The road to Stowntown was a winding, narrow stretch, bordered by thick pine forests that loomed like silent sentinels. The December wind howled through the trees, rattling Kai's old sedan as it crept along the icy path. His gloved hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his breath misting in the chilly air despite the car's feeble heater.
Staring at the GPS, Kai noted he was only a mile away from his destination. Stowntown, the screen displayed, though it felt like he was driving into nowhere. He had heard little about this small countryside town, only that it was remote and quiet—exactly what he needed after the chaos of working in the city's police department. Being assigned as a junior officer here was supposed to be a fresh start, an escape from the relentless pace of urban crime. Yet, a gnawing unease had settled in his gut since he'd accepted the transfer.
The first sign welcoming him to the town came into view. It was a wooden board with faded red lettering:
Welcome to Stowntown – A Place to Call Home.
A peculiar addition caught his eye. Beneath the sign, someone had carved into the wood: "Stay Safe in December."
Kai frowned, but the moment passed as his car rumbled into the heart of the town. Main Street stretched before him, lined with old brick buildings, their windows frosted over from the biting cold. Holiday lights hung lazily across the street, their dim glow struggling against the encroaching dusk. A few townsfolk shuffled down the sidewalks, their heads low and scarves pulled high to shield against the wind.
Kai parked outside the sheriff's station, a modest brick structure with a sagging roof. A weathered American flag flapped weakly on a rusted pole by the entrance. Shoving the car door open, Kai stepped into the cold, his boots crunching on the snow-covered pavement.
As he approached, the door creaked open, and a stocky man with broad shoulders and graying hair stepped out. Sheriff Ray Barlow extended a hand, his expression a mix of welcome and weariness.
"Kai, right?" Ray asked, his voice gravelly but warm.
"That's me. Officer Kai Nakamura," he replied, shaking the sheriff's hand.
"Glad you made it," Ray said, gesturing for Kai to follow him inside. "Welcome to Stowntown. It's not much, but it's home."
The warmth of the station was a welcome relief from the bitter cold outside. Inside, the building was sparse but functional, with desks arranged neatly, a small coffee machine bubbling in the corner, and a dispatcher manning a radio. The air smelled faintly of old paper and burnt coffee.
Ray led Kai to a desk near the back. "This'll be yours. Things are pretty quiet around here, so you'll have plenty of time to settle in."
Kai nodded, setting his bag down. "Quiet sounds good."
Ray chuckled, though there was little humor in it. "Don't get too comfortable. December's...a strange month around here."
Kai tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Ray's expression shifted, the easygoing demeanor replaced by something more serious. He lowered his voice. "This town has a history. Every year, starting December first, things happen. People disappear. No explanation, no evidence. Just gone."
Kai blinked, unsure if the sheriff was joking. "Disappear? Like they leave town?"
Ray shook his head. "No. They vanish. We've tried everything—search parties, bringing in the state police. Nothing works. And it always ends the same: 27 days of chaos. Then it stops, like it never happened."
Kai's stomach tightened. "How many people are we talking about?"
"Depends on the year," Ray said. "Sometimes one or two. Other times, it's more. This town is small, Kai. Every person matters."
The weight of the sheriff's words settled heavily on Kai. His instincts as an officer told him to ask more questions, to press for details. But something in Ray's tone suggested he'd heard it all before.
"Just keep your eyes open," Ray added. "And trust your gut. Stowntown...it has a way of getting under your skin."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Kai spent the afternoon unpacking his belongings in the small apartment above the station. The space was modest—a single bedroom, a kitchenette, and a window that overlooked Main Street.
As night fell, the quiet of the town became almost oppressive. Kai sat by the window, sipping a mug of coffee and watching the empty street below. The holiday lights flickered weakly in the darkness, casting faint reflections on the snow-covered road.
At midnight, the sound of distant bells jolted him upright. The faint, eerie chime carried on the wind, rising and falling like a ghostly melody. Frowning, Kai grabbed his flashlight and coat. He wasn't sure what he expected to find, but the sound nagged at his curiosity.
Stepping outside, he was greeted by an icy gust of wind that cut through his layers. The street was deserted, the air heavy with an unsettling stillness. Following the sound of the bells, Kai made his way toward the edge of town, where the snow-covered road disappeared into the dense forest.
The closer he got, the louder the bells became. But they didn't sound like ordinary church bells. There was something off about the tone—uneven, distorted, almost alive.
Kai stopped at the tree line, shining his flashlight into the shadows. The beam of light danced across the twisted trunks, revealing nothing but darkness. Yet, the uneasy feeling in his gut grew stronger.
Suddenly, the bells stopped. The silence that followed was deafening.
Kai took a cautious step forward, his boots crunching on the frozen ground. That's when he saw them—tracks in the snow. They were large, far larger than any human or animal he could think of, and they led deeper into the woods.
He crouched down, examining the prints more closely. The edges were sharp, like claws had dug into the snow. A shiver ran down his spine as he realized the tracks were fresh.
For a moment, he considered calling Ray, but something compelled him to follow the trail. He moved slowly, the flashlight trembling slightly in his grip. The trees seemed to close in around him, their shadows twisting and shifting in the flickering light.
Then he saw it—two glowing orbs, high off the ground, staring back at him from the darkness.
Kai froze, his breath caught in his throat. The orbs blinked once, then vanished, leaving only the suffocating blackness of the forest.
Heart pounding, Kai stumbled back, his flashlight sweeping the area wildly. But whatever it was, it was gone. The oppressive silence returned, broken only by the sound of his own ragged breathing.
He didn't wait to see if the glowing eyes would return. Turning on his heel, Kai hurried back to the station, his mind racing with questions. What had he just seen? And what had Ray meant when he said December was a strange month?
As he locked the station door behind him, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him, even now.