Chapter 1 - The attack

The people of Crystal Cove were all aflutter. Winter had arrived and Christmas wasn't far behind. People had already gotten well into the spirit of the season as it was impossible to go anywhere without seeing at least one holiday-themed decoration. Houses and lawns were strewn with candy canes, snowmen, reindeer and Nativity scenes. The streetlights were each adorned with wreathes and trees were hung with blue and gold lights. It all made for a very magical sight.

Nobody was more excited than the Mystery Inc. gang. Christmas had always been the highlight of the year for them, no matter what thrilling events had occurred in the previous months. The moment December rolled around, Christmas preparations got into full swing. Decorations were hung up, the tree was assembled, wish-lists were written, many shopping trips were made and presents were wrapped. One evening, after a particularly long, tiring day of gift hunting, Fred and Daphne decided to have a night out together, just the two of them. The couple decided to go to one of the gang's favourite haunts: the malt shop. Although the place was only a few blocks away from the gang's apartment, they decided to go in the Mystery Machine; there was no way they were walking to the malt shop on a freezing winter night. They sat at their usual spot by the window and contented themselves with sipping jumbo pink lemonades, chatting by the minute.

Daphne sighed deeply as she sat back in her chair and gazed out the window. It had been snowing for several hours and the empty streets were covered in a blanket of white, contrasting with the dark sky above. Snowflakes drifted down from the heavens, swirling in the bitter wind and heaping onto the bare branches of the trees lining the streets that creaked under their weight. The sight was very beautiful and picturesque.

"I sure am glad we're not out there right now" Fred said, giving her a small fright.

The redhead nodded in agreement. "You and me both. It must be at least a few thousand degrees below zero out there." She drained his glass then pushed it aside and smiled across the table at her boyfriend. "So, what surprise did you get me today?"

Fred grinned. While shopping at the mall for presents, he had found a gift which he knew would be perfect for Daphne but had refused to tell her what it was. "Still not gonna tell you, Daphne. I want it to be a surprise."

"Aww, c'mon. Can't you just give me a little hint? Please? Just one?"

Fred shook her head, still grinning widely. "Nope. You'll have to wait until the big day."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright." Just then, Daphne's phone buzzed with an incoming call from her mother. "I'll just take this outside" she said, grabbing her coat.

"Don't be too long out there" Fred called after her as she disappeared out the door.

"Hey, Mum" Daphne said, putting the phone to her ear as she zipped up her coat. "I'm fine, thanks. What about you and Dad?...That's good. Anyway, what's up?...Dinner? On Sunday? Yeah, sure. I'd love to come. What time?...Ok. What about Fred? Can he...?"

The sound of a bin falling over caused Daphne to jump. She turned around and looked to where the noise had come from, hoping to see what had caused it, but no sign of life was visible. Daphne hoped it was just a fox. She was about to return to her conversation when a small movement caught her eye. It might have been her imagination, but Daphne could have sworn she had seen a shadow moving towards the narrow alley, just a few metres away from where she stood.

"Daphne? Are you still there?" Mrs Blake's concerned voice inquired from her end of the line.

"I'll call you back" Daphne replied before ending the call and pocketing her phone.

Trembling, the redhead slowly inched her way towards the dark alley, her feet crunching softly in the crisp white snow. Something about that alley had always given her the creeps, though she could never work out what. Maybe it was the tall, formidable buildings that bordered it. Maybe it was the fear of not knowing what lurked in the shadows of that place, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. Or maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the fact that a young girl had once been murdered there while walking home alone one night.

Daphne had now reached the edge of alley and was freaking out more than ever. Fumbling in her pocket, she pulled out her phone, turned the screen brightness up to the highest level possible and pointed the screen towards the alley. It was completely deserted.

"H-Hello?" she called out in a quivering voice. "Is...Is anyone there?"

No answer.

Must've imagined it, she thought as she switched off her phone and turned to walk back to the shop, only to find her path blocked by a dark figure. She gasped in surprise and was about to scream when the figure clamped an ice-cold hand over her mouth and dragged her into the alley.

Back in the malt shop, Fred was growing increasingly concerned. Daphne had been gone for nearly ten minutes. Where is she? He wondered. Finally, he decided to go and search for her. Standing up, he pulled on his jacket and walked outside into the freezing night.

"Daphne?" he called out, hoping for a response that never came. "Daphne, are you out here?"

The patter of running feet echoing from the alley drew his attention. "Daphne, is that you?" he asked, chasing after the noise.

"DAPH-" Fred's urgent cry was cut short when he skidded into the alley and was met with a sight that made him want to tear his eyes out. Daphne was lying on the ground, unconscious and covered in multiple scars. A thin line of blood trickled down her face from a cut on her forehead.

"Oh god, no, Daphne!" Fred cried, falling to his knees. "Daphne, are you ok? Can you hear me? C'mon Daphne, please, say something! Anything! Daphne, wake up! Please, WAKE UP!"