Dead End: Midnight Hollow

by Penn Cassidy

  “Okay, that’s enough for tonight. It’s been endless studying, wondering how to survive in this strange world, magic, and danger. We are very proud of you all for how far you’ve come, so we have a surprise for you out back. Save figuring it all out for another day, and for now, let’s have some fun!” Auntie Fe said in delight, her eyes shining and her inner child peeking through.

  “She’s right, Toby. Nothing we can do right now. We can only take this one step at a time.” Maddie jumped up and grabbed my shoulders, looking me square in the eye. “We got this. These bitches ain’t going anywhere, so enjoy life because I’m telling you to. I’m here sis…” Then she muttered under her breath, “There better be sweets outside…”

  I had to hold back a giggle at how serious her face was as she segued into candy territory. Typical.

  Everyone was staring at me, waiting for my reaction. They were right—I was in the here and now with the people I loved surrounding me. I just wished Freddy and Jessica were here.

  “Lead the way, Aunties.” I hesitantly smiled and loved watching them get excited like two little kids as they basically moonwalked out of the living room, their robes fluttering around their feet, singing gibberish. They were insane, but I loved them to death.

  I pecked Jason and Michael on the cheek as I got up to follow, grabbing a daydreaming Maddie by the hand. I glided my fingertips over a still frozen Norman by the archway. He gazed down at me expressionless as we passed him, before sighing and following behind us. I knew he was worried about Freddy. We hadn’t seen him since he went into beast mode, but my gut feeling told me he was fine.

  He was a werewolf, made to feel the dirt beneath his paws as he howled at the moons. He’d always been a wild card, the guy who lived every day like it was the only one he’d get. He really was made for this world, just like the rest of us.

  The moment we stepped outside, my jaw dropped and I felt a warm, happy glow fill my chest. Right under my nose, fresh baked foods floated by on trays, landing on the smooth surface of a tree trunk in the middle of the yard. Pumpkin cakes were still steaming from the oven, and there were apple strudels with cream cheese drizzle, fresh popped candied popcorn, and caramelized apples. It was making my mouth water…until a horrible thought popped into my head.

  “Um, who made these?” I gestured to the feast, praying to the great pumpkin that it wasn’t Auntie Pip, or I would start sobbing.

  “Came from—” Auntie Fe started.

  “Toil and Trouble,” Auntie Pip finished. Gesturing for us to take a seat on a bunch of floor pillows that looked comfy and squishy.

  The colorful pillows were scattered across the lawn in a massive circle surrounding a bonfire that Michael lit with a snap of his fingers, grinning widely at me as I clapped in excitement. We sat down, the glow of the fire warming me instantly on the chilly, perpetually autumn night. With the stars twinkling above, I tilted my head back with a contented sigh. A small, cast iron cauldron was brewing over the bonfire, smelling of spiced apple cider, and I was practically bouncing on my toes for some.

  “Sister, lights please,” Auntie Pip asked as she started pouring us steaming cups of cider to pass around.

  With a whispered spell under her breath, Auntie Fe pointed at the dark stained wooden shed in front of us, and we oohed and ahhed as a white sheet was pinned to it with string lights, creating a homemade screen. A movie started playing from the projector over our heads in the apple tree, and I instantly recognized the music in the background.

  “Nothing like a little Hocus Pocus to cheer us up!” Maddie bounced in her seat and smiled happily over at me, but gasped at something over my shoulder. Whatever it was had her jumping up with a squeal.

  I quickly turned around, thinking the worst, but sagged into my pillow as Baen and Cal stepped out of the shadows to gather around our bonfire. Baen came bearing a bouquet of black roses and purple cotton candied web for Maddie, who flung herself in his arms. Cal stood there, looking awkward with his hands in his black jean pockets, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Maddie as she let go of Baen and turned towards him with her arms already open. He stepped forward hesitantly and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off the ground to hug her tighter.

  Yeah, that girl gave the warmest hugs that you couldn’t help but smile at. He finally set her down, clearing his throat, and glanced around while raking his hand through his bluish black hair, until his eyes settled on me.

  “Hey, October, how are you adjusting? Still going to the festival?” I noticed the wicked glint in his eyes as a group of not so silent growls filled the air. The cheeky fucker was teasing my guys and enjoying every second.

  “She’s adjusting just fine. Not that it’s any of your fucking business, warlock,” Norman hissed, his bat swooping down to frantically flutter around his head before landing on his chest.

  I would have laughed at the way he lovingly stroked Billie’s wings and continued to glower at Cal, but I didn’t want to embarrass my jealous boyfriend. It was kind of adorable.

