Near midnight the storm grows outside and causes more havoc. The wind picks up and slaps against the house on Ross Street. Snow mixes with ice, cracking as it makes contact with the windows. A howling sound becomes eerie, ghost-like, and unkind to one’s ears. Whatever stirs outside is of Christmas Past and is intent on delivering the most callous of gifts.
Willa, Bobo, and Magnum decide to spend the night and bunk on the living room floor like teenagers, nestling together like kittens in sleeping bags, extra blankets, and using pillows. Sandy slips into bed first and Jonah uses the bathroom to take a midnight pee, wash his face, and brush his teeth. Upon his exit from the bathroom, he hears voices at the end of the hallway and behind his parents’ bedroom door. Discreetly, he walks down th
