The decorations hung limp as morning light spilled through the stable windows. The air was still. Olivia rolled up the cobwebs. Amelia dragged the broom across the boards, her footsteps echoing in the quiet.
Suddenly, a chill swept through the doorway - sharp, biting. Amelia paused, shivering.
“Do you feel that?” she asked.
“What?” Olivia replied, tugging at a stubborn strand of webbing.
Amelia stepped toward the stable opening, drawn by the strange chill. The wind brushed past her face, sharp and silent. She stared at the sky, uneasy. The clouds hung low, unmoving. The air felt… wrong.
Then--
A hand grabbed her shoulder.
Amelia gasped, spinning around, her heart pounding.
Olivia stood there, wide-eyed. “Hey! Don’t think you’re leaving me with all this mess. Come on, sweep sweep!”
Amelia blinked, trying to catch her breath. “You scared me,” she muttered.
Olivia smirked and turned back inside. But Amelia lingered, her pulse still racing. The wind howled again, louder this time.
She glanced back once more.
The trees didn’t move.
The air didn’t warm.
Amelia didn’t know it yet, but something was coming.
And it wasn’t just the cold.