Tales from the 13th: Happy Howls Day!

                                                                       

            It had been a hectic year for Michael, whose name is pronounced Michelle, and Barbara Durments. They were finally on their way to the perfect cabin for their week-long Christmas holiday. They were going with their four good friends, Tim, Rasheed, Louise, and Lee. It had taken them three long years to make the trip up to Eagle’s Lake. The best part of the location was that there was no cell phone service. And to say that it was going to be a non-stop party was an exaggeration of the abilities of the three college friends. Not one party harder than Delta Iota Kappas, Deltas for short, and this week was going to be stellar.  

It had taken them the better part of the day to travel from their posh San Francisco apartments to the lake house in Washington state. The trio of Michael, Tim, and Lee, the Deltas, were all investment bankers. They initially worked for Michael’s father, but after he passed away that year of a sudden heart attack, the business was left to the junior Durments. Naturally, his employees were envious, as he took two weeks off for Christmas, while they only had the day off for each holiday.   

Michael had a well-trimmed beard, thick designer frame glasses, and was wearing a red plaid shirt and blue jeans. Barbara was wearing a fuzzy pink sweater and blue jeans; both outfits cost more than the salary of their highest-paid executives. As always, she had her teacup Chihuahua, Bonita. She was holding onto her as the dog tried hiding in the purse for warmth.  The heat in the car was on max, as neither of the Durments wanted to ruin their outfits with their winter coats.

As their Lamborghini sped up the road to their winter wonderland retreat, Tim and Rasheed Jackson were in their BMW, followed by Louise and Lee in their Porsche. Louise’s name was always first in their relationship. Although Lee made the money, she was the one who called the shots, even going so far as to have Lee take her last name, Merriweather. This, of course, led Michael and Tim to constantly make fun of their friend, as he now had the name of the once-famous actress. They had taken to calling him the less-than-affectionate name of Kitty since the wedding.

After assuring their guests that it was only an hour more, they pressed on. Louise was not pleased with their times table, as she was not one for long trips. That was, unless it was to Europe. Her hair, which was usually a vast array of colors, was dyed entirely blue. She had done this to both the top of her head and her armpit hair. Louise was driving HER sports car, listening to another one of her favorite podcasts. As much as she thought Lee loved hearing them, he utterly despised them.

            While Lee would rather have had a root canal done, Tim and Rasheed were having the best time of their lives. They were busy discussing the renovations they wanted to make to their house. It was times like these that their relationship truly flourished. As they drove, Rasheed stared lovingly at his husband. Holding hands, the former football player’s hand nearly dwarfed his fair-skinned spouse's. The quarterback was tempted to bring up the subject of children again, something that Tim was dead set against. The way he saw it, they were having the time of their lives right now, so why ruin it?

Their party finally arrived at their destination, and the scene of the icy mountain tops against the frozen lake was breathtaking. Eagle Lake was renowned for its beautiful scenery and, most importantly, its ice fishing. It was something that the three fraternal brothers were looking forward to doing. The three expensive cars made their way to the main office and parked. It was a pleasant, crisp thirty degrees out, with a wind chill of twenty. Michael took first place and got out. Opening his trunk, he pulled out his and Barbara’s winter coats. She spoke some baby talk gibberish to Bonita and zipped her up in her purse, the little dog’s shivering head sticking out. 

The rest of their party got out and looked around. It was the most gorgeous sight that they’d ever seen. From the mountains to the snow-encrusted trees to the frozen lake, it left them all awestruck. The constant wind kept the snow from settling on the majestic lake. It looked almost as if it were the sky itself, reflecting majestically. Everyone was just astonished by the scenery. The office, which looked like a giant version of their cabins, along with a general store, stood before them.  

“Okay, why don’t we get inside and get our cabin?” Michael told them.

“It’s about time, my ass is exhausted,” Tim said.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Rasheed said, nudging him with his shoulder and kissing him on the cheek.

Tim just shook his head. One thing about Rasheed is that he didn’t care who knew he loved his husband. The six of them went inside and started to look around. Inside, the first thing to greet them was a large stuffed Grizzly bear. Naturally, Louise was offended by the horrible display of animal cruelty, making it well known to the others how disappointed she was in them.  Why did they have to spend their “machismo” Christmas there? They pounded on the bell, alerting the resort owners to their arrival. A big, burly man came walking out, wearing a blue plaid shirt. His hair looked like a round cotton swab that covered his tranquil blue eyes.

They were greeted jovially by Hector Henderson, owner of the Eagle Lake Resort. The first thing that Louise did was inquire if the grizzly bear was real or fake. Proudly, he told her how he hunted down Old Brutus, all by himself. She accused him of brutally killing the beautiful creature, but he responded that the bear had killed three people before he was taken down. It wasn’t like he was out to kill the bear for no reason; it was a man-killer. Merriweather continued insulting him, which made the shop owner's wife come out from the back. She was cute as a button for her age. The eco-friendly keyboard warrior backed down as the little old lady asked what was going on. She wasn’t about to have some blue-haired hussy give her man grief.

Louise snipped under her breath that all men know how to kill. Michael and Tim both high-fived each other, both proclaiming, “Hell yeah!”  She was sickened by the men. She couldn’t believe that they were wasting their vacation time with this machismo bullshit. It took Barbara and Rasheed to pull her away from her tirade and go into the gift shop. With the women gone, they introduced themselves, and Hector clapped his hands, glad to see who he called the Durments’ party. Tim made the joke that as long as he didn’t call them the Donner Party, they were all good. The owners seemed unimpressed by the joke.

Henderson had them in the Roosevelt cabin, which had three bedrooms and two baths. He charged them for the week's stay, which he and Jeanette desperately needed at this time. People weren’t frequent visitors to resorts like this. Not anymore. However, there was another party that was part of the trail, staying in the Kennedy cabin. They didn’t need to worry as you could blast the radio and wouldn’t be able to tell, but Hector didn’t recommend that they try it. Lee was surprised by the amount, as he had expected it to be much higher. However, that price did not include their food. They were roughing it after all, and they would need to buy the necessities.

“You mean that we have to catch all our food?” Lee asked. “I thought you were kidding?”

“That’s the point of us roughing it out here, isn’t it?” Michael asked him.

“Aren’t we going to a restaurant or something?” 

“Son, the only restaurants that are around here are thirty-eight miles south of here,” Hector informed him.

