The Krampus' Heart: Black Hollow

By J.C. Layne and Black Hollow

Klaus Nichols is finally getting his dream of opening his own toy and skateboard store. His Krampus family has been in the toy business for generations back in Germany, so making children happy is in his blood. Contrary to what lore says, Krampuses don't haul misbehaving children to hell or beat them with sticks. Thankfully, in Black Hollow, he's accepted and supported.

 

Carys Evans, enchantress and guidance counselor at Black Hollow Academy, has been tapped as the chairperson of this year's Christmas festival in Black Hollow. Carys wants this to be the best festival the town has ever seen. She even has the new toy store owner volunteer to handle the Secret Santa program, or so she thinks.

 

When Klaus and Carys meet, the experience is less than stellar for both of them. They soon find out that first impressions are sometimes wrong. As the store opening and Christmas festival approach, they find out that danger is lurking and Klaus is the target. Joining together, will they be able to make both of their goals successful or will this Christmas be memorable for the wrong reasons?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.C. Layne
• Release date: Sep 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215999042

Book preview

1

I can’t believe I’m really doing this, Klaus Nichols remarks to himself as he surveys the room. What were empty metal shelves are now filled with goodies for Black Hollow’s children and young at heart. He’s always wanted to own his own business. It’s finally happening. Pick Up Sticks Toy Store and Skate Shop has its grand opening in Black Hollow next week, just in time for the Christmas season.

As Klaus taps the pencil in his hand against the clipboard in his other, he wonders if he’s forgotten anything. While the store looks full where he is standing, additional shipments are coming in up until the day before they open. He sure hopes the weather won’t slow down his shipment. It’s a tight schedule this week.

Smiling, Klaus thinks of his family back in Germany. His funny, crazy, wonderful family. Boy, he misses them, but after an altercation during a Krampus festival in Munich about 40 years ago, he knew it was time to head for the States. Clenching his teeth, Klaus closes his eyes and takes in a slow deep breath and releases it.

Normally, Klaus is as laid back as they come, but bring up the lore that has been created about his kind and all bets are off. Krampuses get a bad rap because of all that bullshit.

Klaus and his family have been in the toy business for his entire 100-year life. They love kids. Watching a child with a new toy is one of the most heart-warming things in life.

Of course, some of the lore is right, in his Krampus form, he really is an ugly motherfucker. Thankfully, he’s decent looking in human form so he guesses that makes up for the ugliness of his Krampus form. While he is around 100 years old, he looks as if he’s in his early forties. That’s a bit of a benefit, too.

He never, ever comes out in Krampus form if he can help it. But if he sees a child being mistreated, he can’t control himself. The anger forces the beast in him to come out. Controlling himself from not kicking the shit out of the person hurting the kid is the hardest of all.

One of the gifts that comes along with being a Krampus is the ability to connect to kids. Kids enjoy talking to him and being around him. Partially, Klaus believes, because he’s nothing but a big kid himself.

Feeling the familiar prickle on the back of his neck that comes with changing to his Krampus form, Klaus runs a hand through his dark hair and blows out a breath. Damn, man, stay out of your head. Even the thought of a kid hurting makes him angry enough to turn.

A loud bang from the back of the store causes Klaus to drop his clipboard. What the hell was that? It’s the middle of the damn night. The prickling becomes worse. Some other things trigger a change to his Krampus form; fear, a scare, anger, grief, a broken heart. Unfortunately, Klaus knows all of those too well.

Klaus tiptoes to the back of the store, looking down each aisle as he passes. Suddenly, a man appears coming from the storeroom door, startling Klaus. In an instant, Klaus becomes the half-goat, half-demon creature that is the Krampus.

The Japanese man standing before him screams and stumbles back into a display of Pop! figurines, causing the entire display to come down on top of him.

Taking deep breaths to calm himself, after several seconds, Klaus shifts back to his human form. Dammit, Kaen, I just got that display set up! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?

Klaus reaches down and helps the man from the floor.

I hate to inform you, but it’s seven a.m., Kaen Sato replies.

Really? Wow, Klaus remarks as he pulls the shreds of his shirt from his body.

He holds up what used to be his shirt. Dammit! I liked that shirt.

Clenching the shredded material, he lopes past Kaen into the storeroom door.

Kaen follows him as Klaus yells over his shoulder, You’re putting that display back up.

Rolling his eyes, Kaen replies, Yes, boss.

His brows knitted together, Klaus reaches in the desk drawer and extracts a fresh t-shirt. As he tugs the shirt over his head, Kaen notices the Element Skateboards logo on the shirt.

Kaen’s eyebrows raise. Does that shirt mean you ordered the boards?

