The only comfort Eve Night had at that moment was that the bus she was traveling in still had the thermostat on, as it was the only thing separating her from the strong snowstorm on the other side. The young woman moved away from the window and looked at her smartphone, reviewing the message that had arrived. That message that had made her leave her small apartment in Greenwich, New York. There was the photo of the little girl with chestnut hair and bronze skin with big green eyes. Looking from the platform of a train station.

"Elsie..." Eve thought as she traced the screen with her index finger. "Oh, Elsie... mom misses you."

The previous night, an anonymous message had been sent to her phone, with two words and a photograph of her daughter. The message read "Ström, Connecticut."

"Whoever has kidnapped her doesn't know what they've gotten into," Eve responded, tapping her heel lightly on the backpack under the seat where she had a loaded weapon. "Relax, Elsie, Mom is on her way to rescue you."

The bus remained on the road for a couple more hours until it reached a small coastal town. Before arriving, Eve was surprised to see how the town was divided in two. One part had a more traditional architectural style, reminiscent of New England cottage style, while the other was more modern and gentrified. Both parts were divided by a stone bridge crossing over an icy river. The bus continued its way through the snow-covered city. There were few people outside in the winter blizzard. When the bus reached the station, Eve looked out the window again. Across the street was the train station.

The bus driver stood up from his seat and looked at the passengers.

"Last stop, Ström, Connecticut!" the driver announced and got off the vehicle. The passengers exited the bus, leaving only Eve behind. The young woman put her phone in her jacket and took her suitcase from under her seat. She got off the bus. The storm had stopped pounding, and with an unreal speed, the skies cleared. Eve crossed the street toward the train station.

On the screens were the travel schedules... then they changed, and a TV spot appeared. Eve was surprised to see herself on the screen delivering the news. At the bottom, a ticker read: "Eve Night exclusive for New York Fast."

"I told Carl that angle didn't favor me..." Eve touched under her chin, trying to confirm she didn't have the double chin shown in the image.

Then her phone started vibrating in her leather jacket. The young woman took out the phone, and the name "Carl Peters" appeared on the screen. "Speak of the devil..."

"Hey superstar, how are your holidays going?" a male voice said on the other end.

"Carl, I've told you these aren't holidays, I'm following a very important lead..." Eve replied, still watching the commercial.

"I know, I know. But it's better if everyone at the office believes you decided to take a few days off rather than the truth..." Carl replied. "If they know the real reason was a nervous breakdown."

"I didn't have a breakdown; I'm looking for Elsie," Eve responded. "But watching those TV spots you made might give me one."

"Oh! So, you've seen them already. What good taste, huh?" Carl asked.

"Good taste isn't what I'd think. They couldn't have filmed me from another angle; this one makes my face look a bit swollen."

"Nonsense, Night. The shot was intentional to show more 'body positivity' to the audience," Carl replied.

"That's a lousy justification," Eve said.

"Well, when you're back, I'll show you the ratings our show will have," Carl replied.

Eve then noticed a boy holding his mother's hand. The boy looked at the screen where Eve's spot was playing, then at Eve herself. When he realized it was the same person on TV, he started causing a fuss.

"Carl, I have to go. I have things to do," Eve said.

"Okay, but don't take too long. I can cover for you only until the weekend," Carl replied.

Eve immediately hung up the phone.

The young woman continued walking toward the train platforms. There weren't many people that day. She took out her phone again and compared the photograph she had been sent with the platforms. It was indeed the same place.

"Elsie!" the young woman thought, tears welling up in her eyes. "Indeed, that was the place where I saw Elsie." Then she approached the ticket booth where the vendor was surprised to see Eve running towards him.

"Hey! Excuse me, have you happened to see this girl around here?" Eve asked the vendor. "Her name is Elsie Night-Castellares."

"Hm, I'm sorry, I haven't seen a girl alone around here," the vendor replied. "Maybe it was during a different shift than mine," he continued.

"I see," Eve replied. "Where could I get the employees' schedules?"

"You'd have to speak to the supervisor," the young vendor replied.

"Understood. Thank you," Eve replied and left the vendor.

Eve headed to the supervisor's office, and before she could knock on the door, a shiver ran through her body.

"Mama..." her daughter's chilling voice said.

"Elsie!" Eve exclaimed, quickly turning her head to find her daughter but not seeing anyone. She saw a small silhouette at the train station's door.

Without thinking, Eve began running toward the train station entrance, crossed the station's doors, and then slipped on the snow-covered ground, falling onto the street right in front of a car. Instantly, the screeching sound of the vehicle's brakes was heard. Just inches from Eve's face, the car came to a stop...

"What the hell!" a man exclaimed, getting out of the vehicle. That person turned out to be middle-aged, sturdy, with gray hair in a military cut and a thick beard. The man had a sheriff's badge on his leather jacket, indicating to Eve that he was a member of the police. "Are you alright, miss?"

"Yes," Eve replied, quickly getting up from the snow. Nervously, she took out her phone and showed the officer the image of her daughter. "Officer, have you seen this girl? Her name is Elsie Night-Castellares."

