Creepy Christmas Waffle: Book 7 in the Diner of the Dead Series
Page 4
* * *
By seven fifteen the party was in full swing. The first house on the roster belonged to a single businessman, known as Danny, who often traveled throughout the year, but never missed a Christmas in Haunted Falls. He had a table laid out with chocolate bark, peppermint bark, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie—all of which were store bought.
Danny also didn’t hesitate to offer the adults a little “Christmas spirit” from his personal bar up in the loft above the living room.
Sonja and Frank were standing near the fireplace together, enjoying the heat from the flames and admiring the white Christmas lights wrapped along the balcony when Mr. Hinkley stepped in.
“Merry Christmas, everyone,” he announced, removing his scarf.
“Merry Christmas,” everyone echoed back. That’s when Sonja noticed the figure of another person standing just outside in the falling snow.
“You’re kidding me,” Frank whispered.
Sam turned back toward the door with a hint of a scowl at the corner of his mouth. “Well, don’t just stand out there, Dillion. Come inside and shut the door. You’re letting in the cold air.”
The young blonde haired man stumbled in, a clear look of sour distaste in his eyes. “Merry Christmas,” he muttered.
Only a few quiet mumbles returned the greeting this time.
“This is my nephew, Dillion, everyone. He’s staying with me during the holidays.”
Sonja’s jaw dropped. This man, just as she had assumed, was the same person who had nearly run her down on his motorcycle earlier that evening. Now he stood in the entryway of Danny’s house, invading the party—Sonja’s favorite Christmas tradition—with his self-entitled attitude.
“Don’t let him bother you,” Frank whispered, astutely aware of his girlfriend’s agitation. She had told Frank of the close call she had on the road. “Just enjoy the party.”
For a moment, everyone just stood and stared, each of them well aware of Dillion’s intentions of being in Haunted Falls—and that he had no other apparent interest in his uncle besides money. Whoever Sam hadn’t told himself, had heard the word from a fellow friend or neighbor.
The sense of disapproval seemed to hang in the air like a sour smell.
“We’re thrilled to have you,” Sonja’s mother beamed, finally cutting through the awkward situation with a smile and a handshake.
Dillion sneered at the touch of the woman’s hand.
“Come in, both of you,” Danny shouted from atop the balcony. “Enjoy some food.”
“We’ve still got three more houses after this one,” Diane added. “So, make sure to save room for more.”
As the two men stepped in, the party began to pick back up again. Christmas carols played on the sound system and Frank and Sonja went back to snuggling up close to one another. She didn’t want to say anything to her boyfriend, and hoped her mother didn’t either, but Sonja really wanted him to kiss her that night.
“You’re right,” Sonja commented, moving in close to her boyfriend. “I won’t let it ruin my night.”
“Good,” the off-the-clock sheriff smiled, putting his arm around her. “Do you need more eggnog?”
She shook her head. “No, just stay next to me.”
Just when it seemed things had gone back to normal, their quiet conversation was interrupted by a loud voice.
“You,” came the cry.
Clearly confused, Sonja turned to look at Dillion. He stood nearby, an accusatory finger pointed her way and a look of utter horror hiding just under the surface.
“Y-you’re the psycho lady, the one with the killer cat.”
“What?” Sonja managed to spit out. She realized she should have known Dillion would freak out if he saw her, and recognized her, again.
“She tried to kill me,” he screamed. “She has a wild cat and she had it attack me.”
By this point, everyone in the room had gone quiet again and were watching Dillion with apprehension. “Is he on something?” someone muttered.
Frank raised an eyebrow, clearly going into defense mode. “Hey, buddy. How many drinks have you had tonight?” Frank took his arm off Sonja and stepped forward, putting himself between his girlfriend and the clearly unstable assailant.
Dillion’s face had only gotten whiter with each passing second. “No. No way, man,” he screamed. “She tried to kill me, man. She almost ran me off the road, and when that wasn’t enough, she sent her tiger after me.”
Sonja refrained from commenting that the cat was actually a snow leopard, not a tiger.
“Look, buddy. Do we have a problem here?”
“No, man. Heck, no.” Stumbling backward, he blindly grabbed for the front door, never taking his eyes off the paranormal woman. “I’m outta here. I’m not gonna wait around for her to kill me.”
As fast as he could, and like a man who had one too many beers, Dillion stumbled outside into the cold night, leaving the door open as he went.
When it was clear he wasn’t coming back, Diane made her way across the room and closed the door.
“Thanks, Diane,” Danny nodded, tipping his glass in gratitude.
“What was that all about?” Frank glanced first at his girlfriend and then at Mr. Hinkley.
Sonja could only shrug, unable to offer a believable explanation.
“I haven’t the faintest idea,” Sam replied. “I’m truly sorry for all the commotion, everyone.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Danny replied. “Let’s all have a good time.” He raised his glass again. “Merry Christmas, everyone.”
“Merry Christmas,” the party members replied.
“Well, I can’t say I’m sorry he’s gone,” Frank admitted, returning to Sonja’s side.
“I’d have to agree with you,” Sonja smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist and looking up into his green eyes. “But I’m happy it’s over.”
