‘You can hear someone else’s teeth chattering in the cold’
Strap in for this unsettling story, set on a cold street on Christmas eve. by Kiara Milan
Chapter 1
Christmas Eve
You wake up in a street that could go on forever. The only thing lighting up the pitch blackness is an old flickering lamp post. It’s icy and cold, and as you stand up you slip and fall back down to the icy floor.
All of a sudden, you can hear someone else’s teeth chattering in the cold.
You attempt to stand up again. As soon as you get your balance back you start to walk over to where you can hear it.
You turn the only corner, that seems to have just appeared from nowhere. You see someone else attempting to stand up, just as you attempted to. All of a sudden it starts to snow.
Who are you? the boy says.
I-I’m – uhh – I don't know who I am, actually.
The boy interrupts: I don't know who I am either. I guess I’ll call you girl and you can call me boy.
He reaches into his pockets then he takes out a small piece of paper.
Wait. This has the name Creed on it. Do you think it’s my name? he says.
Yeah.
You reach into your pocket and there’s a piece of paper too. Guess my name is Savanna then, you say.
Cool, he says.
Wait. What’s that necklace around your neck? he says.
I don't know but we have the same colour. I think that means we are safe to be around each other.
What day is it? he says.
Christmas Eve, you say. It almost feels like you had no control over saying it.
Wait. How do you know that and how did you respond so quickly? he says.
I honestly have no idea, you say.
That’s just creepy, he says. I’m leaving. I want to find out where we are and how to get back home.
Now that you think about it, you can’t remember who your family is or where your home is. But you know you have to find out.
Well, I’m off, you say.
Wait. Wait. Wait. You cant just go off like that. We are a team.
Who said we were a team? you say, and then you start walking away.
Creed keeps following. You push him by the shoulder and tell him to stop. Then all of a sudden you can hear what he is thinking in your head. You fall to the ground and reflect for a moment.
What happened? he said.
I just heard what you where thinking, you say to him with a shaky voice.
You leave him while he drops to his knees and starts to shiver. After walking for a while you start to feel bad, so you turn around and start to go back and get him. But the road you just walked down is gone.
You start to look around. Now, all of a sudden, you are in a giant room with a record playing in the middle of it. It is playing Jingle Bells.
You are stuck in place at the entrance as you start to panic. You look around and realise there are another three entrances. Something pops up in front of you.
Hello, Savanna, you read. I'm telling you some important information. if you look to the side you will see your teammates.
Suddenly your teammates, ten of them, are beside you. Creed’s eyes catch yours.
You continue to read: There are another two teams – green and red, as you have probably noticed. You have a necklace corresponding to your team. You are in team blue.
When it hits midnight you will be given supply drops, as it is Christmas. You can choose to go into the middle, where the supplies are, or you can choose to run.
The last team alive wins. You now have 30 minutes to plan and train. Good luck, and may God be with you all.
Catalin Pop via Unsplash
