(A/N: I have split this story up into three part, beginning, middle and end. I hope y'all enjoy~) WC: 2587

i

I took an ice screw and delicately screwed the metal teeth into my distorted reflection, the ice near clear on the mountain face. Turning with prodigious force at my hip, grabbing the crank and finishing manually drilling a second hole into the glacial ice. With great precision, I threaded my thick climbing cord through the left side before taking my multi-hook and grabbing the thread through the right, pulling it out to start the v-threading process.

I looked behind me at the setting sun, the dying golden light of day casting beautiful colors upon the ice. Though I sadly couldn't focus on the beautiful sunset, although it was stunning from so far up. Papa was going to have my head if he found out I was out climbing again, especially this time of year-

"Cindy Lou Who! Is that you?!"

A long string of curses left my mouth as I down casted my head at the echoing voice of Miss Rue Who, her face a vibrant shade of red that could be seen from miles away. I quickly finished the v-thread whilst trying not to get distracted from Miss Rue's insistent squawking and pestering, her shrieks only getting louder as I evened out my body. Trusting in my back up ice screw as I repelled down the steep iced over mountain face.

"Cindy Lou Who your father is going to throw a fit when he finds out you've been out climbing, again!"

"Why would he? He won't know, because I know I won't tell." I gave a simple raise of an eyebrow at Miss Rue Who, who looked scandalized at my implications. She squawked indignantly, scoffing as if the mere idea of lying on such a matter was just so immoral.

"This habit needs to be stopped- "

"DeeDee!"

My head snapped quickly to the side to look past the reprimanding Miss Rue, a smile splitting across my face at the sight of Christina Whoterberry waving frantically at me near the Whoville gates. Her bangs swishing in tandem with her frantic jumping, arms borderline hysterical as she shouted.

"DeeDee, you need to head back! It's almost dinner time!"

I sprinted past Miss Rue with my gear haphazardly held in my arms, only sparing a glance back to catch the older Who standing stock still with a horrified expression lacing her features as she realized it was too late. She opened her mouth, as if to sound out a plea, but I had already sprinted past Christina and the gate was being slammed shut behind me.

I looked up at the pink dusted face of my best friend, whose expression twisted into something devious as she clicked the lock into place holding the iron wrought gates closed.

"That's for giving me a C on my test Rue!"

I cackled as I grabbed her much smaller hand and tugged her along the winding cobblestone streets of Whoville, which were still bustling with late evening activities. Her gravity defying braids bounced with every echoing clamor through the streets, my own looped braids probably not doing much better. As we neared the town center, we slowed to a fast-paced walk. Still giggling at the horrified expression Miss Rue had flashed just seconds before the gates had closed.

"Do you remember- "

"Yes, I do! I was there!"

The two of us descended into another fit of laughter as more do-bops and whatsits wheeled past, Who's who haven't yet taken their leave for the evening waving their merchandise out and about in frantic gestures. Shouting about their great deals and how the season of giving demands they get payed.

"Hey Cindy?"

I looked up at the lack of a nickname, my smile slowing melting off my face at the oddly timid and serious expression that overtook Christina's face. Tina was never this way, she only ever expressed such nervous behavior in front of boys she thought were cute. The thought brought a sour taste to my mouth, this was not a time for yet another heart throb story.

"If this is about Stu Lou- "

"Oh no! I'm so over him." I bit back a retort that was hot on the tip of my tongue, just simply nodding and urging her on with a curt nod of my head.

"Well...don't you think that this little 'hobby' of yours is, like, dangerous?"

I stopped dead in my tracks, turning slowly to meet the down casted eyes of my friend. I felt slightly deceived at her sudden distrust in my abilities, especially since she's been there supporting since day one.

"I mean, its not like you're not good, it's just that you keep going higher- "

"That's the point."

I bit out the venomous words, watching with cold eyes as Tina recoiled slightly at the tone. No one ever supported my dream of ice climbing, I didn't get any support besides from the person in front of me. Now though, she seems to – ironically – be getting cold feet.

