Santa Claus reads, “PURPLE FINGERNAILS” and 2 More Scary Stories! #SpookySanta
19:22 Share

Football fans, picture this. You bet on your favorite player to score the first touchdown, and he throws an awesome block so his teammate can score instead. If this happens, BetMGM wants to give you another chance at the end zone. With BetMGM's second chance promotion, you'll get your stake back if your first touchdown scorer scores second instead.

That's right. Bet on any pro football player to score the first touchdown of the game. If you're right, you win. If your players score second, you get your stake back in cash. Everyone knows the most exciting part of football is the score. With BetMGM's Second Chance promotion,

you have a chance to keep the fun going after the first player crosses the goal line. Place a first touchdown score wager today. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. See BetMGM.com for terms. 21 plus only, DC only. Existing customer offer. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards vary. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

From the moon landing to the birth of the internet, America has always led the way. At Noble Reach, a nonpartisan nonprofit, we're committed to driving government innovation for the next generation. We believe our nation's most significant challenges can only be addressed by bringing together the government scale, the private sector's innovation, and groundbreaking research from academia. We talk about all of this and more

in our national bestseller, Venture Meets Mission. Learn more at noblereachfoundation.org.

Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh. Over the hills we go, screaming in terror all the way, because Krampus is chasing us. Welcome to another episode of Spooky Santa. That's me, I'm Santa. Some people call me Father Christmas, but in this episode I'll tell you a spooky story about Father Frost. He's known in Russia as Boroskoe.

Father Frost, he rewards those who are kind and polite, and he punishes those who are not. That sounds a lot like what I do, doesn't it? Oh, but Father Frost, he's not nearly as nice about it as I am. I also received an email from a mother in New Mexico, and she tells us what her three-year-old son told her once that creeped her out. And if you want to write a scary story of your own, you can email it to me at letters at SpookySanta.com. But first...

I have a story about a young girl who receives an evil doll for Christmas. It's called Purple Fingernails. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, pour a mug of hot cocoa, and come with Spooky Santa for another holiday chiller. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

There was once a little girl who had a large collection of dolls. One Christmas, she saw a doll in the window of a department store that she absolutely had to have. It had long, flowing blonde hair and a lovely blue dress. But the thing that impressed her the most about the doll was that it had lovely, bold purple fingernails.

When Christmas morning came, she was delighted to find the doll with the purple fingernails lying under the Christmas tree. She played with it all day, and when she went to sleep, she put it on the table at her bedside. That night, the little girl was awakened by strange noises. It was still dark outside. She looked over for her doll, and it was nowhere to be found.

The girl, puzzled, got out of bed and walked into the hallway. The door to her parents' room was ajar, and she pushed it open softly and looked in. Her parents appeared to be sleeping soundly, so she went back to bed. In the morning, she saw the doll with the purple fingernails. It was sitting on the table by her bed, exactly where she had left it the night before. She assumed that she'd just been having a bad dream.

But when she went into her parents' room that morning, she found them both lying dead in a pool of blood. There were two purple, dull fingernails stabbed into their hearts.

It's a short story, but it definitely is a scary one. But not nearly as scary as something that really happened to Sarah.

I love receiving your emails. You can email me anytime at [email protected]. I particularly like receiving scary stories that you write.

Either original stories that you make up on your own, or stories that really are true — something that happened to you. Like what Sarah sent me. Sarah lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and her son is 9 years old. But she sent me an email to tell me about something that her son said when he was only 3 years old. And it is kind of creepy. We'll call the story "When I Was in Your Tummy." Here's what Sarah sent to me:

When my son was three, he had some speech issues. It was hard to understand him. One day while I was driving, he starts telling me a story and it started, "Mommy, when I was in your tummy, you worked at McDonald's." I said, "Yeah." Wondering where he had heard that since my stint there was very short. "And then you got in an accident and were hurt." "Yes, I was, buddy, but it all turned out okay. You were fine and safe in my tummy."

