16 Nights of Jingle

CHAPTER 4

"Let the battles begin."

13 DECEMBER
00:00

WITTENS, PENNSYLVANIA

NUBIA

They say it's the ground that kills you, but I say it's that moment when you know it's your time. Your time to...
  We exit Wittens' Beaux Gardens International Airport in one of its largest elevators leading to the subterranean parking lot, where Hitler arranged for an unknown man and car to take us directly from the airport to the new house we have yet to see.
  "Mom, do you have any idea what kind of car is fetching us or what the person looks like at least?" I skeptically ask my mother,
  "No. Hitler didn't exactly say anything else." My mother replies, looking elsewhere as if we had been running from something life threatening this whole entire time.
  Just then, the parked vehicle in the lot's far end, rapidly drove non-stop, directly toward us,
  "Is this how we die?" Amarie, terrified and shook, asks with no response from my mother and I.
  The vehicle still had not stopped or moved any other direction, and at this point, it was made very clear that if we did not move, we would be trampled to death, but just then...
  The vehicle abruptly stops a few inches away from us and all four doors swing wide open, just as a breath of relief and uneasiness leaves my whole entire being. Then, a shiver runs up and down my spine as a tall, dark and shadowy figure steps out of the vehicle.
  "Who are you?" I courageously ask,
  The figure then makes it's way closer to me, now standing a few inches away from my face, I take a few steps back and try to reach into my back pockets for something... anything, but the figure grabs hold of my arm, his grip getting tighter and tighter by the second. I felt his cold breath on my face as his gaze grew sharper and stronger, almost like a warning of some sort. I close my eyes shut and try to regain conscious, but my efforts grow weaker with every second his grip locks. One thing I am certain of is that I did not feel afraid or frightened, no, my feelings were much more complex, more deeper, more rarer than anything I have ever felt in my whole entire life, instead I felt lost and out of control.
  "Let go of my daughter's arm right the hell now." My mother calls, "You have no idea who you're messing with."
  His grip gets looser and looser, but his gaze stays on mine.
  "Are you the Weinhursts?" His deep, masculine voice asks,
  "Who wants to know?" My mother, horrifiedly frightened, blurts out.
  The unknown figure turns around and walks away. He suddenly pauses, no movement when reaching the driver's door, his lips unlock and he enticingly replies, "I'm your driver. Hitler sent me, now get in."
  Rude.
  My mother, sister and I rush to him and get into the car through it's already open doors. The doors slowly close and suddenly lock and the driver drives us out of the lot.
  As we roam around the alluring Beaux Gardens' empty outdoor parking lot, I notice more shadows shrithing on the trees. It's just birds, Nubia. You're being crazy, I recite to myself, slowly shifting my gaze away from the trees.
  "Uh, driver. Aren't we supposed to book in at the Lavender Hotel?" I ask him,
  "No reply, okay!"
  We then fly past the long row of trees using Highway Route 907, the least populated, minor highway route in all of Wittens.
  A few long minutes after,
  "Welcome, to your new home!" The driver enthusiastically exclaims,
  "Wait what? There is nothing, but woods here!" My mother tumults,
  "Oh really?" The driver robotically asks with no emotion whatsoever.
  I look closer and I see a cave. No, a cabin. Wait a minute are we living-
  "High up in the hills!" Amarie clamors, finishing my exact thought,
  "Yup!" The driver expresses, finally warming up to us,
  I notice similar swift motions as I did before, but this time it was different, something about the whole thing seemed dangerously off.
  "What's that in the road?" Amarie quietly asks tapping my mother's shoulder,
  "She's right. Is that a person?" My mother replies,
  "It looks dead." I remark, "Wait a minute, is that a goat?" I suddenly exclaim as the driver swerves right to avoid hitting it.
  "Stop the car." My mother firmly states,
  "No. That I won't do." The driver replies,
  "Stop the fricking car!" My mother exclaims.
  The car stops and we all jump out. I grab my phone and turn the flashlight on as we approach the thing lying there.
  "Oh my." Amarie utters,
  "No... no!" The driver exclaims, hurling.
  We then see the goat suddenly squirm in fear as it makes the last bit of noise, before--
  "Uh, look at it's neck." I respond flashing my phone directly at it's neck,
  "Wait is that blood?" The driver exclaims, turning around and rushing back to the car,
  "I think we should go back to the car, now." My mother agrees, pulling Amarie and I back.
  I stay and observe it a little longer. It has bite marks all over it's neck and--
  "Nubia now!" My mother calls out.
  I rush back into the car and we ride off into the midnight sky.
  "Wait. Is that all you're going to do? Shouldn't we dial 911, or the SPCA?" I hyperactively argue,
  "What is it going to help?" The driver hopelessly concludes, "I've heard about the reportings of foul behaviour in these woods, right around this time of year."
  "Wait, I thought this place was remote." My mother -even more confused- acclaims,
  "It is." The driver concludes, "There are unidentified teens who roam around this area. They supposedly 'got kicked out of their homes and found their way here', you know, your typical made-up police story."
  "How would you know that if you've never set foot here before?" I ask, now suspicious,
  The driver takes a short moment and glances at the rear-view mirror, where our eyes meet, before answering, "Sweetie, I used to live here!"
  "That explains a whole lot." I reply.
  This place is mad shady.

We finally arrive at the large, detached property.
  "Wow!" I manage to blurt out, looking at the large abode's magnificence,
  "I know right." The driver agrees,
  "Is this whole house made out of glass only?" My mother asks,
  "Most parts." The driver confidently confirms, "Don't worry though, outside folks can't see what's going on inside whatsoever, but you can see what happens outside."
  "It's a beauty in plain sight." My mother exclaims with a smirk.
  We grab our luggage and head for the entrance. The driver opens the door and we take a sneak peak inside.
  "What the..."