Episode Notes
A frozen hell brings evil to an all girl academy on Christmas Eve... and it's very hungry.
Home for Christmas by Shane Migliavacca
Music by Ray Mattis
http://raymattispresents.bandcamp.com
Produced by Daniel Wilder
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Transcript:
“It’s never going to stop snowing.” Kat Walker said to herself, watching as never-ending white fell outside. The dying embers of the day cast a soft glow that lit the snow covered landscape in a blood red hue. The wind howled, making the old walls of the house creak and strain. 
Kat was alone in the parlor; the gathering place for most of the social activity at Blackoaks. A tall Christmas tree sat in the room’s center, it’s lights blinking on and off. The smell of cinnamon delighted Kat’s senses. Cinnamon cookie ornaments hung from the tree’s branches, crafted in various Christmas related forms; Santa, Frosty, snowflakes and Christmas trees… lovingly made by Blackoaks’ resident cook, Mallory Horst. A fire crackled in the fire place and the scent of burning wood hung in the air.
The sound of whisky flowing over ice pulled Kat from her thoughts. She watched fellow student Georgina Harris enter, reflected in the glass of the window. Georgina returned her metal flask to the folds of her expensive robe before crashing to the couch. The chic brunette lounged on the couch, her sleek legs visible at the robe’s part. Taking a sip of whisky, she lit a cigarette. “The weather outside is indeed frightful little Kitten.”  
Kat turned, angry at the interruption. She spun around so fast, her long Raven black hair fell across her eyes, stinging them.
 
“What are you doing?” Kat blurted out. Her anger getting the better of her.
“Working towards a career in alcoholism and nicotine addiction.” Georgina smirked, raising her glass in a toast. “Just like dear old mom.”
“You know the house rules.” Kat said, “If Miss Keene sees you.” Her voice lowered as if saying the woman’s name would summon the headmistress out of thin air.
“Don’t worry about it.” Georgina took a puff off her cigarette. “It’s not your ass on the line if I’m caught Kitten.”
“Fine” Kat gave up. Why did she care if the bitch got in trouble anyway? “And, my name is Kat. I hate it when you call me Kitten.”
Girls like Georgina were the reason Kat was at Blackoaks. She’d gotten in her fair share of fights with girls that thought they were better then her… thought they could tell Kat her place. Expulsion for Kat soon followed nearly every time. 
A slight, red-haired girl with a fox-like face stood framed in the doorway. Her freckled brow wrinkled in concern. She was wearing a snug, if preposterous, sweater; robots danced around a Christmas tree on it’s front, and a pair of pale blue jeans. 
“There you guys are.” Sue McCoy said, sounding relieved. “Miss Keene wanted to know if you guys wanted to exchange Christmas presents now or in the morning.”
Kat looked down at the presents, neatly arranged under the tree. She wondered how the tree looked at home. Her mom would have it all decked out with all the usual ornaments. This would be the first year Kat wouldn’t be there to help her decorate it. She was stuck here, at Blackoaks boarding school… mainly for the simple fact that her parents couldn’t afford to come and get her… even if the weather did permit.
Not that she was the only one stuck here for Christmas break. Georgina’s mom and her new girlfriend where off to Barcelona for the holiday. Sue was still here because she preferred it to her home life. Why, Kat really wasn’t sure, nor did she want to pry. 
The other two students still here, Lois Kincade and Alison Gordy, were both stuck due to the sudden onslaught of the freak blizzard assaulting half the country. Besides the remaining five girls, there was Miss Keene and Mallory still at the school.
  
Georgina kicked one of the presents under the tree with a outstretched leg. “I say we get this shit over with.” 
Sue turned to Kat. 
“Yeah, why not.” Kat answered. 
A half hour later, wrapping paper littered the parlor’s royal blue carpet. The girls had done a ‘Secret Santa’, ensuring that each girl got a gift and they didn’t have to spend a lot of money getting multiple presents.
Kat sat with her knees drawn up on the floor, clutching her gift in her arms… a simple black T-shirt with ‘I’m against It!’ written on it’s front in a spray paint font. Whoever had drawn Kat’s name, they certainly knew her tastes.     
Sitting next to her was Mallory. The cook was only a few years older then her and lived in town with her mother, who had held the position previously until injuring her back. Now her daughter supported her.
Kat had bonded with her, both feeling very much the outsider at Blackoaks. Mallory had a crisp, no bullshit way of looking at things, and never sat around feeling sorry for herself or whining about the shit life had handed to her. It was something Kat aspired to do herself. 
Mallory’s Secret Santa bought her a simple pendent necklace. She wore it proudly around her neck. Turning to simile at Kat as they all laughed at one of Miss Keene’s stories. 
Kat drifted in and out of the story the woman was telling. Her ears picking up bits and pieces of the news playing on the TV behind them. 
“...storm of the century…flights canceled…power outages…escaped mental patients…pile up on the thruway…”
The girls all laughed again and Kat joined in instinctively. Her thoughts turned back towards home. Were mom and dad celebrating tonight? Was mom making her annual Christmas lasagna tomorrow? She hoped her parents were safe and happy. 
“What’s on your mind?” 
Kat turned to see Mallory looking at her. 
“Nothing, just Christmas at home.” Kat answered.
 