“Louise is not going to like this. She thought we’d be eating at restaurants and having campfires. Do some s’mores and stuff like that.”

“Look here, Ms. Kitty…” Tim started to say, as Lee slugged him in the arm.

“Will you both cut it out? She’s going to have to make do with what we have.” Michael said as he paid in cash.

Hector asked, politely, what seemed to be Louise’s problem. He’d never had anyone defend a man killing a bear before. Michael told him that she was passionate about causes and tried to make a positive impact. Jeanette asked them how not killing a man-eater was a good fight? Tim apologized and told her, and asked Hector to beg his pardon, that she looked cute enough to eat. The little wife blushed, as she wasn’t used to getting compliments. She told them that it was too late to go fishing, because by the time they settled in, it’d be dark. Seeing that they had extra, they offered to bring over some homemade stew. Lee tried to lighten and asked if it was grizzly. The little woman said that it wasn’t, it was beaver stew.

Tim tried keeping it clean, as a plethora of dirty jokes popped into his head.           

“She’s a great cook, it's mighty good. You won’t even recognize that it’s not beef.” Hector said.

“We have more than enough,” Jeannette said. “Just don’t go around telling the blue-haired girl what’s in it.”           

“She won’t eat it anyway…” Lee said, looking defeated. “We’re… vegetarians.”

“And you came to a place where you have to hunt and fish for food?”   

“We can sell you some potatoes and carrots, if you’d like. Maybe some oatmeal,” Jeanette added.

“Thank you, but…”  Lee said nervously,”

“How much is everything?”  Michael asked.

            “The stew we’re sharing with you. Seeing that it’s your first night.” Hector said with a smile.

“We’ll have to charge you for the rest.” She told them.

Jeanette gathered up the potatoes and carrots, even a canister of oatmeal. He was game to try beaver stew, but he told Tim that he’d better keep his trap shut about it. Hector said they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The meat was tender and melted in your mouth. The more he talked about it, the more the two men wanted to try it. Lee promised not to say a word, as they were afraid the women wouldn’t eat it. With everything paid for, the owners said that they’d bring over the stew shortly. They figured it would give them time to settle in. They even offered to start the fire for them, to keep the cabin nice and toasty, but they declined.

The couple were persistent in bringing the stew and starting the initial fire by themselves. Jeanette convinced them to let them do it by saying she’d hate for them to get the stew on their nice upholstery. When the girls and Rasheed returned, they were laughing at all the “trinkets” the old couple had to sell. It was amusing to them. A look of hurt came from the little lady’s eyes, noticed by Lee. He was used to that look. His will to fight had long since died out. Louise had browbeaten it out of him after she finally agreed to marry him. He was now the perfect little servant to her. There wasn’t one meal that they had where she wasn’t bringing up fighting the patriarchy.

The three of them were laughing at the couple, although they were trying not to look as if they weren’t. After leaving the office, they finally told Louise what she was having for dinner, and she was not thrilled. Lee had to hear about it the whole way to the Roosevelt cabin. She kept on about how this was beneath her. It was his fault that they were having to “camp out” when they could have been relaxing in Europe. Cruising the Caribbean. But no, they had to go to a cabin and camp out with their buddies. He couldn’t wait to get to the cabin and open a few bottles of alcohol. After the long trip, and her complaining most of it, he felt he deserved to be liquored up.

They parked and exited their cars. Tim and Rasheed were the first to arrive and were already unpacking their BMW. Next in line were Michael and Barbara, who went right into the cabin, as it was too cold for Bonita. Lee got out, looking more defeated than usual, and opened the Porsche's trunk.  There, he got out their luggage and met the rest of the group inside.  With him, he had his duffel bag, and she had three suitcases. At the same time, his friends gave him grief over his name, as there was nothing wrong with his real name, Levi Lowenstein. He even had to stop practicing being Jewish because she had a thing against Israel.  

The inside of the Roosevelt cabin was a phenomenal work of art. It had deluxe accommodations for a two-story building. Michael and Tim had claimed the top two bedrooms, leaving the ground-floor one for the Merriweathers. It was something that Lee was more than grateful for, as the luggage that he was carrying was extremely heavy. The rooms were just as grand as the rest of the cabin. They were furnished each with a king-sized, four-poster bed. Dropping his bag to the floor, he placed her suitcases on the bed, gently. The door wasn’t even closed for five seconds before Louise started in on him, complaining about all the dead animals that were displayed on the walls.

Hector, true to his word, finally made his way up the lane and knocked on the door. He assisted Michael and Tim with building the fire that would heat the place for the remainder of the evening. The white-haired older man gave them explicit instructions on how to keep the fire going and how to feed it properly. He put the kettle over the flame and then informed them that if they needed anything, they should just come on by. After warning them that he was a heavy sleeper and that Jeanette would be powerfully mad if they interrupted her beauty sleep, he was ready to leave. He was just about to reach the door when Louise had to vent her hatred of the cabin’s decor.

She went about her tirade, pointing out that each mounted animal head, every stuffed bird, was the death of a living being. A living being that he helped destroy. Hector looked at her, dumbfounded. His rebuttal was that they were at a cabin that was used for hunting and fishing. What else did she expect him to decorate the walls with but the prized trophies that he had earned?  Hearing the word “earned” sent her off the deep end. She spewed out how death was not some prize that you deserved, but a disrespectful service to the animal's memory. Her hatred for the loss of animal life came out tenfold. She felt that if she didn’t stand up to this cruel butcher, no one would.    

Things became heated between the two, and it took Bab’s and Lee to calm her down, as Michael and Tim stood there blocking the angered cabin owner. The time he spent obtaining those trophies was equivalent to years of his life. He had taken great pride in his collection. Louise finally threw her hands up as the owner was about to kick them out. She didn’t feel like driving back home, especially not at night. That was the only reason she gave up, as she hated driving at night. It took the two fraternity brothers some time and a bit of extra cash to ease the wounded pride of Hector. After paying him off, the older man left.

Once he got back into the cabin, Michael asked her what the hell was wrong with her. She might have been a guest of his, but he wasn’t going to tolerate her pulling a bullshit stunt like that. She stated, snottily, that she had the right to voice her opinion, and she was going to tell him how he didn’t have the right to kill such beautiful creatures as these. Barbara rubbed her back and said to her that things need to cool down, and they should sit down and have a nice meal. It smelled wonderful. Lee encouraged them to make dinner. She complained that it was just oatmeal, as the potatoes and carrots would take hours to cook. Tim, having rubbed salt in the wound, told her that there was always the stew.