Embracing her tightly, he couldn’t help but drink in her warmth. “No mysteries until after the New Year, please,” he teased.
“I’ll try my best,” she whispered.
A loud bang drew their attention away from one another again, and back toward the front door. Sonja almost expected to see Dillion back again with another argument or defense. Instead, they found themselves looking at Richard. However, her spirits weren’t relieved when she noticed the tattered state the elderly gentleman appeared in—almost as if he’d barely escaped an attack from a wild animal.
CHAPTER 8
* * *
“Hi, Dick,” Danny shouted. “Come in and warm up with some Christmas spirit.”
Despite Danny’s warm welcome, Sonja couldn’t help but notice something was off about Richard. As he stumbled in, shutting the door behind himself, she noted his disheveled hair and the dark bags under his eyes.
“It looks as if he already had some Christmas spirit,” Frank whispered, clearly worried.
Sonja knew very well that Dick wasn’t much of a drinker. She also noticed that neither his daughter, son-in-law or his grandkids were with him.
“Merry Christmas,” he muttered.
“Where are the kids?” Diane asked, offering to take Richard’s coat.
Peeling off the jacket, he handed it to Sonja’s mother. “They decided not to come,” he replied in a muffled tone as if he didn’t care at all that his family wasn’t attended.
* * *
After this third interruption, the party decided it was probably time to move onto the next house on the block which belonged to an elderly couple who had lived there for the past ten years.
Everyone was gathered around the piano where Diane sat playing and everyone sang along to the melody of Jingle Bells. Usually, standing around the piano and singing carols was one of Sonja’s favorite parts of the night. However, something about Richard’s sallow complexion and odd behavior worried her.
She couldn’t help but think of how he had stormed out of the diner earlier that day after he had gotten off the phone. What had happened in that con
versation to make him so upset, and why was he acting so out of character now?
Slipping away from the circle of friends and family, she pretended to go and use the bathroom, shutting the door behind herself. Pulling out her phone, she scrolled through her call history, eventually coming to the number which Dick had called earlier that day.
She raised her eyebrow when she realized there were two entries listed. Memorizing the numbers, she took to her internet browser. After a few minutes of research, she found out who both phone numbers belonged to. The first was nothing more than a remote voice mailbox. Most likely, Dick had listened to his messages first before making his call. She was tempted to check the voice inbox and see who might have left a message but thought better of it.
After all, it was one thing to see what numbers were in her call history and another completely to go snooping into someone’s personal voicemail.
The second number listed was even easier to pinpoint. It belonged to a local law office, specifically to James Hamson. Sonja puzzled over this new information, wondering what it could possibly be that James had said to make Dick so angry. Was Richard being sued? Did he need a lawyer for court?
Sighing, she headed back to the party.
After she returned to the main room, where the group had just finished singing Silent Night together, everyone decided to move to the next house, Sonja’s mother’s house. They all hurried out the door and through the snow to the Victorian style building where Diane lived. Sonja excitedly welcomed everyone in and directed their attention to the wide array of foods she had prepared. Heat lamps from work were used to keep all the dishes warm, and everyone—despite having eaten at two houses already—dug in.
Seeing all the party members enjoy her food truly helped the young chef perk up. Additionally, seeing her boyfriend standing just under the mistletoe, a plate full of mini quiches in hand, made her almost feel like she could float across the room toward him.
This was her chance, her chance to finally get a real kiss from the man she was slowly falling for each day.
“Hey, handsome,” she greeted, leaning into the warmth of his chest.
“These are fantastic, Sonj’.” He pointed at his plate of food. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time.”
She shrugged. “You always say that.”
Letting out a light laugh, he brushed the hair back over her ear. “I suppose you’re right, but it’s always true.”
She smiled up at him, enjoying the glow of the lights on her boyfriend’s eyes. Any thought of Richard, Dillion, or even the ghost cat had completely escaped her mind for the first time that evening. Instead, she was captivated by the sparkle in Frank’s eye.
Glancing at the mistletoe, Sonja gave a somewhat mischievous half-smile, nodding for her boyfriend to look up.
Tilting his head back, he noticed the traditional holiday plant hanging just over his head, almost brushing him. “Well, would you look at that,” he lovingly teased.
Looking down into Sonja’s eyes, he beamed.
She could feel the warmth of his breath upon her face. He had slight peppermint on scent on his clothes, mixed with his sweet holiday cologne.
“Frank,” she whispered.
“Hey, Sonja,” a voice interrupted.
Raising a frustrated eyebrow, she turned her head to see Sam standing there.
“Hi, Mr. Hinkley,” she replied, attempting to hide her utter irritation over being interrupted.
“I just wanted to let you know,” he spoke in a hushed tone, “that I’m heading to the next house. Did your mother put the Santa suit near the back door?”
She nodded. “Yep, in the mud room.”
“Thanks,” he replied. “See you guys in a few minutes.” Pushing past the couple, he headed toward the back door through the kitchen.
“Now,” Frank replied in an almost cheesy romantic comedy voice. “Where were we?”
She smiled up at him, ready to pick up where they had left off.
