Kate and Sadie were left to finish cleaning the kitchen, as usual. They both stood at the huge stainless steel sink, talking shit as they washed the last of the dishes from the night. Kate was mid-sentence when Sadie suddenly stopped her."Hey, did you hear that?" Sadie asked as she put her hand on Kate's arm to get her attention. "Hear what?" Kate asked sarcastically, as she turned her ear to the silent room"I don't hear a damn thing," Kate announced in an irritated tone.That's when they both heard a faint scratching at the back door. They both looked at each other wide eyed and slowly turned their heads towards the door. Kate covered her open mouth with her hand as they both stared at the door in complete silence. Waiting, listening for whatever would come next. They both held their breath for a moment, and then they heard it again. They looked at each other, wondering who would break fear first and go see what it was that was making those sounds this late in the dead of winter.

Robert waited as long as he could to make his way back to the caves. It was really the last place on earth that he wanted to be, but he currently had no other choice. It was freezing outside and there was nowhere else for him to go to get out of the cold. He cautiously scanned the scenery with every step he took, always on the lookout for Queen Lacey. He was pretty sure the coast was clear when he finally reached the opening of the cave, so he slipped inside as quietly as he possibly could. He didn't make it very far into the cave before he caught sight of her ugly ass sitting in the dirty chair that was leaning back against the wall. She was sucking on a cigarette with a mile long ash, as usual, and she was glaring at him with her slimy yellow eyes. Robert immediately recognized the look on her face and he instantly knew that he was about to have to fight. He tried to tuck his head in and just keep walking, but just as he feared, she was not about to let that shit happen. "So you

Pearl watched in horror as a thick black fog filled the room, enveloping everything inside. She couldn't believe her eyes as she watched it raise Della from the floor and drag her from the doorway of the church, lifting her and tossing her roughly about, as though it were alive all on its own, and it had came just for her. It was loud, like a tornado blowing across the prairie, and it stank of death and despair.It pulled her down the hallway and up and down the corridors of the castle, as though it knew exactly where to go, and then it carried her through the kitchen and right out the back door. Everyone ran for her and they made all kinds of attempts to pull her out, but they were all to no avail. Every time someone tried to help her, the fog would turn ice cold, maybe even colder than cold. It turned so cold that it was turning everything it touched to frozen glass, including the people.Della wasn't turned into frozen glass, though. She was simply carried away, kicking and screami