David said a small prayer as the doorknob rattled, revealing his ex-wife just as he remembered her, her soft green eyes as bright as northern lights. David couldn't help but swallow as he noticed the wedding ring still on her finger, and his name still sprawled upon Molly's arm. David couldn't help but remember that a spider was poised where Molly's name used to be on his wrist, that he'd covered her name a week after he'd given her the divorce papers a week before Thanksgiving.

"It's so nice to see you again, David. You don't know how quiet it's been here without you." Molly leaned against the door frame. "Won't you come in for some hot chocolate and a movie?"

"I'm only here for my things. Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"Why the hurry? Wouldn't you like to warm up a little?" 

"I'll warm up at home."

"Oh, that's fine." Molly grumbled as David ducked in under her arm. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that not only was the tattoo of his name still there, it was even brighter. As if she had it redone lately. And there was a new red heart surrounding his name that hadn't been there before.

His gut lurched as stood in the living room. Lights twinkled and the soft whoosh of the vent that rattled the ornaments on their branches. 

It made sense to have it up now that Christmas loomed ahead but for the five years they'd been together Molly always put her tree up Thanksgiving weekend despite David's protests. A fragrance wafted over to him, a fragrance dominated by pine and accented with gingerbread.

"I'm sorry. I've been meaning to gather your things for you David, but I never find the time."

"It's fine." David huffed. 

"I'll gather your things for you, Davie. You just take a seat on the couch, enjoy the gingerbread men and I'll bring you some hot chocolate while you wait." 

"You drive a hard bargain, but it's not like I have a choice in the matter, do I?" David laughed to himself, unease starting to rise in his stomach as Molly's smile stretched over her teeth, the sticky candy-cane red of her lipstick juxtaposed over her pristine teeth in a way that made her canines too prominent for his liking. As her footsteps faded down the hardwood floor, he fell back onto the couch with a sigh. 

A gingerbread man found its way into his fingers. With a start, he recognized that the red frosting was meant to mimic his own slicked back auburn hair, that the eyes were the exact shade of his own. His gingerbread clone even boasted the same outfit he always wore, down to the orange tie. An icy bubble shot down his spine and he squirmed as he realised that every gingerbread man was a mimicry of the one trapped between his fingers. He swallowed back a slight wave of nausea as he dropped his tiny gingerbread doppelganger on the plate with a clink.

Footsteps echoed towards him, the scent of warm chocolate, cinnamon and marshmallows blowing closer and closer. Within seconds, almost scalding warmth was forced between his fingers and the couch shifted as weight plopped on it beside him. Molly clicked on some kind of animated special, something with a dancing snowman singing about the magic of Christmas or something like that. 

"We can watch this while we wait for your ride to pick you up." Molly whispered as she blew on her hot chocolate, taking a large gulp as if it were cold water and she were a snowman magically animated somehow during summer. David followed suit, relaxing into the couch as warmth made its way down his throat. The hot chocolate would have been perfect, if only it had a tad less cinnamon. 

"Janet will be here any minute," he warned, his eyelids starting to feel heavy as Molly rested her head against his shoulder and David, as a creature of habit, ran his fingers through her mass of brown curls. Time must have grown wings, as it was dark when David finally looked at his watch. 

"You don't know how I miss this, Davie. I'm so lonely without you, everything on TV this time of year only reminds me of how it's Christmas and I don't have anyone but these Gingerbread men and wine." Molly nuzzled David. "Don't you wish we could stay like this forever, Davie?" 

"I've got Janet, now." David admitted with a sigh. "Her folks wouldn't be too happy if I ran out on her now. Otherwise, I just want to go back to how things used to be and stay there forever."

"I have some good news for you then, David. We'll stay like this forever." Molly gave a soft chuckle, and then a whimper. "I love you."  

David's insides turned to ice as Molly's head lolled on his shoulder, the brightness leaking from her eyes as her body went limp against his. David felt warmth in his pants, and fire in his throat and belly as his bones caught some of the fire brewing inside of him. His head began to spin, his vision growing blurry and bleeding into black as the room spun. He tried to jump up, but the fire had burned away the strength in his limbs. He needed to run, to scream, to feel his heart thud as fear and fire overtook his body, but burning cotton replaced the voice in his throat so that he could only whisper and sputter blood, and his limbs hung uselessly from his body. Worst of all, his heart refused to beat any faster, thudding on rebelliously slower and slower until finally, it stopped.

This piece was previously published by Wicked Shadow Press.