Genesis: KRAMPUS

4

"Get anything?" Mom asked as she and Dad sat looking out out at the snow. Beth had been gone for a while and Cora was beginning to worry.

"No." Dad said.

"It's the weirdest thing. There's no cars, no people, not even a salt truck."

"Don't suppose you got me a backup generator for Christmas, did you?"

"Yeah, it's under the tree next to your ties and underwear."

"Good." Dad squeezed Mom's hand.

"It's getting late. Beth should be home by now."

"She's fine. She's at Derek's."

"All the more reason to worry." Mom breathed out.

"Hey, hon, relax. Just for once, okay? How's everybody else doing?"

"You know, cranky, bored, sick of the snow. And each other." Mom muttered.

"'Tis the season."

"Oh, god, I miss us." Mom sighed.

"Me too." Dad sidehugged her.

"Mom, Dad. It's already dark out and Beth isn't back yet." Max said.

"Hey, Howard. Do you think your Hummer could get through this mess?" Dad asked.

"Lucinda? I could point her due east, hit the gas and she'd be storming the beaches at normandy by sunrise." Uncle Howard told Dad.

"You named your freaking truck?" Cora asked.

"What's on your mind?" Aunt Linda asked her sister.

"Well, it's-it's Beth. She went to her boyfriend's earlier and she hasn't come back yet."

"See? Let them out of your sight for one second, and boom, shotgun wedding." Aunt Dorothy remarked.

"Aunt Dorothy, please." Aunt Linda groaned.

"Well, you ought to know." Aunt Dorothy muttered.

"It's probably nothing." Aunt Linda and Uncle Howard looked at each other after Aunt Dorothy's comment.

"But I thought we'd go pick her up, take a quick swing around town, see what's going on out there." Dad said.

"A little recon mission, huh? Thought you'd never ask." Uncle Howard stood.

  "Okay."

"Go to mama." Uncle Howard handed Chrissy to Aunt Linda.

"Yep. All righty." Aunt Linda said.

"Thomas. Thomas." Omi spoke rapidly in German.

"What? Why?" Dad asked.

"What the hell is she so riled up about?" Aunt Dorothy muttered.

"She says not to go. That it's too dangerous, and that we should wait until the storm's over." Cora said.