“Fuck you, murderer!”

“OH, I'm wounded.” He put his hand over his heart and acted as if he were hurt.

“Please, don’t start on her,” Lee said.

“Oh, come on, Kitty, you just love it when we do.” 

“Tim!” Rasheed said, rubbing his husband's shoulders. “Let’s lay off the whole antagonizing Louise bit. I’m hungry.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Louise gave Lee a disgusted look, who began peeling the potatoes and carrots, cutting them into small, easy-to-cook pieces. There was no way that she was going to eat oatmeal for dinner. In a separate pot, he was cooking the oatmeal, hoping that the vegetables would soften soon. The others gathered around the table and poured out the stew into their bowls. At first, they were a little hesitant, even though it smelled great. It took Michael trying it before they dug in. He was surprised, since it was a different meat to them, that it was pretty good. Jeanette was a great cook. She had given them so much that they were able to have two bowls each.

The stew dinner was done and over with by the time the vegetables were done cooking.  The group gathered around the fireplace and began sharing their own Christmas stories, drinking heavily. They spoke about their favorite presents that they received as children. About memories that had all but faded into obscurity, resurrected once again for this one-time special occasion. The only one who was not having a good time was Louise. She didn’t have a favorite toy or memory. All she had was an abusive father, who made holidays unbearable. This was something she decided to share, making everyone else feel miserable as well.

The night carried on, and they decided to share spooky tales to help them drift off to sleep. Each took their time weaving a web of spectral tales, the next one fiercer than the last. Then they went to Louise, who was eager to share her story. She told them what frightened her most as a child. For the first time, the group had heard the tale of Krampus. Her father had told her as a means of keeping her in check. Even with her being twenty-eight, the Christmas creature still scared the hell out of her. While his tales gave her nightmares as a child, the beatings that he gave her were fiercer.  

Their drinking continued, and they were inebriated by the time she told her story. They all joked about the creature that terrified her dreams. This was something that she didn’t appreciate. As she sulked, they were having a gay old time with the tales. Finally noticing that it was almost three o’clock in the morning, and that most of the party were all tipsy on wine, they decided to all go to bed. Michael nearly had to carry Bab’s up the stairs; she was that far gone. As she tried navigating the stairs, Rasheed carried his husband up the stairs, not that he needed it; it was done as they were feeling frisky.  

The next morning, Lee was the first up, ensuring he was ready to brave the long journey ahead. Rasheed was next, wanting to make Tim a very special breakfast in bed. The two men decided to walk over to the general store and get some fresh eggs and bacon. By the time they got back, Michael and Barbara were up, making sure the fire was fed. Rasheed oversaw breakfast. It had been a while since he’d been a Boy Scout and made breakfast over a fire, but he had everything under control. Lee cooked more oatmeal, as that was the only thing they could eat. Besides not eating bacon, Louise would have also refused the eggs.

Once the meal was complete, everyone dug in as Rasheed took his share upstairs. He would inform Tim of their decision. While he was making breakfast, it was agreed that the Deltas would all go to town, while the spouses would remain behind. There were several bottles of wine in their future. The only ones that weren’t a part of the decision were Tim and Louise, and it didn’t take much for Tim to be convinced to go. Anything was better than hearing another bitchfest by the blue-haired wonder. The men got into the Lamborghini and took off to the closest town, Mills Creek. Michael was driving at the speed limit intentionally, as he didn’t want to get back to Louise anytime soon. None of them did. Lee appreciated the time away from his wife the most.

They drove to the town and received a lot of looks due to the Lamborghini. While they were in the small village, they picked up the necessities, especially the vegan products that Louise would eat. Before they left, they discovered a winery in town. They went in and did two flights before leaving. They reminisced about their time in college and the conquests they used to have. Lee was not the man he used to be, and then he wondered why his alpha buddies gave him grief. Before they left the winery, they purchased twelve bottles of their best Pinot Grigio and were ready for the party tonight. They planned on getting completely trashed, especially after they got stuff for martinis and screwdrivers.

The trip home was more of the same. Tim and Lee were arguing as Michael laughed.  While they were “enjoying” each other’s company, the spouses were finishing up their third bottle. Jeanette stopped by and retrieved her crockery from the beaver stew. Bonita was barking at her the whole time. Again, Louise started in about their use of meat and how it just smelled like death in the cabin. The owner did her best to apologize, but it fell on deaf ears. Nothing she could do or say would make a bit of difference to the nasty drunk. She even went as far as to insult the older woman about her “fetching” her dishes to clean.

Jeanette left the cabin right as the men were pulling up. She looked distraught, as if something had been said that was deeply troubling her. Even though she told the guys that it was alright, the hurt could still be seen in her eyes. She didn’t appreciate being made fun of because she was a “Fifties Wife.” The men went inside, and Michael asked what had happened. Bab’s had told him that it was just Louise and the wine talking. Of course, when confronted, Louise took offense at being blown off as a drunk. She told them that the woman should be embracing her “inner goddess” and taking control of her life and her relationship.  

That night, they had freshly caught salmon, purchased in town, and baked potatoes. That was, except for the vegetarians. They had tofu fish. This, of course, didn’t go without being made fun of by Tim. Along with dinner, they had several bottles of a lovely Pinot Grigio. The spouses were drinking as the husbands discussed their day of fishing, set for the next morning. They would have to get up early to accomplish this. Louise made it known that she disapproved of Lee going. Nor when he went to bed before her, as he needed to get up later. She expected him to rub lotion on her, like he did every evening.

The morning before Christmas Eve, the three Deltas got up three hours before dawn. After getting layered up, they went out the cabin door and saw their vehicles. Their hoods had been opened, and all the wires had been pulled out. They felt violated, Lee more so, as it was Louise’s baby that had been vandalized. They were about to head to the owners and call the police, but remembered what they said about waking Jeanette up. After what Louise did to her the day before, they figured that it didn’t matter if they waited to call the police. Light or dark, they were currently stranded at the cabin.

After deciding there was no point in standing around, since they didn’t know how to fix the vehicles, they went out to the lake. After choosing a shanty, Tim opened a hole that they would fish out of. It was, as Michael called it, as cold as a witch’s tit. The three of them sat there, freezing, and watching the hole, waiting for a nibble. When the first one came, it was Tim who had snagged the fish. He pulled in the first trout and placed it to the side, recasting his line. The rest of the day, they went back and forth, each getting a chance at bragging rights. Lee was even acting like his old self.

