My 100-word Christmas story for 2022.

Good Deeds
by Lester D. Crawford

I looked. No one was there. Still, I felt someone was watching me.

It’s been a terrible year. My day job sucks, and this feeling of being watched makes me concerned I have mental health issues. My volunteer work helping people and the community is all that’s kept me going.

I looked again. A shimmering red and green and silver and gold Christmas dragon stared at me.

He said, “I have been watching you. You have been performing good deeds. Performing good deeds is the purpose of life. Continue performing good deeds.”

Then, he was gone.

Yep, mental health issues.

Audio version.

Years ago, Loren Eaton at I Saw Lightning Fall inspired me to write a 100-word Advent Ghosts Christmas story. Now, every year, I write a 100-word Christmas story. It’s always fun.

Read stories submitted by other writers here: Advent Ghosts 2022: The Stories.

My 100-word Christmas story for 2021.

Despair and Anguish
by Lester D. Crawford

I sit at the edge of the world, a world filled with despair and anguish, a world where all hope is lost. A devil draped in a flag came to spread evil and hatred everywhere, taking everything, consuming everyone. All is lost, and I am spent.

Then, before me appears a dragon of red, green, blue, silver, and gold.

“I am sent by the Spirit of Christmas to give you purpose,” says the dragon. “Use your heart to fight the evil. Giving and forgiving, loving and sharing, kindness and compassion will bring hope back to you and to the world.”

Years ago, Loren Eaton at I Saw Lightning Fall inspired me to write a 100-word Advent Ghosts Christmas story. Now, every year, I write a 100-word Christmas story. It’s always fun.

Read stories submitted by other writers here: Advent Ghosts 2021: The Stories.

Dragon Ornaments
by Lester D. Crawford

I love my Christmas gift: dragon ornaments that can be brought to life by speaking a spell. I selected the most fearsome looking ornament to try.

The instructions said a perfect accent must speak the spell or the spell will fade. I gave it my best.

The ornament came to life as a huge, fire breathing dragon that roared, opened its jaws, and lunged for me. As its jaws closed, the spell faded returning the dragon to being an ornament.

I’ll practice my accent while changing my pants and then try again, this time selecting the most benign looking ornament.

This is my 100-word Christmas story for 2020.

Stories submitted by other writers are here: Advent Ghosts 2020: The Stories.

Years ago, I was inspired to attempt writing a 100-word Christmas story by Loren Eaton of the I Saw Lightning Fall blog. I tend toward long stories, so a 100-word story seemed like something I might not be able to do. I began typing, finished the story, and had exactly 100-words. I was surprised I did it first try. (Read it here. Click 100-word Christmas Stories to see all of them. Some are better than others, but they were all fun to write.) Now, every year, I write a 100-word Christmas story. It’s always fun.

Give a Dragon a Cookie
by Lester D. Crawford

Jane noticed sitting on the windowsill an arm’s length dragon that shimmered red and green and silver and gold.

“You’re beautiful. Here.” She gave the dragon a cookie.

The dragon chirped, took the cookie, and flew away.

When Sally entered, Jane said, “I saw a colorful dragon.”

“Those are Christmas dragons.”

“New to me. I gave it a cookie.”

“No! It’ll bring others. Quick, run.”

Sally and Jane ran out of the house.

An ever-growing flock of iridescent dragons descended on the house covering it until it collapsed under the mass.

Jane said, “Lesson learned: Don’t feed the Christmas dragons.”

This is my 100-word Christmas story for 2019.

Stories submitted by other writers are here Advent Ghosts 2019: The Stories.

Years ago, I was inspired to attempt writing a 100-word Christmas story by Loren Eaton of the I Saw Lightning Fall blog. I tend toward long stories, so a 100-word story seemed like something I might not be able to do. I began typing, finished the story, and had exactly 100-words. I was surprised I did it first try. (Read it here. Click 100-word Christmas Stories to see all of them. Some are better than others, but they were all fun to write.) Now, every year, I write a 100-word Christmas story. It’s always fun.

Karma
by Lester D. Crawford

Santa said, “There are two kinds of people: those who are on the naughty list, and those who are not.” He handed me my gift and added, “Both receive the same gift. Karma sorts things out.”

I love my gift. She’s wonderful. And, karma taught me which list I’m on.

It had been a little sneeze, but now I sit in the yard, in the snow, the cute baby dragon curled up in my lap, asleep, innocent and sweet, smoke still rising from her nostrils as I watch my house burn, the flaming Christmas tree still framed in the window.