"I just- "

"I'm not having this conversation, I've had it enough times already. I'm seventeen and I can make my own decisions now, and I will not have anyone else doubt me."

I spun around on my heel and started to storm off towards my twisted and wonky house, seeing flashes of red and ignoring the second set of footsteps that followed close behind me. Tina's sputtered apologies fell upon deaf ears as I flitted into the alleyway by my home, pushing the rattling trashcans out of my way as I opened the manhole that was hidden beneath layers of filth. I diligently wrapped my gear in thick black trash bags before dropping them into the green manhole, hearing a cringy slush as it hit the sludge below.

"DeeDee, please don't ignore me."

I did just that as I stepped on the top of one of the metal lids of the trashcans. Careful not to jab the spikes of my climbing shoes into the side of my house, I jumped and grabbed onto the rounded green trim that contrasted the base yellow of the walls. I slowly inched myself until I reached a ledge, relishing in the burn of my exhausted limbs as I pulled my body onto the lowest tier of the roof.

"You can't ignore me forever Cindy!" Tina cupped her hands around her mouth as she shouted up at my shadowed figure, to which I only threw a heated glare at her loud mouth.

I made quick time since Tina's brash voice carried and suspicions were soon to arise. I hopped from the lowest tier of the roof, to the highest level. Jabbing my spiked feet into the familiar grooves in the smooth cement as I finally reached the mismatched colors of my bedroom window. In my faster than usual haste, I unlatched the circular window and swung it open with more force then necessary.

I slipped in with a thud, halfway through taking off my shoes and shedding my outerwear. Blood pounded in my ears, the sudden heat of the room hitting my cooled face like pinpricks and needles. It wasn't even two seconds after I stuffed my remaining gear under my bed when a soft knock sounded at my pale-yellow door.

"Cindy Lou? Are you in there?"

"Yeah Papa! I'm coming!"

With a few more stumbling footsteps, I very ungracefully swing the door open, revealing a bewildered looking Lou Lou Who. The quaint man gave a suspicious once over before nodding his head in question. I widened my door and let him in, and he almost immediately shivered.

"Cindy Lou, why is your window open? You'll get hypothermia!" He set down his tray of food that he had brought up in order to go and latch the window shut, thankfully overlooking the outside latch that I had installed for late night climbs.

"O-Oh, that? I accidentally took a nap and forgot to close my window, that's why I probably look so cold." Lou Lou looked at his youngest daughter, only just now noticing her ruddy cheeks and red tipped ears.

"Oh~ so that's why you didn't come down to eat with us." I nodded my head. "That's understandable, I know how tired and bored you can get all cooped up in your room. I wish I could say that I was sorry, but your climbing habits are dangerous, I don't want you getting hurt. It's for your own good -"

My brain had shut off at 'I wish', it always switched to autopilot when Papa started to belittle my hobby. It got old after the first 39 ½ times I heard it, the same repeated speech in that bothersome trying-to-get-your-teenage-daughter-to-understand-you-the-parent type of tone. It wasn't worth my time anymore, now all I do is pout and nod my head in faux understanding.

"Welp, your dinner is cold, but at least you still have some left over. Your siblings just love to suck down your mamas homemade cooking." Lou Lou spoke with a sense of pride, although he wasn't even the one who cooked the food.

"Also, I don't need to remind you its Christmas Eve! A full moon as well, how mystical~" He made jazz fingers and a cringy expression that only five-year olds would find humorous. "Make sure to keep your curtains closed and window locked, don't want the Grinch to come get you."

Many would think that statement was meant to be funny, but in Whoville, no one mentioned 'its' name without carrying a grave expression and slumped their shoulders in somber dread. My papa was very childish, he likes to think of me as his baby child who still found fart jokes funny. Though, when the Grinch is mentioned, it's almost frightening how drastic his mood changes. One second, he's cracking jokes and wheezing out laughs, then the next his face is vacant of any joy or even a smile, a dark film overcoming his eyes at the mention of that childhood monster.

