Chapter 14: The Penalty of Disobedience

"I say, what's going on in there?" Santa began pounding on the door a few moments after he heard Grace call for immediate help. But what really concerned him was that her cry made her sound more like she was in danger. "Will you not open this door?"

"Grace, open up at once!" Mrs. Calloway shouted pushing against the door. "This is no time for silly games."

"Santa, why don't you leave this door to us?" Maggie prompted. "We know how to handle it." She and Mrs. Calloway walked to the edge of the hallway to prepare and break down the doors. Santa and Rudolph moved out of the way as soon as the two began their charge from the hall and straight toward the frozen door with enough force to knock out a wagon of supplies.

BOOM! The girls succeeded in opening the doors only to find the back door left open with the chilled wind seeping in. Grace was no where in sight.

"Huh, did she go outside or what?" Maggie asked in puzzlement when her eyes caught sight of the door pushed from the wind. "Somebody shut the door!" she rubbed her front legs to warm them up.

Just as Rudolph was heading there, he noticed some purple earmuffs lying next to a note written in black ink. The words had shocked him.

"Santa the star is gone, and there's a note on this table!" he cried.

"Bring it here Rudolph," ordered Santa. The reindeer picked it up in his mouth and handed it over to Santa. On the paper, he read:

Dear Mr. Clause,

If you are wondering where the beautiful blond bovine might have disappeared to, let me assure you that she is now being held in my chambers and shall never again see the light of day. Of course, if those other two cows want to see her again, then they'll have to come forward and pay the ultimate price or else I'll have no choice but to turn her into an ice statue. If I were you, I wouldn't bother with delivering those stupid toys for the little brats outside; because no child will be there by the time you finish reading this letter. The star now belongs to me. Have a very unhappy Christmas!

Signed,

Crystal, the Ice Empress of Stone Cold Mountain

In anger, Santa crinkled the letter in the palm of his fists and threw it on the ground. It wasn't Grace that locked the door; it was that wicked cold-hearted ice woman who burst in here to swipe the star off the tree and swept her away. What was he going to do about this? The poor dear at this time might be shivering in the pitiless cold while Crystal enjoyed herself from watching her do this. Now she was sitting atop her throne waiting for Maggie and Mrs. Calloway. He couldn't bear to send them there. And the star was the most important source of Christmas cheer.

Wondering what might have gotten him so worked up; Mrs. Calloway unwrinkled the letter and held it flat on the floor to read.

"Stone Cold Mountain?" she said in a shock. "I knew that horrible woman would be at it again! First she tries to trick us into joining her, and then she almost traps Grace in ice, now she's taken her off to that awful lair of hers."

"What?" Maggie took the letter from Mrs. C to have a look and started to shake in fury. "Why that…that…that…" she couldn't think of the right word to call that woman whilst still shivering. "...that witch!" At those last two words, Maggie's anger eased slightly as she started to breath deeply.

"Let us not jump to conclusions here now!" said Santa who held up his hands to calm the two down a bit. "I understand how you both are feeling about this. I'm feeling the same thing too, but I'm quite positive that there will be a way to get through with this."

He watched Mrs. Calloway attempt to calm Maggie who was still taking deep breaths from fuming. This felt slightly odd for her since she herself was usually the one doing all that. Both of them were still unaware of the spell placed on those blue bonbons about to take control of their personalities. It may have been possible that Maggie was unable to contain herself because of it starting to take effect. Now she was holding her stomach as if she swallowed something sharp.

"Maggie, are you alright?" Mrs. Calloway lowered her head down to see that she had an expression of pain. Before she could come any further, Maggie shoved her back furiously. "Maggie!" she scolded. Santa took one step back from this, but then moved forward again already suspecting that something else was wrong other than with Grace being kidnapped by Crystal. The cow's eyes appeared to be changing from normal to steely after every second.

"Snap out of it!" he shouted clapping his hands in front of her face. That did the trick. Maggie turned her head back and forth in confusion.

"What…What just happened to me?" she asked.

"I believe Maggie that because you were so infuriated with Crystal, your stomach had twisted and you pushed me back. Don't you remember?" Mrs. Calloway specified trying not to lose her temper from what happened recently. She knew there were more important things at hand.

"I…I…I don't know what came over me, I swear," Maggie replied shamefully not knowing what else to say. "I know I was angry, but I'd never…"

"I don't believe that you meant to push her like that on purpose," Santa proclaimed putting his left hand on her back softly. Maggie gazed up at him as he still spoke. "It seems to me that Crystal has somehow managed to place one of her spells on you without being noticed. Think back now; do any of you remember anything suspicious on your way here?"

"Not that we know of except that…" Mrs. Calloway stopped short when she remembered what Grace brought to them in Sweet Shop Lane. "…except that Grace did bring us these strange bonbons she urged us to try and taste." Then she shook her head doubtfully. "But that's impossible; isn't it?"

