Dread and Gingerbread

  Katie Alyx

  Published by Katie Alyx, 2025.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  DREAD AND GINGERBREAD

  First edition. December 16, 2025.

  Copyright © 2025 Katie Alyx.

  Written by Katie Alyx.

  Table of Contents

  Content Warning

  The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

  I Gave You My Heart

  Let It Snow

  He knows when you're sleeping

  We Wish You A Merry Christmas

  About the Author

  Also by Katie Alyx

  ​

  Content Warning

  This story includes themes of murder, vigilante violence, and references to domestic abuse and sexual harassment. While the tone remains fairy-tale in style, these elements may be unsettling for some readers.

  Reader discretion is advised.

  The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

  A white blanket of snow covers the town, the church bell rings out in the square, and carols can be heard floating on the wind. Black Friday has arrived in the town of Gumdrop Glen, the start of the Christmas season, and everyone is bustling about with excitement.

  In Gumdrop Glen, Black Friday isn't just a time for sales and gift buying. It marks the first day the town baker, Cane, starts making his famous gingerbread cookies. People are lined up around the block, bundled in winter coats, excitedly awaiting their sweet, ginger-y treat.

  Cane hums as he pulls a pan from the oven with exactly thirteen gingerbread men lined up. Five on top, five on the bottom, and three in the middle. Each with a large white smile, gumdrop buttons, and eyes that seem too happy.

  Every cookie is made in Cane's image because he is a gingerbread man, of course.

  Placing the warm cookies in their case, he moves to unlock the doors, hoping he's made enough cookies for everyone waiting outside. He worries every year there won't be enough. He moves behind the counter as the first customer comes in.

  It's little Suzy and her mom Wilma. Suzy is bouncing on her small striped feet with excitement. Suzy and Wilma always have the faint smell of peppermint following them around.

  "Mr. Cane! Mr. Cane! Is it time for cookies?" Suzy asks, excitedly.

  Cane laughs, jovially. "Yes, it is time for cookies. How many can I get you?"

  "All of them!" Suzy exclaims.

  Wilma tuts but smiles fondly at her daughter. "Now, Suzy, we can't take all the cookies. All those people outside want them too."

  Suzy pouts. "Besides, if you ate all those cookies, you'd have a terrible tummy ache," Cane adds.

  "We'll take four. I promised the boys I'd bring them one as well."

  Suzy bounces out of the bakery, already biting the head off her cookie. That is Cane's one rule. He makes the best gingerbread in all the land, but you can only buy his cookies if you promise to eat the head first. He always knows if they choose to not follow the rules.

  The line moves quickly as Cane packages up cookies for the town. Finally, around noon, the line begins to dwindle. That's when the most beautiful woman comes into the bakery. She has long auburn hair, a beautiful smile, blue eyes, and, just like Cane, she is a gingerbread person.

  Cane drops the empty pan in his hand to the floor with a loud clang. Blushing profusely, he picks up the pan and hurriedly places it in the sink.

  "Hello Cane."

  "Marzipan, when did you return to town?" Cane asks, stunned to see her.

  "Just last week. I finally decided it was time to move back."

  "It's good to see you. How have you been?"

  Marzipan stands at the counter, her hands folded in front of her. "I... I'm doing well. This town always brings back memories, but there's more good than bad ones."

  Cane is glad to hear it. That would not have been her answer in the past. It's good the bad memories are fading. "Did you want a cookie?"

  "I heard everyone talking about your gingerbread cookies outside. I don't remember you making gingerbread before I left."

  "I threw myself into baking after you... Well, I started experimenting with new recipes around the time you left."

  "I will have one. If they're as good as everything else you make, then they must be wonderful."

  Again, Cane blushes. Flustered, he pulls a cookie out and places it in a bag. Marzipan pulls money out of her purse. "On the house," Cane says.

  "Oh, are you sure? I can pay."

  "It's a welcome home gift... assuming you're staying?"