The triumphant tacklers came back and saw their cars were still in disarray. Both Michael and Tim were furious that their precious babies were violated in such a way. They packed the fish outside the cabin in the newly fallen snow. Now, seeing the full damage in the sunlight, they were pissed. Set with a purpose, they marched to the office. They wanted their cars fixed immediately. Getting to their destination, they burst in, scaring poor Jeanette, who was busy dusting. Realizing they had startled the woman, Lee took point, as he was the only one of them who remained calm. He had every reason to be, as Louise had yet to see her car, and that was a good thing. If she saw it, the fit would hit the shan in the worst way possible.  

She asked them what she could do for them, as Hector was in the back cleaning tonight's meat. Lee said that they needed to use the phone as they had been vandalized the night before. Surprised, Jeanette asked who they were going to call. They looked at her, startled, as the police and a mechanic were on the top of the list. Tim nearly lost it, as his Beemer was violated. If there was anyone who loved their car more than Louise, it was Jefferson. As restrained as he could, he placed his hands on the counter and told her he needed the phone. That’s when they discovered a problem. Michael said that there was one with their cars. The shopkeeper then informed them that the ice had frozen the lines, and the phone was therefore not operational.  

They insisted that they try the line, as things had thawed by now. The older woman walked over to the old rotary phone and lifted it. The men were surprised that the antique still worked. She clicked on the cradle a few times and looked at them with a confounded look. The men knew, before she even hung up the phone, that there was no line to the outside world. She shook her head, saying that the lines were not working. It was at that time that Lee started feeling nervous, as Louise would check on her car, and then all hell would break loose. Seeing that the line was down, Tim asked if they could borrow their vehicle, so they could go to town and retrieve help.

She disappointed them by informing them that they didn’t have one. They lived entirely off the land or on monthly orders. They had no use for one. Michael asked when the next one was, and she informed them that it was next Tuesday. Tim, who didn’t think he heard her correctly, asked about tomorrow. With a tender smile, she repeated that it was next Tuesday. He responded by asking about tomorrow, which she told him was Christmas Eve, and Jim Bob doesn’t do any runs until after the holiday. Doing the math, Jefferson’s mouth dropped, and he asked if she meant in two weeks. Getting a little annoyed with having to repeat herself, she said No, next Tuesday. Jim Bob was taking this week off for both holidays.   

Michael asked about a CB. Did they have one of those? He thought about all those older movies that featured them, but that idea was shot down. They did have one to reach Sheriff Grady. However, the first time they tried to use it, dust was inside, and it blew that thing up. They never had it fixed because they still had the phone. By this time, Tim was shaking, asking what they were supposed to do about the gutted cars. Durments was just as livid about his precious Lamborghini, but losing one’s cool was not going to solve the situation. As they were arguing back and forth, Hector came out, wearing a bloody apron, asking what all the ruckus was about.

That’s when he learned about the cars being ripped apart. He said that they could call Sheriff Grady, and went to try the phone, just as Jeanette did. Tim told him it was dead, which he scoffed at. Clicking it a few times, he returned the receiver to the cradle and shook his head. He confirmed with them that the phone was dead. Shaking even more, Tim slammed his fist down, saying, “Yeah, and Jim Bob’s not coming till next Tuesday.” Hector confirmed with him that he was correct, forcing Michael to ask what they were supposed to do about their cars in the interim. The old proprietor told them he didn’t know what had happened to the vehicles, but to wait until Jim Bob came with his delivery, and he’d be able to help.

Tim, fuming over his Beemer, asked the couple if they had any idea how much those cars cost. Responding to that, they must have cost a pretty penny, Jefferson snapped, saying that they cost more than a pretty penny. Lee tried to de-escalate the situation but was called ‘Miss Kitty’ and told to shut up. The way the visibly shaking Delta saw it, they should get to stay there for a vast, discounted rate. Nervous, as he knew he had to work out some arrangement to save face, Hector also knew that he couldn’t refund them the whole tab; they needed the cash desperately. Merriweather did manage to get Tim’s rage onto him, but called him out for calling him that stupid nickname.

“NO, Kitty! I make seven figures a year, own beachfront property in California, own a nice collection of cars…” Tim was bragging.

“I… I can’t let you stay here for free,” Hector told them, as they needed their money. 

“Mister, if you don’t, I swear to...”

“Now, Tim, we did spend the night, enjoyed their food, and caused them some distress.”

“Michael, I don’t give a rat’s ass about that!”

“What if we pay full price for last night, and the rest will be at half off,” Durments said, trying to be reasonable.

“But my car?”

“Will be fixed,” he said, feeling sympathy for the elderly couple. “Are we in agreement?”           

“I don’t know, I’m kinda with Tim on this one. I mean, when Lou hears about…”

Just then, the bell rang at the front door, and the door swung open violently. It struck an old barrel that held several fishing poles. There, standing in the doorway, was Louise. She had a look of hellfire in her eyes. She stormed up to the counter, with Bab’s and Rasheed in tow. Bonita was safely inside Barbara’s purse, wearing a knit sweater and hat. Merriweather howled about what happened to her Porsche! Nervously, the husband went up to her, calling her Lou-Lou Bear, but she wasn’t in the mood for pet names or excuses. She wanted to know precisely what happened to her precious baby. While they had yet to discuss the idea of children, and she was already in her mid-thirties, the Porsche was considered her child.

She continued screaming about the car, wanting to know who the hell violated it in such a manner. Lee told her that that’s what they were trying to work out. She didn’t want to get to the bottom of it; she wanted the bastard's testicles severed, fed to them, and then have her vehicle fixed. Seeing its wires in such a disheveled state was more than she could handle. Michael told them that all the screaming wouldn’t get the cars fixed, nor would it get Jim Bob up there any faster than on his next visit. Hearing the Southern name set Louise off even more, and she began ripping into the man, as if he were already there.

“Then what do you know?” She said, putting her fists upon her hips.

They informed her that without cellular towers, their phones were useless. Sadly, the only phone that the couple had was out of commission. This wasn’t sitting well with Louise, who called the establishment a ‘backwoods hellhole’ and asked them what they thought was wrong with this picture. They confessed to her that since they’d been there, the phone had yet to ring. Louise pointed out that it was due to no one wanting to be thrown back into such barbaric times. Hector, trying to be nice, told her that Jim Bob would be there next Tuesday. They had a large order that needed to be fulfilled, as it'd been two weeks since they’d been stocked up.