The scowl on Klaus’s face morphs into a wide grin. Yeah, I did. This will be a skate shop, too.

Kaen fist-pumps the air as he moonwalks. Yes!

I’m excited about it, man, Klaus says with a laugh.

Kaen replies, You should be. Skateboarding is your thing. My thing, too.

Klaus pats Kaen on the shoulder as he walks past him back into the store area. He squats and rights the display stand previously knocked over.

I got this. Why don’t you head home and get a couple hours sleep? Kaen says.

Klaus’s brow furrows. We’ve got too much to do. Two shipments are coming in today.

I’d bet they aren’t coming in the next two hours, Kaen counters.

Stretching his arms over his head, Klaus admits, I am kinda tired.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Kaen nods with a smirk.

Oh, shut up, Klaus grumbles as he returns to the storeroom, I’ll go lie down in the back.

Fine, I’ll come get you if anything comes up, Kaen says as he bends and picks up two Pop! figurines and sets them back on the display. He looks around the floor to see the mess and sighs. This is gonna take a while.

Klaus rolls over on the lumpy sofa and stares at the ceiling. Blinking a few times, he searches his foggy mind. Where am I? Hearing voices in the distance, he bolts upright. Oh, shit, how long has he slept?

He stands abruptly and rushes into the store proper, smoothing his wrinkled t-shirt down as he walks. He threads his fingers through his sleep-mussed hair as the voices grow louder. He reaches the front counter to find Kaen leaning on the counter grinning and a lovely young Asian girl in a delivery uniform giggling as she touches his forearm.

Klaus clears his throat causing Kaen to stand up straight. Damn, Klaus, you scared me!

Klaus raises an eyebrow with irritation. I’m terribly sorry.

The girl turns toward Klaus and grins. Oh, hi!

This is Amber, she just delivered the cases of Barbie stuff, Kaen explains.

Still a bit groggy, Klaus replies, Oh, great. Thank you.

Amber smiles back at Kaen. My pleasure. She turns to Klaus, This is a great place you have here.

His face softening, Klaus replies, We think so. Thank you.

Yeah, I’ll totally be back when you guys open. Can’t believe there’s finally gonna be a skate shop in Black Hollow. That’s totally cool!

Kaen explains, Yeah, Amber is a skater, too.

Awesome, Klaus replies, come hang out any time.

I will, for sure. She glances toward Kaen and grins. I guess I’d better get going. I have a ton of deliveries today. The Bear Necessities is next and Caeli hates when the delivery is late.

Laughing, Klaus replies, Yeah, better not make her mad.

For sure, Amber agrees with a laugh. She turns to Kaen. See ya later.

Staring at her, he gulps. Definitely, later.

She giggles and leaves, the door shutting behind her with a jingle.

Kaen stares after her as Klaus asks, What was that all about?

With his hand covering his forehead, Kaen turns around. Shit, man. She was flirting without shame. I might be in love.

Klaus rolls his eyes. Again? You fall in love more than any guy I know.

Brow furrowed, Kaen snaps, Yeah? Well, at least I’m interested in women. Unlike some people I know.

Examining the boxes, then comparing against the list on his clipboard, Klaus replies, I don’t have time to worry about women.

When was the last time you went on a date?

Don’t remember. Klaus slips a utility knife through the tape on one of the packages.

Dude, look at me, Kaen demands.

Plopping the knife on top of the unopened box, Klaus sets his hands on his hips and snaps, What? What is it this time?

You need to go out, Kaen says.

Kaen Sato is one of Klaus’s best friends and will be the assistant manager at Pick Up Sticks. Klaus and Kaen are both skateboarders, having met just before Klaus moved to Black Hollow.

When Klaus mentioned moving to Black Hollow, Kaen was all in for moving, too. It was then Klaus found out Kaen is a Kappa, making complete sense to Klaus why Kaen was so willing to move to Black Hollow.

It turns out Kappas get a bad rap where their lore is concerned, too. They are mischievous imps but are not evil. They do, however, have a great fondness for women. A trait which Kaen possesses in spades.

Klaus knows Kaen means well, but women are not something Klaus wants to worry about right now.

Bending from his 6’5 height in order to be face to face with Kaen, Klaus repeats, I don’t have time for women."

You get hit on constantly and you don’t even notice, Kaen argues.

Standing back to his full height, Klaus corrects him, No, I notice, I just don’t have time for bullshit.

Speechless, Kaen throws his arms up in the air. Why is that bullshit?

Klaus crosses his arms over his chest and sighs. All relationships turn into bullshit at some point. I’m not interested in just hooking up and getting laid.

Going on a date doesn’t necessarily mean a hookup and a romp in the bedroom, Klaus.

"Oh, really? When