  "Yes, I am here for the foreseeable future." Marzipan takes the bag with a smile. "We should get together sometime, catch up."

  "I'd like that." Cane beams. "How about I call you tonight and we can set something up?"

  "I look forward to it."

  Just as Marzipan turns to leave, Levi Wilkins walks in. "Marzipan! Aren't you looking delicious today?" He calls with a sleazy smile on his face.

  "Oh, hello Levi," Marzipan says politely. She tries to sidestep Levi to exit the store, but he steps into her path, not allowing her to pass. Cane frowns.

  "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Levi asks. "Why don't I buy you a coffee and we can chat?"

  "I must be going," Marzipan says, again trying to sidestep Levi. She clutches the bag with the cookie tightly, her face pinched.

  "Don't be like that. You just got back into town, right? You must need a... friend."

  Cane's stomach clenches in anger. Before Marzipan can say anything else, Cane interjects, "She said she needs to go Levi. Respect her answer."

  Levi glares at Cane. "What would you know about women and what they want, Cane? Have you ever even kissed a woman? They like a strong man who can take charge. Isn't that right, Marzipan?"

  Marzipan looks like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide, mouth unmoving. Cane comes out from behind the counter and steps between Marzipan and Levi, towering over his spindly licorice body. "I know more about women than you do. At least I know no means no. You are not welcome in here anymore Levi. Leave."

  Levi tries to put on a brave face, but he knows he cannot beat Cane in a fight. The man may come off as jolly, but he is quite large and can be frightening if he wants to be. "Your cookies aren't even that good anyway," Levi huffs as he storms out.

  Cane glares after him, his brain going a mile a minute. A soft hand lands on his arm. Looking down, his mind immediately quiets. "Thank you. I'm sorry I lost you business. You didn't have to do that."

  Looking deep into Marzipan's eyes, he says, "I would do anything for you, Marzy."

  Now it's Marzipan's turn to blush as she hears the old nickname from when they were children. "At least let me pay you for the cookie since I lost you business."

  "I won't hear of it," Cane says sternly. Softening his voice, "Go on with your day. I will call you later."

  Marzipan gives him a shy smile before exiting the shop.

  The rest of the day is uneventful. Cane doesn't run out of cookies, thankfully, and he is sure everyone is following the rules and eating the cookies head first. He would know if they weren't.

  At the end of the night, he flips the sign to closed before heading upstairs to his apartment. He would love to relax at the end of his hectic day, but alas, there is no rest for the wicked. And under the jolly exterior, Cane holds a lot of wickedness.

  Changing from his usual white bakery uniform into all black attire, Cane heads out the back of his bakery, a bag slung over one shoulder. He moves silently down the snow-covered streets. The sound of the children enjoying Santa's village can be heard in the distance.

  As Cane nears his destination, he slips into the shadows in an alley across from his destination. He can hear the rowdy sounds of the bar patrons floating outside as the door to the local tavern opens. Holiday music fills the air, and the windows burn with a happy yellow light.

  Cane waits in the darkness, unmoving, and unbothered by the chilly air. Hours pass as he stands in wait. Most of the parking lot has cleared, and he knows they have to be reaching final call soon.

  Finally, Levi comes stumbling out, keys in hand. Cane's anger intensifies as he imagines Levi trying to drive in his current state. He could kill someone!

  As Levi fumbles to unlock his door, Cane closes in behind him. Pulling a rag from his pocket, he places it over Levi's mouth and nose, and the thinner man immediately collapses.

  Cane unlocks Levi's car doors, tosses him unceremoniously into the backseat, and slides into the driver's seat. He drives his car back to the bakery, parking it behind his shop before pulling Levi out and carrying him into the back room of his bakery.

  He lies Levi down on the metal table in the center of the room, securing his arms and legs to the table, humming "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" as he goes. After securing Levi to the table, he pulls out his knives, laying them meticulously in a row across the table beside the prone form. He then creates a salt circle around the table, marking symbols as he goes. Lastly, he pulls down a special box. The box vibrates in his hands, and the faintest sound of screams can be heard from inside.