Tim, half joking, said that Jim Bob would be there next Tuesday. She demanded to know why he wasn’t coming up tomorrow, which Jeanette informed her was because it was Christmas Eve, and their friend didn’t work on holidays. Hector went to say something, but that’s when Louise’s attention fell upon his bloody white apron. Not only was her beloved Porsche violated like some two-bit whore, but here was also a man covered in the blood of an innocent animal. That was the one thing about the female Merriweather: she didn’t know when to keep her mouth shut. She began belittling the resort owner, doing what came naturally to them.

“Look, this is a tense situation. Why don’t we all go back to the cabin? We’ll settle on the bill later.” Michael said, seeing that Louise was beyond reason.

“We caught some lovely fish that we have to clean, and we’ll have...”

“You murdered more animals?”

“We went fishing,” Tim told her, as she knew that they would.

“Lou-Lou Bear, please…”

“I told you… DON’T, Lou-Lou Bear me! I’m not letting this go. Not while my Porsche has been gutted like some… some… animal!”

“Hon, I have a nice Rose chilling outside, it will taste great with some of your vegan cheese?” Barbara told her.

Louise looked at her; she was still furious. Rasheed, who was about to pick her up if she didn’t comply, told her to let the men handle this. This only added more fuel to the fire. She didn’t need a man speaking on her behalf. She could handle this on her own accord. Jefferson told her that he knew she could, but he would leave it to Michael; he deals with this every day, and he would get the best for them. Hector spoke up, defending his wife and way of life. Just when Louise was somewhat civil and was leaving on her own free will, the shop owner had to open his mouth.

“Come on.  Let the men handle this.”

“I can handle this on my own.” She reprimanded him.

“Yelling at my wife is not going to solve anything,” Hector told her.

“Listen here, you son of a…”

Both Tim and Rasheed grabbed hold of her while she was storming forward to put Hector “in his place” and dragged her out. She was throwing obscenities at him and his wife, all the way out the door. They knew she would not be helping with the matter. Babs followed them out, in hopes that the wine would help calm her friend down. Michael could only apologize to the owners; he knew that they weren’t at fault for the damage to their cars. However, the leverage they had in negotiating a reduced price was negated by Louise's actions. Between yesterday’s altercation and the savagery of the words she used to describe them right now, the older lady was moved to tears. Michael knew that if they could, the owners would have kicked them out due to her outburst. But, like them, they were stuck there.

They walked back to their cabin, none of them was looking forward to seeing their precious vehicles being left in disarray. Once they arrived, Louise looked at the wires, which were scattered all over the place. She started stroking the car like it was a living creature; her precious baby was in ruins. She picked up some of the wires, looked back down the lane to the office, and threw them back into the car. Pissed, Louise was determined to walk back down the lane. It took all four men blocking the way, and Bab’s rubbing her shoulders, to stop her from storming off. That’s all they needed. To be kicked out and having to walk to the town.

Once she finally calmed down, the girls and Rasheed returned to the cabin. Michael and Tim stayed outside to clean the fish, while Lee watched. After they were ready, they went inside to start cooking them. Tim placed the fish in some aluminum foil, along with butter, thyme, rosemary, and lemon slices. Once they were in the fire, which Rasheed oversaw by keeping it fed, they began working on the side dishes. Luckily, they had a large pot of water boiling, and they added some potatoes and carrots. For the vegetarians, they had the vegetables and the rest of their tofu fish.

For the rest of the day, they discussed the situation with the cars and how the Hendersons were handling it. They informed Louise that they were working on getting the stay at half price when she had to go off on them, ruining the deal. Even with a few more glasses of wine in her, she was still steaming. She was furious that the men were blaming her for not allowing them to close the deal. Bab’s and Bonita were seated next to her on the right side of the couch, while Rasheed was on the left. They were trying to console her, letting her know that her anger was justified, but she wasn’t handling it the best way.

Nightfall came, and they had the rest of the fish; they were six bottles deep by this time, and the spouses were pretty liquored up. Louise was finally letting up about what had happened.  The one thing about her was that she wasn’t a happy drunk. No, she was a depressing one. She consistently focused on her tragic past and brought the others down with her. The men were busy doing the dishes when the most horrible sound of screeching metal came from outside. The spouses stumbled behind the couch, while Michael and Tim both grabbed a knife, and Lee hid behind a log pillar.

“What the fuck was that?” Barbara asked as she held onto a barking Bonita.

“I don’t know,” Michael answered.

Just then, the sound came again, more terrifying than before. Michael and Tim went forward cautiously, knives at the ready. They weren’t sure what the hell was going on, but they knew that it wasn’t natural. Lee was still cowering; he had no weapon himself to use, or he would have gone with his braver brothers. A clunk came, sounding like something heavy had been tossed to the ground. The two men looked at each other before they peered out the window.  They couldn’t see anything. It was pitch black outside. Tim mouthed for his friend to turn on the light, which he wasn’t sure was a good idea. Needing to find out what the noise was, Michael turned on the light outside and dropped the knife.

“Oh, shit!” 

“What is it? What’s going on?” Bab’s asked.

“Just stay there!” Tim said, as he looked in both directions, trying to see what could have caused the horrible sight they were looking at.

“Was it one of the cars?” Lee asked timidly.

“I…” Michael started to say, looked at Tim, and looked back outside.

“Let us handle this,” Tim told them.

He opened the door and went outside. Michael had his knife back in his hand and was right behind his brother. They stood there, on the front porch, when something caught their eye in the forest. Whatever it was, it was massive. Its red eyes glared at them, causing both men to retreat inside. After slamming the door shut and pressing their backs against it, they looked at each other again. It was pure disbelief. Louise demanded to know what was going on, but the men were terrified of whatever it was they saw. Babs, holding the still barking Bonita, asked Michael what was transpiring. He looked at her, white as a sheet, and violently shook his head. All they knew was that something scared the living hell out of the two Deltas.   

“I don’t know what the fuck that is, but I’m not going back out there!”  Michael said, as they could see that he was shaking.

“Tim?” Rasheed asked, peering over the couch.

“I’m with Michael, I’m not going back out there.”

