Savannah, GA, January 1990: During a surprise snowstorm that paralyzes the city, an art school student battles a shape-shifting monster to save her friends.

SYNOPSIS:

In Savannah's Historic District, MAGGIE CRAWFORD (20, African-American, SCAD student) encounters an elfin-type creature from another world, Ashi, who came through an artificial portal and has taken up with her friends. This creature tells Maggie that she's being hunted by a monster named Dolcan who is a shape-shifter and will pursue her relentlessly until he kills her. Maggie hides her, along with her friends who were hiding her, and sets out to destroy Dolcan. Ashi tells Maggie that Dolcan's only weaknesses are cold iron and fire.

In the mean time Dolcan kills a police sergeant, then Maggie's girlfriend, before finding and killing Maggie's roommate and taking his identify, absorbing his mind memories. He waits for Maggie in a place where he knew she'd look for him. She goes there and approaches him before realizing that it's Dolcan. She flees, and a pursuit around Savannah's Historic District ensues.

With some unexpected help from her dead roommate, Maggie is able to elude Dolcan for some time. Finally she has nowhere else to go but to run out onto a barge holding construction supplies. She slips and falls on the icy deck, hitting her head hard, and is stunned while Dolcan approaches, hefting a heavy steel I-beam over his head. Maggie calls out to her roommate, who is able to manifest, causing Dolcan to collapse under the weight of the I-beam. As Dolcan is dying he tells Maggie that Ashi is not what she seems — she consumes energy from humans, and there is no end to her appetite. She an also cause people to get addicted the feeding her.

Maggie confronts Ashi, and she confirms what Dolcan said. Maggie tells her to go home. Ashi says she can't, because she's not strong enough to open a portal on her own. Maggie tells her to take whatever energy she needs from her, and not to worry if she drains it all.

Ashi does as Maggie asks, and departs. Maggie collapses onto the ground.

The next day Maggie is in the hospital and Joe visits. Joe is angry that Maggie persuaded Ashi to leave. He's also grieving for one of his friends, who died from feeding Ashi. Maggie say she'd do it again to protect Joe and her friends, even if they hate her for it.

Joe climbs into the hospital bed with Maggie and, as the snow and ice begin to melt outside, they weep over their friends until they fall asleep. Things will never be the same.

COLD IRON