The room felt colder now, the warmth of the fire barely reaching the edges of the living room. The wind outside howled, battering against the mansion's already weakened defenses. George could hear the creak of the wooden beams overhead, like the bones of the old house were groaning under the weight of the storm.
Everyone had gathered near the fire after Grace's blood-curdling scream, though no one spoke. The tension was thick, heavy, like a layer of ice forming over everything. Grace was still trembling, her arms wrapped tightly around Bear as she sat huddled on the couch. Her eyes were wide, staring at the window where the snowman's hideous grin had been moments earlier.
Raven paced near the front door, her rifle in hand, her breath coming out in short, visible bursts. She was ready for anything, her muscles tense, eyes constantly flicking toward the windows.
"I don't like this," Lucy muttered, breaking the silence. She stood near the window, peering out into the swirling snow. "Those things... they're not just regular snowmen. They're... watching us."
George nodded, his hand gripping the rifle slung over his shoulder. "Yeah. Whatever they are, they aren't here to play around."
From the window, the strange snowmen's silhouettes loomed just at the edge of the light from the mansion's windows. There were more of them now, standing in the yard like frozen sentinels, their shapes half-obscured by the storm.
"Do you think they're alive?" Grace asked in a small voice, her eyes darting nervously between the others.
"They're alive enough," Elijah said from his spot by the fireplace, his voice grim. "And they're not friendly."
Marcy stepped forward from the kitchen, her face pale, her hands shaking slightly as she poured hot tea from the kettle. "We need to do something. We can't just sit here waiting for them to break in."
As if in response, a loud thump echoed through the house. Everyone froze. The sound came from one of the windows near the front door. The glass rattled, and then , crack. Another thump. Something heavy and solid was pounding against it.
"They're trying to get in," Tobias said, his voice tight with fear.
Raven swung her rifle over her shoulder, her jaw set. "Then we don't let them."
The window by the front door shattered, and the first snowman lunged through the opening. It wasn't slow or clumsy like they had expected , it was fast, terrifyingly fast. Its body was made of tightly packed snow and ice, and its arms were jagged, sharp icicles that jutted out like weapons. It slammed into the floor with a thud, sending shards of broken glass and snow everywhere.
George raised his rifle and fired, but the bullets barely made a dent. The snowman kept advancing, its coal-black eyes locked on him, that same eerie grin still plastered across its face.
"Fire!" Lucy shouted, grabbing the gas canister she had rigged into a makeshift flamethrower. "We need fire!"
She ignited the torch and aimed the flamethrower at the creature. A jet of fire burst forth, engulfing the snowman in flames. It screeched , a high-pitched, unnatural sound , and writhed as the flames licked at its icy form. Within seconds, the snowman melted into a puddle of slush on the floor.
But before anyone could celebrate, another one smashed through the front window, followed by two more at the back. The air filled with the sound of shattering glass and splintering wood as more snowmen broke through, their twisted, grinning faces grinning with malevolent intent.
Raven fired off a shot, the bullet cracking into one of the snowmen, but again, it barely slowed the creature. "It's no use!" she shouted. "We need more fire!"
Lucy was already on it, spraying flames toward the advancing creatures, keeping them at bay. The fire worked, but it wasn't enough. They were outnumbered, and the snowmen were fast.
Madison screamed as one of the snowmen burst through the side window, lunging toward her. She grabbed a torch and swung wildly, the flames barely keeping the creature at bay. George ran to her side, firing a shot into the snowman's head before Lucy blasted it with fire, reducing it to a steaming pile of melted snow.
The cold was relentless. Even inside the mansion, the temperature had dropped so far that their breath fogged the air. The fire in the hearth barely seemed to make a difference anymore, and frost had begun creeping along the walls, spreading like a sickness.
"Everyone, fall back!" George yelled, trying to keep the group organized as the snowmen continued their assault. "Get to the back of the house! We can funnel them there and hold them off!"
They moved as quickly as they could, retreating to the rear of the mansion where the barricades were stronger. But as they passed the windows, the sight outside made George's stomach drop.
More snowmen were gathering in the yard , dozens of them, standing motionless, their grins wide and toothy. The storm was intensifying, the wind howling like some tortured animal, and George could barely see more than a few feet in front of him through the swirling snow. But he knew the snowmen were waiting, watching.
"This isn't natural," Marcy said, her voice trembling as she clutched her tea cup for warmth. "No storm can create this. It's... it's dark magic."
George didn't want to admit it, but he knew she was right. The storm, the snowmen , it all felt wrong, like the world had been twisted into something else. Something colder. Darker.
Bear barked wildly, running from window to window, as if trying to warn them about what was coming next. His small form darted through the chaos, barking at the snowmen outside, but his barks were drowned out by the howling wind.
"I can't... I can't do this," Madison whimpered, her face pale as she gripped her torch tightly, her knuckles white. "I'm not ready for this!"
Heather grabbed her hand, pulling her close. "You're stronger than you think. We'll get through this."
George watched them, his heart heavy with fear. He had to keep them together. He had to protect them.
Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the house again , this time from upstairs. Everyone froze, their eyes darting toward the ceiling.
