Chapter 26

In Max's room that night, Max stares out the window when he suddenly spots two more snowmen in their yard as Mary was helping her Omi with the fire and making rations for food. Both face the house like the first one, but these guys look a lot less friendly. And they weren't there a moment ago...Tom checked his phone. Battery dying. No service. Sarah asked, "Anything?"

In the dining room, Sarah enters, and hands Tom a sandwich. He's sitting by the window. It's getting darker outside, colder inside. They started to see their breaths. Tom said, "It's the strangest thing... No cars. No people. Not even a salt truck. Don't suppose you got me a backup generator, did you?"

Sarah said, "Under the tree, next to your ties and underwear." Sarah sits and wraps a blanket around both of them. "Hey, what time is it? Beth should probably be home by now, shouldn't she?"

Tom said, "She's fine, she's at Derek's."

Sarah said, "All the more reason to worry."

Tom said, "Hon, relax. Just for once, okay? How's everyone else doing?"

Sarah replied, "Cranky. Bored. Sick of the cold. And each other."

Tom said, "Tis the season." Sarah smiles and leans her head on his shoulder. Tom seems surprised as if they haven't been this close in a while. He gives into it. Gently kisses her on the head. "I miss Dad."

Sarah said, "I miss us."

Tom replied, "Me too." Outside the wind roars, rattling the house. Frozen trees scrape the windows like phantoms.

Sarah asked, "How long can this keep up?"

Tom replied, "Not long. Not at this rate anyway." More wind. Even harsher. And then distant sirens. Tom sees Sarah is worried. He is too but hides it better. "At least we know there's someone else out there."

Then they heard their son. "Mom? Dad?" Max lingers in the doorway, concerned. "It's almost dark out - and Beth isn't back yet."

Mary checked her watch. "Unless it's the winter solstice but my watch says it's been over an hour." Tom and Sarah exchanged a look, both of them thinking about Beth and the distant sirens they just heard...

In the living room, in the crackling fire, Omi adds some logs. Then, oddly, sneaks a glance up the chimney, as if anxiously looking for something. The rest of the family is huddled under coats and blankets. Junk food everywhere, Rosie the Bulldog snoring on her back. Howard awkwardly feeds Baby Chrissy a bottle while Howie munches on a fruitcake. Dorothy shivers on the couch, nursing a flask and a good buzz. She said, "Tell ya what if I was one of those bums freezing in the streets right now?" She fingers cross her throat. "I'd just end it."

Linda wraps a blanket around Stevie and Jordan, who are busy killing zombies on an iPad. "Christ, Aunt Dorothy..."

Aunt Dorothy asked, "What? Even on a nice day, you wonder why they bother."

Tom, Sarah, and Max enter, clearly worried. Tom asked, "Hey Howard, think your Hummer can get through this mess?"

Howard asked, "Lucinda? Hell, I could point her due east hit the gas, and be storming the beaches of Normandy by sunrise. What's up?"

Sarah answered, "Beth. She went to her boyfriend's earlier but should be back by now."

Aunt Dorothy said, "See, let 'em out of your sight for one second, and BOOM - a shotgun wedding. "

Linda didn't like that. "Aunt Dorothy, please."

Aunt Dorothy said, "You oughta know..." Linda shrinks, stung by the truth.

Mary said as she got the blankets out, "That explains the wedding pictures. Mom said you gain 50 pounds 'cause you were on an eating binge because you were jealous of Mom 'cause she got skinny after she had Beth." Linda glared at Sarah and Sarah looked away in embarrassment.

Max then notices Omi becoming agitated. Oddly so. Tom said, "It's probably nothing but I thought we'd pick her up and do a quick swing around town, see what's going on out there."

Howard likes the idea. "A little recon mission, eh?" He hands Chrissy to Linda. "Thought you'd never ask."

But they turn to leave, Omi grabs Tom's arm. "Kein Aufenthalt... nicht gehen…"

Tom was confused. "What? Why?"

Aunt Dorothy asked, "The hell she all riled up about?"

Omi said something again. "Warten, bis der Sturm voruber ist."

Max said, "She says not to go. That it's too dangerous, and that we should wait... until the storm is over."

Tom and Sarah exchange a concerned look as if this isn't the first time they've seen Omi act irrationally. Sarah said, "Tom..."

Tom said, "I got it. Hey Mom, we have to pick up Beth but Max and Sarah will take care of you while I'm gone, alright?" Omi shakes her head, and tries to reply, but... "Mom, Mom, listen-everything's going to be okay. I promise." But Omi doesn't seem so sure, nervously biting her lip while Tom and Howard head for the door. Seeing how agitated she is, Max gently holds his grandmother's hand as Mary hugged her. Sarah and Linda watch from the doorway, hiding their unease as the hummer roars to life and rumbles into the icy streets.

As the men were driving slowly navigating a dark hazy maze. Howard said, "Global warming my ass. Must be at least negative twenty." FWIP FWIP FWIP – windshield wipers fight a losing battle with sleet and fog. Tom rides a shotgun while searching for a radio channel, but only finds static.

Tom said, "It just doesn't make any sense..."

Howard asked, "Try A.M.?"

Tom said, "Tried everything."

Howard replied, "Guess the storm knocked out all the stations too."

Tom agrees. "Yeah, guess so..."

Then Tom finds something - the familiar long beep of the emergency broadcast signal fighting through hissing static: -National Weather Ser- has iss-a blizz- warn -entire Central Oh- area, including Franklin Coun-, Dela- Chagrin Falls, and Warren Vall- temper- negative - degrees- - urged avoid trav- seek shelter—" Neither man wants to admit how bad this sounds.

Howard tried to lighten the mood. "What I wouldn't give for some Bing Crosby right about now."