“What is it?” Lee inquired, still behind the post.

“Thanks for having our backs, Kitty!”

“I don’t have a weapon!”

“There was always the fire poker, you cowardly piece of shit!” Louise degraded him with slurred speech.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking about that.”

“You NEVER think! Why the hell I agreed to marry your sorry ass…”

Michael interrupted them, saying that whatever happened, it could wait till the morning, and he turned off the porch lights. This wasn’t good enough for the intoxicated Louise. She wanted to know right then and there what was happening. Tim told her, nearly begging her, to let it rest until the morning. He, like Durments, felt that the large creature they saw would be gone by then. At least they hoped that it would. Shrugging off the other two wives, Louise stood up and proclaimed that it better not have been her car. They just shook their heads at her.

Determined to find out what happened, she went right for the door, flicking the light back on. She was just about to open the door when both men grabbed her by the arms, lifted her off the ground, and walked her back to the couch. She struggled all the way there, not wanting to be treated like some frail being. The face that she gave them could have killed. There was one thing about being told what to do by a man, but then to be treated like some doll, it was getting on her nerves. Seeing that they wouldn’t respond, she demanded that they tell her if it were her precious Camile.  

They told her that it was best that they wait until morning. That whatever created that sound was still out there, and that it was huge. This wasn’t good enough for Louise. She punched Tim in the nose and shoved Michael out of the way, nearly kicking him between the legs. With her being clear, she went to the entrance.  She swung the door open and looked at the destroyed remnants of her once beautiful Porsche. It looked as if something with massive claws had ripped it to shreds. It was torn up, as if it were made from paper. Her mouth dropped, and she was utterly speechless as her baby was destroyed. There was no way that the vehicle was going to be fixable.  The slashes ran all over the metal.

Louise was about to start ranting and raving about the vehicle when she heard a grunt and a growl from the forest. Her eyes went in the direction from which it was coming. There she saw the monstrous shape with the glowing red eyes. Suddenly, the status of the car was secondary; her whole body shivered as she nearly lost her bladder. Running back into the cabin, she slammed the door and screamed. Lee, seeing that his wife was in distress, came running over to comfort her.  He wanted to make sure that she was alright, but all she could do was push him away. Babs, who was beyond terrified and still holding a barking Bonita, asked her what she saw.

“It’s… Krampus!” 

“Krampus?” Lee asked, not believing her.

“YES!”

“Michael? Tim?” 

“I don’t know what the hell that was, but it sure as hell is NOT human!” Michael answered him while shaking his head.

“Oh, come on,” Lee said, thinking they were pulling his leg again.

“I said it was Krampus, and it’s Krampus!” Louise said, before slapping her husband.

“Okay! Alright! It’s Krampus.”

“What the hell is it doing here?” Rasheed asked.

“Yeah, isn’t he supposed to be here only on Christmas?” Bab’s asked.

“Tomorrow IS Christmas,” Louise told them.

“Technically, it’s Christmas Eve,” Tim said, drawing the wrath of the woman.

Louise snapped at him, saying, 'When did he think Santa came?' Being around his husband too much, Rasheed replied whenever he felt like it. This made her shoot him a look of disdain. That prompted Michael to ask them if they were trying to say that Santa was real. Louise said that she didn’t know about the jolly bastard, but that was fucking Krampus! With everyone inebriated and scared, Michael advised them it was best to call it a night. That he and Tim would take shifts to ensure that Krampus didn’t get in. Merriweather’s first question was about her car. What were they going to do with her car? They informed her that it would have to wait till daybreak. They couldn’t do anything about it now.

After a quick debate, they all agreed to sleep in the main room of the cabin. Everyone except Michael and Tim went to their rooms, gathered their bedding, and brought it back to the main floor. The two men kept guard as they placed the bedding around the couch. No one selected the sofa, as it was where the two alphas were going to sit while keeping watch. Both men agreed that Michael would take the first shift, which would last four hours. Before anyone lay down to rest, they barricaded the door, making sure that “Krampus” wouldn’t be able to get in with that much ease. Louise drank a whole bottle of wine on her own before she passed out. She was terrified that Krampus was out to get her.

Michael stayed up all night, allowing Tim to rest. There weren’t any attempts at the door, so they were at least safe for now in the house. The next morning, the six of them went outside to assess the damage. Louise was near tears as her baby looked like a wadded-up piece of paper. It was the very first car that she’d owned outright. She fell to her knees, crying. Lee went to put his arm around her, but she shrugged it off. They were just about to walk down to the Hendersons when they saw the elderly couple come walking up the lane. They were carrying another pot of food, a peace offering.

“Merry Christmas!” The couple called out.

“What the fuck kind of place are you running here?” A hungover Louise yelled at them.

Jeanette was taken aback that they were being sworn at in such a manner. She went behind Hector and held onto his arms. Quickly, before she could storm up in front of them, Michael and Tim grabbed hold of her and held her back. Lee went in front of her and tried to calm her down as the couple gingerly made their way up the rest of the way. Although he didn’t know much about cars, his wife had convinced him to see if he could help the youngsters out. But then they saw the Porsche and realized that this was above their heads. Merriweather just wanted to be let loose so she could put them in their place.   

They didn’t know what to make of the maimed vehicle. Hector looked at Jeanette and shook his head. Louise shouted for them to look at her baby. Tim pointed out that the elderly couple had nothing to do with the car's destruction. She yelled out that it was their property, that the vehicle was smashed, slashed, and crumpled up. They were the ones with Krampus on the grounds. This confused the elderly couple, as they had never heard of Krampus before. She accused them of hiding the fact that they lived there. They were completely confused, and it took Michael to tell them the tale that he’d heard from her. Hector denied ever having such a creature, as he would have hunted it down.

Before Michael and Tim had a chance to stop her, Louise broke free and slapped the older man. His hurtful expression told it all. He didn’t know what they were talking about, and they only accomplished pissing off Jeanette. She stood in front of her husband and put her arms up to defend him. Merriweather was in a hysterical state. She loved her car more than her husband. Durments told Rasheed to help his husband get her into the cabin. They didn’t need any more heat on them. The owner was already livid, and they had every right to kick them out. The problem was, they weren’t ready for the long hike into town.

