"This is insane." I stared out the window of the shop front. The snowstorm had really picked up during my shopping. I only really had myself to blame. Last minute toy shopping a couple of days before Christmas. This was just my luck. I really shouldn't have procrastinated. But to be fair, I wasn't the biggest fan of my nieces and nephews. Last year, I opened a very shabbily wrapped gift box to find a dead bird inside. My sister swore up and down it was only their way of expressing love. But in my opinion, a professional therapist should have been involved.

"I don't think it is going to get any lighter." A woman said from next to me. I wasn't the only fool who forgot to check the weather.

"I can't drive in this." I realized aloud. My car was 90s Sedan, which was held together by duct tape and a prayer. It was a miracle it started in the morning. I couldn't remember the last time my tires were changed. Getting here was a nightmare enough. If I were to try to drive off, I would likely end up in a ditch buried in snow.

The cashier was a teenager with an old-school emo haircut, long black bangs covering half his face. "The radio says this is just the start." He called to us from his spot behind the register.

"It's over a foot deep!" The woman exclaimed. "My husband is going to worry where I am!"

"Maybe I can help." A man dressed in a three-piece suit and tie came up to the counter to place down his items. A game console and a few games. He was either buying for his own kid, or he really liked the kid he was buying for. Sure beat the stuffed animals and noise makers I had in my bags.

"You can drive on this stuff?" The woman asked. She reminded me of a parakeet. Her head constantly bobbing, her short bob of a haircut whipping this way and that. And I swear she was blinking just... too much.

"I sure can." He offered a perfect white smile that fit his chiseled jaw perfectly. I checked his fingers for a wedding ring, but he was wearing gloves. Shame. "All-wheel drive SUV with chains."

"Can I trouble you for a ride?" The woman was so quick to trust a stranger for a ride. The more I thought about it, the less odd it seemed. I came from a big city. Ever since moving out to the mountains a few months back, I had felt like a fish out of water. Everyone here knew everyone. Everyone was friendly. People left their doors unlocked. There was an honor system amongst the people you just didn't find in the city.

It was after that realization that I jumped on the bandwagon. Might as well soak up the help if I could get it. "May I trouble you further?" I asked with an awkward laugh.

He turned to me and smiled again. That's the kind of warm smile that could melt all this snow. Certainly, any coldness in a heart. "I don't think I've seen you around." He slipped off his leather glove. "Parker. And you?"

I felt dumbfounded that this beautiful man was introducing himself to me. Until I remembered that I should probably know someone's name before I get into a vehicle with them. "Maggie." I placed my hand onto his. I could feel my fingers were like ice compared to his touch.

"Harper." The parakeet woman came to offer her greetings to me as well. Her fingers were even colder than mine.

"Anyone else need a ride?" Parker looked around. "I have a few more seats. What about you, Travis? Your father coming to get you later?"

The cashier shrugged. "I don't know, sir. I still have a few more hours left in-" He was interrupted by the chilling sound of the power shutting down in an instant.

There was a scream from somewhere within the store. While light from outside lit the front of the store, it was far darker towards the back.

"Just hear those sleighbell ring-a-ling" A jingle came from the back of the shop with flashing red and green lights. The lights traveled up to the front of the store to join us. They belonged to a reindeer plushie held by a young teen girl.

"Ella?" The woman asked her. "I didn't see your car outside"

The sudden oncoming of darkness brought a handful of people up to the front. Bringing a bit of commotion with them.

"I can't see a thing." Said an old man. His glasses were thicker than goggles. But not thicker than his coat. Like a giant marshmallow wrapped around him.

"A little help here?" Another woman emerged from the darkness; her arms full of toys.

"Mr. Harris." Parker gave him a nod and helped him into the light before assisting the other woman. "Grace." He took a few of her items and sat them next to his on the counter.

"How bad is it out there?" Mr. Harris pushed his glasses up his nose and narrowed his eyes, trying to see beyond us out the door.

"Bad bad." I sighed. The snow was stacked tall against the glass door.

"I can make more than one trip." Parker assured everyone. "I can get everyone home." What a hero. "Let me pull the car around." He secured his coat around himself and put his glove back on.

"I won't be able to check anyone else out." Travis told them. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault." Mr. Harris chuckled. "These storms have their way."

"The radio said this would be the biggest storm we've seen in a decade." Travis informed everyone.

"You're kidding?" Grace snapped. "I still have to make dinner, I can't be stuck here all night!" I know she wasn't blaming Travis. At least- I hoped she wasn't blaming Travis. But the way she said this did sound a little accusatory.

