Winter Arrives

Jamie had watched the flash drive video five times. Each time, he felt sicker. The masked person had recorded everything - Coach Wilson's jail cell, the fight, the murder. But the killer's face was always hidden from the camera.

Jamie hadn't told anyone about the film. Not Elliot. Not Detective Rivera. Not even his mom.

The note with the flash drive had warned: "Tell anyone, and they die next."

A week had passed since Thanksgiving. No new texts had come. Jamie jumped at every sound, checked under his bed each night, and kept the flash drive hidden in a sock in his drawer.

Then the snow came.

Jamie woke to a world of white. The first real snow of winter had fallen overnight, covering everything with a thick, sparkling blanket. For a moment, he forgot about the film, the threats, the fear.

His phone buzzed. Jamie's heart raced until he saw it was just Elliot.

"SNOW DAY!! School's canceled! Meet at the field at 10?"

Jamie texted back: "See you there."

Maybe a normal day with friends was exactly what he needed.

When Jamie arrived at the school field, Elliot was already there, making a big snowball.

"Help me roll this!" they called, their breath making clouds in the cold air. Their cheeks were pink from the cold, and their smile made Jamie's fears fade a little.

Jamie joined Elliot, and together they rolled the snowball until it was as big as a beanbag chair.

"Perfect base for our snowman," Elliot said.

They worked together, adding a middle part and then a head. Jamie found sticks for arms while Elliot used rocks for the eyes and mouth.

"He needs a nose," Jamie said.

"And a hat," added Elliot.

They were laughing, painting their snowman, when Jamie spotted something orange in the snow nearby. He walked over and brushed away the snow to find a carrot.

"That's weird," he said, holding it up. "It's like someone knew we'd need a nose."

Elliot frowned. "That is weird."

Jamie looked around the empty field, suddenly alert. Were they being watched?

Before he could say anything else, a snowball hit him in the back. He spun around to see Megan laughing, with more snowballs ready in her arms.

"Got you!" she yelled.

Behind her were three of Jamie's friends - the nice ones who had stood by him when he defended Elliot.

"Snowball fight!" called Trey, one of the players.

Soon the air was filled with flying snow. Jamie and Elliot teamed up against Megan and the others. They built a small wall of snow to hide behind, laughing as they made and threw snowballs.

For a while, they were just kids having fun in the snow. No secrets, no threats, no fear.

Until Jamie noticed the strange tracks in the snow behind their snowman.

"Did any of you go back there?" he asked during a pause in the fight.

Everyone shook their heads.

Jamie walked around the snowman, following the tracks. They led to the edge of the trees that lined the field.

"Jamie?" Elliot called, following him. "What's wrong?"

Jamie pointed to the tracks. "Someone was watching us."

Elliot's smile disappeared. "The carrot..."

"What about a carrot?" Megan asked, joining them.

Jamie and Elliot shared a look. They hadn't told Megan about the flash drive or the new threats since Thanksgiving.

"Nothing," Jamie said quickly. "Race you to the hill!"

He took off running toward the small sliding hill on the other side of the field. The others followed, and soon they were taking turns sliding down on plastic trays from the restaurant that Trey had brought.

As they played, Jamie kept looking around, searching for anyone watching them. But the field and nearby area seemed empty except for their small group.

After an hour of sledding, Megan and the friends had to leave.

"My mom needs me to help shovel our driveway," Megan said, hugging Elliot goodbye.

"And we've got practice in the gym later," Trey added. "Coach Sanchez doesn't believe in snow days."

When they were gone, Jamie and Elliot walked back to their snowman.

"You've been quiet," Elliot said. "Is it about the flash drive?"

Jamie stopped walking. "You know about that?"

"I saw you take it from under your bed on Thanksgiving. I was coming back from the bathroom and your door was open." Elliot touched Jamie's arm. "What was on it?"

Jamie looked around to make sure they were alone. "A video. Someone killed Coach Wilson in his cell. But you can't see who did it."

"Jamie! You need to tell Detective Rivera!"

"I can't. The note said they'd hurt everyone I care about if I told anyone."

Elliot's eyes widened with fear, then narrowed with purpose. "We can't handle this alone anymore. It's too dangerous."

"I know," Jamie admitted. "But I don't know who to trust."

They reached the snowman, which now looked different somehow. Jamie realized why - someone had added a hat to it. A baseball cap with a happy face.

Just like the mask the intruder had worn at Megan's house.

"We need to get out of here," Jamie whispered, taking Elliot's hand.

As they turned to leave, Jamie's phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number:

"Did you like my addition to your snowman? Let's play a new game. Check your mailbox when you get home."

Jamie showed Elliot the text.

"Don't go home," Elliot said. "Come to my house. We'll call Detective Rivera together."

"But what if they're watching my house? My mom's there alone."

They stood in the snow, torn between running away and going to check on Jamie's mom.

"Let's go to your house first," Elliot decided. "Make sure your mom is okay. Then we'll call Rivera."

They rushed through the snow-covered streets to Jamie's house. Everything looked normal from the outside. Jamie's mom's car was in the garage. The blinds were open. No tracks in the fresh snow on the porch.

Except near the mailbox.

"Someone's been here," Jamie whispered.

He approached the mailbox slowly, heart beating. With shaking hands, he opened it.

Inside was a small box wrapped in blue paper.

"Don't open it," Elliot warned.

"I have to." Jamie picked up the box. It was light, like there was almost nothing inside.

He carefully unwrapped it to find a small plastic snow globe. Inside was a tiny copy of their school. When Jamie shook it, red glitter whirled around instead of white snow.

A note was taped to the bottom:

"Blood will fall at Winter Dance. Unless you give me what I really want."

Jamie dropped the snow globe in the snow, his hands shaking badly.

"What's going on?" Jamie's mom called from the front door. "I thought I heard voices."

Jamie and Elliot looked at each other in fear. Before they could answer, Jamie's phone buzzed again.

The message made his blood run cold:

"Tell her nothing. I'm watching. And I'm closer than you think. Check your bedroom."

Jamie looked up at his window on the second floor.

The curtain moved, as if someone had just let it drop.

Someone was in his room.