Ashby Winter Descending

A local tradition for many families, heading out toward Hicks Lodge or Calke Abbey to blow away the cobwebs of Christmas Day.

, a central character in Penelope Douglas's Devil's Night series, specifically in the novel Kill Switch . ashby winter descending

Does the cold drive the characters apart, or does it force them into a necessary, quiet self-reflection? Contrast the "shivering" vulnerability of the characters with the "hardened" indifference of the landscape. The Sensory Experience: A local tradition for many families, heading out

At 7:00 AM, with temperatures usually around -3°C, they roll out toward the dramatic drop of . They see only the shorter days and the bitter wind

There is a romance to this moment that most people miss. They see only the shorter days and the bitter wind. But look closer: The way the low-hanging sun sets the frost on fire at 4:00 PM. The way the cobblestones (or sidewalks) hold the cold like memory. The way every exhale becomes a ghost.

The "descending" nature of her story is also found in her complex relationship with Damon Torrance. Their bond is one of mutual destruction and eventual salvation:

She watched a single flake of snow drift past the glass. It didn't fall; it descended, slowly, deliberately, as if it had all the time in the universe.