I, of course, didn't believe in such legends. Whoville left little gifts outside the gate in the freezing snow every night for all 25 days of Christmas, to appease the Grinch and keep it away from Whoville during the festivities. It's said that the Grinch hibernates for the whole year except for the Christmas season, only coming out when it senses extreme happiness and comes to rein terror on all those who celebrate during the holiday season.

It was a childhood story that parents tell their kids so that they wouldn't wander past the Whoville gates, and it worked...except on me. I was probably the only person who willingly travelled outside the gates, and that was just to climb since climbing houses got too easy. Ice climbing was my favorite, but unfortunately my parents go nuts every time I so much as go outside in the cold. Claiming that I was practically begging the Grinch to come take me away and get eaten.

Which is why I'm going to disprove everyone's irrational fear of this so-called Grinch.

Tonight, with the full moon as my only witness.

Because let's face it, the Grinch isn't real, and soon everyone was going to see that.

ii

The town was asleep by the time curfew hit at ten, and I was out and about in the deafly silent streets by eleven, dressed head to toe in my climbing gear. I absentmindedly fiddled with some lose carabiners that clanged painfully loud in the quiet of the abandoned streets, tugging at the tight straps of my harness. I watched out for any police that patrolled the streets at night, but there was no one in town who was brave enough to stray outside their homes at night, especially on Christmas Eve.

Luckily for me, I wasn't brave, but stupidly stubborn. I was tired of everyone's needless fear of a childhood myth, I didn't even understand why parents passed it onto their sons and daughters. Why prolong pointless fears when we should be exploring beyond the gates and not bound by trepidation?

It was a bit past eleven by the time I hopped the gates and started my trek into the hilly territory outside of Whoville, the full moon shining bright in the sky, illuminating the crystal white snow that covered the ground. I trekked as high as I could before I had to attach my snow shoes underfoot of my ice climbing boots, balancing my weight on the tough webbing as I hiked higher.

Time passed by in an eerie trance, the previous rolling hills morphing into higher, steeper spikes of rock and ice. Dirtied snow replaced by seemingly untouched ice crystals, even the air seemed crisper and increasing colder. The wind started to pick up and howl its feverish warnings the higher I went, although I didn't turn back.

I should have turned back.

iii

Around halfway up the mountain, the snow became too dense and steep to proceed by foot. So, I edged around towards the steep mountain face of Mount Crumpit, the supposed home of the Grinch. The mountain was around 3,000 feet tall, but time and distance were a fickle mistress when it came to Mount Crumpit. Time seemed to still, the moon disappearing behind a cloud, only to reappear further back in its cycle.

I payed no mind to the time though, only focusing on anchoring and v-threading the icy mountain on my way up. It was such a thrill to be able to scale such a beast, to be able to defy and mock gravity as you climb upwards in what seems to be an almost endless ascent. Before I knew it, I looked up to see the summit of Mount Crumpit. A slight glow spilling over the icy overhang and stalactites, the snow reflecting its red-orange light.

That's strange, I thought offhandedly.

I brushed it off as nothing, screwing in my last v-thread for when I would make my decent before the first morning light stretched over the horizon. Taking my twin ice picks, I slammed them into the overhang, pulling myself up and over onto the cold ground in a heap of welcomed exhaustion. I couldn't feel my face, but somehow, I knew I had a drunken smile on my face. That same smile I always seem to possess after a good climb.

Shortly though, the seeping cold from the snow beneath my back became too much for me to comfortable withstand. I rolled over and pushed myself onto my knees, only to be met with side of a cave entrance. I crawled over to the mouth of the cavern, eyes widening at the sight of slovenly torches hanging haphazardly on the rocky arch of the cavern entrance, the snow and ice surrounding the area melted in puddles that had frozen over on the floor.

I was in shock, it seemed as if somebody actually was up here. The torches had to have been lit and set up my somebody recently, and the cave seemed to reach even deeper into the mountain. I shook my head, trying to physically shake my thoughts away. There is no way the Grinch is real...maybe an exiled Who? A traveler from far away lands, a few ice climbers?

Yeah, that had it be it.

So, with that thought in mind, I started my trek down into the belly of the beast.

(A/N: Merry belated Christmas~ or early depending on when you're reading this~)