An Abnormal Christmas

5: Surprise, Surprise

Trembling uncontrollably, Meghan's shaking fingers opened the slip of paper. A sob escaped her lips as she read it.

ʍʏ աaʀռɨռɢ աas օռċɛ, aռɖ ʏօʊ ċast ɨt asɨɖɛ. քʀɛքaʀɛ ʄօʀ քʊʀɛ aɢօռʏ, tɦɛʀɛ's ռօաɦɛʀɛ tօ ɦɨɖɛ.

"Meghan!" She didn't notice as Gordon barreled into the room. "Did you scream? Are you okay?"

Meghan dropped the note, burying her face in her hands as sobs overtook her body. What even happened? What was happening? She felt Gordon's arms wrap around her and pull her into a tight hug. She didn't stop him. Instead, she buried her face in his chest.

It wasn't a prank. Someone was going to hurt them.

❄️⛄️❄️❄️⛄️❄️

"You didn't see anything?" Meghan begged, grasping the police officer's arm.

"Ma'am, as I said, I only saw Mr. Byer walk out of the house and down the streets," the police officer told her, bemused by the terrifying state she was in.

"But I never went outside last night," Gordon told him for what seemed like the fifth time. He held the paper up. "And how do you explain this?"

"Look, I'll report this to the station," the police officer assured. "We will see what we can do."

Gordon hugged Meghan as the officer retreated down to his car. They watched him drive away and tears brimmed Meghan's eyes. She avoided looking at the paper grasped in Gordon's hand.

"Mom?"

They both turned around. Ryder and Carly were standing behind them, clearly only having just woken up. Meghan hadn't even gotten breakfast going. She quickly tried to hide her panic as she smiled at them. "Hey, you two. Ready for breakfast?"

"Did he see anything?" Ryder asked, ignoring her question. "The officer?"

"No, he didn't," she answered.

"What is that?"

Meghan followed Ryder's gaze as he stepped forward, his eyes locked on the paper in Gordon's hand. The man moved to slip it into his pocket. "Nothing."

"Don't lie!" Ryder's quick reflexes allowed him to snatch the paper from his father who moved to get it back. Ryder moved back, reading it out loud. "My warning was once, and you cast it aside. Prepare for pure agony...there's nowhere to hide."

Both her children's faces paled. Carly whimpered out loud. "That person is going to hurt us, aren't they?"

Gordon scooped Carly into his arms, hugging her tightly and casting his son a glare for having read it out loud. Meghan wrapped an arm around Ryder as he dropped the note, his face stricken with disbelief.

"No, ladybug," Gordon told her. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt us."

"But what if they do? What if they kill me?" Carly sobbed into his shirt, her soft voice muffled. "I'm not even eleven years old yet."

Hot tears once again burned Meghan's eyes. She blinked them away, though, wanting to be strong for them all. Ryder shook his head, his jaw set tight. Something he inherited from Gordon.

"Hey," Meghan soothed shakily. "Let's take Comet and Vixen out for a walk, okay? People are out and about, so we can't be hurt."

Carly gave her a skeptical look. "You can't walk baby deer."

"We can hold them," Gordon pitched in. "We need fresh air anyway."

"Can I stay home?" Ryder asked.