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“You see; reindeer really could fly!”

Fred was morbidly reminiscing of the events that occurred last year. That sarcastic, reindeer remark was the cynical comment that Fred's narcissistic boss, Ryan had made when he propped up a heavy, five-foot tall, metal, reindeer ornament for his store.

“Damn you, Fred! Can't you do anything right? I told you to have these Christmas decorations up and on the store's roof! We have to have a holiday image here, you fool!”

Ryan Henbit, the store owner and head manager at Waldron's department store and produce, sarcastically yelled at his underling employee. Fred Azure was a kind man, but he honestly wished he could kill his boss. Over the last two years that he had worked at the popular store, he had many arguments with his boss. However, this time it was much worse. Ryan had made an “acquaintance” with Fred's wife and started an affair, which eventually led him to steal Fred's beloved mate from him. Ryan also demoted him to stock work and even brainwashed Fred's own son into hating him. He would have quit, but Fred needed the job and thus, Ryan continued to abuse him far more than he did his other underlings. However, that was last year--last Christmas. It was supposed to be a joyful time, but his family had left him and took up residence with the much richer store owner-Ryan. Now, as Fred drank his misery away, he could think only of his once loving family and the life he had shared in happiness. But Fred had vowed to never have a miserable Christmas again, even in these mind-numbing times. To break the melancholy of his past, Fred began drunkenly yelling holiday phrases.

“Ho, ho, ho—Merry Christmas!”

A top of Waldron's supermarket, Fred Azure yelled and sang at the top of his lungs. He was drunk this Christmas Eve and his three guests were dipping into the eggnog as well. It had been just over four months since the undead epidemic had entered the world of the living and like many others, Fred and his companions were still awaiting rescue. Fred, Karen, Megan, and Jose had all managed to escape the flesh-hungry ghouls and secure a small, supermarket. It was one of those chain stores that had several in almost every city in the nation. The good thing was that in bad neighborhoods, the stores had a reliable, metal fencing, which could be pulled down to secure the place and its merchandise from would-be burglars. However, it also did a fine job of keeping out undead cannibals as well. Fred was the stock manager there and was one of the few to stay behind and lock up the place along with a cashier named Karen, who was coincidentally employee of the month. Nonetheless, that month turned out be a month like no other.

When the rioting, undead epidemic had suddenly broke out, Fred and Karen had decided to remain in the store where it was safe and where food and water could last for several months—they made the right choice. Many had not, as they tried to get to their loved ones, but had paid the ultimate price for being hasty. Megan and Jose had seen the two store employees on the rooftop less than a month ago and had made a mad dash to get to the store intact. By the time they got to Fred's welcome as he let them in, four of their original party had been caught and devoured by the cannibalistic hordes. Currently, as the group drank on top of the roof in safety, Karen pointed toward the incoming mob of undead and began to notice a difference in behavior.

They had observed many swarms of devilishly, wild reanimates before and had seen many of the faster ones catch more than their fair share of terrified victims. However, this time, the mob was moving much slower. The weather had been slowly cooling as the months passed, but no real freezing temperatures, or snow had yet occurred…until today. Karen had taken this into consideration and came up with a logical conclusion; it was one that was certainly relieving for the pair of people running from the zombie swarms below them.

“Look, those things are…frozen! Replied Karen. They can't move fast anymore; in fact, it looks like they can barely walk.”

Fred was staring down from the rooftop along with Karen and noticed something even more ironic.

“Hey, wait a minute—those two girls running toward us; that's Nancy Smith and Linda Brown!”

Megan and Jose gave each other a puzzled look before asking a simultaneous question.

“You know them?”

Karen responded with pleasant surprise.

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