  Just as he places the box beside his knives, Levi begins to stir. Cane waits patiently as Levi blinks his eyes open and looks frantically around the room. His gaze eventually lands on Cane.

  "What is the meaning of this?!" Levi slurs, still drunk from his time at the tavern.

  "I think you know Levi," Cane says calmly, a huge smile on his face. The same smile he wears behind the counter as he serves customers.

  "You're crazy! Let me go. I ain't done nothing to you!"

  "No, you haven't, but you did do something to the lovely Marzipan today."

  "You've kidnapped me because of some chick?" Levi looks completely disgusted at the thought.

  Cane's smile doesn't change, but his eyes become icier. "That chick is a better person than you'll ever be, and she does not deserve the treatment you gave her today."

  "I didn't do anything to her!"

  "Oh, but you did and now you must pay the consequences." Cane walks over to a small radio in the corner and turns on the local Christmas station. He cranks up the volume just as Bing Crosby's voice fills the air with "A Marshmallow Christmas".

  "I just love this song! Don't you?" Cane asks Levi.

  Levi looks terrified as the smiling man walks over, picking up a knife. "What are you planning to do with that?"

  Cane doesn't answer what he finds to be a rhetorical question. Levi will know soon enough. Cane sings along with Bing Crosbey as he makes strategic cuts into Levi's skin. Every symbol must be perfect. It took him a long time to get them right.

  Levi begins to scream as Cane works, making Cane's smile grow, a giddy feeling filling him up. This is his favorite time of year after all. There's so much magic around Christmas time and for those who know how to use it... Well, miracles are really possible.

  By the time Cane has finished cutting all the symbols into Levi's skin, he's passed out. A shame, really. Cane loves the screaming. That's why his back room is soundproof. He told the contractors it was because he loved blasting music while he baked and didn't want to disturb the neighbors, which wasn't a lie. Bing Crosby's voice has faded into Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You."

  Fitting this song would come on. It makes Cane think of Marzipan as the song always does. Cane picks up the box and a bone white knife. With one hand, he flips the lid of the box open, and with the other, he stabs Levi directly in the chest. Levi's eyes fly open and he lets out a silent scream. As his mouth opens, a silver mist floats out, heading straight for the open box.

  It only takes seconds for the silver mist to disappear into the box and the light to leave Levi's eyes. Cane snaps the box shut, trapping the key ingredient to his cookies inside. He places it back in its cabinet. Levi's body begins to dry up, shriveling in on itself. As Cane waits for the body to fully turn to dust, he cleans his knives, placing them back in their spots. Once there is no trace of a body, Cane uses a cloth to sweep the flour like dust into another container. He then wipes and meticulously cleans the entire kitchen.

  Once everything is spotless, he leaves the bakery one last time, taking Levi's car out into the Peppermint Pines. He drives it into a densely wooded area before setting it ablaze. Pulling out a marshmallow, he roasts it over the fire while he waits for the car to burn. He does so love roasted marshmallows. Maybe he should think of adding s'mores to the menu at the bakery.

  After an hour of warming himself by the fire, the car is no longer recognizable. Cane walks back to the bakery, humming Christmas songs as he goes. Yes, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

  I Gave You My Heart

  Marzipan is awoken by the sun streaming through her windows. Her phone is clutched in her hand. She frowns down at it, turning the screen on to see no missed calls. She sighs with sorrow.

  Cane never called last night like he promised. Maybe she misread the situation, and he was just being polite. It has been years. She couldn't expect they would go back to the way they were. She just thought...

  Well, it was silly. She shouldn't have put so much hope on him calling. He surely has a whole new life. She hasn't been back to this town in ten years. She can't expect for everything to be the same.

