Laughter filled the air as neighbourhood kids lobbed snowballs across a small park. One young boy, with a bright red scarf wrapped tight around his puffy, jumped behind a maple tree to avoid an attack. As he reached down to pack another snowball, the wind picked up, drawing their attention to the street.
They watched in awe as a steady stream of sand poured out the window of a nearby apartment. Mud and debris swirled together as it touched the crowd and took on a human shape. The golems solidified, their stone joints cracking as they moved down the street. Their eyes glowed a light blue, as they left heavy footprints in the snow. The boy, completely absorbed by what he saw, felt a snowball break against his back. He turned to see his sister laughing as she ran for cover, unaware of the golems, when he looked back they were gone.
Back in the apartment where the golems had escaped, Jessica finally broke down the door to Deb''s room. There was a clear sign of a struggle and John was unconscious on the floor, his body convulsing with violent shivers. His skin was pale, and his mouth was moving but no words escaped it. Deb, grabbed her knives off her dresser, scanning the room for any signs the attackers were still there. Jessica drew her weapon and followed Deb inside, she carefully made her way around the room, checking under the bed before making her way to the closet. When she cleared them she nodded to Deb who raced over to John.
"John, what happened," she dropped to her knees beside him, her hand trying to hold him still. "Jessica, he''s practically hypothermic!"
Without hesitation, Jessica knelt, positioning herself over John. She gripped his arm, apologizing for what she was about to do before twisting hard. There was a snap as the bone broke under her force. John''s body jolted, his eyes snapping open, a silver sheen replacing their usual brown.
"Easy," Jessica murmured, helping him sit up as the tremors subsided. "You''re okay now."
"This thing made out of stone attacked me," John gasped out, his breathing ragged but steadying. "They built themselves from nothing... had these eyes, like a frozen lake, and they were strong. I couldn''t stop them."
Deb looked worried but Jessica had a different look, "Would you say they looked like stone warriors?" she asked, and John nodded in agreement. Jessica started to pace. "I need you to keep this quiet for the next twenty-four hours," Jessica insisted, shooting them both a look that screamed how serious she was. "I think I''ve dealt with these things before."
Without waiting for a response, she raced to her room, returning moments later with a wooden box cradled in her arms. Opening it carefully, she revealed the fragmented hand of a golem, looking like an ancient statue.
---
Meanwhile, Agent Spencer sat across from Rob, Zack, Ahmed, and Angela at the old psychology clinic. Spencer''s questions about how they tracked Margret, after she took Angela, to this location remained unanswered, and Spencer was on his last nerve.
"Look, it was just a stupid coincidence, we were daring each other to go in. You know since it was the office of a serial killer. We didn''t know she would actually be there," Rob said, his voice carrying an edge of nonchalance. "She attacked us and we defended ourselves, end of story."
"End of story?" Spencer raised an eyebrow as he scribbled the story into his notebook. "You expect me to believe that?"
"I''m telling you the truth," Rob shrugged, smirk tugging at his lips. "What other logical explanation is there,"
Lindsey, who had been observing quietly from the side, couldn''t suppress a snort of amusement at Rob''s antics. She quickly composed herself and continued gathering evidence at the scene. Spencer shot her a sharp look, but she didn''t notice, she was too busy pretending to document the scorch marks on the ground.
"Alright, let''s try this again," Spencer sighed, leaning forward. "From the top."
The questioning continued, with Rob effortlessly parrying each of Spencer''s probing inquiries, being sure never to give Spencer a straight answer.
Agent Spencer was clearly unamused as he recounted just how Margret escaped from the hospital. "She killed a doctor to get out, used his scalpel to do the job," his voice echoed through the dimly lit room, "then she managed to sneak onto the UWaterloo campus and later abducted Angela. But see the thing is we don''t think she was operating alone"
"Is that so?" Zack asked, tilting his head as he was shocked by this new information.
"We found a message on a blackboard in one of the chemistry labs," Spencer continued, ignoring the interruption. "It specifically told Margret to take Angela." He paused, watching their faces carefully. "Then you just happened upon them here. And that''s when Ahmed called 911. During that time she attacked with an exposed wire and electrocuted herself?" His gaze drifted to Margret being zipped up in a body bag, the burn marks evident on her arms.
"Right, should we go over it again or will you remember it this time?" Rob interjected with a slight raise of his eyebrow.
"Trust me I''ll remember this" Spencer confirmed, he almost seemed threatening.
Angela spoke up, still shaken from the experience. "Can I have my phone back? I need to call my parents."
"Sorry, Angela," Spencer replied curtly, pocketing the device. "It''s evidence now."
"Are you all sure this is the story you want to stick with?" Spencer asked, feeling like he was offering them an out.
Lindsey, tucking a strand of golden blonde hair back into her ponytail, finally stood up, making her way over to them. "Enough, Spencer," she said firmly. "They were just in the right place at the right time. And because of them, Angela is alive."
Spencer''s frustration was palpable as he turned to Zack, his tone accusatory. "You''re not telling me everything, and it''s not doing you any favours. Someone was pulling Margret''s strings, and that person is still out there."
