Christmas Eve

Chapter six

Over the music, a loud voice sounded. "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why, Santa Claus is coming to town..." Shannon moved closer to Jungkook, barely consolable as she wet his shirt with her frightened tears. Jungkook didn't know what to do. His whole life with Shannon was flashing before his eyes. The time when she lost her first tooth and Jungkook showed her how to put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy, when he showed her how to ride a bike, confessing his crush on her, the kiss they had had not a few hours ago, and telling each other they would be together forever at a young age. Now that he was in this position Jungkook felt like maybe that wouldn't be the case.

The if only's circled around in his head, but he tried to brush them off. We're going to get out. We're going to get out safe. He chanted to himself.

"I want Jungkook and I to live happily ever after. Just like in the fairy tales." He remembered the happy and smiling Shannon from a few hours ago saying after they had taken a picture on his phone. Wait. My phone. He realised, pulling himself up to pat his pockets for his phone. Upon feeling the rectangular object in his back pocket, he pulled it out and opened it up. The photo of him and Shannon kissing illuminated the darkness.

Unlocking the phone, he opened up the call app and began to dial the emergency services number. Shannon had by now looked up to see what he was doing and felt a wave of relief wash over her as she saw the number he dialled on his phone. The two of them had been so caught up with running away, they hadn't remembered Jungkook's phone.

The dial tone sounded in Jungkook's ears, and he shut his eyes tightly, praying someone would pick up. "911 emergency services speaking, what's your emergency?" A monotone woman's voice came from the speaker of the phone. Jungkook nearly vomited in relief. "M-My girlfriend and I-I, we're – there's a serial killer here at the mall-" Jungkook gushed into the phone quietly, holding his hand over the microphone and his mouth. "Hold on, you're in a mall with your girlfriend and there's a serial killer in there... is this a prank?" The woman accused. Jungkook sighed heavily, wanting to break down and cry right then and there. "No!" He hissed into the phone. "We're – We're at west end mall, hiding in the staff room on level three. There's a guy in here that's cut out all the lights, and he killed someone and put their body into a box! I don't know who it is but a lady here said there was a Christmas serial killer on the loose, you've got to help us, ma'am! I don't want to die!" he ended with a small cry.

The line was silent for a minute before Jungkook heard something through the phone. "Merry Christmas, Jungkook." A chilling voice taunted through the phone. Jungkook immediately threw the phone across the room as if it was a hot coal. Shannon, who had finally ceased sobbing, looked up at him. "What's wrong, Jungkook?" She asked. Jungkook gulped down the fear he had, trying to be strong for her. "Phone's dead." He managed, but his shaking body said differently. She pulled him in tighter, hoping she would comfort him now in the cold dark room. Pulling her arm out of one of the sleeves, she put it over his shoulder. He rested his head on her shoulder, shaking. The closer they were the better.

Jungkook didn't know what would happen now. Would the killer find them?

The answer was made clear when the two of them heard loud footsteps outside the door of the room. Shannon wanted to pull Jungkook closer, but Jungkook got up, shakily grasping for something in the dark cupboard beside them. Upon finding another mop, he pointed it at the door. It was a stupid idea, but that's all he had. A whispering voice came from behind the door. "Children take care! Please be aware, all that you've done will come to bear! Have you been good? Behaved as you should? Those who have not... It's understood...." It sung quietly in a screechy voice, sounding unlike a man or a woman.

For the umpteenth time that day, Jungkook wanted to hurl. His heart was booming, his hands surrounding the handle of the mop were shaking, and his lips trembling. No amount of horror movies could have prepared him for this trauma. Shannon, feeling quite helpless, decided to grow some courage and get Jungkook' phone from across the room, using it as a flashlight so Jungkook could see. Jungkook pushed her behind him with his arm, hoping he would be able to save her.

"Krampus will come, looking for some, you are not safe. Best that you run." The terrifying singing came again, making the couple flinch. The footsteps were getting louder and closer, echoing through the hallway behind the door. At this point Jungkook just wanted to go out and confront it, but he was too afraid of what it was. He didn't think it was human. Suddenly a loud banging came from the door. "THIS WILL BE A VERY SCARY CHRISTMAS, IF HE FINDS YOU ON HIS LIST! THIS WILL BE A VERY SCARY CHRISTMAS!" It screamed like some sort of evil spirit as it smashed on the door.

Shannon screamed, but Jungkook was frozen in fear, anticipating the moment the door would be broken open a frightening creature would enter and kill them both. However, it did not. For some reason it stopped banging on the door. They could hear its footsteps again, as it walked away, and they still hear it singing, but it grew distant. Frozen in confusion and fear, Shannon noticed a note underneath the door.

She looked at Jungkook in concern and Jungkook's face mirrored hers. Being the braver of the two, Jungkook dropped his pathetic weapon and went to retrieve the note, upon picking it up, he saw the words scrawled in red ink under the flashlight of his phone: You're on his list, not what you wished, this Christmas time, you will be missed!

Jungkook dropped the note, which landed on the flip side, hoping if he did it would erase the words from his mind. But nothing could remove them. Shannon hurriedly retrieved the note from the floor, curious as to what it said. "DON'T LOOK IN THE CUPBOARD." It said in red smudged ink. She looked at Jungkook in horror as she showed him the note. Jungkook tried to swallow his fear as they both turned to look at the cupboard beside them.

Instead of looking in the cupboard, Jungkook picked up his mop and headed for the door. Pulling apart his protective encasement around the door, he turned to Shannon and motioned for her to come closer. Slowly opening the lock, he peeked outside. Still looking outside, he wiggled his finger for her to follow him. Instead of doing so, she grabbed his hands. "We're safest here, Jungkook." She tried to convince him. "No. We need to get out of here." He whispered back without looking at her. "Jungkook, the police are coming, I'm sure of it. We should stay here."

He turned back to her. "They're not coming. It's just us. I want out of here, Shannon. I want to go home." He said sadly before grasping her hand and pulling her through the doorway. Sneaking around carefully, Jungkook and Shannon managed to make it to the end of the hallway where the stair case was. The sounds of painful moans and screams echoed through the level, but Jungkook was sure they would get out. He just had to sneak over to the next set of stairs and then they would make it to the first level, and run out the door.

Or he could just run. And that's what he did.