Quote:
Caroling has been a tradition for years, so it’s really no surprise when you hear a soft chorus from outside. What is a surprise is the fact that it’s three in the morning, and the moment they start singing you feel a chill in the air. It’s a song you’ve heard a hundred times before, but something about this version makes you go cold. If you move to the window, you will find no carolers, but the song is loud enough that you know you should be able to see them. They sing one song, and then there is silence. An eerie chill lingers, and your dreams are haunted by strange voices. You’ll probably never be able to hear that song again without feeling a chill.
It was late.
Typically Mackenzie donned the guise of Vanadinite at this hour, but it was the holidays… And while reaching her quotas for her General was of utmost importance, she did have some semblance of morals and felt a little on the guilty side pulling starseeds and draining energy this time of year. Plus, it was far, far too cold outside to be patrolling. Normally in a situation like this the late-night party scene of Destiny City called her name- the loud music, alcohol and dancing made for a good way to get warm (and maybe keep warm if you met someone to take home afterwards) but instead she found herself at home. Asleep. Warm and cozy and definitely asleep.
Or at least she was asleep until some a*****e group of carolers decided that 3am was a perfectly acceptable time to be singing outside of peoples’ homes. Red-pink eyes fluttered open and a loud, dramatic sigh escaped her lips. She laid there for a moment, deciding whether or not she really needed to leave the warmth of her bed to tell them to shut the ******** up. Maybe they would just go away on their own. They sang for other people after all, right? She gave it a few seconds…
But the singing continued and an awful chill ran down Mackenzie’s spine, goosebumps rising on her skin. Legs swung out from under her blankets to the edge of her bed. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stood, pulling her robe on and wrapping it tightly around herself. The heat was definitely on, so why did she feel so damn cold? Moving to her bedroom window, she peered through the darkness down at the street to see where the song was coming from- and no one was there. Were they seriously at her ******** doorstep? The nerve of some people! As she made her way out of her room and down the stairs, the singing stopped. There was no way in hell she was going to let the group walk away after waking her up- it was entirely inappropriate to be singing at peoples’ doorsteps in the middle of the night! She tore the door open ready to yell at the carolers, only to find no one there. Not a single person. Bare feet and all, she stepped out onto the porch and looked around… No one. How the hell was that possible?
Pulling her robe tighter around herself, Mackenzie slowly backed up into her home and shut the door, pressing her back to it quickly. Her heart was racing and something just felt wrong. She took a couple of moments to reign herself in, took a deep breath, and willed herself to go back upstairs to try and pretend this entire ordeal never happened.
She was absolutely convinced, however, that the moment she closed her eyes she would hear the chorus of eerie voices again. So instead of falling asleep, Mackenzie laid in bed staring up at her ceiling. Hours passed and eventually the sun began to creep through her windows.
It was only then that her eyes closed and her mind allowed her to sleep.
[WC: 527]
