Do You Believe in the Krampus? (short story)

Do You Believe in the Krampus? was the twelfth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: The Ghosts of Christmas. It was written by Xanna Eve Chown. It featured the Fifth Doctor and Turlough.

Summary
As Christmas approaches, Lukas worries that he hasn't been good enough and he will be visited by the Krampus instead of Saint Nicholas. Lukas is scared of the Krampus, partly because his father, Max, once painted a picture of the Krampus for a card company.

When Lukas is in bed for the night, Max goes to the hotel bar for a drink and to see Katharina, whose father owns the bar. Katharina is sitting with two men, and Max believes the blond one, called the Doctor, is interested in Katharina. The Doctor and the other man, Turlough, ask questions about the Krampus.

When Max gets home, he looks out the window to see the Doctor apparently sneaking out of the hotel. Max goes out to follow him, and Lukas, who has woken up, sees his father leave. Thinking his father is going to meet the Krampus, Lukas follows as well.

The Doctor is talking to someone inside a barn. It is an alien who is pretending to be the Krampus. The Doctor offers it a lift off the planet if it will leave the children alone. Outside the barn, Turlough catches Lukas eavesdropping and brings him inside. Max, watching, storms in to protect his son.

When Lukas asks Max if the Krampus is real, Max says it is. The Doctor is upset that Max said this; Lukas runs out of the barn. Meanwhile, Katharina comes in, looking for her sister Vanessa. Max tries to get her out of the barn, but the Doctor wants Max to tell the children that the Krampus doesn't exist. He has to help the Doctor convince the alien that the Krampus isn't real so the alien won't eat any children.

Other townspeople appear, saying that their children are missing too. Everyone leaves to look for them.

The missing children are together, following Lukas, who thinks they should hide until Saint Nicholas' Day is over. He tells them he saw the Krampus. They decide they should kill the Krampus. Some of the older children set the barn on fire.

The parents find their children at the burning barn. The Doctor and Turlough arrive, and the Doctor is appalled that the children have killed the alien.

Characters

 * Fifth Doctor
 * Vislor Turlough
 * Creature
 * Lukas
 * Katharina
 * Max
 * Vanessa Heine
 * Marta
 * Marta's mother
 * Landlord
 * Alexander Ducek
 * Ducek
 * Florian
 * Nicola

Worldbuilding

 * Max and Lukas have chicken and peas for dinner.
 * Steingasse is a street in Salzburg.
 * Residenzplatz is a square in Salzburg.
 * Sebastianskirche is a church in Salzburg.

Continuity
to be added