What Came Down the Chimney
- It's Christmas Eve, and everyone is a bit nervous. Probably has something to do with Killer Kane on the loose.
- Freak and Gwen come over for dinner, and aside from being a bit spooked, everyone is actually having a pretty good time.
- Grim tells stories about when he was a kid. You know, the "back in my day" type: "My father couldn't afford coal, so he'd write the word 'coal' on a piece of paper and put it in our stockings" (15.13). Hey-o.
- After a few more far-fetched stories, everyone gets to open one present.
- Grim opens a sweater from Gram. Then Gram gets a bracelet from Max. Max gives Freak a Swiss army knife, and we are left to imagine all the things Freak will be able to invent with it. Gram gives Gwen a scarf, and finally Max gets to open his present.
- He decides to open the one from Freak. Not only does he get a present, but Freak has also rigged up this crazy contraption of a box before Max can even get to the goods.
- Once he opens it, he sees that Freak has made a personalized dictionary of all his favorite words. It has words and definitions like, "AARDVARK, a silly-looking creature that eats ants" (15.35).
- Max absolutely loves it. Duh.
- Everyone goes to bed happy, but Max can't help having some weird dreams. When he wakes up, he hears someone breathing, and feels a very strong hand holding him down.
- He hears a voice say, "I came back […] like I promised" (15.49). Yikes.