An Inside Job
The following is part of a “shared storytelling event” over at I Saw Lightning Fall , Advents Ghosts 2022. We were tasked to write a scary story of exactly 100 words in length. I don’t know how much this counts as a “story” but this is my attempt at an entry. As far as “scary” your mileage may vary.
An Inside Job
1659, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony deems it a criminal offense to publicly celebrate Christmas.
January 6th 2045, the Freedom party gains control of all three branches of government, repeals the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and declares Christmas a secular holiday, banning it on the basis it’s never mentioned in the Bible.
December 25, 2047 Cynthia Bowman is arrested for having houseplant greater than 48 inches of height indoors in the twelfth month of the calendar year and adorning said shrubbery with a star.
The War on Christmas always was an inside job.
6 thoughts on “An Inside Job”
This is honestly one of the most unique SF concepts that I’ve ever read.
The 100 word limit really challenged me this year!
Just…..WOW. I need to sit with this one! Truly unique and part of what makes it scary to me is how I’m not quite sure on first read how much I understand. Which also seems to be the theme! Super meta, maybe…..I like it.
Thank you for reading and commenting! I feel like the word count limit forced me to be a bit less…understandable(?) in this but also that might’ve added to the piece?
For me, what I was trying to say, as a Christian myself, that I don’t necessarily believe mixing religion with law is a good thing. Because you’ll get things like the Puritans banning Christmas.
Very on theme!
Thanks. Yeah for me it was hard to think of a take that hadn’t been done a hundred times while still interesting.
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