Chapter 2:

Reporting the Jingle-Hell

The flashing blue and red lights from the police cruiser lit up the front of the house, casting an eerie glow over the snow-covered lawn. Emberlyn and Sol stood on the porch, wrapped in blankets, still trying to shake the cold—and the fear—from their bones.

Officer Cole, the younger of the two officers who had responded, was leaning against the hood of the car, scribbling in his notepad. His partner, Officer Mayfield, a burly man with a no-nonsense attitude, stood in front of them, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“So let me get this straight,” Officer Mayfield said, eyeing Emberlyn skeptically. “You’re saying your house was… wrapped in lights? Like a Christmas present?”

Emberlyn rubbed her temples. She was beyond embarrassed at this point. “Yes, and we couldn’t get out. We heard noises on the roof, giggling. And the decorations—they were strung up all over the telephone poles. High up. Way too high for anyone to reach.”

Sol chimed in, her voice unwavering, despite the condescending smirk forming on Mayfield’s face. “It’s not just a prank. We’re telling you, something strange is happening. It’s not the first time, either.”

Officer Cole glanced up from his notepad. “Well, ma’am, with all due respect, it’s Christmas. People pull pranks, get into the holiday spirit, maybe a little too much sometimes. And with the stress of the season—”

“Stress of the season?” Sol’s voice rose. “You think we’re making this up because we’re stressed? I know what I saw!”

Emberlyn placed a hand on Sol’s arm, trying to calm her friend down. She could see the irritation building behind Sol’s wide eyes. Solstice was never one to back down, but arguing with the police was getting them nowhere.

“We understand it sounds… strange,” Emberlyn interjected, keeping her tone even. “But we wouldn’t have called you if we thought it was a prank. This isn’t something we imagined.”

Mayfield let out a long sigh and exchanged a look with Cole. “Look, Miss Frost, we’ll make a note of it, but unless we have some concrete evidence—more than lights being moved or decorations disappearing—there’s not much we can do. We’ll keep an eye out for any reports of vandals, but I wouldn’t worry too much. It’s probably just kids messing around.”

Emberlyn felt a knot of frustration tightening in her stomach. She had hoped for more—some acknowledgment that what had happened was real, that they weren’t just two women spooked by holiday stress. But instead, the officers were dismissing it like it was nothing more than a nuisance.

As the officers left, Sol watched them drive off, her frustration palpable. “They think we’re crazy,” she muttered.

Emberlyn sighed, folding her arms tightly against her chest. “I don’t blame them. Honestly, I feel crazy myself. What happened last night… none of it makes sense. Maybe it was a prank.”

But Sol wasn’t having any of it. She paced back and forth on the porch, her face flushed with determination. “No way. This is more than some stupid prank. I can feel it. Something’s off in this town, Em, and I’m going to find out what.”

Sol had always been the adventurous one, always diving headfirst into mystery and intrigue. Emberlyn, on the other hand, preferred facts—things she could control, things that made sense. But as much as she hated to admit it, a part of her couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that last night’s events were far from ordinary.

That night, after the police had left and the house had been tidied back to some semblance of normalcy, Sol dove into her research.

Emberlyn watched from the kitchen table, sipping a cup of tea as Sol spread old newspapers, clippings, and town records across the living room floor. The crackle of the fireplace was the only sound in the room as Sol muttered to herself, flipping through the pages with fervor.

“Sol, this is ridiculous,” Emberlyn called from her seat. “What exactly are you hoping to find?”

“Answers,” Sol replied, her voice muffled by the paper she was skimming. “This town has a history, Em. I just need to figure out what.”

Emberlyn rolled her eyes but remained silent. Despite her skepticism, she couldn’t help but be curious about what Sol might uncover.

Hours passed, and just as Emberlyn was about to give up and go to bed, Sol let out a triumphant cry. “Aha!”

“What?” Emberlyn leaned forward, suddenly alert.

Sol waved an old newspaper clipping in the air. “I knew it! There is something going on in Winterglow.” She unfolded the yellowed paper, her eyes scanning the lines as she read aloud. “December 24th, 1983. Five children went missing during the town’s Christmas event. They were never found.”

Emberlyn frowned, taking the paper from Sol and reading the headline herself: “Five Local Children Disappear During Winterglow Christmas Festival.”

The article went on to describe how the children, all between the ages of six and ten, had been last seen near the town square during the tree-lighting ceremony. Despite extensive search efforts, no trace of the children was ever found, and their disappearances remained one of the town’s unsolved mysteries.

“How did I not know about this?” Emberlyn murmured, her eyes still scanning the page.

“It was a long time ago,” Sol said, her voice now quieter, more serious. “But it gets weirder. Ever since those kids went missing, Winterglow’s had reports of strange disturbances every year around Christmas. People hear things—like we did last night. Decorations get messed up, lights go out, stuff disappears and reappears in weird places. But it’s always written off as pranks or holiday stress.”

Emberlyn put the paper down and looked at Sol. “You think this has something to do with those kids?”

“I don’t know,” Sol admitted. “But it’s too much of a coincidence to ignore. There’s a pattern here, Em. Every Christmas for the past few decades, something strange has happened in Winterglow. And now it’s happening to us.”

The idea sent a shiver down Emberlyn’s spine. Could it really be connected? The thought of children disappearing—and the town’s dark history—suddenly made last night’s events feel much more sinister.

Sol pushed her laptop toward Emberlyn. “There’s more. I’ve been digging through old police reports and town records. It’s always the same time of year. People report hearing voices, seeing things—like lights moving on their own, decorations rearranged, even weird figures in the snow.”

Emberlyn felt a knot forming in her stomach again, but this time, it wasn’t embarrassment or frustration. It was fear. She glanced at the stack of papers in front of her and then at Sol’s wide, determined eyes.

“What do we do now?” Emberlyn asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sol smirked, her adventurous spirit reigniting. “We find out what happened to those kids. And we stop whatever’s haunting Winterglow before it gets worse.”

For the first time that night, Emberlyn realized she wasn’t going to be able to ignore this. Sol was right. Something strange was happening in Winterglow, and if they didn’t figure out what it was, there was no telling how far things would go.

But as Emberlyn stared out the window at the softly falling snow, she couldn’t shake the feeling that digging into Winterglow’s past might be more dangerous than they realized.