Nico looked at the deserted bungalow as snow swirled violently around him. “I’m coming,” he warned. Not waiting for the others, he strode to the front of the house. Mounting the porch steps, he wondered in a small recess of his mind what horrors Piter would have waiting for him. The rest of his thoughts he sealed off. He couldn’t allow the Krampus inside his head if he hoped to save the boy.
He turned the handle and the door opened into a shadowy living room, lit only by the dim sunlight creeping through the snow-caked windows. A small gasp escaped him when the Christmas tree in the corner suddenly flashed on, colored lights reflecting on the tinsel and bright ornaments.
Nico rolled his shoulders, the burden he carried heavy today. He hadn’t meant to kill the butcher, that day long ago.
