“What do you think happened here?”
“It’s hard to tell at this time. Forensics hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Yes, but you have eyes, do you? You’re seeing what I’m seeing. So what does your gut tell you?”
“It’s not about what we are seeing. It’s about this place we have to worry about; this time of the year, this place could be dangerous. And don’t you talk to me like that boy”.
“I didn’t mean to disrespect you, sir. What did you mean about this place? I’m not following.”
“Haha, I forgot you’re still a rookie cop.”
“Yeah, really funny. I’ve been in the force for almost four years already, sir. I’ve done the fieldwork. I’m well-seasoned.
“Well, I’ve been in the force for almost thirty, and let me tell you, when people come to this place during the winter season, it’s most of the time to do no good. I have a few theories. I’ll tell you about it when we return to the station.”
“The only rookie I see here is you, Joe. How can you even say that you’ve been here, what, ten minutes? And, you’re already…”
“Let me stop you right there, boy. Throughout my years as a detective, I’ve seen a lot of shit. And this, I’ve seen this before.”
“Listen, I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Well, you didn’t. It’s okay. I’ve dealt with people like you throughout my career; it’s fine.”
“Joe, how’s it been?”
“Good, you’re finally here. We’ve been just talking about you.”
“Oh yeah? What about?”
“Nothing in particular. Boy over here was just curious about what happened.”
“And what did you tell him?”
“Same thing that you’re thinking right now.”
“You never change, Joe; I like it. Better get started now. The owner has already asked us if this is going to take long. We seem to be upsetting the guests.”
“What guests? I’ve only seen one human since we’ve been here, and I’m pretty sure it’s the distant cousin of the owner.”
“We’ll be here as long as we have to. We must do our job and get to the bottom of this.”
“Alright, see you later. I’m going to get some coffee and talk to the chief.”
“Hey, what did you mean when you said you’ve seen this before?”
“You’re still thinking about that boy?”
Luke gives Joe a slightly nervous grin and stares him right in the eyes waiting for him to answer.
“About seven years ago, we got a call at the station on Christmas Eve. It was already past midnight. We were shocked to hear that the hotel had guests then. They usually close for the winter. To our surprise, the owner told us he may still open up when guests make special reservations. We didn’t think much of it at first. So we just did our jobs the best we could that night. There was a double homicide. And it was gruesome too. The thing that always stuck with me was that both victims were tortured, but there wasn’t any blood. And the body parts that were missing were never found eighter. So the events of that night remain a mystery.”
“So you’re saying that those responsible for that night did this?”
“I’m not sure yet. I mean, I haven’t seen the bodies.”
“How do you know that there is more than one victim tonight?”
“I don’t. I still need to go upstairs, and I still need to finish the story. You should learn how to listen, kid.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Uh. Don’t call me sir; I’m not your father. Anyway, where were we? Ah, yes, the story. The odd thing about it was that the call was done by a woman.”
“A woman?”
“Yes, but when we arrived here, there wasn’t a single woman to be seen. We scouted all the terrain, but nothing.”
“Perhaps you could have mistaken the voice for a woman?”
“No, it was a woman. I’m sure. I can bet my life on it. We did ask about it. The owner said his wife died a few years back, and his daughters lived abroad. His whole staff consisted of only males. Isn’t that odd?”
“I don’t know. I’m still looking for oddness in everything you’ve told me.”
“Oh, come on, I haven’t even told you half of the story yet. The forensic results came back inconclusive. We will probably never know what happened seven years ago in this same location. It kills me that we had another shot three years later, but we couldn’t solve it eighter. The second we arrived, we could feel as if we’d been at the same crime scene before. Even the scent of the place reminded us of something, but we couldn’t remember what it was. And can I tell you something else? You can call me crazy, but I could smell it as soon as I stepped on this perimeter tonight. It’s the same smell as those horrible nights. I sense that the fragrance is all over us and will linger for weeks. That is what happened those two times to me. Like a reminder that taunts us that the murders are connected, but we have no way to prove it.”
“Okay, I think you better go get that coffee now. Because that is the only thing that I’m smelling right now.”
They heard a buzzing sound getting louder by the second, and it went pitch dark. Their only light was that of the chimney. Luke listened to a loud noise, and people were mumbling for a few seconds; then, it got quiet enough for him to hear the harsh wind outside.
“Joe! You alright? I can’t see you. Where are you?”
The lights came back on in the large living room. Luke looks around. He sees Joe on the floor, cold, dead, and missing both eyes. His tongue has been cut out too.
“Joe! O God, what happened? Help! We need help here!”
“They are not coming.”
Luke turns around; he doesn’t see one, but seven women wearing black cloaks, except for the one talking to him. Hers was burgundy red.
“Hello, Luke. Congratulations. You are the last one.”
“Who are you? What do you want?”
Luke tries to grab his gun, but before he can do that, she breaks his left hand to pieces with just a snap of her finger.
“Sorry, that wasn’t your dominant hand now, was it?”
Luke stares at her in pain. Luke screams in anguish.
“Oh, it was? I’m sorry. You see, we are sisters. Each year our sisterhood expands a little more. Tonight you will have a special role in that. You are the last one, after all. After we drink of you, we will have another sister. We will forever be grateful for all your sacrifice. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were supposed to be gone already, but when I saw you tonight, Luke, I knew you would be special. Now sit and relax. It will be over before you know it.”
They all gathered around Luke, and they slowly got closer to him. So close that he was having trouble breathing. Luke started to struggle a bit. He wanted to put up a fight but quickly realized that it was no use.
“That’s it, Luke. That’s a good boy. Shh, close your eyes and relax.”
From miles away, the screams of Luke can be heard. A new sister is born on Christmas day.

Note: this story was inspired by the ‘1 month of writing ideas for December’ by @the.plottery