"It's okay, Gracy." Parker waved his calm and collected hand nonchalantly. "I'll get you home. Who can stand to wait for the second trip?"

Since I was the newbie, I felt I was automatically disqualified over nagging Grace and the elderly. I was just barely out of my teens myself. "I can wait." I gave him a nod.

"I'll wait, too." Ella offered her spot.

"Let me grab the car." Parker said warmly. Gosh, what a beautiful man. He pushed the door hard. It wouldn't give much at first. He had to shove it a few good times to make it wide enough for him to even slip out. Snow piled on his shoulders and head, and he did his best to clear the snow now from in front of the door. After doing a bang-up job that would have to be good enough, he went for his vehicle.

It didn't take long for him to disappear completely into the whirlwind of snow. You could only see a few feet out. I really wondered how he would manage to drive in this. It was outrageous.

We waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, something emerged from the snow. But it wasn't an SUV. It was Parker. He fought once again to open the door, pulling it against the snow and wind. I pushed as he pulled, and he managed to fight his way back inside. He was coated in a layer of snow. He shook and stopped onto the door mat, trying to clean off.

"Well?" Grace demanded, "Where's the car?"

"I'm sorry there, Gracy." He dusted off his arms, "It was worse than I thought it was. My wipers can't even keep up."

"We're stuck here!?" Grace gasped.

"Does anyone have a cellphone?" Harper looked around. "I need to let my husband know where I am."

"I do." Parker, ever the knight in shining armor, offered his to her.

She tried to dial out. "It's not going through!" She said in a panic. "Does anyone have a signal?"

We all collectively discovered that there were no signals to be had. Typical. Boy, it sure was a good thing that I didn't have anyone waiting at home for me. Well. There was my cat Ginger, but I was half convinced he hated me anyway. He only liked me when I filled his bowl. He would be alright.

"When the winds die down, I am happy to take all of you home." Parker told us. "It will just have to wait for..." He trailed off. It was obvious this storm wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

"What do we do?" Grace huffed, "It's freezing already! It's only going to get colder!"

"Take my coat." Parker slid his off to accommodate the woman. Curses. I should have said it was cold first. Which, I was. I was only wearing a hoodie since, you know, coats are expensive.

"Is there a backup generator here, Travis?" Parker took the lead in problem solving.

Travis shrugged. "I don't know, sir."

Parker retrieved his phone from Harper and turned on his flashlight. "I'll go check." He flashed his lights around to each of us, "I suggested the rest of you go find beddings and blankets. Anything to keep warm. I'll cover the cost of what we use."

This man had won my heart from his first smile. Now he was just adding icing onto the cake.

Parker took his leave. The rest of us did as instructed. One thing was certain. I needed a bathroom. I used my own flashlight to lead me off towards the back.

While everyone split off to find their own things, I shut myself inside and locked the door. When I turned around to walk to the toilet, I tripped and almost lost my footing. I caught myself and looked to see what had been in my way.

A leg.

Not just any leg. But a leg attached to a very, very dead looking woman who sat in a puddle of her own blood.

I gave a scream that would have shattered windows if there were any within the small bathroom.

It wasn't long before people were crowding me at the door with bright lights flashing in my eyes and everyone screaming about "What happened?"

I didn't even have to tell them. They could see the fresh corpse behind me. This was followed by even more screaming. Mostly from the women.

Leave it to Parker to be the one person to actually check on the woman. He kneeled down, his knee resting in the soggy puddle below him. He checked for a pulse, but... I didn't have to be a doctor to tell you the messy slice across her throat was enough to solidify the woman was definitely dead.

His nod was a bit unnecessary but cleared up any doubts anyone else could have had.

"That's Ava!" Mr. Harris shook as he spoke. "Who could do this to such a sweet girl?"

"Call the police!" Harper screamed, just to remember there was no signal. "We have to notify them somehow!"

"How?" Grace snapped, "Even if we could, how would they make it here to us!?"

"Everyone." Parker stood now. His look was grim. He took a slow and steady breath before he declared coldly, "Someone just recently killed Ava. Which means... the killer is still here."

"It's one of us?" Harper's eyes went wide. She looked around, clutching her cross necklace.

"It would have to be." Parker informed us.

"I'm getting out of here!" Grace yelled and booked it for the front door.

"Are you crazy?" Ella asked her, "You'll freeze to death out there!"

"I'd rather freeze than have my throat slashed!" She ran past the aisles of toys to the front of the store once more. All of us ran after her. I had to agree with her. Freezing seemed more peaceful than a knifing.