Zack stared the man down, his hand clenching into a fist, but Lindsey intervened. "Precisely why we need to move on, they don''t know anything," she pointed out. "Take a break, go home, we''ll start fresh in the morning."
With a heavy sigh, Spencer stood up, exiting with a last warning glance. The group exhaled collectively, Lindsey''s eyes lingering on each of them. "You need to be more careful," she whispered softly, "The RCMP will be watching this case closely."
When she got home, Angela retreated to the sanctuary of her room after answering all of her parents'' questions. She dug threw her closet until she pulled out an old Polaroid camera. She angled her camera towards herself and snapped a selfie. As she shook the film, her image began to appear. At first, it was normal, but as she looked closer it almost looked like there was a crystal halo floating above her head.
---
The next day, the basketball team met at the crack of dawn for practice. Coach Reynolds'' voice bellowed from the bullhorn, rallying the team as they warmed up. Across the court, Rob rummaged through his bag when his keys clattered to the floor, skittering beneath a nearby bench.
"Damn," he muttered, dropping to his knees to retrieve them. As he brushed off the dirt, he noticed another key on the ground, one he didn''t recognize. He frowned, studying it intently as he picked it up.
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"Hey, we''re running layup drills, you coming?" Zack asked as he wandered over. "Is everything ok," he noticed Rob''s intense stare and the key.
"Uh.. yeah, I''ll be right there." Rob pocketed the key. "I''m thinking we need to talk to Angela again," Rob started as they walked across the court.
"Right. You think Margret''s partner might still be after?" Zack asked, dribbling every so often.
"Maybe," Rob suggested cautiously. "Margret was after supernatural people, clearly Angela isn''t human but we can''t say she''s a vessel either."
"Right," Zack agreed. He took a shot on the net, and Rob recovered the rebound, both making sure it looked like their focus was on the drill.
Rob made his way to the top of the key, Zack took on the guard role, it was clear he was only half concentrating. "If Angela isn''t a vessel, what do you think she could be?"
"Man, she repelled electricity like it was nothing, I''m going to need to do some research before I can answer that," Rob seemed excited by the thought of figuring it out. "I mean we stopped a wendigo just a few weeks ago. So who knows what else is out there, maybe I''ll ask Deb to look into that book on demons she has."
Zack nodded slowly, the gears clearly turning as he thought back to the night and Angela''s crystal skin.
As the team continued to practice, Leona sat watching from the bleachers, annoyed with her on her phone. "No, I told you, we''re done!" She snapped as she hung up, her Valentine''s Day plans crumbling like a house of cards in the wake of another breakup.
Kenneth, who was also sitting in on the practice couldn''t help but overhear, he slid down the bench toward her. "So um," he started before he had formed a cohesive thought about how to spend Valentine''s Day with her. "I''m throwing a Valentine''s Day party this Saturday, you should come," He blurted out.
"Isn''t your apartment like a shoe box?" Leona snorted dismissively. "How many people are going to this thing?" She eyed him warily
Brian, lounging nearby, chuckled. "Yeah, Ken, who''s invited to this party of yours?"
Ignoring the jab, Kenneth retained his composure, glancing toward Zack on the court. "Actually I moved over the holidays and the whole basketball team is going to be there," he said quickly, covering his lie. "Of course, there are going to be more people there too, and a DJ." He watched Leona''s face light up as he described the fake rager he was having.
"Ok, text me the deets and I''ll see you then," Leona said with a smile, she threw her back over her shoulder and headed off to class.
Kenneth watched her go before turning back to Brian. The young Chinese man gave Kenneth a you''re screwed look. Kenneth turned away"Shut up," he muttered.
---
Later, Ahmed walked past the notice board plastered with flyers, his mother''s name newly printed on one announcing her as the replacement for Professor Dowding. He couldn''t suppress a grin when she saddled up next to him.
"Try not to make me regret this career move, okay?" she teased, her bright pink heal clicking as they walked.
"In those shoes? No promises," he quipped, but his smile soon faded as Brian waved him over. "I''ll meet up with you after your lecture," He hugged his mother and then walked over to Brian.
"You''ve been avoiding me all day," Brian said, trying to engage him, but Ahmed stepped back, his expression hardening.
"Last night I used my abilities to save someone''s life," Ahmed said, his voice firm. "And looking at you, all I can think about is how you ended Kristian''s. You''re not just a bad boy, you''re a bad guy. And I don''t want around that, I want to make a real difference."
Hurt, Brian turned away from Ahmed and made a beeline for Kenneth, who was still panicking about how he was going to host this party. "Need a spot for your party? I know a place."
---
Angela''s fingers aimlessly traced the contours of her lunch tray, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular across the Student Life Centre. The low murmur of conversations around her seemed distant as she grappled silently with the unexplained weirdness from the night before.
"Mind if I join you?" Zack asked appearing next to the table with his burrito in hand. His presence was a welcome intrusion, after all, she still had questions she wanted to ask him.
"Sure, I was thinking about what happened last night—" Angela began, but he cut her off with a gentle smile.
