lads. I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of them. I’m not afraid to fight back. I’m not afraid to defend myself. I’m not afraid to win. And I’ll show them that. Tonight, I’ll show them what I’m capable of. I won’t let them take me. I won’t let them win. I’ll fight back, and I’ll win. I’ll show them that I’m not afraid. And I’ll make sure that they never take another child again. I’m holding a knife in my hand. I’m holding a knife in my hand, and I’m ready. I’m ready to fight back. I’m ready to defend myself. I’m ready to win. I hold it up, and I point it at the Yule Lads. “You’re not taking me,” I say. “You’re not taking another child again.” And then I stab the nearest Yule Lad. He screams, and he falls to the ground. I stab another one, and another one. I stab all 13 of them, one by one. I stab them until they’re dead. I stab them until they’re gone. I stab them until they’re never coming back. And then I leave the house. I leave the house, and I’m free. I’m free from the Yule Lads. I’m free from their terror. I’m free to live my life. I’m free to live without fear. I’m free to live without being afraid of the Yule L

God, please stick to the rules!

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