Page 14 of Trapped in the Christmas Cabin

“Youc-c-can’t get a c-cold just from being wet,” he growled, but his teeth were already chattering.

“Hurryup and get those off,”Kelliordered.“Here, you can wrap yourself in this.”Shesnatched the red and white checked throw off the back of the couch and handed it to him.

Thenshe went to hunt for the bathroom.

11

KLAUS

Klausshivered as he stripped out of the soakedSantaSuit.Damnit, how could snowfall so fast?Ormelt so quickly, for that matter.Hefelt like he had fallen into an icy lake with all his clothes on!Itwas almost like the damn suit was meant to get as wet as possible so he would have no choice but to take it off.

Hefrowned at the thought—would theQuestarionsdo something like that?Andwhat were theyreally studyinghere?Wasit truly the effect a beloved holiday had on people who observed it, as they had claimed when they first contacted theKindred?Orwas it something else?

Hegot all the way naked, since the suit and everything under it was completely soaked, and then wrapped the red and white blanketKellihad given him around his waist.Hewent to stand in front of the fire, but he was still freezing—his skin was covered in chill bumps and he just couldn’t seem to get warm.

“Hey, we have a problem.”Kellireappeared with a worried look on her face.

“Anotherone?”Klausraised his eyebrows in disbelief.“Whatis it this time?”

“It’sthe shower—Ican’t get it to turn on.”Sheshrugged her shoulders.“I’vetried everything—do you want to give it a go?”

“Mightas well.”Klausfought back a shiver and followed her down a short hallway and into the back of the cabin.

“It’sin here—through the bedroom,”Kellitold him.

Sheled him past a large bed that looked big enough for three or four people.Itwas covered in a green spread decorated with red flowersKlausthought were called “point-setters” or something like that.Atthe very back of the room was another door that led into the fresher—or the bathroom, as the humans called it.

Thefresher was tiled in a neutral beige color, whichKlausfound refreshing after all theChristmascolors.Insidewas a shower stall and a toilet, which was set in a small alcove, maybe for privacy.Butit was the glass-walled shower stall thatKlauswas interested in.

Therewas a round, flat, black panel embedded in the shower’s tiled wall.Itwas clearly meant to be the on/off device as well as the temperature control because it had a capitalHfor hot and a capitalCfor cold on either side of it.

Holdingonto the blanket he had wrapped around his waist, he reached in and tried touching the panel—but nothing happened.Bynow he was so cold his teeth were chattering again, much to his annoyance.

“F-f-fucking thing’s b-b-broken,” he snarled, somehow getting the words out.

ButKellihad a thoughtful look on her face.

“Idon’t know—is it?”she said.“Here—let’s try touching it together.”

“Whatthe f-f-fuck good is th-that going to do?”Klausdemanded, feeling annoyed.Butwhen she reached into the shower stall to touch the control panel, he did the same.

Themoment both their hands touched the panel at the same time, a rush of water started streaming down from overhead, drenching both their arms and the front ofKelli’scoat, since she’d been leaning into the stall to reach the shower controls.

“Hey!”she gasped, jerking back.Herhair had gotten wet too,Klaussaw.Nowshewas the one who was dripping.

Assoon as she jerked her hand away, the flow of water stopped.Klaustouched the control panel—rubbing and tapping it—but nothing worked.

“Howcome it stopped working?”he asked, mystified and irritated.

“Becauseof the list.Ugh—I’mdrenched!”Kellishrugged off the fur coat and hung it on a hook behind the fresher door.

“Whatabout the list?”Klausasked.Hewas a little warmer now—the spray of water that had drenched his arm had at least been hot.Butnow he was wet all over again and he was sure it wouldn’t take him long to start shivering.

“Thenext to last item on the list,”Kelliexplained, swiping her wet hair out of her eyes.“Itsaid, ‘TouchingRequired—nothing works without help.’”

“So?”Klausstill didn’t get it.

“SoIthink weboth haveto be touching the shower to make it work,” she explained.“Meaningwe have to, er, take a shower together,” she finished in a low voice.

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