"Biochemistry test this Friday, right? How are you feeling about it?" Zack smoothly redirected the conversation away from the topic.
She glanced up at him, eyes meeting his before they flickered away. "Zack, can I show you something?" she asked abruptly, as he sat down. "It''s nothing weird, I just want you to take my picture."
Zack hesitated for a moment before taking out his phone and framing the shot. The flash reflected off her dark eyes as he captured the image. When he looked at the screen, his breath caught—a glowing halo encircled her head.
"So you can see it too, it started a couple of months ago," Angela murmured, studying his face. "I don''t understand why or what causes it. But Margret took a picture of me with my phone last night. I''m worried what the police will do if they see it."
"OK, but why show this to me?" Zack asked, looking up at her. "We hardly know each other."
"True but I do know you''re like. You aren''t like everyone else, you moved that stall telepathically." She reasoned, making sure to whisper so no one else could hear. "Besides you''ve saved my life twice already, if there is anyone I can trust with this, it''s you." Zack could feel himself blush as she spoke, he nodded agreeing to help her get the phone back.
---
The cold night air bit at Ethel''s cheeks as she returned to the safe house. She didn''t expect the ambush, the laughter and a sudden barrage of snowballs pelted her from a gang of local kids.
With one swift motion, she ducked behind her SUV, reaching into the trunk. As the snowballs continued to pelt the vehicle, the kids'' moved in closer, coming around the side of her SUV. The snowballs slipped from their hands when they discovered she wasn''t there anymore.
"Over here," she called out calmly, and they spun around to find her standing behind them, eyes glowing with an eerie green light.
Their screams pierced the night as they scrambled away, tripping over themselves as they raced through the snow.
Turning back to her SUV, Ethel froze. Five towering golems encircled her, there was no place for her to run.
Inside the safe house, Brian and Kenneth didn''t hear the commotion over the music. They were busying themselves with setting up black lights above the large window. With a flick of a switch, the room bathed in the ultraviolet glow, causing the painted heart on the walls to glow. The two exchanged a look of approval as Kenneth started the bubble machine.
"This is going to be perfect," Kenneth murmured, though his mind was on winning Leona back, he knew this party would at least get her talking to him again.
---
Outside the police station, Rob sat in his car, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. His eyes darted up as Angela and Zack approached.
"Got everything we need," he assured them, brandishing a set of cloned key cards complete with RFID emulators. "Just remember, Lindsey''s on thin ice with the RCMP, so if things go sideways—I''m ghosting."
"Got it," Zack replied, slipping the card into his pocket. "Let''s do this quickly."
Angela''s brow furrowed with concern as she glanced at Zack. "You didn''t tell Rob the real reason I needed my phone, did you?"
Zack met her gaze, scratching the back of his head. "I told him you had... you know, nudes on your phone," he murmured, his voice low to avoid any unwanted eavesdropping. "Sorry."
"No, that''s smart, I doubt he''ll be asking any more questions about it." A small smile played on Angela''s lips, appreciative of his discretion.
They slid the keycard through the scanner, a metallic click let them know it worked. They pulled open the door and dodged officers on their way to the evidence room. Reaching the evidence lock up, Zack''s hand hovered over the key card once more. With a soft beep, the door clicked open, and they entered.
"Let''s find your phone fast," Zack whispered, scanning the room for the case.
"Found it!" Angela''s whisper was urgent as she retrieved her cell phone from an evidence bag. "Now I just have to delete the photos and we''re good to go," But her relief faded when she tried to power it on—dead battery.
"Great," she muttered, looking over at Zack. "We can''t just take it; they''ll know it''s missing."
Zack''s gaze landed on a laptop sitting on a nearby desk. "Maybe we can charge it there," he suggested, moving towards the computer.
Angela rifled through the drawers until her fingers closed around a charging cable. She plugged it into her phone and then turned on the laptop.
The screen sprang to life, revealing an old photo that made Zack catch his breath—a young Rob, his brown hair even messier than now, sitting on a stoop next to Ryan and Lindsey. They were laughing, ice cream cones in hand, carefree.
"This should only take a minute," Angela breathed out, peering over his shoulder. She had no clue whose laptop this was, but Zack did.
"I hope it charges fast," Zack said quietly, but his thoughts lingered on the image before them, he hoped this did fall back on Lindsey.
Outside, Rob paced by his car, twirling the key he found on his keyring between his fingers. It felt like it fell out of his bag at the same time as his other keys, but it didn''t fit any door he knew of. His head snapped up at the sound of an approaching vehicle.
Agent Spencer''s car rolled into view and he ducked behind his car so he wouldn''t be seen. Cursing under his breath that Zack wasn''t out yet, he decided to try to buy them some time.
"Spencer," Rob greeted, jogging up next to him. "I''ve got a theory about the message that was left for Margret. Maybe someone at the—"
"Already on it, Harris," Spencer cut in. "I don''t need you going around playing detective."
"Right," Rob paused, mind racing for another diversion. If Spencer spotted Zack or Angela inside, he would know something was up, Rob needed to think of something quick.