"They're inside," Raven said, her voice grim. "We need to take them out before they reach us."
The air inside the mansion was heavy with cold and tension. The fire had lost its comforting warmth, the flames flickering weakly against the overpowering chill creeping through the broken windows. George's breath came out in short, sharp puffs as he moved down the hallway with Raven and Lucy close behind him. They had to get to the second floor before the snowmen broke in entirely.
Another window shattered upstairs, followed by a soft, eerie crunch , the sound of ice scraping across wood.
"We need to move!" George whispered, gesturing for Raven and Lucy to follow him up the staircase.
Behind them, Marcy was directing the rest of the group to secure the lower levels. Elijah and Tobias were trying to board up the windows with whatever they could find, while Madison and Heather stood by, holding torches and flamethrowers, ready for any snowman that managed to break through.
"Be careful," Marcy warned, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. "Those things... they're not done yet."
Raven nodded, her eyes hard as she checked the safety on her rifle. "We'll handle it."
They moved as quickly as they could, the floorboards creaking underfoot as they reached the landing. The upstairs hallway was bathed in the pale blue light of the moon, filtering in through the shattered windows. Snow swirled through the broken glass, piling up in small drifts on the floor. It was colder up here , much colder.
George's heart pounded in his chest as they reached the source of the noise. There, standing in the middle of the hallway, was one of the snowmen. Its jagged, icy body shimmered in the dim light, its grin wide and menacing. But this one was different , larger, more humanoid in shape. Its fingers were long, twisted icicles, and its eyes were two dark pits of nothingness.
It didn't move. It just stood there, grinning at them, as if waiting for something.
"Shoot it," George whispered, his voice low and tense.
Raven raised her rifle and fired a shot. The bullet hit the snowman square in the chest , but it didn't even flinch. The hole in its body sealed up almost instantly, the snow knitting itself back together as if nothing had happened.
"Shit," Lucy muttered, her hands tightening around her flamethrower. "Guess it's up to me, then."
She stepped forward, the nozzle of her flamethrower aimed directly at the snowman's face. With a flick of her thumb, the fire roared to life, a stream of flames shooting out and engulfing the creature in an instant.
The snowman screeched, the high-pitched sound echoing through the hallway as the flames melted its body. Water and slush pooled at its feet, and within moments, it was nothing more than a puddle of melted snow and scorched wood.
"Got him," Lucy said, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. But the triumph was short-lived. From the corner of his eye, George saw movement , another snowman crawling through a broken window at the end of the hallway, its grin just as wide and terrifying as the first.
"They're still coming," George growled. "We need to get ahead of them."
The group moved down the hallway, toward the other rooms. George's grip tightened on his rifle, his pulse racing. There were more of them , he could feel it. And they weren't going to stop until the whole mansion was filled with those cold, dead smiles.
As they reached the next door, Raven kicked it open, her rifle at the ready. The room was empty, save for the snow that had piled up by the windows. But as they stepped inside, something caught George's eye. In the corner, near the bed, was Bear's chewed-up blanket.
"Bear!" George hissed, his heart sinking. "He's not in here."
The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Bear had gotten out. Somehow, in the chaos of the snowmen breaking in, the puppy had slipped through the door and into the storm.
"We have to find him," Raven said, her voice filled with urgency. "We can't leave him out there."
George nodded, but his mind was racing. Between the snowmen inside and the storm outside, Bear didn't stand a chance on his own. They had to move fast.
"Let's finish clearing the house," George said, his voice tight. "Then we'll go after him."
They quickly moved from room to room, taking down the remaining snowmen as they appeared. Each one met the same fiery fate, melting into puddles on the floor as Lucy torched them with her flamethrower. But the further they went, the colder the house became. It was as if the storm itself was trying to force its way inside, wrapping its icy fingers around every corner of the mansion.
When they finally cleared the upstairs, George wasted no time. "We have to go now."
Raven nodded, and the three of them rushed back downstairs, where the others were waiting by the front door. Madison and Heather had managed to reinforce most of the windows, and Elijah was standing guard by the entrance, his shotgun ready.
"Did you get them all?" Marcy asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"For now," George replied. "But Bear's out there. We have to find him."
Before anyone could argue, George was already heading for the door, his rifle slung over his shoulder. Raven and Lucy followed close behind, their faces set with determination.
Outside, the storm was worse than George had expected. The wind howled like a living thing, biting at his skin as he stepped out into the snow. The cold was so intense it burned, and within seconds, the three of them were covered in a fine layer of frost.
"Bear!" George called, his voice barely audible over the roar of the wind. "Bear, where are you?!"
Raven scanned the yard, her eyes narrowed against the blowing snow. "I don't see him."
"Keep looking," George said, his heart pounding. "He's out here somewhere."
They trudged through the snow, their boots sinking into the deep drifts as they searched the yard. The storm was relentless, and George could barely see a few feet in front of him. But he wasn't going to give up. Not on Bear.
Just as they were about to head toward the forest, Lucy's voice cut through the wind. "Wait... I see something!"
George turned, his eyes following Lucy's outstretched arm. There, in the distance, was a small, dark shape, moving through the snow. It was Bear , dragging something behind him.
