The Christmas Devil's Bride (2nd Book Of The Krampus Series)

The Demon in The Dark

Fear was a human notion in which it is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Gerald and Harold still stood frozen about another minute before the cold suddenly began to seep into their clothes as they shivered.

Both due to the cold and of something else.

"Should we head back?" Gerald asked with his voice filled with uncertainty. Harold didn't speak up for a few minutes "We should go in" Harold finally said and Gerald wanted to ask out loud if Harold finally lost his marbles.

"Did you even see what you and I just saw?!" Gerald asked out loud through the howling wind. Harold shrugged his shoulders "It must have been the shadows playing tricks on us. It is getting dark!" He explained.

Gerald looked up and noticed the sky was getting darker by the minute. With no other choice than getting frostbite the longer they stayed there, the two men made their way to the station with hesitant steps.

Harold pushed the unlocked door open as a gush of cold wind hit their face "Jesus..." Gerald breathed deeply in horror when he saw the interior part of the station looked as if a shoot off had gone wrong. There were bullet holes in almost every corner, scratch marks that were too deep to be even considered a humane act.

Not to mention the snow that froze all over the station.

"What the hell happened here?" Harold asked as snow crunched on his foot in an ominous sound. Gerald eyed the scratch marks and felt the compelling need to run "Whoever did this...it isn't human" Gerald said. The two men jumped when the door suddenly closed in on them, locking them from ever escaping as the ice quickly froze over the handle.

***

"They've been gone too long" Lauren muttered, feeling uneasy all of a sudden as the snow outside began to get worse as the hours dragged on "It's nothing to worry about dear" Maggie assured her "Your Uncle Harold and father might have been caught up in the storm" Lauren sent her mother a weak smile before her gaze turned to Samantha and frowned.

The girl barely even flinched when a branch slammed on the windows, causing Timothy to move closer to the girl and a few members to flinch at the sound but not Samantha, the girl merely stared at the window with a wistful expression on her face with a frown on her mouth.

Now Lauren wasn't quick to judge a person based on their appearances but the way Samantha was moving and her nonchalant reaction to every panic and tension that was growing within the family seemed suspicious. There was a thud on the roof that shook the house and Samantha stood up.

"I think I should check that out" Samantha said "Oh don't worry dear, I'll go check what's going on upstairs. Probably just some branch that hit the roof" Helen said. Samantha frowned as she looked at Helen. If Lauren looked enough, she would have found out immediately that Samantha was busy analyzing Helen.

"No, I think I should go alone, I don't think things will be too peaceful once you are gone"

Somehow, Lauren's red flags began to appear when she caught the double meaning behind the word "gone". Helen looked at the boys then at the slightly shaking Timothy before sighing and nodding at Samantha. The girl grinned and walked up the stairs, Jax made a move to follow but was stopped by Lauren.

"You are not going anywhere Jax, I know you and your constant affairs with women" Lauren said in annoyance. Jax raised his hands in surrender and sat down. Lauren huffed and looked up to the second floor where the darkness seemed to have closed in slightly and waved it off as the candles burning off.

A few hours later and Samantha still has yet to head down and Maggie was beginning to worry "Lauren, why don't you go and check on Samantha. It's almost two hours now" Helen said once she recognized the worry lines on Maggie's face when the young woman kept glancing at the second floor.

Lauren nodded and stood up "Can I come?" Jax asked only to receive glares from his aunt and mother along with Lauren "Fine" Jax sighed, sitting back down. Lauren quietly headed upstairs "Sam? You in here?" She called out. Silence was the only response she got and almost instantly, she got the chills once she realized how dark it suddenly got and the atmosphere seem to weigh heavy on her like a thousand bricks.

"Come on Sam. You're our guest and this isn't funny" Lauren said sternly. Movement was heard on a room, specifically hers. Lauren felt like spikes hit her as she hastily opened the door. Samantha stood in front of the window that was open and snow was slowly coating the room illuminating a ghostly scene underneath the stormy moon.

"What are you doing here? This place is prohibited!" Lauren shouted, hoping that the others downstairs would hear her and come running here "You shouldn't have gone up Lauren" Samantha whispered airily, voice devoid of any emotion "You're right, I should have gone up sooner knowing you would snoop around our stuff. Why are you here exactly? Are you a burglar?!" Lauren looked over her shoulder and bit the inside of her cheek.

Where was her family?

"They wouldn't know where you are now that you're here" Samantha said humorlessly when the door behind Lauren slammed shut and she let out a shriek as she pounded on the door and tried to open it but it was jammed shut "Who-What are you?!" Lauren shouted when she heard tiny laughter already filtering the air as darkness slowly closed in on both girls.

"Just someone who comes when the Naughty becomes Threatening to others surrounding you"

Samantha said casually, her back still towards Lauren who began to back away into a corner. Lauren closed her eyes when scenes of her doing the terrible things she had done began to play in her head like a never ending horror movie "You had too many chances of making up with your mistakes and to stop others from suffering the consequences you put them through" Samantha slowly turned around and Lauren screamed in fright.

A wide grin was stretched on Samantha's face as the ring on her finger glowed brightly in the dark, casting a demonic glow "This Christmas might be the last one you will celebrate but don't worry. We won't let your family and friends miss you too much" Samantha said with an innocent smile on her face despite the defrormed elves and retarded toys now surrounding her.

The darkness parted for a clawed hand to grasp at Lauren's mouth and that was the only warning she got before she stared into the endless abyss of Krampus' mouth that was wide open as he let out a horrific laugh of glee as she stared into the face of the Christmas Devil.

The Demon that lurks in the dark.

***

Samantha headed downstairs just in time for Maggie to place a plate full of cookies and milk "Here you go children, we still have leftovers" Samantha walked towards them, intent on joining the fun when she stopped right beside a family picture. She stared at the empty space beside John and Maggie before she shrugged and sat down on the sofa.

The family stared at Samantha with slight smiles though there was a sudden uneasiness in the room.

Why do I have a feeling we missed something?