December 24th.

Christmas Eve is upon us yet again!

This is the night that should be filled with wonder and anticipation, right? Kids should be rushing to set their favorite cookies and milk out for Santa Claus so they can get to bed. Parents should be making sure that the cookies and milk are gone before the kids wake up. It should be magical!
Not this time.

There was snow already covering the ground and still falling softly. It was the epitome of beautiful. As Jalon was strolling down the sidewalk on Vorhees Street, he noticed a straggling set of footprints coming from across the road and nearing his driveway. Normally he wouldn't pay them any attention, but he could tell that whoever left them was walking barefoot in the snow. Jalon thought to himself, “Whoever has the audacity to be out here with nothing on their feet is BEYOND wild. That's the type of person you don't wanna come across right there." As he continues walking to the beat of his Dre Beats, he glances towards his house and notices something that catches his eye, stopping him in his tracks. There was something sitting on his porch. Standing at a distance, Jalon stared as he processed what he was seeing and recognized it wasn't a something, but rather a someone. THE someone. He could tell the hooded person in front of him wasn't very large in stature, but he also understood that you don't have to be very large to be a threat. With that in mind, Jalon dug his serrated knife out of his pocket before he proceeded to make his presence known. He calls out to the frail being in front of his door, "Aye, you lost?" As the person slowly turns to face him, Jalon recognized the young, feminine features before him. Upon this discovery, Jalon slowly approached, stepping gently to show that he meant no harm. Jalon paused and took a brief glance around to make sure she didn't have any company. He doesn't register any other footprints in the snow around his house, but he also doesn't notice that the footprints he had seen, although close, were not quite human.

Ever the humanitarian, Jalon removed his coat and swiftly swung it around her shoulders. He quickly unlocks his door, swings it open and ushers the girl inside. She hasn't uttered a single word and he has yet to get a good look at her. After he gets her settled on his couch and covers her with a blanket, he flips on the lights and glances toward the girl. He couldn't help the gasp he released as his facial expression betrayed him showing the eminent fear he so desperately tried to hide. Her entire front appears soaked with a thick, red substance. Drenched with what seemed to be blood.

The girl's eyes dart up towards me at the sudden change in illumination and she looks mortified; as if she's just realized what she's covered with. She lunges forward in an effort to stand up and rush away. "Yo, wait! Hold up! What's going on?" Jalon asks. He's already assessing the situation and knows what he needs to do. He braces himself with his knife still in hand, but stops himself, "She's just a little thing! Perhaps only 13 or 14...she can't do that much damage, can she?"

Jalon began to turn around, deep in thought, about what he’s currently experiencing and hears something that stopped him cold. He hears a strange gurgling noise behind him. And it can only be one thing. He spins around to see that she appears to be choking! She's clutching at her throat and can't seem to catch her breath! Petrified, Jalon can only watch as she falls to her hands and knees and blood starts spewing from her mouth. He can't believe what he’s seeing! "What is that?" he thinks. As Jalon backs away from the girl in disgust, he notices that there are branches of what appeared to be Christmas trees and broken shards of ornaments in the blood. He then does the only thing he can think of to do: he pulls out his cell phone and shakily dials 911, concerned not only for the safety of the girl but his as well. Just as the line clicks and the operator picks up, her heaving and gurgling stops. He reluctantly turns to find her standing directly in front of him. She reaches up, snatches his phone and slams it to the ground, shattering it.

Jalon couldn’t hold in his frustration. "I'm trying to get YOU some help and you're just gon' snatch the phone and smash it on the floor?! Do you not realize that was your ONLY chance of getting help?! I'm trying to dial 911, you're over here choking on blood and Lord knows what else, then you pull this madness?! You must want to die!"

She chuckles ominously, deeply. Jalon locks eyes with her. However, what he sees next renders him speechless...this girl slowly tilts her head as a demented, bloody, grin spreads across her crimson-stained face.

To Be Continued...