Frosthill was a town that thrived on its Christmas cheer. The streets glittered with lights, and laughter rang out from the town square, where people gathered to sing carols and watch the mayor light the grand tree. The air was filled with the smell of fresh-baked cookies and hot cider. But hidden in the shadowed corner of town stood the Abernathy house, tall and dark, with its barred windows and creaking wooden beams. No one knew what happened inside that house, and most didn't want to find out.
Vin and his crew had chosen tonight for their heist. It was Christmas Eve, when the entire town was too busy celebrating to pay attention to anything else. Vin knew that the Abernathy family had kept to themselves, never partaking in the festivities, never speaking to neighbors. Rumors said they were scientists who had created something strange and dangerous, but that didn't matter to Vin. All that mattered was the money.
The crew was made up of Cole, the muscle; Lila, the stealth expert; and Sam, the brains. They stood in the darkness, the cold air sharp against their skin. The Abernathy house loomed before them, its single light flickering like a distant star.
"You ready?" Vin whispered, eyes darting around the shadowy yard.
Cole cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this done."
Lila checked the window. "It's locked but I can get us in. Just be ready to move fast."
Sam pulled a small, humming tool from his pocket and worked at the lock. The sound of the clicking latch was like a gunshot in the still night. The window opened, and they slipped inside, careful to keep their steps silent.
The house was colder than the winter air outside. The floorboards creaked under their weight, and shadows stretched along the walls, reaching out like grasping fingers. The air was thick, almost tangible, as if it were holding its breath.
Lila led the way, her flashlight revealing peeling wallpaper and forgotten pictures of a family that seemed like it belonged to another life. They passed the parlor, where an old, cracked armchair sat facing the fireless hearth, and into the hallway lined with locked doors. Sam checked his map, the blueprint of the house scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper.
"This way," he whispered, pointing toward a door at the end of the hall.
They reached the door, its wood rough and pocked with age. Sam's fingers hesitated before pushing it open. Inside, the room was filled with metal tables and strange, mechanical devices. On the walls, wires snaked like veins, pulsing with a dim, green glow. Vials of strange fluids sat on shelves, their contents shifting as if alive.
"What is all this?" Lila murmured, taking a step inside. The room felt alive, as if it had a heartbeat.
Before Sam could answer, a noise came from above. It was soft at first—a shuffle, then a low hum that seemed to echo through the walls. The crew looked up, frozen.
"Did you hear that?" Cole whispered, his voice barely above a breath.
Suddenly, the noise grew louder, followed by the sound of footsteps. Heavy, dragging footsteps that seemed to move in time with their own heartbeats. Vin took a step back, eyes wide with fear.
"Move!" he whispered urgently.
They darted to the door, but as they pulled it open, the hallway was no longer empty. A figure stood at the other end, blocking their path. It was tall and thin, its limbs stretched in unnatural ways. Its face was pale, with hollow eyes that glowed a pale blue and a mouth that twisted into a grotesque grin. It was neither human nor beast, a creature caught in the middle of something dark and unexplainable.
"Who dares enter?" the creature rasped, voice deep and cold, sending shivers down Vin's spine.
They tried to retreat, but the hallway seemed longer now, like it was closing in on them. Cole shoved Lila forward, but she stumbled, falling against the wall. The creature moved, its joints bending in ways that shouldn't have been possible. The crew scattered, each of them running in a different direction, their breathing loud and harsh as panic took hold.
Sam was the first to find a hidden staircase, twisting and dark. He climbed up, hoping for an exit or a way out. Lila followed, but before they could reach the top, the creature's footsteps were there, clomping closer with every beat. It reached out, its hand grasping the edge of the stairs, fingers curling like the roots of an ancient tree.
They sprinted up the last step and into a narrow room with a single window. The glass was frosted over, but beyond it, they could see the white blanket of snow outside. Relief flashed through Vin's chest. They were so close.
"Open it!" Sam shouted, but Lila stopped short.
The creature's voice came again, closer this time, low and mournful. "You cannot leave. Not until you have learned what you seek."
Vin turned to see that the creature had come into the room. Its eyes locked with his, and the terror that gripped him was like ice in his veins. He knew he was looking at something that had been made to be more than human, something that knew secrets they would never understand.
"We didn't come for this," Lila whispered, pressing herself against the cold glass.
"You came, and now you must stay," the creature said, its voice softening, almost pleading.
The house seemed to shudder, a low groan shaking the walls as the ground beneath them shifted. The window cracked, splintering as if to remind them of what was at stake.
"Get out!" Cole shouted, grabbing Lila's arm. He pulled her toward the door, but before they could move, the creature stepped in front of them. Its eyes, once cold, now shimmered with a strange, knowing light.
Vin fell to his knees, chest heaving as the realization hit him. There was no way out. This house had secrets that no one was meant to know, and now, trapped with a creature that could never return to what it was, they understood why.
The creature reached out a hand, not in aggression, but in warning. The room grew colder still, the air thick with silence. And as the shadow of the Abernathy house stretched out into the night, Frosthill's laughter continued below, unaware of the strange, haunting fate that had befallen four souls who had dared to trespass.