When he speaks, the sound grates against her insides. Astri wants to simultaneously shoot and listen to him. It’s dangerous to let something so sinister have a monologue, dangerous to allow him to even attempt to reason with her. But, Astri is wedged quite firmly between a rock and a hard place and the Grinch has them backed against a wall in her basement. So, technically, she’s out of options. She can still feel the adrenaline, the evidence showing through in her wavering, quick breaths and her shaky hands. And then, as if to make matters almost impossible, he mentions the safety of her children.
Her eyes close for a brief moment, mouth pulling taut as she clenches her jaw in frustration. “Shit.” She thinks, knowing full well what situation she was in. They were in the basement, outnumbered, and honestly low on ammo. She exhales loudly, shoulders slumping with the weight of her unspoken decision. “Mom, no.” Lupei warns her, gun still trained unswervingly on the nightmare-ish demon looming in the stairwell. The Grinch speaks again, “So, what do you say, friend?...” And Astri lowers her gun.
“I don’t really have much of a choice, do I?” She growls, raising a single finger to indicate that she needed a second. The cropped-haired woman turns around, gripping her son’s shoulder with a strength even she’s surprised at. “Stay here, and I literally mean right here in this spot. Barricade the door, keep that gun close, and try to get some sleep. I’ll be back.” She tells him, feigning confidence. “Don’t do this.” Lupei pleads with her, a minute amount of worry beginning to show in his eyes. “I said, I’ll be back.” She repeated, turning away from him to quell the threat of tears.
She props the gun against her shoulder, gripping it with one hand as she strides forward to face the inevitable. The Grinch says nothing, instead smiling from ear to ear. Her eyes narrow and she snatches the ridiculous antlers from his hand, placing them haphazardly on her head. “Let’s get this over with.” She mutters darkly, pushing her way past the beast to ascend the stairs. She’s now exactly sure what she’s headed in to, but she’s slightly comforted knowing that she won’t be going into it alone. “And fix my damn basement door!” She call’s behind her as she strides into the dark hallway. The satisfying sound of the once shattered door being locked back into place is the last thing she hears before she makes her way out into the night.
In the frigid dark she shivers, blowing into her empty hand to try and cast away the initial cold. She turns about, looking up to her roof where the strange reindeer wait for their master. She puts her fingers to her lips, blowing a clear, sharp whistle into the night air. “Hey! You two overgrown dogs! With me!” The reindeer stare at her curiously, slitted red eyes blinking stupidly at her. Two, however, finally step forward - A large buck, darkly colored with a froth of white on his neck, and a smaller, slimmer buck, this one a calico of white and tawny brown. They leap from her roof nimbly, landing soundlessly and trotting forward to wait before her. Up closer, they seem much more menacing. Elongated canines and predator eyes send a chill down Astri’s spine.
“Right.” She exhales, turning around to survey the neighborhood. “Where do we start?” She questions out loud, and her query is answered by the ringing sound of gun shells. She nods, jogging ahead with determination, both hands gripping the shotgun. The sound is coming from around the block, past the Henderson’s place. (Henderson’s place? Neighbors. Weird.) Astri crosses the street, crouching as if she were in a third world war zone - but by the sounds of it, it was quickly turning into such. She backs against the side of a house, peering around the corner to view her targets.
The street was pure chaos. Two houses down the roof of a quaint one-story was awash in flames. Bad and good elves chased one another, smashed windows, threw projectiles. Cars had flipped, trash was strewn across the road. There were people, few, skirting between one house and another. “Jesus H.” Astri mumbled under her breath. But where to start? She opts for the closest house, directly across from where she’s hiding. It seems dark, so she assumes there won’t be much trouble when she breaks, enters, and progressively fucks up their christmas. With any luck, they’ve fled long ago and she won’t have to confront anyone at all.
She rises, stalking across the street as quickly as she can. Santa’s elves are quick to notice her, and she twists at the waist, firing two shots that scatter near where they run. The reindeer leap forward, snarling eerily as they lower their horns to rush them. The larger, darker buck nabs one in the ribs, lifting the squealing creature above his head before violently shaking him free. The bright, christmas red color of the elves blood paints his horns and Astri feels her stomach lurch. There’s no time to be sick though, so she pushes ahead, striding through the front yard before firing a close-range shot that blows the handle completely off the door.
She yanks the festive wreath from the front entrance and slows to a walk, creeping quietly through the black house. There’s so much shit all over the walls - stickers, glittering ornaments, tinsel. Who had this much time to decorate? She takes her time, the deer helping, to rip all of it down and tear or break it. Nothing would be forgotten. Eventually she makes her way to the living room, where an ornate tree waits with a hefty pile of gifts. She re-loads, and then shrugs her shoulders, blasting each present to kingdom come and slightly enjoying the way the wrapping paper flutters around her. When she finishes, she sighs, thinking that perhaps this won’t be so bad a job after all. And then a faint click behind her has her swinging around, gun raised.
“Astri?” A woman says, holding a revolver that’s pointed directly at Astri’s face. It’s Joan, the too-involved soccer mom from down the street. The green-haired human had forgotten just who’s house this was. “Uh … this is weird, and nothing against you, but I’m gonna have to ask you to put your gun down.” Astri says, trying to stay calm. Joan doesn’t react, but her brows pull together. “You’re with them?” She asks Astri incredulously. “Now, I didn’t say that …” Astri tries, but Joan interrupts her. “Shutup.” She tells Astri, and the slender, short-haired woman draws up with surprise.
“I should’ve known you’d be playing on their team. Single mom, troublesome son. And you dyed your nine year old’s hair green? Who does that?!” Joan practically screams. Her hand shakes, but Astri’s past the point of arguing. Her eyes flicker upwards and then she looks back at Joan. “You were always such a snooty priss.” And then the antlers do their job, loosening the fan above her head so it slips out of the ceiling and comes crashing right down on Joan. “Dark magic for the win, bitch.”
There’s no time to linger, so Astri flees the scene through the backyard with the deer in tow. The fence behind the house is in shambles and she makes her way into the house behind Joan’s easily. This house, however, is awash with activity. Two reindeer (normal looking) stand guard in front of a sliding porch door, and as soon as their ears flicker in her direction, the Grinch’s reindeer leap forward to leap the attack. The snarling, coupling bucks clash and Astri has her momentary distraction so she can slip into the house.
The place is swarming with good elves. Astri loads her gun and goes for the sneak tactic, lowering to crouch behind corners so she can make her way to the living room. Around one corner she’s spotted, and the little creature opens his mouth to warn the others, but Astri uses the antlers to summon a roll of duct tape from a nearby counter and it plasters itself across his mouth. With one finger raised she motions for him not to struggle, and then swings around a doorway with gun raised.
She stands, facing the backside of Santa who’s got his army scattered around him. Her deer trickle in behind, lathered in sweat and blood. “Hands up, fat man.” Astri calls, and the lot of them turn around to stare at her. “Don’t make any sudden movements.”
astri