The night before Christmas at the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

It was the night before Christmas. Children lined up at the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, eagerly awaiting a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the North Pole to meet Santa. Parents’ smiles widened as the distant sound of a train whistle echoed through the air. “Here comes the Polar Express!” one mom shouted. Everyone watched in awe as the majestic train finally came to a stop.

“All aboard!” boomed a stout man with a thick mustache, wearing an enormous belt in a futile attempt to conceal his equally enormous belly. He suddenly appeared, greeted the crowd, and even winked at a few moms. “C’mon, kids! We’re gonna be late! Hop in!”

“Is that Santa? He looks like my uncle on Friday nights, reeking of booze,” one kid blurted out from the crowd.

“Who said that?!” the stout man bellowed, scanning the crowd with an angry glare. Spotting the boy, he started making his way toward him. “What’s your name, kid?”

“His name is Andrew. I’m so sorry about that, sir,” the boy’s mom interjected, stepping in quickly.

“No problem, ma’am. You’ve made the right choice, sending this one off,” the stout man replied with a knowing wink.
“He reeks of booze, Mom,” Andrew muttered under his breath.

“Why don’t you quit yapping, Andrew, and get on the train!” the man hissed.

“C’mon now, everybody, hop in! On the count of three!” the stout man commanded, ushering the children aboard.

“Ugh, I need another drink,” he whispered to himself, before turning back to the moms still lingering on the platform.
“Bye, ladies! Rest assured, your kids are in good hands—we’ll have them straightened out by Christmas morning.”

With that, the train let out a long whistle and slowly disappeared into the mist.

The kids finally settled into their seats. Some were engrossed in excited conversations, while others sat quietly, staring at the scribbles and engravings on the worn seats.

One curious boy noticed an engraving that read, “On our way to the gulag…”
“What’s a gulag?” he whispered to the kid next to him.

The stout man’s ears perked up at the word. His face darkened as he rose from his seat and begrudgingly stomped toward the boy. Examining the engraving, he let out a frustrated grunt.

“Those little bastards…” he muttered under his breath. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a thick marker and furiously scribbled over the word “gulag,” replacing it with “Happy Land.”

Turning to the boy, he forced a wide, unnatural grin. “You shouldn’t be reading at this hour, kid. It’s bad for your health. We’re here to have fun! Now quit looking around and enjoy the ride.”

He patted the boy’s shoulder a bit too hard before heading back to his seat, muttering, “Happy Land… much better.”

Hours passed, and they finally arrived at what looked more like a penitentiary than a magical castle filled with elves and reindeer. Instead, it was a gated compound with Christmas lights dangling everywhere, being hastily set up by obese men in absurdly tight red suits and oversized Santa hats.

“What the heck, Rob? I told you we were gonna be late, and you’re just setting this up now?” the stout man barked as he stomped toward the gate. “What? You didn’t tell us anything, Jack. Oh yeah—you’re still hungover. Must’ve been imagining things again,” Rob shot back, adjusting his too-tight red suit.

“Ugh, my head is throbbing. Let’s get this over with,” Jack groaned. He straightened his belt and turned to the wide-eyed kids.

“Alright, kids! We’ve finally arrived. Welcome to the North Pole!”

“What? Are you kidding me? This isn’t the North Pole, this is…” one kid trailed off, peering out the window. “Wait, what is this place?” he finally asked, his face filled with confusion.

“Of course, I’m kidding you, dummy. North Pole, my foot. You wouldn’t survive an hour there, let alone spend the night,” Jack sneered. “We’re in—”
“Oh my gosh, did you just kidnap us?!” a girl with a ponytail shrieked. “Wait till my parents hear about this!”

“Oh, good luck with that, missy. Your parents are the ones who sent you here...aren’t they?” Jack replied with a sly smirk.

The kids gasped in unison, their faces pale with shock. Chaos erupted as they scrambled from their seats, panic spreading like wildfire. The train descended into complete disarray.

“Alright, settle down, everybody!” Jack shouted, but the kids remained frenzied, screaming and jumping from their seats. “Damn it... Hey, Rob!” Jack called out. “Help me out here!”

Rob entered the train, shaking snow off his suit. “What did you do this time?” he asked, glaring at Jack.

“I didn’t do anything!” Jack protested, raising his hands in surrender, then slowly covered his ears as the kids’ chaos intensified.

Rob sighed. “When am I ever going to have a peaceful Christmas Eve?” He turned to the panicked little humans, took a deep breath, and bellowed, “Everybody, listen!”

His voice echoed loudly through the entire compartment. The kids froze, startled, and surprisingly, silence followed. Seizing the moment, Rob continued, “We’re in a place Santa rented, okay? It’s a fun place to be, and we’re all gonna have a great time—trust me.” He gestured toward the exit. “For now, let’s get out of this... train... and head there. It’s freezing out here. Follow me!”

The kids entered the facility and were led into a huge cafeteria—messy, greasy, and reeking of stale food.

“Alright, kiddos! Grab your weapons!” Jack announced, gesturing toward cleaning supplies—mops, buckets of water, and scrub brushes.

“We’re not cleaning this place! You said we were gonna have fun! This is a bummer!” one kid protested, and the rest quickly nodded in agreement.

Jack let out an exaggerated chuckle, clearing his throat before continuing. “Alright, kids. You know why you’re here? You’re on the naughty list, got it? Your parents sent you here to teach y’all a lesson. Looks like some of you haven’t done your chores in, oh... forever. Well, guess what? You’re making up for lost time—with interest.”

The kids groaned in unison.

“And,” Jack added, narrowing his eyes, “if you don’t do what I say and refuse to clean... well, guess what? You’ll be stuck here forever. And trust me, you don’t want to be here alone because... let’s just say he pays this place a visit exactly four hours from now. If he finds any of you still around... you can kiss this world goodbye.”

He dramatically pulled out a worn poster of Krampus, waving it around for everyone to see. The twisted, snarling face on the poster sent a shiver down the kids’ spines. “Any questions?” Jack smirked, enjoying the look of terror spreading across their faces.

The kids exchanged terrified glances. The girl in a ponytail screamed.

“C’mon, get moving! We’ve only got a few hours in this lovely establishment before we hit the bathrooms—and after that, the sleeping quarters.” Jack clapped his hands sharply. “Chop, chop!” he commanded, flashing a sinister grin as he finished his speech.

After countless protests, the kids finally gave in and cleaned everything. Exhausted and ready to go home, they began preparing to leave. While on their way to the train station, suddenly, Rob scooped up a handful of snow and hurled it at Jack’s back. Everyone gasped, turning toward Rob, who was struggling to hold back his laughter.

Before anyone knew it, the entire group was caught up in a full-blown snowball fight. The kids, united by a common cause, gathered as much snow as they could, launching it relentlessly at Jack. Moments later, the other hefty men in red suits joined in, pelting Jack with snowballs amid fits of laughter.

picture was taken from the contest post