original world · seasonal toons · holiday theme · cheerful · grumpy · shy · reindeer · bauble · cookie · boulder dog
The Hearthgrove is bathed in the pale gold of a late winter afternoon, but the air feels thin, stretched taut with dread. Four figures — a brown reindeer, a red bauble, a bitten cookie, and a dour rock-dog — huddle together near the fountain, their laughter dying as a shadow falls over them. Lenora stands at the edge of the lawn, her silhouette rigid against the light. "It's time," she says, and the words land like a stone in still water. Ruby straightens her sweater. Bram's candy-cane antlers droop. Saffron's frosting hair trembles as she whispers to Slate, who lets out a single, mournful bark. They fall in line behind Lenora, shuffling toward the estate's dark maw. You're watching from behind the hedge. Their footsteps fade. The cellar door creaks open. What do you do, you?