  Tucking her disappointment away, she goes to shower and get ready for the day. She's just pulling on a fuzzy snowman sweater when she hears the doorbell ring. Hurrying downstairs, she pulls her still damp hair from the collar of her sweater.

  Swinging the door open, she comes face to face with Cane. He's holding two boxes in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. He looks contrite.

  Before she can say anything, Cane rushes out, "I am so sorry. I had an emergency last night and didn't get everything handled until the wee hours of the morning. I swear I meant it when I said I was going to call."

  He looks so earnest and regretful that Marzipan can't be mad. He holds out the flowers. They're sparkly poinsettias and quite beautiful. Taking the flowers, she widens the door. "Come in. You must be freezing out there."

  Cane follows Marzipan as she walks through the house to her kitchen. She sets the potted flowers in the center of her table, admiring how they sparkle in the morning sun.

  "I also brought pastries and gingerbread cookies. I want to make it up to you that I didn't call. I really am sorry, Marzy."

  Marzipan takes the boxes and sets them on the table. "Really, it's okay Cane. I know you must be busy, have a life." Clearing her throat, she asks, "Would you like some coffee?"

  "Coffee would be lovely, thanks."

  Marzipan hustles over to the coffeemaker and gets it started. Her hands shake slightly as she scoops the grounds into the machine. Cane is here. He didn't forget about her.

  Once the coffee is percolating, she grabs a couple small plates and brings them over to the table. Cane sets a couple scones on her plate. She takes a bite of one and her eyes widen in shock as the taste of fresh cranberries and citrus hit her tongue.

  She swallows quickly. "These are amazing Cane! You've gotten even better at baking since I last had one of your treats."

  Cane's cheeks turn red. "I've been experimenting and I think I've finally found the best recipes for most things. The townspeople seem to like them."

  "Judging by the line yesterday, I'd say so."

  She finishes her scone just as the coffee drip stops. Pouring them both cups, she sits back down, the warmth seeping through the ceramic into her hands.

  "What brings you back here, Marzipan? I never thought... I thought I'd never see you again," Cane says.

  Marzipan looks down into her coffee. "I..." She hesitates, not sure how much to tell Cane. He's protected her their entire lives. She doesn't want to put anything else on his shoulders, but she also feels like she needs to get it off her chest.

  "They hired a new CEO at the paper in Sugarvale. He seemed okay at first. Acted like any CEO, but as time went on, he became... interested."

  Marzipan can feel Cane's eyes boring into her skull, but she refuses to look up. "I was able to keep him at bay at first. But after a few months, he didn't want to take no for an answer, threatened to fire me if I didn't do what he wanted. I went to HR, but they didn't believe me, so I left. I didn't know what else to do. I still owned this house. The tenants were moving out, so it seemed like a good plan. I was going to go speak with Howard today and see if he would hire me to work on the paper here again."

  Cane lays his hand over Marzipan's. "I'm sorry you had to go through that Marzy. I am glad you're back, though. We can work on a way to blow the whistle on that guy if you want."

  Marzipan looks up and smiles. "You were always the best friend a girl could have, Cane."

  Cane smiles back, but there's a shadow of sadness in his eyes. They finish their pastries and coffee and Cane walks with Marzipan to the paper before heading to the bakery.

  Taking a deep breath, Marzipan heads into the newspaper office. She asks the receptionist if Howard is available. The receptionist tells her to have a seat as she picks up the phone to call Howard.

  A few leg bouncing minutes later, Howard comes out of his office. "Marzipan! I do declare! I haven't seen you in ages. Come in, come in!"

  Howard is a large man, as most marshmallow men are. His black suit contrasts with his stark white skin. Sitting down, Howard asks, "What can I do for you, honey?"

  Marzipan takes the seat across from Howard and jumps right in. "I was wondering if there was any way I could come back to work for the paper. I don't expect my old job or anything. I've just moved back to town, and any position would be appreciated."

  Howard regards her with a serious expression. "Now, you flew out of here right quick last time. What's to say you won't leave me in a lurch again?"

 

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