They dragged her in, literally, as they left Michael to handle the situation. There was no way that he could handle the situation with her around. Babs thanked them for the pot of food and went into the cabin.  The marks on the car suggested that it was an animal, and the glowing red eyes that they saw last night meant they weren’t human. How could they be reimbursed for something that the elderly couple had no control over? Bonita was acting weird, as she kept barking at the owners. Michael apologized for Louise's actions, which Hector ignored, and asked what had happened the previous night. Janette was upset with him. She didn’t want him to act like his pride wasn’t just injured. He told her that it was all right, but she still insisted that it wasn’t.

Michael apologized again. He was embarrassed that his friend's wife acted the way she did. Hector told them both, primarily stressing to Jeanette, that he was alright. He was a big boy, and by the look of the car, he would have lashed out, too. Durments apologized to her a third time, saying that he didn’t know what else he could do to show how sorry he was for her outburst. The Hendersons told him that their phone was still down, and it honestly looked as if they’d have to wait until next Tuesday for Jim Bob. He asked them if it usually went down, to which she replied that it was unusual for it to be down.

Knowing that Hector was an avid hunter, Michael asked him what could have caused the damage to the vehicle. Shrugging his shoulders, he could only think of a bear. That’s when he asked if they had red glowing eyes. That stumped the older man, who gave him a weird look. The only thing he could think of was that the light from the cabin hit the eyes in a certain way to make them look that way. Seeing that he was heavily intoxicated, he trusted the older man when he said to him that it had to be a bear. Michael shook his head. Henderson then went on to tell him he didn’t know much about cars, but he’d be willing to help and try to put them back together. Durments thanked him but declined the offer.

He didn’t want someone touching his Lamborghini who didn’t know how to fix it. They finished their conversation, with Hector agreeing to loan him a couple of his hunting rifles, to make up for all the trouble they were being put through. To avoid upsetting Louise, they decided that Michael would follow them to the general store and gather some supplies. Even though Michael had hunted before, deer mostly, Hector gave him some pointers on how to shoot the bear. They spoke briefly and learned that Henderson was in the Marine Corps and had met Jeanette three days before shipping out to Vietnam. He was so sure she was the one, he proposed and married her before shipping out. They’d been together ever since. The story moved him, and he purchased some cans of soup before collecting the rifles and leaving. 

When he got back, Louise was outside, with a bottle of wine in hand. She was on her knees, crying over the damaged vehicle. Babs had put the pot of food over the fire, and it smelled wonderful. Tim wondered if it was more beaver stew or something else. Michael handed a rifle to each Delta as they all went inside. He went over how to use them, as Hector had taught him.  Even though they had liquor for a party, the only ones drinking were Bab’s and Louise. The others didn’t have a stomach for it. Rasheed was sitting next to his husband, sitting between him and Durments on the couch. All they could do now was wait.

As night fell, they were left with what they had: their canned beef tamales, corn, and beans. Lee and Louise both had second helpings of the beans. They were scared and unsure of what to expect that evening. Were the other vehicles targeted? They prayed they weren’t.  They needed the cars to get the hell out of there as soon as they were fixed. The problem they had was how the Merriweathers would get back. Both the BMW and Lamborghini were packed to the brim. Michael and Tim thought that it was terrible that this was happening, as the resort was gorgeous. All the fishing they planned was now out the window.

It was just before midnight when the sound of scratched steel could be heard again. It scared everyone awake and sobered up Babs and Louise. Both Tim and Michael jumped to their feet and ran to the door. Filled with adrenaline and armed, they were ready for anything that was out there. Lee stayed by the girls and Rasheed. Both men approached the door, opened it, and pointed the rifles into the darkness, firing blindly. They heard a grunt, two thuds, and then turned on the lights. There, lying on the ground, was a wounded Hector and the two bundles of firewood he was bringing to their cabin. He was bleeding from his wounds. Horrified, they looked at each other as the two ran out to help the downed owner.

Hector was coughing up blood as both shots had struck him in the chest. His green plaid shirt was becoming soaked in his crimson life force. Each man took a side and raised his head.  They began to apply pressure to stop the blood from pouring out. Soon, the snow underneath him was turning red as a cherry snow cone. Hector’s face contorted as he looked at the Beemer. Tim followed his eyes and saw that his car had been ripped in one spot. Along the driver's side of the vehicle were four slashes that ripped the metal as if it were aluminum foil. Jefferson let go of the old resort owner and told his friend to look at his car.

It took Durments yelling at him to focus for his friend to react. Tim's attention returned to the man, and he began applying pressure to the wounds. Michael ran to his trunk and got out his first aid kit. While his back was turned, he heard Tim shout “what the fuck” before hearing a sickening thud. He spun around only to see his friend lying there, his face half ripped off. His eyes widened as he saw the shredded muscles and torn flesh of what used to be his friend. Jefferson’s body was still twitching, trying to carry out the owner's final thoughts. He knew, without even checking, that his friend was dead.

Looking around, he tried to see where the bear was. Why didn’t he hear the damn thing thumping or grunting while it attacked Tim? Then, out of the darkness came an agonized howl. It was like something had torn out its heart. Scared, he ran over to retrieve his rifle before he headed back to the cabin. While he was picking up the gun, he heard Rasheed scream and saw him running out. His only concern was to get to his husband and assist in trying to help him. But Jefferson was too late; the spouse was dead by the time he struck the ground. Michael, trying to keep everyone safe, called for Lee to help him. Before his friend was able to get to the door, and Rasheed was halfway to the body, a large black mass flew between them.  

As the fury creature went running past them in a blur, Rasheed screamed and twisted around. The beast was already gone, back into the darkness, as the husband had his last revolution. The former quarterback stood there, his mouth opening and closing, without saying a word.  Across his chest were four large, gaping slashes. The wounds were a mixture of flesh and fabric, bone and muscle. His blood came pouring out of him like four waterfalls, as he started choking on his blood. Falling to his knees, he gave one last look at Michael before hitting the ground. Durments knew that there was nothing that he could have done for the spouse, as he looked just like the Beemer.  

Terrified, Michael ran into the cabin and slammed the door. He ordered Lee to get to the couch and bring it over to barricade the door. As he and Babs were pushing the heavy couch over to the door, a thud came, nearly knocking the husband over. Why was it attacking the door now, when it hadn’t the night prior? Regaining his footing, Michael pressed his back up against the door and urged his wife and friend to hurry. They were pushing the couch, but it was big and heavy. Another thud came, and this time it was Barbara’s turn to scream. They were staring at a black furry arm, sticking right through the door, and more importantly, impaling Michael’s chest.

