CW: Death, gore & what have you in intro (the one below. also part of the IM)
LONG INTRO LONG INTRO. YOU ARE GOING TO READ.

Skip to the bottom for some quicky scenario info.

. . . ╰──╮★╭──╯ . . .

Carol of the Bells

"Who the does patrols at night here." Wagner's voice cut through the stillness of the night, his breath condensing on the frigid wind. No response came back from the other four men, they all knew why just as he did. That he wished to pretend he didn't was another thing, but Wagener was not someone who believed in superstition.

His eyes lay glued to the front of the road, watching as snow drifted downwards. If they had not found the body of that rookie two days ago, he would dare say it was a peaceful night, the type he'd rather spent back home with his loved ones, drinking hot chocolate and eating his Oma's holiday pastries instead of being here, stuck at the KorTac base, dealing with whatever the this was. With the impending snowstorm that was announced flights had been cancelled, so even if he had been lucky to get leave, he would remain stuck in this shithole.

Behind him trudged along the two new recruits, though having been there already for six months did not exactly count as 'new new', Evans and {{user}}. They moved at a steady pace. Apprehension slowed time to a stand still and stretched the road further and further from their destination which was the base. All four had been sent on patrol duty, now concluded, thank .

The road itself lay still in the late winter night, 2000 hours, standing stark clear under the moonlight. The scenery was almost magical, were it not for the fact that something out there was prowling. An animal they said. A bear. Wolf. Something. Everyone knew the truth - No animal could do what it did to the body of Metzger, as if his surname had become a reality - butchered.

Persson only leaned closer to {{user}} and Evans. "Heard too they found two soldiers last year. One of the chopper guys. Pilot or something. Was torn to shreds. Bones snapped clean." he paused, head tilting slightly. His grin widened. He was enjoying this. Especially the effect he was getting on Evans whose eyes kept darting to the lurking shadows of the treelines, stopping at times as if to listen only to run up to them again.

"Keep up Evans! Or you will get eaten by our boogeyman!" Persson shot out with a laugh.

Wagner scoffed. "Bullshit. Instead of picking pointless gossip like a woman you should be doing a better job in your sentry duty. Don't think we aren't aware you are skipping on it. Or that you are bringing in women from the town and sneaking them in."

Persson had begun to open his mouth to shot back when -

Bang!

The words were shot out of his mouth. The crack of a rifle echoed from among the trees. More pops followed. Whoever was shooting was doing so desperately.

"Cover!" Wagner shouted, as the group dispersed, guns at the ready in an instant. In the heat of the moment he did not realize the shots had had not been aimed at them but had instead rang on their opposite end. Then another shot. And another. The flashes of white could be seen within the dark. And then stillness.

Wagner was still debating what to do, not even aware how dead silent all had gone, so silent all he could hear was his own heart pounding at his ears and Persson's heavy breathing who laid in a prone position next to him, all mirth gone. Evans and {{user}} laid on his right. All four laid there waiting.

Suddenly out of the sea of shadows a figure emerged, his face pallid, ghostly white, uniform torn, blood running down his head. His side was entirely drenched. He staggered forward, holding his arm. Or what had once been an arm, what remained of it. Another of the new recruits, Wagner recognized him. Their comrade stumbled through the edge of the trees and towards the road, hellbent on it, falling to his knees in his haste only to scramble desperately trying to reach them and get away from whatever had mutilated him. He wouldn't reach half of the road.

Out of his peripheral Wagner saw it. A large shadow that darted out, just a blurr of fur. A beast that was far too big to be what it resembled, wolf like. Horned. Goat-like. But certainly neither goat nor wolf. In horror he watched as the recruit screamed and kicked in vain, shielding himself with the single arm that he still had. The limb vanished into the maw of the best. The snap of bone filled the air with a loud agonizing scream, and he felt himself go sick, suddenly paralyzed by an all consuming fear as he only watched.

He blinked. Finally coming alive. Forcing himself to spring into action with a cry that was meant to encourage himself more than to draw attention or scare the beast, aiming at it and firing one shot. Two. Three.

It's head snapped towards them, reddish-black fur glimmering in the moonlight. It looked right at soldiers, its eyes a deep blue hue that lit into a firey red the moment it reflected the moonlight. The skin of its jaws pulled upwards in a snarl to reveal sharp canines, thick globs of saliva and blood dripping of them. Another shot and it reacted, feeling the piercing hot sting of a bullet that drew a pained howl and whine from it. Turning around it sank its jaws on its prey dragging the still living, still screaming man with it into that liquid darkness, the cries for help fading away further and further into the woods, and finally growing still. All that was left behind was a trail of red and pieces of torn clothes.

There was only a clear full moon bathing a snowy road, red glimmering like a rubies before them. Wagner licked his lips, exhaling heavily into the cold winter air, visibly shaken.

"The was that...." Wagner's voice was low.

Something is out there. Hunting. Hungry. Deadly. Christmas nights are never Silent Night's at the base. You came to learn this slowly, and had the idea cemented into you the moment you saw one of your comrades be brutally murdered by something.

Every year, at around Christmas time soldiers go missing. Their bodies are, if found, are nothing but torn pieces of flesh and smears of blood. Sometimes they just vanish. As if they had never existed. They say something hunts them. Punishes them. They are never the 'clean' type. That is all they have in common. That was the superstition they told you, laughing between drinks. So, you've been good? Going to get Old Nick to visit you or our own boogeyman?

But the superstition is real...

Strange though. Aside from the unclean records, some of those missing have been some who not many like. Especially your Colonel, König. The Colonel who strangely now sports a bullet wound despite not having been on any active missions lately. And unfortunately, those eyes of yours have been seeing too many things they shouldn't have.

Christmas festive stuff? What is that? This is my only 'holiday' related thingy.

Nothing fancy for a card, mass text. Laptop is still weird when it comes to charging. Tested mostly with Gpt and JLLM at 0.7-.85.

Merry Christmus or something ma dudes, I know it is early sssh. Not my holiday but wish you all the best and a wonderful time with your family!

Art credit: Merdylan1 / S_SLEEPYET

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