"Oh, thank God," George muttered, relief flooding through him. They ran toward the puppy, but as they got closer, George's stomach twisted in horror.
Bear wasn't just dragging a stick or some scrap of cloth. He was dragging a severed leg , frozen solid and caked with snow.
George knelt down, his heart racing as he looked at the limb. The skin was blue, frostbitten, and the bone was exposed where it had been ripped from the rest of the body. It was unmistakably human.
"What the hell?" Lucy whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.
Raven scanned the area, her rifle at the ready. "Where did he find that?"
Before George could answer, his eyes caught something in the distance , dark shapes, half-buried in the snow. He stood up slowly, his breath catching in his throat as he realized what they were.
Bodies.
Dozens of them, frozen solid and scattered across the yard. Some were lying on their backs, their faces twisted in agony, their mouths open in silent screams. Others were curled into fetal positions, as if they had tried to shield themselves from the cold. Their skin was blue and cracked, their limbs stiff and covered in frost.
Madison, who had followed them outside, gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God..."
She turned away and vomited into the snow.
The cold seemed to deepen with the sight of the bodies, as if the storm itself was mocking them. George's breath came in short, sharp bursts, his mind reeling. There had to be at least fifty bodies scattered across the frozen ground, each one more horrifying than the last. They were all in various stages of death, some with their faces twisted in horror, others with their limbs stretched out as if they had tried to crawl their way to safety but had been frozen in place.
"What... what the hell happened to them?" Lucy asked, her voice barely a whisper as she stood next to George, staring at the sea of frozen corpses.
Raven knelt down next to one of the bodies, her fingers brushing against the cold, blue skin. "They must've gotten caught in the storm," she said quietly. "But... this isn't natural."
George swallowed hard, forcing himself to look at the faces of the dead. Many of them were refugees , he could tell by their ragged clothes and emaciated bodies. They had been running from something, trying to escape... and they had ended up here. But it wasn't just the cold that had killed them. There was something else , something darker at play.
"The storm... it's like it drained the life out of them," George said, his voice tight. "Like it sucked all the heat from their bodies."
Bear whined, circling George's legs, still holding the severed leg in his mouth. George crouched down and gently took the leg from Bear's jaws, setting it down in the snow. The puppy wagged his tail, oblivious to the horror around him.
"We need to get back inside," Raven said, standing up and shouldering her rifle. Her eyes were hard, but George could see the unease beneath her usual calm. "Whatever did this... it's not done yet."
Madison wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, still looking pale. She glanced back at the mansion, her eyes wide with fear. "Do you think it's... coming for us?"
George didn't want to answer that question, but deep down, he knew the truth. The storm wasn't just some freak act of nature. It was deliberate, sent by something , or someone , with a purpose.
"We don't stick around to find out," George said, turning toward the mansion. "Let's move."
They started back toward the house, the wind biting at their skin as the snow continued to fall in thick, heavy flakes. Bear ran ahead, barking happily as if this were all some grand adventure. But the rest of the group was silent, their eyes constantly flicking toward the frozen bodies, half-expecting them to rise up and come after them.
As they reached the front door, George glanced back one last time at the sea of corpses. The wind shifted, blowing snow over the bodies, covering them like a blanket. It was as if the storm was trying to bury them, to erase the evidence of what had happened.
Raven caught his eye as she pushed open the door. "We can't help them now. Let's just get inside."
Once inside, the warmth of the fire hit them like a wall, but it did little to ease the chill that had settled deep in George's bones. They quickly closed the door behind them, barricading it with whatever they could find.
Marcy looked up from where she was sitting by the fire, her brow furrowing in concern. "What did you find?"
George hesitated, glancing at Raven and Lucy before speaking. "Bodies. Frozen. A lot of them."
Marcy's eyes widened. "From the refugees?"
"Most of them, I think," George said, sinking into a chair by the fire. "But whatever killed them... it wasn't just the cold."
Heather, who had been sitting with Madison, stood up, her face pale. "Are they... going to come here?"
Raven shook her head. "They're dead. But we don't know what caused it. We don't know what's out there."
The room fell into an uneasy silence. The storm howled outside, the wind rattling the windows, but for the moment, the mansion was safe. Or at least, it felt that way.
Bear jumped up onto the couch next to Grace, his tail wagging as if everything was perfectly fine. Grace scratched behind his ears, her expression softening as she looked down at the puppy.
"Well, at least Bear's okay," Grace said, trying to force a smile. "He's the only one around here who isn't scared to death."
George chuckled softly, but the sound was hollow. His mind was still racing, trying to piece together what had happened outside. The frozen corpses, the storm... it all pointed to something far worse than he had imagined.
"We need to be ready," George said after a long pause, his voice low. "Whatever's coming... it's not going to stop with those bodies."
Raven nodded, her face set in grim determination. "We'll be ready."
But as George stared into the fire, watching the flames flicker and dance, he couldn't shake the feeling that something much worse was on its way. The snowmen, the storm... they were just the beginning. Something darker was lurking just beyond the edge of the blizzard, waiting for the right moment to strike.
And when it did, George knew they would have to face it head-on , no matter the cost.