Is it just me...

...or is James Stevenson's The Night After Christmas, like, one of the weirdest, most semi-depressing Christmas stories ever?

(I just looked up The Little Match Girl, and even though she has that vision of a Christmas tree, apparently it's set on New Year's. So I'm not counting it.)

ANYWAY. The Night After Christmas.

A couple of toys get abandoned in the snow WITH THE GARBAGE, because they've been replaced by newer, shinier toys.

A dog named Chauncey rescues them and brings them to the boiler room where he appears to (<--I'll get back to that in a sec.) live.

Annie and Teddy hang out there for a few days, getting progressively more and more depressed (at first, Teddy is somewhat optimistic, but eventually he ends up down in the emotional abyss with Annie), and there is dialogue that will inspire EITHER laughter OR chest-stabbing OR maybe both? Example:

"What are you supposed to be?" said Annie.
"I am a toy computer," said Teddy.
"Ask me a question."
"How can you be so stupid?" said Annie.

BRUTAL, RIGHT?? Because, A) Teddy is so determined to not give up, B) WOW, MEAN on Annie's part, but C) also SO UNDERSTANDABLE on her part.

Anyway, eventually, Chauncey brings them to a school and leaves them outside just as the day is ending, and when the kids have scattered, Annie and Teddy are gone. So, happy ending for them.

And then, the last picture is of Chauncey sleeping in front of a food bowl with a red ribbon on it. So I guess he got adopted? Or he already had a family, and he was slumming it in the boiler room? Or something?

BUT SINCE HE'S SLEEPING, I'M CONCERNED THAT HE'S JUST DREAMING ABOUT THE BOWL, AND THAT HE'S STILL LIVING IN THE BOILER ROOM ALL ALONE.

I realize I have problems.

What about you, though? Depressing/disturbing Christmas stories: GO!