The Night I Heard Father Christmas

Christmas Eve night.
Got to go out and meet Em in half an hour, out into the cold and darkness. I'm quite looking forward to it though. On Christmas Eve night, the outside becomes another kingdom entirely. I suppose it is echoes of childhood. When you're six years old, the outside on Christmas Eve is the dominion of Father Christmas, always rather a sinister figure I've thought. I remember waking one Christmas Eve night, possibly when I was about six years old. Out on the landing there were noises. The sounds of munching. Father Christmas was eating the mince pies! Obviously it was my Dad -or possibly my Mum, but probably Dad- who was eating the mince pies. My six year old self however knew that it was Father Christmas out there. On the landing. And I was awake.
I was terrified. Utterly terrified.
I was terrified of the possibility that he might somehow discover that I was awake and would leave no presents, but I was more terrified of the fact that this mythical legendary figure was standing out on the unseen landing. I can't imagine being more terrified if my six year old self's nightmare-nemesis the Floating Skull had proved to be real and came floating into the room.
I fell back asleep.
In the morning there were presents to open. I had fooled Father Christmas after all! I didn't mention to anyone that I had heard Father Christmas delivering presents the night before though. Just in case. In fact, I don't think I told anyone about my hearing Father Christmas incident until a lot later in the year, perhaps even deep into the summer months.
My best friend Carl Haslam quite reasonably suggested that it might not have been Father Christmas, but was in fact some other kind of ghost or monster. The idea appealed to me. And made sense. Surely Father Christmas couldn't be as scary as that Christmas Eve night could he? Perhaps it was the Floating Skull after all. I could imagine this bony horror-head eating the mince pies.
By the time next Christmas came I had all but forgotten 'The Case of the Father Christmas Monster'.
Well, about to head out to meet Em from work now.
I hope I don't meet Father Christmas skulking about, maybe in the dark of the Old Shoreham Road.
He really is quite a sinister figure in my own humble opinion.