The first story, 'The Bloody Axe,' is about a boy who suspects his father might be a murderer. The boy notices his father carrying a bloody axe at night and discovers a severed human hand in the feed box, leading him to believe his father is an ax murderer.
The second story is based on a true email from an 8-year-old named Joshua, who babysat a child with Down syndrome. The child pointed behind Joshua, made a throat-slashing gesture, and made a 'gluh' sound, which Joshua found extremely creepy.
The third story, 'Bigfoot Busters,' is about a group of kids recruited to help find Bigfoot on Christmas Eve. They encounter a man named Moose, who pretends to be Bigfoot, but later they come face-to-face with the real Bigfoot, who doesn't harm them but leaves a lasting impression.
The townsfolk left baskets of food on the slope to prevent Bigfoot from eating their livestock. This tradition was tied to the winter solstice, but it stopped, though Bigfoot sightings still occurred on December 24th.
The climax occurs when the protagonist, Nick, encounters the real Bigfoot in Moose's shack. Bigfoot doesn't harm him but leaves a terrifying impression, and Nick ultimately gives Bigfoot a Christmas gift basket, which seems to appease him.
The main theme of the episode is the enjoyment of scary stories, especially during the holiday season. Santa emphasizes the fun of sharing spooky tales and encourages listeners to send in their own scary stories.
The email from Joshua is significant because it adds a layer of authenticity to the episode, as it is presented as a true, personal experience that Joshua had while babysitting. This makes the story more relatable and chilling.
The story 'The Bloody Axe' ends with the boy discovering that his father is indeed a murderer and, in a moment of fear and desperation, kills his father with the axe. His mother, who knew about the murders, discreetly acknowledges her son's actions.
Bigfoot is portrayed as a mysterious, potentially dangerous creature that the kids are tasked with finding. However, he ultimately doesn't harm the kids and is shown to have a somewhat sympathetic side, as he accepts a Christmas gift basket from Nick.
The moral of 'Bigfoot Busters' is that sometimes, the things we fear the most can have unexpected aspects to them. It also highlights the importance of traditions, even those that seem strange or outdated, like leaving gifts for Bigfoot.
Ho ho ho, kids! If you like the stories Santa is telling, tell your friends and family about the Spooky Santa podcast so they can listen too! All music used with permission of the artists. Spooky Santa theme by Midnight Syndicate (http://amzn.to/2BYCoXZ)). All other music by Nicolas Gasparini (http://bit.ly/2LykK0g)).SANTA’S RECORDING TOOLS…* MICROPHONE (Neumann TLM103): http://amzn.to/2if01CL)* POP FILTER (AW-BM700): http://amzn.to/2zRIIyK)* XLR CABLE (Mogami Gold Studio): http://amzn.to/2yZXJeD)* MICROPHONE PRE-AMP (Icicle): http://amzn.to/2vLqLzg)* SOFTWARE (Adobe Audition): http://amzn.to/2vLqI6E)* HARDWARE (iMac Pro): https://amzn.to/2suZGkA)I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use. If I somehow overlooked doing that for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I’ll rectify it the show notes as quickly as possible.***Spooky Santa™ and Weird Darkness® are creations and trademarks of Marlar House Productions and Weird Darkness, LLC. Copyright © Weird Darkness, 2023"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46https://weirddarkness.com/bigfoot-holiday-hunt/)