"Wow... calm down, miss," the man approached the phone and looked at the photo.

"Is she a missing child?" the officer asked.

"That's right," Eve replied.

"Are you a family member or legal guardian, or..."

"I'm her mother," Eve replied.

"When was the last time you saw your daughter?"

"A year ago... they took her from my apartment in Greenwich, New York."

"From New York, you say?" the officer pondered, stroking his beard with his fingers.

"I was sent this photo of my daughter last night, from this place."

"Come with me to the police station, and we'll check the system for any reports of a missing girl," the man said.

"Yes, of course," Eve replied.

"My name is Fernando Barreda, sheriff of Ström," the man extended his hand to the young woman.

"Eve, Eve Night," the young mother

replied.

Then the two got into the police car. Eve was surprised that the interior was air-conditioned, and the smell of coffee and cigarettes mixed strongly inside. The sheriff sat in the driver's seat and then started the patrol car. As they drove, Eve noticed how the town seemed frozen in time, reminding her momentarily of Salem. It had that same picturesque aesthetic, only covered in snow.

Then she noticed some men, both young and adult, punching bags and pear bags hanging from trees while drinking beer.

"Are they preparing for the Silver Boxing contest at the Knock-Out Bar?" Sheriff Barreda responded. "Every year, the men of the town gather at the bar on the night of December 24th to try to win the boxing contest, but they have to be drunk while competing."

"I see, and what do they win, a year of free beer or something?" Eve asked.

"Oh, no! That would bankrupt the bar, no doubt," the sheriff replied. "They win 7 million dollars."

"How much?!"

"Yes, just as you heard Miss Night. However, there's a catch. It's not enough to beat all your opponents; you also must remove the silver dagger stuck in one of the wooden posts near the bar," the sheriff replied.

The two observed an athletic boy training his boxing punches under one of the leafless oaks. However, unlike the other men, the boy had tied blankets around the trunk he was training with.

"Damn it!" cursed the sheriff, stopping the patrol car in front of the tree where the boy was training. "Wait here a moment, Miss Eve, I have something to sort out."

"Faux, you little bastard, you better not try to compete again in the Knock-Out this year," the sheriff said, angry.

Eve noticed the boy's face, sharp features, square chin, high cheekbones, chestnut hair, and gray eyes with short hair.

"Go to hell, old man, you're neither my father nor my boss to tell me what I can or cannot do. Besides, Sheriff, you also participated in the 'Silver Boxing,'" the young man replied.

"With the only difference being that I was in my thirties. You're not even an adult, you haven't even grown facial hair," the sheriff replied.

"Go to hell, Sheriff," the boy replied.

"I warn you, Faux, unless you want to spend Christmas in a cell, stay away from the 'Boxing' contest."

Then the boy turned around, grabbed his thick snow jacket, put it on, and began to walk away. Eve was surprised by the sheriff's strange attitude.

The man got back into the vehicle.

"I apologize, Miss Night, for having to witness that," the man said.

"Don't worry, Sheriff... who was he? It seems like you're somewhat close," Eve asked.

"Oh, the young man's name is Faux Brawler. He's one of the orphaned kids who come here to occupy the abandoned buildings in the old part of the city," the sheriff replied.

"Yes, I noticed there was an old and abandoned area of the town. What happened there? I noticed there's a modern area, but..."

"This is a small town, Miss Night. A small and superstitious town," the sheriff replied. "After the autumnal pandemic 11 years ago, where more than 40% of the town's population died, it left a deep scar on the town's soul," Sheriff Barreda replied.

They arrived at the police station, and Eve was surprised at how small the building was. It certainly didn't look anything like the units they had in New York. They got out of the vehicle, and there were some officers smoking outside. Eve was surprised that most of the officers there were already middle-aged men and women. The interior of the station also looked like it had seen better days. There were areas without light, and the interior needed repainting, with a noticeable dusty smell.

"I apologize for the conditions, Miss. There have been severe budget cuts, so we now must implement austerity measures within the station... as you can see," the sheriff said.

"I noticed, and I've also noticed that a large part of the force..."

"Are already old?"

"I didn't mean to put it like that," Eve replied a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry, Miss Eve. I understand. Truth be told, most of the cadets who graduate from the academy stay here for a short time. Action in this town is scarce, so many go to New York or Boston," the sheriff replied. Then the man sat at his desk and turned on his computer.

"What's your daughter's name?"

"Elsie Night-Castellares," the young woman replied.

The man typed the name into the database's search.

"Hm, I can't find anything with that name. Are you sure your daughter wasn't taken by someone else, a relative, her father, for example?"

"I doubt it," Eve replied. "Her father abandoned us the moment he found out I was pregnant."

"Oh..."

"Hm, there's another possibility," the Sheriff replied. "There's another database that is better updated than ours, especially regarding lost children."

"Excellent!"

"But there's a problem... you really won't want us to go to that place," the sheriff responded.

"Why?"

"Because of what happens at Saint Emilie Orphanage," the Sheriff replied.

"It doesn't matter, I need to know if mydaughter was here," Eve responded.