Seconds into minutes. Minutes into half hours, soon to become whole. Our circle, however, was not.
After searching the rooms of the cabin and as much of the woods as possible,we came up empty-handed.
Frustrated and fruitless, we sat, and watched the clock.
Tensions rose as snow began to fall, heavier than I'd ever seen.
"Carlos. Enough is enough. Where is Andrew?" Jane asked, voice ripe with suspicion.
"I don't know. Why do you think I would?" His eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Because y'all are always up to something. And-"
*BANG*
The whole cabin shook, as well as everything and everyone within it. We looked at each other, then looked at the door.
"What the hell..." My hand flew to my mouth.
"It's Andrew. It has to be." Tristan said, a nervous smile on his face. His sister, Trinity nudged him and put her finger to her lips, her face pale.
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
"I'm not playing with him any more." Carlos sprung towards the door in a huff.
Before anyone could stop him, he flung the door open to the icy winter air, flecks of snow carried in by the wailing wind.
The wind also carried something unexpected.
The smell of carrion and filth, decay and death.
Carlos gagged and slammed the door shut. "I think there's something dead out there! That smell...I know that smell."
"Something...?" Jane whispered. He looked down, shaking his head. He refused to meet her eyes. "I don't know."
*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*
Now at the rear of the cabin. The smell of death and rot returns as a loud, wet squelching sound comes from the fireplace, almost dousing the fire.
I scream and recoil in horror as Carlos runs from the room, and Jane begins dry-heaving. The twins-one weeping(Trinity) and one edging closer, cautiously.
"Tristan..." My stomach lurched, a knot of unease and foreboding. "What is it? What is it?"
Inhaling sharply, as if he'd been cut, he opened his mouth, but no words came.
I crept closer, and as it came into view, bile rose quickly in my throat.
The body was mangled, smeared in blood and gore, with obvious large bite marks all over it.
The poor thing's body was beginning to smoke as I ran to the kitchen to get something to put out the fire...and the body.
Taking a large mop bucket, I filled it with water as my hands shook and my heart flew up my throat.
I doused the fire as it hissed and smoldered, and grabbed a large sheet from the cupboard to cover the gore- splattered fireplace.
By now, Carlos had returned, his face a mask of fear and fury. "Who...I mean *what* the hell is strong enough to get a huge ass buck on the roof, and get it to fit down a damn chimney!?"
"What do you mean, *what*?" Jane asked, her body belying her sharp tone.
He turned to look at her, a deadpan look on his face. Suddenly, a wet, hacking laugh began to echo off of the walls of the cabin.
It sounded distorted-both human and inhuman, changing and twisting throughout until it sounded familiar. Too familiar.
"Andrew, stop fucking around!" Tristan yelled.