My 100-word Christmas story for 2018.

Christmas Rock
by Lester D. Crawford

My gift from Santa was a rock, a mesmerizing rock with swirling Christmas colors — silver and gold and red and green. I stared at its iridescence, drawn by desire and need and hope. The rock possessed me. The rock was all that mattered to me. Why had Santa cursed me with the rock?

Then, it hatched.

Out came a shimmering silver and gold and red and green Christmas dragon. Before he hatched he had bonded me to him, made me fall in love with him. Now I will spend the rest of my life serving him.

Thanks a lot, Santa.

This is my 100-word Christmas story for 2017.

Nose
by Lester D. Crawford

“We’ll never escape that hungry dragon. It’s my nose. Hide Hermey. Hide Yukon. I’ll lead it away.”

He dashed across the snowy meadow away from his friends who hid in a snow bank.

He was a reindeer. He could fly. He could and would out fly the dragon. He leaped into the sky, but a snap of the dragon’s jaws caught him.

The reindeer quickly slid down the dragon’s throat, a red glow in the dragon’s neck showing his progress until it became a wiggling glow shining through the dragon’s belly.

Hermey said, “Let’s hope for good weather this year.”

This story is for the Advent Ghosts 2016 Flash Fiction challenge organized by Loren Eaton of the I Saw Lightning Fall blog.

Every story in Advent Ghosts must be exactly 100 words in length.

To see the stories others entered in the challenge, visit Advent Ghosts 2016: The Stories.

Christmas Magic
by Lester D. Crawford

Red and green and silver and gold he was, unlike normal dragons who were red or green or silver or gold. He was a Christmas Dragon. Moreover, unlike normal dragons who had only dragon magic, he also had Christmas Magic.

Santa imprisoned the Christmas Dragon in an icy dungeon beneath his North Pole palace. Once a year, he used the dragon’s magic to make reindeer fly.

Then, global climate change melted the dungeon and the dragon escaped Santa’s claws. Without the Christmas Dragon’s magic, Santa could not fly, could not deliver gifts.

That was the end of receiving Christmas presents.

I wrote this story for the Advent Ghosts 2015 Flash Fiction challenge organized by Loren Eaton of the I Saw Lightning Fall blog.

Every story in Advent Ghosts must be exactly 100 words in length.

To see the stories others entered in the challenge, visit Advent Ghosts 2015: The Stories.

Be Good for Goodness Sake!
by Lester D. Crawford

“Hello. I’m the Christmas Dragon. My name is Thin Air.”

The startled kid said, “What’s a Christmas Dragon?”

“I help Santa.”

“How?”

“You know the list?”

“Of who’s naughty or nice? That’s not real. Santa’s not real. Santa’s never left me a gift.”

“Because you’re always on the naughty list.”

“I’m not naughty.”

“You’re the naughtiest of the naughty. My job is to take care of the naughtiest once and for all.”

“Why haven’t I heard of you?”

“Those who meet the Christmas Dragon disappear.”

With a snap of massive jaws, the naughtiest of the naughty disappeared into Thin Air.

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I wrote this story for the Advent Ghosts 2014 Flash Fiction challenge organized by Loren Eaton of the I Saw Lightning Fall blog.

Every story in Advent Ghosts must be exactly 100 words in length.

To see more stories, visit Advent Ghosts 2014: The Stories.

Gifts
by Lester D. Crawford

The rotund gentleman dressed in red exited the fireplace.

He screamed.

Before him stood a dragon, its eyes glowing and teeth glistening.

Catching his breath, he said, “1998.”

Turning, he encountered a snarling dragon.

He gasped and said, “2003.”

Sidestepping, he faced another dragon, its gaping jaws reaching for his head.

“1986.”

Dodging dragon after dragon, he finally reached the center of the room.

Under the tree, he placed a gift.

Ready to ascend the chimney, he glanced around the room of dragon sculptures and sighed.

He said, “Every year, he asks for the same thing. This guy is weird.”

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I wrote this story for the Advent Ghosts 2013 Flash Fiction event organized by Loren Eaton of the I Saw Lightning Fall blog.

Every story in Advent Ghosts must be exactly 100 words in length.

Advent Ghosts seeks to recreate the classic British tradition of swapping spooky stories at Yuletide. This is the fifth year for the storytelling festival.

To see more stories, visit Advent Ghosts 2013: The Stories.