The First Day of Christmas by R.A. Goli

Jonah woke, drenched in sweat, heart thumping. He’d dreamt of a killer, hacking up body parts. He wiped his sticky hands on the bedcover, leaving red smears.

There was blood under his nails. His head pounded; his memory foggy.

Did I mix up my meds? 

The Advent Calendar looked like it’d been tampered with. He tore into the first tiny door. A human eyeball stared back. The next; a finger, in another; a tongue. The last of the twelve squares held an ear and a note.

"Do you hear what I hear?"

The distant sound of police sirens grew louder.