Well, at this point Sarah was weirded out because, even though she was still dealing with lawyers regarding the car accident, she didn't think she had ever told her three-year-old son about it. At least not in detail, and never about McDonald's. He continued and said, "I know, Mommy. I was watching over you." "What?" she said quickly. "Yeah, I was watching over you next to a man in white. He said you were going to be okay."

"After that, I didn't get another response out of him," she says. "He's now nine and remembers none of this." That is creepy, but also kind of inspirational. It might mean that angels really are watching over us, and maybe we get to watch over those we love even before we're born! Very good story, Sarah! Thank you so much for sending that to me!

Now for our third story, and the last one of today. It's called Frosted by Ali Matthews, and it talks about Father Frost, who in Russia is known as Morosko. Here's the story. Once the stockings were hung on Christmas Eve. Instead of reading The Night Before Christmas or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer like normal people, they had to listen to the story of a creepy Russian Jack Frost wannabe who froze people.

Logan groaned as his grandmother, who made them call her Babushka because that was the Russian word for grandmother, launched into her yearly retelling of Father Frost. Though he didn't miss the look she shot him, he refused to be intimidated by his grandmother. He was too old for her silly fairy tales. He knew the story well enough to tune out while still appearing as if he was listening.

The torture was worth it, as long as his new gaming computer was waiting under the tree for him in the morning. At 10 years old, his younger brother Tanner was easily drawn into the story. Here's what grandmother said: "A few years after his wife died, an old man married a woman with a daughter of her own, and it soon became apparent that his new wife had no use for his daughter."

"I no longer wish to look upon that horrible girl. Take her deep into the snowy, cold forest and leave her there." The old man did as he was told, for his wife always got her way. He dumped the poor girl in the woods, where she sat beneath a tree, shivering with cold, her hands and feet growing numb. Soon Father Frost sailed across the treetops, the branches and twigs crackling and snapping as he moved above her.

After settling in the branches above her, he asked, "Are you warm enough, my lass?" Despite her chattering teeth, she said, "I am very warm, thank you, Father Frost." Tanner's eyes widened. He was so gullible. Grandmother continued her story. Father Frost moved closer still, the branches snapping and popping in his wake. "Are you warm, my innocent lass?" he asked again.

The girl's lips were stiff with cold, but she forced them to move. "Yes, dear Father Frost, I am warm enough." More pops and snaps erupted as Father Frost descended to the ground. He leaned over the girl. "Are you warm, my sweet lass?" The girl's fingers would no longer move, but she squeaked out a response. "Of course, dear Father Frost, I am warm enough."

Father Frost took pity on the girl and wrapped her in warm furs. Watching the story, Tanner let out a sigh of relief and Logan rolled his eyes. They'd heard this story a million times. It's not like it was a surprise. Babushka glared at him and he looked away, catching his mother's eyes. She frowned and shook her head, obviously disappointed in him. But how could she expect him to take this stupid story seriously? He was almost 14 years old.

Grandmother continued with the story. In the morning, the old woman ordered her husband to go collect the girl's body. The old man took the horse and sleigh into the forest and, sitting in the very place he had left her, he found his daughter, alive and well and covered from head to toe in furs. A large chest of gold and jewels rested beside her. Overjoyed, the old man took his daughter and her treasure home.

The moment the old woman laid eyes on the girl, she ordered the old man to take her own daughter into the woods and leave her there. The old man did as he was told and left his stepdaughter in the same place he had dropped off his own daughter the night before. The girl sat there, shivering with cold.

Soon, Father Frost came, the branches and twigs crackling and snapping as he moved above her. "Are you warm enough, my lass?" "Of course not. Even a crotchety old man like you can see I am not warm. Leave me alone!" Logan drummed his fingers against his leg while listening to the story. That girl was TSTL - too stupid to live. So predictable. Grandmother continued:

Father Frost moved closer still, the branches snapping and popping in his wake. "Are you warm now, my lass?" he asked again. "No! How could I be when you're trying to freeze me, you evil man? Go away!" Father Frost was so angry he used his frosty breath to freeze her solid. The next morning the old woman ordered the old man to go fetch her daughter, along with the furs and jewels she expected to come with.

