Rod Sullivan

Night lay over the area like a heavy, thick blanket.

Dania and Ruslan sat in the light of the monitor—just a couple of minutes ago it seemed like just evening.

Then Dania looked out the window.

Ilya walked past Rod's van.
He beckoned to him.

And the next second the world broke: a flash of cold, Ilya froze, as if carved from ice, and Rod dragged him inside.

The van door slammed like a coffin lid.

Danya shook Ruslan, shouted, but the words scattered into the silence.
They rushed to the neighbors.
The Joneses came out, alarmed, ready to help.
And Rod stood by the van and smiled.

—"Ice cream?..For good neighbors."

They took it.
They took a bite... and just...went limp.
They fell on the asphalt as if all the will had been sucked out of them.