"Whatever happens, do not think about heading to Stone Cold Mountain alone," Santa warned them. "Because that is exactly what she wants you to do. There mustn't be any more lives put at risk. And I can't allow her words in that letter to stop me from doing my job tonight. All the children in the world are counting on me just as your friend is counting on us to save her."

"But Santa, what do you think she meant when she said that 'no child will be there by the time you finish reading this letter?'" Rudolph asked.

"I don't know Rudolph," Santa replied sadly. He couldn't help himself from worrying about what was to happen to become of the children in the human world. He didn't care how else Crystal entered here since finding a way to solve the problem was more important now. "But we have to work at this together. Can you stay here with the girls while I go and give an important announcement to everyone?"

"I will Santa," the reindeer answered softly. Santa left through the doors still frosted in a few layers of ice which was beginning to melt a bit.

"What use would Crystal have for the Christmas star?" Maggie asked worriedly not wishing to know what it was.

"I don't know Maggie," Mrs. Calloway answered in the same tone. "I just don't know."

Meanwhile in Crystal's ice chamber

Grace sat in the freezing atmosphere shivering from her head to her feet. Without her earmuffs, her ears felt numb and stiff. Everything in this place was made from ice that never melted. The cold air here was nothing compared to the blizzard back at home where she and her friends would play and have fun with snowball fights. But there was nothing to enjoy here in this dark and lonely cell that had long icicles for bars. She was surrounded in glass-like ice with her back legs chained to the wall. All she could do was shiver in sorrow as she thought about what was going to happen to her. The cell was located behind Crystal's icy throne. Right now, the Ice Empress was in a different room where she was trying to figure out a way to alter the star's powers to use for her own selfish deeds.

"I…I wish…we were…home," she stammered from shivering. She was unable to sing because of her throat beginning to feel raw from the bitter cold. "I…don't like…being…here." Grace carefully moved to the right and lied down to curve herself in protection from the harsh chilled air. But the bad feelings remained inside her mind. She knew quite well that she was no match for Crystal's powers and the woman was much stronger than her as well. Standing up to her was out of the question. She used her pink scarf to wipe her nose carelessly. But now she wished for more winter garments to keep her body from suffering in this bitter cell. All that sorrowful thinking made her feel worse. It was bad enough being Crystal's prisoner while she was also expecting the other two to show up anytime now. Part of her wanted to escape from this cell while the other part didn't want her friends to face the same fate as what Crystal planned for them.

"There is…no way…out of…here," she stuttered miserably gazing at her surroundings. "What do I do?" From the looks of this place, chances of escape are slim.

Her mind turned to Pearl Geisner and the rest of the farm animals. None of them had any idea that she is being held captive in a different realm. If she and her friends never returned, they'll believe that the girls might have fallen victim to vicious coyotes, cattle rustling, or natural disasters. She had to keep her faith up no matter how hopeless this situation may be.

But how will we ever get home if Crystal's plan succeeds and Christmas is forever ruined for everyone? Grace thought hopelessly. The thought of that brought tears to her dismal eyes which froze on the ground where they fell. Her sobbing had echoed in the icy cell. The blond heifer cried bitterly feeling that this was all her fault (although it wasn't). Now her friends' lives are about to be put in further jeopardy the moment they arrive to become victims instead of saving her.

"What's this I hear?" a cold voice broke Grace out of her thoughts as she saw Crystal wave her left hand over the icicles to lift them up in order for her to make an entrance. She walked toward Grace slowly with her hands clasped behind her back. "Oh come now my pet," she maintained sneering at the frozen tears on the cow's frosted face. "Let's not make such a fuss; besides I'm not too worried about you feeling anymore despicable grief over family and friends. Do you know why?" Grace shook her head. "Because the spell inside will freeze your heart like an iceburg allowing me to force you to obey my commands."

Grace looked confused. "What are…you talking…about?"

Crystal snickered and instantly transformed herself into the same cookie girl Grace met who had offered her free samples of the frozen treats. "Care for some frozen treats?" she repeated her line and snorted with laughter. Grace realized in disbelief that Crystal had tricked her into accepting the bonbons back in Candy Land. But then she remembered acting different when she suffered from a major stomachache at the workshop.

"You mean I…" Grace didn't want to think about what Crystal had done.

"That's right my pet," Crystal twitted as she scratched her cold finger underneath the cow's chin smiling unpleasantly. Because her nails were long and sharp, Grace winced feeling fearful that the nail would scratch too deep. She listened as Crystal went on. "Because the three of you couldn't accept my humble bargain, I thought I could make the job easier by…" Grace saw Crystal curl her right hand into a tight fist and then uncurling it to reveal the blue bonbons glowing in her palm. "…offering a few samples of my most enchanted treats." Grace gasped upon listening to this and finally understood. "You see my pet; I placed a spell on these treats that will make you as cold-hearted and malicious as I am. Now my servant, bow down to me." She pointed to the icy floor in demand.

