by David Searls
That’s what Peter needed more than anything else at that moment. His wife.
He gave them a tight smile and an abbreviated wave. Turned slowly, carefully—it wouldn’t pay to sacrifice care for haste—until he was facing the Commons, spread far below. The wind was a hushed whisper up here, sometimes pitching up to a teakettle shriek. Peter heard the cacophonous clunk-clunk of a bell, and the sound drew his attention to Santa claiming a chunk of sidewalk far below. His pot of cash was at his feet but no one was contributing to his cause. As Peter watched, he saw two women and a little boy walk past him. Walk through him, and that was certainly a curious sight. Santa raised his gaze and waved at Peter. Then he did something more curious. He turned the wave into a beckoning gesture.
Peter bent his knees and heard rushing footsteps coming up behind him.
God, it was cold up here, the wind howling now, but none of it mattered. The sensory assault, the cold, sharp blast of wind, seemed to go right through him, leaving no damage, much in the same way that the two women and the little boy had strolled through Santa.
“Sir! Don’t!”
He could feel fingertips brushing his lower legs, a sensation that barely registered against the numbing cold and the rushing wind. He leaped easily free of their tardy grasp attempt.
“Good-bye, boys and girls!” Peter shouted in triumph as he soared high above the postcard scene below.
Way down there, far below, he could see the twins, still bundled in their warm coats. Their hoods were drawn protectively over ears and drawstrings pulled tight. His kids sat side by side in the train, smiling up at him and waiving excitedly.
And now, as he felt himself drawing ever closer, he could see that Ava had tracked down their children before he had. She was with them now, tightly folded into the conductor’s seat.
“I love you all,” he told the rushing wind and the falling snow, the serene white landscape and his family gathered below.
Jack and Ellie giggled. Ava blew him a kiss.
He’d never seen their smiles so radiant, their eyes so green.
About the Author
Cleveland-based David Searls has one young son and three published horror novels—Bloodthirst in Babylon, Malevolent and Yellow Moon. He’s an award-winning marketing communications writer during the day who shares his dark, brooding thoughts with the unsuspecting world during off-hours.
About the Publisher
DarkFuse is a leading independent publisher of modern fiction in the horror, suspense and thriller genres. As an independent company, it is focused on bringing to the masses the highest quality dark fiction, published as collectible limited hardcover, paperback and eBook editions.
To discover more titles published by DarkFuse, please visit its official site at www.darkfuse.com.
Table of Contents
COLD AS HELL
Connect With Us
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
About the Author
About the Publisher