Unfortunately, the storm was well underway. The door was covered in snow, and pushing it open was practically impossible. Even the superhero Parker couldn't get the thing to shove open with the build-up that had formed in the time we had been inside.

"I'm getting out of here!" Grace insisted and shoved at the door with all her petite might. Her heels slipped off her feet as she shambled to fight the door open. All with no luck.

"What do we do?" Ella clutched her plushie to her chest tightly as if it would shield from all incoming knives.

"We figure out who did it." Parker said. "That was a messy kill. Someone must have blood on them."

"What about her?" Grace pointed to me. "She found the body! Maybe she did it!"

Everyone looked to me.

"What?" I was taken by surprise at the notion, "I.." I was speechless.

"See?" Grace pointed out, "There hasn't been a murder in this town in centuries. She shows up, and suddenly Ava is murdered!"

"It wasn't me!" I yelled out now, finding my voice. "I am just as scared as you are!"

"Everyone, calm down!" Parker used his authority to try to ease the tension. "We don't know who did it, so let's not throw out accusations so quickly." He raised his hands in a calming manner, "Now. Did anyone see anything?"

"I was working." Travis shrugged.

"I was shopping!" Grace sputtered.

"We were all shopping," Mr. Harris looked back to Parker.

"Yes." Parker agreed. "All except for one of us."

Harper looked to Grace, "Well... you were one of the last people to come up to the front."

"My hands were completely full! Are you seriously accusing me right now!?" Grace was heated. "Besides! So was Mr. Harris! He passed me to get up to the front!"

"It was in the ladies' room!" Mr. Harris popped off, "I would never!"

"Oh, so murder is okay, but you draw the line at using the wrong restroom!" Grace shot back, "That checks out!"

"Calm down!" Parker tried once more to soothe everyone. "We aren't going to get anywhere if we are at each other's throats.

"I'm scared!" Ella spoke for all of us. She looked maybe to be about my age. Maybe a little bit younger since she was clinging onto a stuffed animal.

"It's going to be okay." Parker told her. "We'll get through this."

"What do we do now?" I asked. My breath was already a visible puff of steam in front of me. It was definitely getting colder by the second.

"The blankets." Parker instructed. "Everyone, go grab the blankets."

We went about our way and grabbed blankets and pillows. We set up shop in the center of the store. Surrounded by nutcrackers and Christmas themed gnomes. Together, we had assembled a pillow fort. All of us went to collect more at a time for more cushion and warmth. It was after everyone had been back for a pause that I noticed someone was missing.

"Hey, guys." I pointed out. "Where is Mr. Harris?"

Everyone looked around the immediate area. Nothing. Even calling out for him amounted to nothing.

Mr. Lead the Way Parker whipped out his flashlight once more and cased the joint. When he came back, he was pale.

"He's... he's dead." Parker's eyes were filled with the same shock they had been when he saw Ava.

Everyone looked back around to each other. We had all been absent at one point or another. We didn't always have eyes on each other. It could have been anyone.

"Where?" Grace asked.

"He's by the bedding." Parker said grimly. Where all of us had been. "His throat..." Parker didn't have to say it. "It could be any one of you!" The too cool, Mr. Parker suddenly became less cool when he pulled a gun out from a holster on his hip.

"He's got a gun!" Harper screamed the obvious and tried to run from the fort.

"You're not going anywhere!" Parker yelled at her, and she froze in place. "Get back over here! I'm not trusting any of you to be out of my sights!"

"It was you!" Grace pointed at him, "This whole time!"

"Do you hear yourself?" Parker looked to her with a condescending look. "If it were me, wouldn't I have shot everyone? This killer is using a knife. It's not me."

"Well, you're the only one I see here with a weapon!" Grace made a fine point.

"It's for protection!" Parker insisted. "In an instance like this. All I know is- I am not dying tonight. And all of you are staying away from me." He was so close to being prince charming.

"Fine by me!" Grace said. "I want everyone away from me, too!"

"And me!" Harper called out next. "I want to be alone!"

"No one is going anywhere!" Parker ordered. "All of you are staying right there in the center where I can see you."

"Who died and made you boss?" Grace snapped.

"Two people died." He reminded her, "And this gun makes me the boss." He was making some fair points, too.

"Put that thing away!" Travis hid behind me. "We're supposed to be working together."

"I'm also uncomfortable with you waving a gun around." Ella spoke up.

"Spoken very suspiciously." Parker narrowed his eyes.

"Can we all take a breath?" I tried my hand at de-escalation. "I'm scared, too, but I'm also not pointing a gun at anyone."

