The house was completely dark when she slid the backdoor open, the family room pitch black. She fumbled through the darkness, and rammed her knee hard on the table edge, making her grunt. She made it to the kitchen, and felt along the wall for the light switch, finding it, and snapping on the kitchen light. The glare showed a mess of bowls and chocolate sauce on the counter, along with melted icecream puddles, and disintegrating sprinkles. . Carol stared at the mess for a second, then shook her head.
"Damn, Suzie...give me a break.."
She started scrubbing the counter, muttering curses to herself the whole time, not thinking about Suzie still being awake. She didn't hear her soft footsteps, until...
"What's a "dumbass"?" A voice said behind her: Damnit...
Carol looked behind her slowly, to see Suzie standing there, questioning the new word she'd just learned. A word that would NOT go over well with her mother when Suzie spouted it at some inoppurtune time in public. Great, good one Carol.
"Uhm..." Yes, explain this one away, Miss Genius. "It's...a...word adults say sometimes when they're angry..and..you...should never repeat it, okay?"
Suzie nodded, so easily impressed by "It's an adult thing". "Okay...I promise."
Carol mentally patted herself on the back. She was going to be such a good parent someday, if she ever decided it was worth ruing her body for a whining pink thing that screamed for help at 3 am.
"What did you do, anyway? Kill a chocolate rabbit?" Carol held up a encrusted bowl, dripping with ice cream.
"I was tryin' to make a sundae for Santa." Suzie trilled, smiling.
Really.. just really. Carol tried hard to not roll her eyes, and managed not to, until she looked away to scrub at the bowl more. The crap wasn't coming off, and would need to soak. "I thougt he only wanted milk and cookies?"
Suzie looked guilty. "Tommy told me he liked sundae's, so I was makin' one for him, and I made a mess..." It all came out in a rush, and Carol felt sorry for the kid.
"Hey, hey.." Carol knelt, and hugged Suzie. "It's okay, really...I can get it cleaned up, and we'll put out milk and cookies for Santa." She smiled. "Hey...Jack Frost, Rudolph, and Snow Miser are all on tonight. We watchin'?"
She knew that'd win Suzie over. Cartoons always did, more so if they were Christmas related. Suzei would watch her old Christmas VHS's all during the year. It was odd, but as long as it kept her happy.
"You go set it up, I'll put this mess in to soak." Carol stood, giving Suzie a little shove forward into the living room. Suzei toddled off into the living room, and Carol had to smile at the little scream of glee that came from the living room, as the familiar theme tune to Jack Frost began playing from the tv.
It made the task of scrubbing the shit out of the bowl in a futile attempt to clean it vaugely enjoyable, as she scrubbed in time to the music. She hummed, feeling...oddly happy. Which wasn't really an emotion dishwashing usually made you feel...
She left the bowls to soak in soap, and just figured her mother would finish the job in the morning. Suzie was watching the tail end of Rudolph, so she quietly sat next to her. Suzie moved so her head rested on Carol's lap. Surprised, Carol gently stroked Suzie's hair, as Jack Frost began. Her eyes felt heavy: it had been a rough day, with three back to back tests, and hardly any sleep the night before, staying up late to cram... plus the gym meet... mmmm... and the regular gym class, with added basketball game..
"...nippin' at your nose.." The lyrics vaguely made it into her tired brain, as she finally let her eyes droop, still stroking Carol's hair. Just a little nap, maybe.. the special was thirty minutes... long enough.
Her eyes closed.
"...nippin' off your nose..." A voice whispered. Carol only have heard it, as she reached to stroke Suzie's hair again: her hand met empty air.
A loud screeching made her jump, blinking stupidly at her surroundings. Everything seemed the same, except for the movie. The picture had flickered and warped, but from what little was still visible, Jack Frost was murdering the villagers, his fingers long and silver...almost like knives... his clothes red and green now... what?
The movie suddenly came to an end, snow flickering across the screen. Distorted voices echoed from behind the glass, children's voices. Carol got up from the couch, the carpet feeling deeper under her feet, as she knelt before the glass of the lines ran across it, and she touched a finger to it: warm... and thick.
She screamed as hands shot from the screen, scrabbling for her face, fingers dirty and broken, the nails hanging from green and grey flesh.
The carpet squished under her fingers, and she screamed as her hands came away smeared with the ooze. The house was dripping all around her, the slime running down the walls and pictures, the carpet soaking in it. She stumbled to her feet, falling over and over as she tried to make it to the hall, to the door..she had to get outside... to the street..to help...
A hand took hers, a kind, warm, firm hand, that helped her to her feet. A woman she'd never seen before smiled kindly at her, her hazel eyes streaked with laugh lines at the corners, but also seemed haunted, hollow. She'd seen things in her life that had scarred her, and there was no hiding them. Her eyes betrayed her like mirrors reflecting damnation.
A white streak ran up her hair, jagged, like lightning.
"Carol...it's okay." she said, her voice soft, mother-like, "I'll help you get out of here."
"W..where a..am I.? My sister...I...I.." Carol tried, but she broke down into sobs.
The woman gently took Carol's chin in her hand, and gazed into her eyes seriously. "Carol... you and your sister are in great danger here." She smiled, but it was troubled.
"I can help. My name is Nancy, and I...I used to live here."
"W..where?" Carol sobbed, her vision wavering as tears ran down her cheeks.
"Elm Street..." Nancy replied softly.