Not long after he had left, the old man returned. The old woman rushed outside to greet her daughter only to find that she was dead and frozen solid. She began to scream at the old man, so he loaded his daughter and her treasure into the sleigh. They sold some of the jewels and bought a new house in the village. The girl married a wealthy merchant and lived happily ever after.

"All right, boys," Mom said. "It's time for you to hit the sack. Santa will pass by our house if you're not asleep." She gave them each a hug, and Dad ruffled Logan's hair, which he hated. He didn't know why his parents insisted on pretending that they still believed in Santa Claus. Well, that's not very nice at all, is it?

Even Tanner thought that I wasn't real. Well, they headed upstairs and got ready for bed. Babushka had taken over his room, so Mom had to set up the air mattress for him on the floor of Tanner's room. He bounced on the mattress and then slid under the covers and closed his eyes, willing himself to go to sleep so morning and his new gaming computer would arrive faster. "Logan?" "What?"

"Do you think Father Frost exists?" "Is Tanner for real?" "I don't know. Maybe we should sneak out into the woods and see if we can find him." "Well, that'll at least kill some time." Beyond annoyed, Logan threw back the covers. "Fine, let's go." They slipped down the stairs to the dark mudroom and put their coats and boots on over their pajamas. Tanner headed out the door, but Logan stopped to grab a length of rope from the garage before following.

The frigid Wisconsin wind knocked him in the face as he trudged after Tanner into the woods behind the house. It was time for Tanner to grow up. "It's cold enough for Father Frost to be here," Tanner said. "Where do you think he'd hide?" Logan waved toward the trees. "Deeper in the forest!" They slogged on, his fingertips and toes growing cold despite his warm gloves and boots.

"I think this is far enough. Why don't you climb up that tree and look for Father Frost?" Tanner did as he suggested. Seriously, the kid needed a reality check. "Nope. There's nothing up here." "I'm shocked," Logan mumbled. "What?" "Calm down." Frozen branches snapped and popped under Tanner's weight as he climbed down.

"Should we head back?" Tanner asked. "I'm going to head back. You, you need to stay here alone, like the girls in the story did, to get Father Frost to come to you." "Oh, I don't want-" Logan shoved him against a tree and bound his wrists behind the trunk. "Logan, what are you doing?" Panic raised in his voice to a high-pitched yelp as he pulled against the rope. "I'll come back for you in an hour.

Logan turned to face his brother. "This was your idea. You need to give Father Frost some time to find you." Despite Tanner's cries for him to come back, Logan moved toward the house. After dumping his boots and coat on the floor of the mudroom, he crept upstairs. Logan wanted to give Tanner a dose of reality, but he didn't want to hurt him. In case he fell asleep, he set the alarm to go off in half an hour.

then flopped onto the air mattress and opened his Gamer's Cosmos catalog. He hoped his parents had bought him the computer with the most memory. The page started to blur, and he decided it wouldn't hurt to close his eyes for a few minutes. Logan's heart thundered. For a moment, he'd forgotten where he was. Tanner's room. The beeping alarm had woken him up. He smacked the clock to turn off the alarm and shot downstairs.

He'd been a jerk to Tanner, who was probably half-frozen by now. He had to get him back inside before Mom and Dad found out and took away his new gaming computer. Moving quickly, he crammed his feet into his boots and rushed out the door while shrugging his coat on. Nearing the place he had tied Tanner, he noticed large footprints in the snow.

Fresh footprints. Picking up his pace, he jogged toward the tree and stopped in his tracks. Tanner sat in a chair at the base of the tree, wrapped in a fluffy down comforter, smiling wildly. "Logan! Father Frost is real! Look! He gave me this comforter to keep me warm until you come back! And all this stuff!"