"I'll never bow to you!" Grace spat, taking a step back from her. For a moment, Crystal frowned down at her silently then a sinister smile crossed her blue lips.

"Then I'll have to show you what happens to those who don't abide by my rules," Crystal snapped her fingers and the chains on the cow's ankles unlocked. Grace, who was feeling worn down from the effects of the bitter cold had no strength to fight back as Crystal yanked her out of the cell painfully by her pink scarf.

In the courtyard

She didn't stop dragging her until they entered an enormous room with dozens of statues sitting here and there like something one sees when venturing inside a forbidden ancient temple. All about there were statues of young reindeer, foxes, rabbits, deer, gingerbread people, and Mr. Frazzle?! How did he get in here? Grace thought, completely stunned. She remembered Crystal threatening to transform her into an ice statue if she didn't agree to her offer. This was why no one wanted to talk about this forbidden region, especially Ester.

"This is what happens when one refuses to serve me, they are turned into ice statues." Crystal released her scarf knowing that Grace already had no intention or enough strength to make a run for it. The young heifer moved slowly toward statues of two large deers and a baby fawn in between them. Her heart filled with pity seeing the lost innocence behind their eyes standing here for many months or possibly years in dead silence. She whirled around to face Crystal with an angry expression.

"Why would you want to harm these poor innocent creatures? Maybe all they wanted was to have a wonderful Christmas with their families and I'm sure they wanted nothing to do with your relentless plot to ruin it!" Grace shouted trying to act brave with what she said. But now her stomach twisted madly causing her to collapse on the icy floor to curl up. This evil spell inside was already too much for her to handle. She was too busy moaning in pain to see or hear Crystal approach.

"Doesn't it hurt to feel extreme pain?" Grace heard her taunt with laughter. Then she felt that icy hand of hers seize her by the scruff of the neck to be pulled back up on her four feet and forced to stand in front of Crystal. Grace watched her wicked smirk turn into an angry frown. This sent shivers down her spine as she was never used to seeing this sort of thing. "Do you want to know what I think of Christmas?" she spat viciously stepping toward Grace who was moving backwards in fear until her back was pressed against a solid icy wall. "It's nothing more than a lame excuse of giving and taking until there is nothing left to give but babbling words of pathetic poetry I have never even heard of." She bends down to meet the bovine's face with a mad glint in her eyes. Grace turned her head away from staring at her. "I don't need anyone telling me what I shouldn't have. I take because I want to." She maintained placing her blue finger underneath Grace's chin to force her head up. "I deserve everything I take, including you." She gave her a quick poke in the chest.

"I'm not yours to take," Grace said weakly in a raw tone.

Crystal could only chuckle lightly hearing this. "What a fool you are to think that you can resist overcoming my spell," she taunted coldly. Then she gave Grace a stunning blow across the face powerful enough to knock her on the floor and snarled. "Let that be a lesson to teach you to talk back to me in that tone of voice!" She strolled over to where the bovine fell and with one quick movement; Crystal kneeled down and lifted her up by the scarf before she had a chance to help herself. Soon Grace was staring in front of Crystal's blue face. "I am going to use the star to create an entire world of eternal winter and you're going to help me or face a terrible fate!" she hissed, pointing to the statues. "I am powerful and you are weak. "Nobody says 'no' to me and you won't either." She pulled tighter on Grace's scarf almost on the verge of choking her. "Am I clear?" Crystal sneered and was finally pleased to see that the bovine sunk her head down in defeat. She knew quite well what that meant. Releasing her, she ordered. "Now bow down to me my humble servant!" Grace obeyed and cowered at her feet miserably. She couldn't help herself from doing so because of the spell. Maybe it was foolish to get her hopes up now that she was bewitched and could do nothing about it.

"Well now that it's settled, why don't we go and see how your friends are doing?" Crystal whirled around and headed to the throne room with Grace following close behind with her head hanging low. Crystal walked out of the room of ice statues and through the icy cells until she stood before her throne chair to have a seat. Grace walked slowly to stand beside her throne. Crystal pointed to a circular mirror as tall as her with its sides covered in small icicles. With a wave of her hand, the mirror glowed to show an image of Maggie and Mrs. Calloway pushing their way through the raging blizzard a mile away from Stone Cold Mountain. "Ah yes, it seems the rest of my servants are on their way over to me!" She looked at Grace with a twisted grin.

As Grace watched her friends in the mirror, tears streaked down her face and froze into the smallest icicles. In truth, she would rather die than spend eternity living as Crystal's servant. But even that choice was impossible. Then afterward, her eyes became steely and blank.