“Miss your folks?” 
“Yeah, we don’t always get along… but this time of year though, all the shit of the year disappears.” Kat smiled, thinking about that warm feeling she got, sitting around the tree on Christmas morning. “How about you?”
“Hope I can get back into town tomorrow. Spend the day with mom.”
“Hold hands you love birds.” Georgina mocked them. The heavy scent of whisky hung in the air as she spoke. 
Mallory made a face. “God, you’re drunk.”
Georgina laughed. “Fuck yeah townie!”
Kat noticed a repeated thumping sound under the din of the girl’s laughter and the TV. It grew louder and more ferocious as seconds ticked by, until finally…
“Someone’s here!” Kat said, springing up from the floor. 
All eyes turned towards her. They stared as if she was in a one woman play, written by a psychotic.  
“At the door!” Kat added, already headed to the foyer. 
Kat fumbled with the door lock as the knocking outside intensified. Miss Keene and the girls gathered behind her. 
“I told ya, there’s somebody at the door.” Kat felt vindicated as the knocking continued. 
“Maybe you shouldn’t open that door.” Sue spoke up. “It could be a…you know…a crazy person.”
“It might be a rapist.” Lois said. 
“Or a Holy Roller.” Georgina added. “We’ll be buried in Watchtowers.” 
From the other side of the door, a man spoke. “Please, I know your in there. I need help.”
Kat looked to Miss Keene for guidance. The head mistress nodded her approval.
 
Without hesitation, Kat unlocked the door. Wind and snow assaulted her immediately. A man, looking half dead, stood at the center of the maelstrom. His hair whipped about as if alive, and his eyes were wide with panic. The man stumbled into the house, helped along by Kat and Miss Keene.
Sue struggled to shut the door behind them, the snow and wind fighting her. Mallory stepped in and helped her close the door.
“Well this is something.” Georgina observed the scene before her. 
They took the stranger into the dining room. A large wood table sat at room’s center. The room much like the living room had been decorated for the holiday; lights and garland ran along the walls, and the table was covered by a table cloth and place mats depicting Santa and his Reindeer on Christmas night.
Alison pulled out one of the chairs for the disheveled man. 
“Get him a blanket and some coffee.” Miss Keene instructed Alison and Lois, sending the two girls racing off in opposite directions. 
“I told them. ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’” the man said through chapped lips. He looked up into Kat’s eyes. “My wife and son, they’re waiting for me.”
 
Miss Keene took the blanket from a returning Alison and draped it over the man’s shoulders. “Were you in an accident?” 
The man hugged the blanket to himself before nodding. “Our bus went off the road, the snow made it hard to see.”
Lois came back with a steaming cup of coffee. The man gladly took the mug. Holding it in his hands for the warmth it radiated. 
“Where about did you crash?” Miss Keene asked. “How many people on the bus besides you?”
“I don’t know where. The storm made it hard to see any landmarks.” The man took a sip of coffee. “Ten, I think there was ten on the bus.” He pondered this for a moment before continuing. “I went for help. Got lost.” He laughed grimly. “I was in the army. Some tracker I turned out to be. I used to go through the jungle like nothing.” 
“We should call the police.” Lois said. 
“And tell them what?” Georgina pointed out. “We don’t know where this guy crashed? Where we gonna send ‘em?”
 
Mallory stepped forward. “She’s right.” 
 
“We should get you to the hospital.” Miss Keene said, turning towards the man. 
“I’ll call for an ambulance,” The headmistress left. 
There were only two working phones at Blackoaks; one in Miss Keene’s office and the other in the Rec room. The girl’s weren’t allowed to have cell phones as they were felt to be too much of a distraction from their studies. The same went for thee internet. The girls were allowed laptops for assignments, but even those couldn’t go online. 
Aft