  Wait a second... I knew I loved the guys, but was I really just now coming to the realization that they were my boyfriends? Were they really? What if they didn’t want to be? We hadn’t had a real chance to talk about what this was! Oh god, I felt another panic attack coming on soon.

  “What’s eating at ya, luv?” Damon crooned as he reached over to gently stroke down my cheek. I’d known it was only a matter of time before he made an appearance again. He was probably drawn to the food.

  As Norman and Micheal bitched at Cal like a bunch of tough guys—which they were, but still—I leaned over to Damon so they couldn’t hear me. “Do you think I’m their girlfriend?” I bit my lip and watched his yellow eyes flicker to grey before changing back to an amused yellow glow.

  “Of course,” he said through a laugh. “I bet they can’t wait for you to carry their babies. Imagine all the sex you’ll need to get that going.” He smirked at my horrified expression and crushed me in a hug to calm my suddenly racing heart. “I’m only half joking, luv. Not about the fucking, as there will be lots of that. Why don’t you just ask them yourself? And better yet, do tell them you can hear their thoughts. I can sometimes feel you in here, which is actually quite pleasant.” He tapped his head before grabbing a handful of popcorn with a wink, completely ignoring my flabbergasted stare.

  “I do not…” I started to lie, but gave up when he turned back to me and Jason’s curious grey gaze met my own.

  “Don’t what?” he mumbled around a mouthful of popcorn, and I only shook my head before settling back into the cushions. Seemed Damon had been practicing how to take over more completely…secretive bastard.

  I grumbled as Auntie Fe handed me a mug of warm cider with a teasing glint in her eyes. Yeah, yeah. I should put it all out there and tell them. But what if they thought it was an intrusion of privacy? I couldn’t control it. It came and went randomly.

  Maddie plopped herself down across the bonfire from me, munching on her web candy and looking smugly comfortable cushioned between Cal and Baen.

  “Thank you for the invite, Pip. It was most considerate,” Baen said in a deep, regal voice and pulled a flask out of his brown leather jacket as his skin rippled with a small tint of green. He sipped from the flask quickly, putting it away with a grin as Maddie reached for it with a pout.

  “Are you ever going to tell me what you are?” Maddie asked, bumping Baen’s shoulder.

  “One day, perhaps, but today is not that day. Wouldn’t want you running for the hills.” He winked and glanced over her shoulder at Cal with a scowl that pretty much said to shove it, as Maddie shook her head, blowing a raspberry.

  Ah, Cal knows what Baen’s beast is…very interesting. I’ll have Maddie tickle it out of him later just for shits and giggles.

  This night was almost perfect, but I was missing my furry eight legged familiar and my other furry Freddy. My heart hurt thinking about Jessica, wishing she’d send me some kind of note or something to tell m
e if she was mad at me. And Freddy… I could really use some of his wild warmth right now.

  “This seat taken?” a raspy voice asked over my shoulder. Hearing Freddy’s voice had me whipping my head around to see him towering over me with dark circles under his eyes and a tired smile.

  My heart soared. “For you? It’s always open.” I patted the cushion next to me and bounced a little as he plopped down with an exhausted huff.

  He wasted no time laying sideways and setting his head in my lap, a very contented sigh humming through his pouty lips. I slid my hands through his sunkissed, soft hair and kissed his forehead as he closed his eyes with a small grin.

  “Gonna put…ring on her…” Even his mental voice sounded tired as it skittered through my head, and I hid my grin behind the curtain of my orange hair. I stared down at his fluttering lashes. He was asleep in seconds, and when I looked up, Norman was watching with us with his eyebrows scrunched together in concern.

  “Hey,” I whispered, and his emerald eyes connected with mine. I reached my hand out to him and laced our fingers together. “He’ll be okay. We all will.”

  Norman bent forward without a word and kissed me softly on the lips before wrapping a cool arm around my shoulder. I smiled as my eyes wanted to fill with happy tears. This was what family meant—to be surrounded by the people you love the most, laughing while not knowing what the next day will bring.

  Knocking woke me from a deep sleep. I blinked my eyes open groggily, and even after a little over a week and a half in this strange world, I still couldn’t get used to the fact that there was absolutely no sunlight streaming through my windows.

  My body felt sore when I slid out of bed, but it was the good kind of sore, and it brought back every crisp memory of my time with Michael at the morgue of all places. I smiled at the memory. If you had asked me only a couple weeks ago where I thought my first time with any of them would be, a morgue wouldn’t have even made it to the list. I laughed outright, and it filled my empty bedroom.

  I couldn’t believe this was my life now. Raising the dead, magic, monsters… I felt like this was all some sort of fever dream I was bound to wake up from soon. But I didn’t want to wake up. The others actually seemed like they were fitting in pretty well, even though Maddie was trying to suppress magic that clearly came easy to her. I knew the moment she decided to accept the fact that she was a witch, she’d become a force to be reckoned with. I just had this deep, gut feeling Baen and Cal were going to help get her there.

