Jade & Trina's Very Strange Christmas

A Very Strange Journey

I had to say it, Jade thought. I had to say it. And once again, the universe has proven me wrong.

Half an hour ago, about ten minutes into their journey up the mountain, Jade noticed the clouds. They came from nowhere, and they seemed to darken the farther up the mountain the girls went. On top of that, an ethereal fog seemed to descend upon them, thick and heavy. It was much more difficult to see anything out the window.

Jade had expected to be there by now. It got dark ridiculously early, but it was barely 5:00 PM and already the sun was down.

"Is it supposed to snow?" Trina had asked.

"I don't know," Jade grumbled. "I didn't check the weather forecast."

"Why not?"

Jade bit her lower lip. "Because it's LA! It doesn't ever snow here."

"But we're going..."

"Up a mountain, I know!" Jade snapped. "So sue me!"

Jade checked the weather app, and made the mistake of thinking, Stuck up here with Trina, at least it can't get much worse.

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than the two bars of signal that had been struggling to stay alive went completely flat. Damn it, Jade thought. Of course.

"I can't get a signal. Which means the GPS isn't updating anymore either."

"Well it said to stay on this road for ten miles and take the exit," Trina said. "That was like, three miles back."

Jade looked at Trina in surprise. "You remember that?"

"Duh," Trina said. "What, you didn't?"

Jade looked away. "Don't be a smart ass," she said. "I was just...very very mildly impressed."

"Oh," Trina said. Jade noticed the slightest trace of a smile tug at the corner of Trina's narrow lips. "Thanks."

"Just don't let it go to your head," Jade said quickly and loudly. Maybe a little too loudly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Trina said. "Psycho."

The last word was spoken under her breath, but Jade heard it. She turned her head slowly and glared. Hard.

Jade was well aware that most people at Hollywood Arts thought she was a little on the crazy side. And why shouldn't they? She loved horror movies, most of her projects were dark and scary or explored disturbing themes that most people didn't want to think about. She was physically imposing, with plenty of upper body strength and a resting bitch face that would make Michael Myers blink and turn away.

She wasn't really that crazy, or even crazy at all, but she did get a strange sense of satisfaction out of letting people think she was. So she turned on her craziest smile and bore straight into the side of Trina's admittedly pretty face.

Of course, if she had been paying closer attention, she might have noticed that it had started snowing. A lot, and very quickly. Maybe she caught sight of it in her periphery, and it just didn't quite click. Regardless, she poured so much energy into glaring at Trina, exhuding that aura of terror that made so people flee from her, she missed that key detail.

She delighted when Trina kept glancing over to look at her, and how with each glance there was a slow-burning increase in fear.

"Will you stop leering at me?" Trina asked. "Jade, seriously. I can't see as it is and you're really distracting me."