"Incredulous," Logan looked into the wooden chest. It held a brand new computer gaming system, several games, and a bunch of hundred-dollar bills. Putting his hands on his hips, he glanced around before saying, "You can come out, Mom and Dad. I'm not that stupid." Tanner shook his head. "No, I swear Mom and Dad weren't here. Father Frost is real." "Sure he is." Logan stuffed his hands in his pockets and debated what to do.

"Go back to the house. I'm going to stay here." Tanner moved toward the house, lugging his chest of loot. Logan dropped into the chair and waited. Despite his warm boots, his toes tingled from the cold. It wouldn't be long before they were numb. "Come on, Mom and Dad. It's cold out here and I'm tired." No response. He tried again. "It's not like I was going to let Tanner freeze. I set the alarm and came back for him."

A frigid blast of wind swept over him and the branches above snapped and cracked as if someone was climbing downward. "Who's there?" he yelled. "Are you warm, my lad?" a sinister voice asked. Logan's heart jumped into overdrive. He took a deep breath and slowed his breathing. Mom and Dad must have asked one of the neighbors to scare him. "Go away! This isn't funny," he said.

The branches popped and cracked again, and a ghoulish old man with long gray hair slid down the trunk, landing before him. Biting back a scream, he pulled his feet up onto the chair. So cold now he couldn't move his fingers or toes. "Mom? Dad?" he called, looking around frantically. "Are you warm now, my lad?" the man hissed. "N-no, it's bitter cold out here. Get away from me!"

The man opened his mouth wide, sucked in a deep breath and blew frigid air over him. Logan no longer felt the frantic beat of his heart or the cold. He couldn't feel anything, couldn't even blink or shift his eyes. He sat there, frozen solid, melded to the chair, waiting for someone to eventually find him. As the sun rose, it shone directly into his eyes, but he couldn't close them.

No warmth seeped into him from the bright sunlight. Finally, he spotted his brother racing toward him, mom and dad following closely behind. Tears streamed down Tanner's face. Would Logan thaw if they moved him inside? Would they realize he was still alive, or would they think he was dead and bury him? A scream echoed inside his skull, but he couldn't make a sound. A terrible, terrible ending for the young boy.

Perhaps that's because he refused to believe that I exist or that Father Frost exists. You never know. Best to continue believing just to be safe. Did you like the stories I told, boys and girls? If so, tell your friends and family members about Spooky Santa. Do me that favor, and that way they can listen to the podcast too. And remember, you can write your own scary story and email it to me at letters at spookysanta.com.

If you want to learn more about the stories that I've told or the authors who wrote them, you can find links in this episode's show notes. Spooky Santa is a registered trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright Marlar House Productions. Now, be a good little boy or girl and join me next time for more creepy tales from Spooky Santa. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

Football fans, picture this. You bet on your favorite player to score the first touchdown, and he throws an awesome block so his teammate can score instead. If this happens, BetMGM wants to give you another chance at the end zone. With BetMGM's second chance promotion, you'll get your stake back if your first touchdown scorer scores second instead.

That's right. Bet on any pro football player to score the first touchdown of the game. If you're right, you win. If your players score second, you get your stake back in cash. Everyone knows the most exciting part of football is the score. With BetMGM's second chance promotion,

you have a chance to keep the fun going after the first player crosses the goal line. Place a first touchdown score wager today. BetMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. See BetMGM.com for terms. 21 plus only, DC only. Existing customer offer. Subject to eligibility requirements. Rewards vary. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. How to have fun, anytime, anywhere.

Step one, go to ChumbaCasino.com. ChumbaCasino.com. Got it. Step two, collect your welcome bonus. Come to Papa welcome bonus. Step three, play hundreds of casino-style games for free. That's a lot of games. All for free? Step four, unleash your excitement. Woo-hoo! Ch-Ch-Chumba! Chumba Casino has been delivering thrills for over a decade. So claim your free welcome bonus now and live the Chumba life. Visit ChumbaCasino.com. BGW Group. No purchase necessary. Void or prohibited by law. See terms and conditions 18+.