00:00Christmas Eve, me and my sister woke up to a loud bang outside our basement window.
00:04When we tried to get closer, our dad stopped us.
00:06Stay down here. Don't come upstairs no matter what you hear.
00:09He rushed upstairs to lock the doors.
00:11Our mom pulled us close and covered my ears, but I could still hear people shouting outside.
00:16Police lights started bouncing off the snow on the window.
00:19My dad was gone for what felt like forever.
00:21When he finally came back downstairs, he wasn't alone.
00:24A man in a full Santa suit walked in behind him.
00:26Don't worry. My sleigh crashed in the snow outside, and these nice police officers are helping me dig it out.
00:32He sat on the floor between us and pulled presents out of his bag.
00:35My sister held hers up to him.
00:37Is this one really for me?
00:38He put his hand on her head.
00:40Of course it is. Santa brought it just for you.
00:42We opened them while he sang Christmas songs.
00:44Every time the sirens got louder, he sang louder.
00:47When they finally stopped, he stood up and dusted off his knees.
00:50I have to go deliver presents to the other kids.
00:52I hugged him and went to sleep that night thinking I was the luckiest kid in the world.
00:56I was 17 when my dad told me what really happened.
00:59A gang broke into the house across the street that night, and three people were killed right outside our window.
01:04The man who lived next door heard us crying through the walls.
01:07He put on a Santa costume he had in his closet, walked over, and stayed with us until it was
01:11safe.
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