“S-Sonja?” a nervous voice interrupted.
Turning again, this time she saw Richard standing there. All of the thoughts and worries from the evening came rushing back as she looked into the man’s sunken eyes. “Are you okay, Dick?”
“Fine . . . I think. I just need to use your restroom.”
“Down the hall. First door on the left.”
“T-thanks,” he stuttered, stumbling away and into the darkness of the hall.
Sighing, Sonja let go of Frank.
“What is it?” He asked.
“I’m worried about, Richard. Do you think he’s come down with something serious?”
Frank shrugged. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he had a few too many drinks tonight.”
“But that just isn’t like him.”
“I know.” He stepped out from under the mistletoe. “I think I’ll go ahead and just see if he’s all right.”
As he walked off down the hallway, Sonja sighed heavily. So much for their romantic first kiss under the mistletoe. Glancing over, she caught her mother’s eye. Diane looked equally disappointed.
The daughter shrugged and mouthed, “Oh, well,” before heading back into the kitchen to get more food ready for the serving table. Instantly upon stepping into the room, she shivered. There seemed to be a draft.
Looking around, she instantly noticed the back door was ajar. “Sam,” she groaned. Shaking her head, Sonja headed over to shut it. Stopping in her tracks, she noticed the small ghost cat heading off into the woods.
Stepping outside and closing the door behind her, she called out to the animal. “Kitty? Where are you going?”
Turning its head, the cat’s eye blinked with orange light. It let out a quiet meow before heading into the tree line.
Despite her knowledge that the animal was a ghost, and couldn’t be affected by the weather, Sonja decided to follow. It had become her instinct to follow ghosts whenever they beckoned, for the simple fact that they usually had something to show her.
Wrapping her sweater more tightly around her body, the paranormally sensitive woman stepped across the yard and into the trees. The snow was coming down harder, creating a sheen of icy moisture to step through.
“Kitty?” she cooed, trying to see the little white, transparent body among the snowy trees. “Where are you?”
A quiet meow echoed on the night air, seemingly coming from farther up the hill toward the mountainous wilderness. Sonja trudged forward, determined to see where the cat had gone off to. The incline quickly became steeper and she found herself resorting to walking sideways to keep better traction in the snow.
“Kitty?” she called again upon reaching the first precipice. Gasping slightly, Sonja realized she was staring into the mouth of a cave. “I don’t remember this being here,” she muttered to herself. She had spent many formative years exploring the woods and rocky wilderness behind her home, and never did she remember seeing a cave.
A quiet meow drew her attention, echoing eerily from within the cave. For the first time since she’d met the little ghost, she worried about its true intentions. She had seen what kind of frightening power it had, and she had no idea what else the spirit was capable of. For all she knew, the ghost was leading her into a bottomless pit inside the cave.
Sonja had read stories about ghosts doing just that, before.
Deciding she wouldn’t enter the cave but would call one more time from the entrance, she stepped up to the gaping darkness. “Here kitty, kitty.”
The sudden yowl sent a shock up and down Sonja’s spine, just as the ghost came leaping out and running down the hill. The little figure darted off down between the trees.
“Darn cat,” she muttered.
The crunch of fresh snow caught Sonja’s attention. Scanning the trees, she wondered if someone from the party had followed her out here, to see where she was going. And then she spotted it, the huge looming figure standing among the trees, looking up at her.
His bulk was massive, giving him
an almost Frankenstein appearance, and steam erupted from where his mouth would have been. The darkness of the mountain made it impossible to make out the stranger.
Beginning to move slowly toward her, the figure shambled up the slope as if he had a gimp leg, breathing heavily with each step. Sonja felt her heart begin to pick up speed, wondering if she should make a run for it but realized there was no other path down the frozen incline.
She was trapped.
CHAPTER 9
* * *
Deciding it was better to take a small tumble down the incline than be cornered by her attacker, Sonja darted to one side, attempting to slide past the dark figure. Unfortunately, in her haste, her foot slid sideways in the snow.
Instantly she felt a shooting pain in the muscle of her ankle and moving all the way up the side of her calf. “No,” she screamed out in pain, realizing she was falling right into the path of the Frankenstein figure.
Two strong, hefty arms caught her before she could hit the cold hard earth.
“No, let me go.” She flailed in the assailant’s grasp. “Let me go.”
“Sonja,” a familiar voice scolded. “It’s me. Calm down.”
Stopping her struggle, the captured damsel looked up into the face of the man holding her.
“B-Benjamin?”
“Yeah, it’s me,” he confirmed.
Sonja instantly felt her face warm up and turn red. She only hoped the color would be hidden by the darkness of the winter night.
“Are you okay?”
Feeling embarrassed and wounded, she nodded. “I’m okay. Just hurt my ankle a little. That’s all.”
She attempted to take a step on her own and nearly fell again.
“Woah, just hold on a minute.” Benjamin grabbed her again. “Let me help you back to the house.”
Sighing, she reluctantly accepted his help. “Alright.”
“What the heck are you doing out here anyway?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” she retorted.
“I was coming to the party. I had to finish taking care of a few things at the farm, which is why I was late.”