Tom quietly agrees when he notices something outside. "Wait, wait, slow down. What is that...?" They see a wide path freshly cut through the street.

Howard said, "Looks like a plow came through..."

The Hummer turns, followed by the plowed trail. Misty headlights reveal cars buried under huge sweeping snow drifts. The Hummer continues along the carved path. It's almost like a frozen canyon, with snow piled high on either side. Then the Hummer's beams cut through the eerie mist to reveal: the snow plow. Rammed into a tree. Howard was surprised. "Jesus H..." Tom and Howard climb out. They cautiously approach the crashed plow. Flashlights scan the driver's door, hanging open. The plow is empty. Tom finds a shattered windshield while Howard notices a trail of frantic footprints scrambling away from the crash. "Must've lost control somehow. Maybe smacked his head on the windshield... stumbled that way?"

Tom checks inside. Notices a photo of a man and his family clipped to the visor. Wrapped gifts in the passenger seat - all covered in shattered glass. Tom said, "I don't think it was his head that did that, Howard. Look..." Howard now notices the gaping hole was punched inward. On edge, Tom checks his phone again: NO SIGNAL. Battery 5%. "We gotta find Beth."

Howard said, "Snow's too high, Tom. Lucinda's a tough broad but she ain't gonna cut through the rest of this mess."

Tom said, "Well, Derek's place is only a few blocks from here. Same way as those tracks." Howard is already walking back to the Hummer, where he opens a lock box to reveal a shotgun and a .357 revolver. "You packed guns on Christmas…"

Howard said, "I ain't taking any chances." He hands him the revolver. "Just point and shoot, my friend."

Tom tested the weight. "Kinda heavy."

Howard said, "Yeah, it's Linda's." Howard slams the trunk shut. The men moved all through the neighborhood flashlights following the erratic footprints. Looks like there was a struggle. Then the white snow becomes dotted with red specks leading to a huge puddle of icy blood-soaked snow. Tom and Howard gawk at the frozen blood. Howard looks down, sickened to realize he's standing in some of it. "Sweet Lord..." Howard is about to puke or run as Tom kneels, inspecting some shreds of clothes, a wallet, and keys. "Tom, what kind of godforsaken neighborhood do you live in?"

Tom pockets the wallet and keys, then looks around at all the eerily quiet homes and notices:

Front doors. Smashed windows. More erratic footprints lead from the porches into yards - but none of the tracks seem to make it past the sidewalks...Tom's mind is racing, thinking only of Beth. "Come on."

Howard said, "But..." Tom keeps going. Howard reluctantly follows gun raised, still glancing back at the puddle of frozen blood as a match lights an old Santa candle, his chubby face already melted into a demented scowl.

Back at the house, Sarah and Linda light candles, trying to keep things cozy. Max is trying to read a comic book but keeps stealing at the Santa candle, oddly uneasy as his sister Mary was hugging Baby Bop for dear life. His cousins snore. Looking at the Christmas tree, Linda's eyes light up. "Oh my gosh! You had Mom's angel this whole time?"

Sarah said, "I thought you knew."

Linda said, "No! Ohhh, remember how we used to fight over who got to place her?"

Sarah smiles at the memory. "Yeah, and you fought dirty. Think I still have the scars."

Linda inspects the tree, touched to find old handmade ornaments and a faded photo of her and Sarah as kids. "Where do you think my girls got it from? Sis, you saved everything..."

Sarah said, "Yeah, I figured it's what Mom would've done, you know?" As Sarah and Linda share a nostalgic moment.

Linda said, "You always do everything right..."

Sarah said, "Nah, I'm just really good at making it look like I do. Truth is, there isn't a day that goes by where I don't wake up with one hand on the panic button."

Linda doesn't believe her. "Oh c'mon, you? You've got everything! Your whole house is like one big SkyMall catalog."

Sarah said, "Yeah but with Tom traveling, Max always holed up in his room doing... whatever it is boys do, Beth spending all her time with Derek, and Mary still recovering from Alex's death let alone her ballet, things can get a little, I don't know... quiet."

Linda said, "Grass is always greener, sis, trust me. I'd kill for some quiet. Look at me, three years younger but somehow managed to squeeze out twice as many kids. Do that math."

Sarah said, "I know, but you guys always seem so... happy. Like you could care less what anyone else thinks."

Linda said, "Don't you dare say you're jealous. Especially after Mary spilled the beans about my wedding photo."

Sarah said, "Yeah sorry about that. No, I only... It's nice to have some company. That's all." The sisters smile. Their first real conversation in years. Suddenly, the wind howls, rattling the house. Even the fire flickers. Max and his cousins perk up, alarmed, when: THUD! More wood lands in the hearth, piled on by Omi. She stokes the flame higher and checks the heat. Adds another log. "Omi, try not to use up all the firewood, okay? We need to make it last."

But Omi waves her off. "Yeah, yeah."

Suddenly: SCRATCH SCRATCH. From above. Something on the roof? Everyone hears it. Max and Mary were getting scared. "Mom...?"

Sarah said, "Probably just squirrels."

Aunt Dorothy asked, "In this weather?" SCRATCH SCRATCH - they listen as it scurries towards the chimney. Rosie whimpers at the ceiling when WHAM! Something else hits the roof. Bigger. Heavier. SCRATCH SCRATCH, SCURRY SCURRY - all eyes are glued to the ceiling.

Max notices Omi clutching the FIRE-POKER like a weapon, staring at the fireplace. Then, to herself. "Elfen..."

Then with a final massive BOOOOOOM that makes everyone jump out of their seats - silence. It's gone. Sarah tried to brush it off. "See? Squirrels."

But the twins can tell she doesn't seem so sure. Aunt Dorothy said, "Right. Probably playing with their nuts."