"I'm not losing the gun. I've seen enough here to know I need it." Parker declared. "You'd be thanking me if you were innocent."

I didn't like his insinuation, "It's not me!" I felt like I had defended myself too much tonight. I wasn't happy about any of this either, but I wasn't pointing my finger to anyone.

"Everyone needs to relax." I heard Travis say from behind me. At first, I thought he was actually trying to help me. That was until I felt a cold metal press against my throat. I realized a little too late that Travis was the one holding a knife to my throat from behind me.

"Travis?" Grace exclaimed in shock. "What are you doing?"

"Can it, old woman." He sneered. "Give me your gun." He told Parker. "Or I open her up like I did the rest.

"Put the knife down!" Parker was pointing his gun at... Travis? But it looked dangerously close to my own head.

"Don't shoot me!" I cried out in terror. "Please!"

"Give me the gun now!" Travis demanded very loudly next to my ear.

"Put the knife down!" Parker said just as loudly. Which, I could appreciate how brave he was, but at the same time, he was gambling with my life on the line.

"Just put the gun down!" I was clutching Travis' arm, but the kid was stronger than he looked.

"If I give him the gun, we're all dead!" Parker yelled, "No can do!"

"If you don't give him the gun, then I'm dead!" Pardon me for being dramatic, but that blade was biting into my neck, and I knew this kid wasn't bluffing.

"Why are you doing this, Travis?" Harper covered her mouth in her own shock.

"The gun." Travis reiterated. "Now."

"Please!" I begged, the tear welling in my eyes.

I could see he was very reluctant. But Parker wasn't a killer. He couldn't let my blood be on his hands. He put the gun on the floor.

"Slide it over." Travis instructed.

Parker did as he was told.

Suddenly, Travis pushed me forward hard with a solid blow to my back. I fell forward, and this time, I didn't catch myself. I fell onto the ground that was thankfully covered in pillows and blankets.

Travis retrieved the gun. Now, he was even more deadly. He smiled, proud of himself.

"Thank you." Travis nodded to Parker, "Now that this is out of the way, the real fun can begin!"

"Why are you doing this!?" Grace was the one to ask now. Less shocked. More angry.

"It's like you said." He shrugged, "There hasn't been a murder in this town in centuries. And now... there is me."

"You're doing this for the fame?" She rolled her eyes, "Grow up! You'll get the chair for this!"

"Oh, I hope so!" He grinned maliciously. "I'll be in the textbooks. The Toy Story Butcher. I just needed the right time and place. This couldn't be more perfect."

"You're delusional!" Grace told him.

"And you'll be the next to go!" He roared and came at her with his knife. He may have had the gun, but he appeared to want to do some up close and personal damage.

Grace screamed and took off running. Her heels were clanking madly against the floor.

"Hey!" Parker ran to tackle the crazy teenager. He was met with a gun pointed right at him. A loud bang filled the air. I covered my ears, the noise ringing in my head.

Parker hit the ground, followed by more screaming, filling the room. Travis took off after Grace again, who had taken this time to kick off her shoes. I ran to Parker and rolled him over. The shot had entered his chest. He was wheezing, and blood leaked from his mouth.

"I'm dying." He wasn't really speaking to me. It was more like he was confirming that for himself.

"No!" I pressed on the wound, not sure if I was helping whatsoever. It was just what I had seen done in movies. "Oh my God, please don't die!" I was shaking. Not sure how to help. My hands were getting soaked in the warm blood pumping from his chest.

"Save... them." He sputtered.

Me? Save them? I couldn't save him or even myself. I couldn't save anyone!

I heard Grace screaming from the back.

I eased Parker back down onto the ground and ran to the back to see that Travis was trying to break the bathroom door down to get to Grace. While he was focused on her, I could try to slip out the front door. I mean, I didn't know any of these people. I didn't owe it to any of them to save anybody. I wasn't a hero.

I rushed to the front of the store like a coward and tried with every ounce of strength I could muster to get the door open. All to no avail. The storm pushed hard against the door. I cried out in frustration. Maybe I could break the glass. I went behind the cash register and pulled up the chair. I threw it at the door just for it to bounce off and rattle on the tile ground next to my feet. Every throw was met with the same amount of resistance. I wasn't getting out of this.

Unless. Maybe if I had a weapon. Maybe I could fight back. While he was distracted, I could... I didn't know. I didn't plan that far ahead.

I heard Harper scream from somewhere in the aisles.

He was attacking her. I fumbled the chair and left it there while I took off down a row. If I could just stay away from him, I could be safe. I just had to keep my distance. I knew Grace wasn't going to open that door to let me in. I would need to run the aisles.

