In The Bleak Midwinter

Jack Quinn paused outside the door of the “control room,” a steaming paper cup of coffee in his hands. He’d had to go out to get it; there had only been tea in the break area, and he’d decided not to brave the snowstorm that was starting to form from the earlier flurries.

No sound came through the door as Jack returned to the control room.

At least he’s done with his ‘entertainment.’

Sean seemed nice enough, in a rough way, but Jack wasn’t the type to wank together with friends, and that was putting aside any other hesitations a small part of him, the part raised by his mother, still held about everything that was happening here. Even if it was necessary, that felt a bit too.... Personal.

Taking a deep breath, Jack pushed open the door.

--the hell?

Jack exhaled, the breath forming a cloud of condensation in the frigid atmosphere of the control room, the air so cold it burned against his skin. The lights were on, but the screen and entire console was dark, dead. Sean was nowhere to be seen. And, the walls, which had been plain white drywall…

Jack ran his finger across the bumpy, dark red surface of the nearest wall. Blood. Droplets of blood, frozen solid, covered every available surface. Looking up, he saw it covered the ceiling, as well.

Jack dropped the coffee, feeling like he was going to vomit. It took him a second to realize that it didn't spill , didn't splash when it hit the ground. It had already frozen in the cup.

“Were you one of the men in the robes?"

Jack spun around at the unexpected feminine voice behind him. A pale, nude woman with black hair stepped slowly across the cold, slick ground, showing no discomfort in the frigid room. Jack recognized her: The woman, the sacrifice, the one supposed to be outside. Tiffany Brennan, ER physician; he’d made himself read up on her, to know the cost of what they were doing here.

“Well?” She spoke again, as he stood silent. “You look younger, more clean-cut, more… American, than the men I remember.”

“I wasn’t.” His voice sounded raw, to his ears, as he spoke to her across the room, trying to sound calm. “Look, Tiffany. I know you don’t understand why, well, any of this. But there’s something very dangerous here with us, we need to leave before--”

He cut off, as Tiffany changed. Physically, she looked identical, but… colder. Fiercer. Crueler. Jack knew he wasn’t looking at Tiffany Brennan any more.

“You’re right, dear, there is something very dangerous in the room.” Winter smiled as she spoke. “And don’t you worry, Tiffany understands exactly ‘why.’ I explained it all to her, after we came to an understanding.”

Jack found himself backing away. He needed to get out of this room, away from this creature, find someone-

Winter followed him out of the room, stepping easily over the icy floor. Soon, the door swung shut behind her, hiding the frozen, bloody room. Jack found his back pressed against the wall of the hallway, as she approached, pressing herself against him.

“You’re right.” The eyes shifted, and Tiffany spoke. “It was a messy job, in there. Necessary, but unsavory. Best to leave it behind.” Her hand drifted down his stomach as she spoke, and his body responded, despite himself. He felt himself hardening, as she touched him through the front of his trousers. “Don’t worry. You won’t be exploded all over the walls.”

“No…” Winter spoke, and Jack’s breath caught as those cold eyes met his again. He whimpered, as the hand pushed under the waistband of his pants, moving to cups his balls. He began to sweat, as cold pricks of pain started shooting up from between his legs, finding himself unable to move in that cold gaze. “The old man was rough, crass. You, you’re… sweet. Maybe even naive. I’ll savor you.” 

Jack couldn’t respond. He was frozen, staring into the savage, inhuman cruelty in those eyes. He felt another whimper building at the back of his throat, as her hand squeezed, lightly. And he knew what a rabbit felt like, staring at a wolf. Unable to run, unable to hide.

Doomed.

She smiled at him, and he felt a drop of sweat fall from his brow. He heard it clink, frozen, as it hit the ground.

His heart started beating, faster, harder in his chest, as he stared into the immense cruelty and power in those eyes. And he felt a sudden bit of warmth on his face, as a touch of blood dripped out of one nostril.

“Now now, none of that, dear.” Winter reached up to brush away the drop of blood, and Jack felt his heart slow to a more reasonable pace. “No taking the easy way out by letting your heart give out. Not until I’ve had a chance to play with you, at least; it’s been so long.”

She paused, seeming to consider.

“If Tiffany is feeling merciful, we might even keep you alive. Take you with us." She added. "Although you might beg us not to.”

Jack stood there, frozen against the wall, trying to think of anything he could do to escape, anything he could say to inspire mercy. What he managed was a small, pitiful “please…” For a moment, he saw both Tiffany and Winter inside of those eyes, staring into his, woman and goddess together.

And he saw not a shred of mercy in either.

“So, how should we start?” Tiffany asked, and he shuddered as she started to stroke him, drawing an involuntary response from his body.

“And remember,” Winter spoke up, and a shot of pain erupted up his spine from his groin as gentle stroking became a vicious squeeze, “there’s nothing we really want from you, not anymore. It’s true, I need a human to let me past the final set of runes, but it turns out...

Her eyes flashed for a moment, and Tiffany looked out from them. “...we have that. No…”

The woman leaned in to whisper in his ear, and as the cold breath sent goosebumps down his neck, he wasn’t certain if it was Tiffany or Winter, or both, who spoke.

“This is just for fun. And revenge.”

The facility had been built for privacy, secluded, designed to contain any unusual sounds or sights. But it couldn’t stop the first of many desperate, masculine screams from ringing out through the walls. The screams were met only with the howling of the wind, as the snowstorm outside quickly built into a blizzard.