Blood was pouring out of his mouth like a fruit punch from a pitcher. He dropped the rifle, looked down, and saw that the beast had his heart in its claws. His head was bobbing up and down as his eyes fluttered. His mouth was moving, like he was trying to give one last order, but nothing came out but sickening gurgles. Pulling its arm out, the pain could be read on his face, leaving a large grapefruit hole in his chest. His corpse fell to the ground like a marionette cut from its strings. Lee knew that it was all up to him, and he didn’t feel ready for the task.  

“It’s fucking Krampus!” Louise yelled as she ran into her room and slammed the door.

Babs screamed as Bonita continued barking from underneath the coffee table. The widow wanted to know what they were going to do as their leader, her husband, was dead on the ground. Trying to think quickly, he told her to head upstairs. When asked about his wife, all he could say was “Fuck her!” She always thought of herself only and never backed him when it came to anything. This was the breaking point for him. The duo was halfway up the stairs when the door burst open, and Michael's dead body skidded across the floor. The beast came into the cabin, blood dripping from its jowls and arm. They both turned and looked at the creature. Bab’s became frozen with fear, looking at the beast before them. It wasn’t Krampus at all. No, it was a gigantic, black as night, werewolf with eyes glowing red. Focusing on the couple on the stairs, it let out a blood-curdling roar. The last Delta raised the rifle and fired a shot at the beast. Even though he struck the heart, it was unaffected. 

“RUN!” Lee urged her to move, but she couldn’t.

He tried to push her, but she wouldn’t move. She was pointing and laughing at the creature. Seeing that he was not going to get her out of his way, he pushed past her and ran up the rest of the stairs. He was embarrassed that he was betraying his friend by not taking care of his wife. But she wouldn’t move. The only way that they might survive this is by getting their asses upstairs. Bab’s screamed out again as the creature came running up, on all fours, at her.  Lee heard the last muffled scream come out of her as the werewolf opened its massive jaws and ripped off the woman’s head. Her lifeless body went tumbling down the stairs. 

While the beast continued its journey up the stairs, Louise was working diligently to open the ground-floor window so she could escape. With it being frozen shut, she threw her small suitcase through it, breaking the glass and grilles. The noise didn’t go unnoticed by the creature, but with it being closer to Lee, it chose to follow him. Successfully out of the cabin, she had no choice but to run down to the office. Running past the mutilated bodies, she picked up the other rifle. She started running away as she heard a gunshot and the deathly cries of Lee as he was being torn apart. 

Louise ran down to the office, trying not to scream. She put a blanket over the windowsill, so she wouldn’t cut herself, as she could only think about Krampus. She hadn’t seen that it was a werewolf. Falling once, she picked herself up and sallied forth. She kept looking over her shoulder, expecting to see the Christmas monster come out from the shadows. Behind her was Bonita, trying her best to navigate the thick layer of snow. Arriving at the owner's cabin, she began pounding on the doors, which were locked. Frantically, she called out for the older woman to open the doors and let her in. 

Thinking that she saw Krampus in the shadows, she fired until the rifle was empty. He wasn’t aware that the gun was ineffective against the creature, as she wasn’t with Lee when he shot it in the heart. Frantically, she returned her attention to the door. Beating upon it repeatedly. Just when she was about to break the window on the side of the door, with one of the rocks she’d taken from the ground, Jeanette opened the door, wearing a nightgown. Thankfully, Louise pushed herself in and slammed the door. Remembering what happened to Michael, she moved the older woman away from the door after locking it.

“What’s wrong, my dear?”

“It’s Krampus. It’s after us.”

“Oh, honey… There is no such thing as Krampus.”

“Don’t fucking tell me that! I just watched my friends get butchered.”

The older woman grabbed hold of Louise and hugged her, patting her on the head. She was near hysterics. While she was holding her and expecting the worst, the young woman broke down crying. She had just lost everything. Her car, her husband, her friends. It was all too much for her to handle. The only thing that was left was Bonita, and she was barking up a storm. She knew that the teacup dog had just lost its owners, which now made Merriweather her owner. Louise pulled back and asked Jeanette what they were going to do. The dog continued to bark, and she looked down and told it to shut up. She didn’t want Krampus to find them. As she was looking at the floor, she saw that the woman’s feet were all wet. Confused, she pulled back and looked at the older woman.           

“No, honey… what are you going to do?”

“What?”           

“Your generation today has no respect for its elders. You even killed my precious Hector.”  

“How do you know…”

“I know everything. Since you’ve been here, you've yelled at us. Treated us like garbage. Then, they acted like we were beneath you.”

“You’re controlling Krampus?”

“No, you idiot. There’s no Krampus.”

“Then…” She said, lifting the rifle to fire, but it was empty.

“You foolish girl…” Jeanette said as the clock struck midnight. “By the way, Merry Christmas.”

“Fuck!”

“Such language.” She said as her eyes glowed red.

“No, it can’t be…”

“Yes…  IT CAN!”  Jeanette growled.

With that, the older woman started to change. Her body contorted one way, jerking another, as the hair on her body grew. Louise fell backwards as she watched the small woman transform into the massive beast. Once the change was finally done, she stood there growling at Louise. Pressed against the log wall, the young woman covered her mouth as she cracked up laughing, pointing at the werewolf. She couldn’t believe her eyes and came to terms with the fact that the werewolf was real.

The closer the beast came, the farther away Louise got. It leaned down, grabbed the woman by each arm, and hoisted her up. Once in the air, the werewolf started pulling the woman’s arms like a stretch toy. Louise started screaming as her appendages were being pulled slowly out of their sockets. The right arm gave way first, as it was ripped out. Screaming out in pain, the werewolf kept its left arm in its grasp, violently shaking it up and down. Slamming her against the wall with the right claw, the creature finally pulled the other arm out as well. It dropped Louise to slowly bleed out on the floor. She was dead before her face struck the ground.

Changing back into her human form and standing over the woman’s corpse, Jeanette cocked her head to the side. She watched as the last remains of blood oozed out of her. Wiping her nose with her right forearm, she thought about her poor Hector. He was the one who usually cleaned up messes like this. He wasn’t obligated to. He did it out of love. Now she was alone.

“Oh, well…” She said out loud. “I guess it’s all left up to us. Isn’t that right, little one?” She said as she picked up the chihuahua and went into the back to grab the mop and bucket.