"Oh Maggiiiiiiiieeeee!" Travis laughed like a maniac. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

I ducked into another aisle. I had to find a weapon. Something I could use to defend myself. I doubted he would use the gun on me. He would likely go for the knife since I wasn't as big of a threat as Parker had been.

"I can hear you!" Travis scoffed. I heard his feet padding across the tile to my location. I took off to the next aisle, then the next. Weaving in and out, needing to step over Harper's bloody body. My shoes smeared in the blood, leaving a trail behind me as I ran.

Travis cut around the corner, and I ran into him, slamming into him hard. I fell back and hit the floor hard enough to send a jolt through my body.

"Please, no!" I held my hands up in front of me. "Please! I won't tell anybody!"

"Oh, I know you won't." He chuckled. Then he came forward, swinging the knife madly to slash into my hands. I screamed out as I tried to fight him off. I kicked at him, but that just got my legs cut up, too. I left a trail of blood behind on the tiles as I inched backward. I bumped back into Parker. His body blocked my path. I couldn't back up anymore.

I held my hands up defensively for more of the slashes. I screamed out as he sliced away at my arms.

That was when I heard a loud slam. Travis stopped slicing away and dropped. When he hit the floor, the knife slid from his hand. Behind him stood Ella with a fire extinguisher.

She gasped as if her actions shocked even herself. She dropped the fire extinguisher and rushed to me. "Are you okay?" She tried to grab my hands, but the pain was too strong, and the blood was too slick. I slid back to the floor.

"Get... get the gun." I trembled as I pointed to Travis.

Ella nodded and rushed to pat him down. She found the gun. Just as she pulled back, Travis grabbed her wrist. She yelped and dropped the gun.

I dove for it as fast as I possibly could.

My blood got all over it, and my fingers weren't gripping it right. But the blood made it just slick enough that it slipped out of Travis' grip when he tried to take it from me. I screamed madly as we wrestled for the gun.

I heard the loud slam again. Once again, he had forgotten about Ella, who had taken the distraction to yet again beat him in the head with the fire extinguisher.

This time, when he hit the ground, I grabbed up the gun and backed away from the crazy man. I couldn't seem to get my fingers to work to hold it correctly, so I passed it off to Ella. Ella seemed less than thrilled to be holding a bloody gun but knew it was better than the extinguisher. It wasn't likely that Travis would allow her a third hit.

"I need to get some wrappings for my arms." I took the liberty of using the sheets we had opened earlier to tie my bloodied arms and legs. He had really done a number on me.

"Now what do we do?" Ella asked, still pointing the gun at Travis.

"We wait." I sighed painfully. Until the police can get here. Once this storm clears, we can notify them. Until then, keep an eye on him.

I made my way to the other side of Travis to check on Parker. I checked for a pulse. One was present, but it was weak.

"Parker?" I touched his face with my wrapped hand. I really wanted to know if he was coherent.

"Hm." He opened his eyes, but it was evident the light was fading.

"Hold on!" I told him, "It's over. We stopped him. Or rather, Ella stopped him!"

"Take... my car." He closed his eyes again.

His car. The keys being in his pocket. In his coat. That was on Grace. Who was locked away in the bathroom.

"Grace?" I knocked on the cracked and busted door. "You okay in there?

"Hello?" She called back.

"Hey." I tried to sound reassuring, "Travis is down. You can come out now. We have the gun."

I saw the glint of her eye as she peeked through one of the knife holes he had made. Of course, she had to check that I was telling the truth. She opened the door; her makeup was running down her face. Yet, she still walked in her collected manner. "Where is he?"

"Up front."

She made a point of kicking the teen while he was down. A little cold, but I didn't judge her for it. I wanted to do a lot more. At least I thought I did. I wasn't a killer either. But I knew I wanted him to pay for the hell he had put us through tonight.

I looked out the window. The snowstorm was still going. It was mad luck that I was still able to be standing here to see it.

"Do you still have his keys?" I asked Grace.

"Hm?" She remembered now that she had Parker's jacket. "Oh." She dug in the pocket to pull them out.

"As soon as this clears up, can you drive his truck in it?"

"I can try." She wouldn't look at me. Probably awkward after she was hogging the bathroom.

"Great."

That is how I spent the night in a toy store with a serial killer. Thankfully, I lived to tell the tale. He wanted to have the fame of a madman. He got half of what he wanted. Furthermore, my nieces and nephews hated the gifts that I got them. Overall, one out of five stars this season. Would not recommend.