  I showered for the day and dressed in a black and purple plaid skirt, a black tank top tucked into my high waistband, and some heeled boots that laced up to my knees and zipped down the sides. Deciding to leave my orange hair loose and wavy today, I simply swiped on some winged eyeliner and my signature black lipstick and called it good. I grinned at my reflection, thinking about how much I’d changed since the accident.

  Sometimes, it was hard to remember what the old October used to look like, with her blonde hair and tanned skin. I shivered just thinking about the cheer uniform. I felt much more like myself these days, and now that I’d heard from Jason’s own lips that the guys didn’t hate it as much as they made me think, I was feeling lighter than air.

  The second I stepped out into the hall, I reared back, my eyes stinging immediately. Something smelled horrendous, and I could tell it was coming from downstairs. I heard footsteps down the hall and saw Freddy coming out of his own guest room. Our eyes met from across the short distance, and I saw the exact moment the smell registered. He pinned me with a look.

  I scoffed. “Don’t blame that one on me. I’m pretty sure Pip’s cooking down there.” The horrified look on his handsome face made me grin. “You’re looking better,” I said, sweeping my eyes over him from head to toe.

  His blond hair was freshly washed, hanging down to his shoulders and had my fingers twitching to slide through it. He wore a simple black shirt and dark pants that made me drool at how tight they were in all the right places. There were no dark circles beneath his eyes, and they shone like he’d just woken up from the best sleep known to man.

  “I feel like a new man,” he said, coming closer. “Shedding all my skin and sprouting hair will do that to a guy.”

  I sobered immediately. “Seriously, Fred, are you okay? That couldn’t have been easy, you know, wolfing out and all.”

  He smiled softly—softer than I was used to lately. It was disarming. “All good, beautiful.”

  My brows shot to my hairline. “Laying it on a little thick this morning, are we, big guy?”

  Freddy laughed, swooping a heavy arm around my shoulders as he guided me towards the staircase. “A little birdy told me we’ve got the green light to stop tormenting you now.”

  I stopped dead in my tracks and smiled up at him. “And does this little birdy happen to have fangs?” Folding my arms over my chest, I shook my head at his mouthy twin. What else had they talked about behind my back?

  “I can neither confirm nor deny,” he said, making a zipping motion over his grinning mouth.

  It was literally impossible to be serious with Freddy. And besides, I wasn’t really angry at all. I knew the guys talked, and Jason had given me all that crap about not keeping secrets anymore. I agreed wholeheartedly, but it was still jarring to hear them just come right out with it.

  I was about to respond when suddenly, we heard a hollow knocking sound. We both froze, whipping around and searching the hallway. I heard it again and looked at Freddy, who just shrugged. “Maybe they have rats,” he suggested halfheartedly.

  I shook my head. “I’ve been hearing that damn knocking since we got here…”

  “It’s probably nothing,” he said. “Or maybe it’s one of the aunties’ witchy experiments… Why don’t we just ask?”

  I supposed he was right. The knocking was bothering me. It seemed to happen sporadically and with no discernible pattern. I’d have to ask the aunties about that and set my mind at ease. We turned for the staircase, but Norman popped up, heading our way quickly with panic in his green eyes.

  My heart stuttered at the sight of him. We hadn’t really had a chance to talk too much after what happened in the greenhouse. It felt like it had been years since that night. Norman pulled up short, just shy of the last step, and ran his hand through his glossy black hair. “You’re gonna want to turn around and escape out the window,” he said.

  “What’s going on?” I moved out from under Freddy’s heavy arm, suddenly concerned.

  Norman shivered visibly—or maybe it was a shudder. “Pip has a whole spread laid out for breakfast,” he said ominously.

  My stomach immediately clenched, feeling like it was about to implode already. My mouth dried up, as if it could already taste the vile concoctions just waiting down there for us. Pip’s food really was legendary for a reason. I swore someone at some point must have cursed my poor auntie, because I wouldn’t trust that woman to pour me a bowl of cereal.

  “What do we do?” Freddy asked in a panic. We all knew we couldn’t eat that food, and there was no way we’d be able to pretend to push it around our plates.

  Norman shook his head. “No clue. She already trapped Maddie and Jason. Michael took the window route earlier to get to his early class… I suggest we all do the same.”

  I thought for a moment, trying to strategize, and then it hit me. “Okay, here’s the plan,” I said quietly. Both Freddy and Norman ducked in closer, and it made me giggle because I suddenly felt like the captain of the varsity basketball team. “I’m going to distract them while the two of you creep down the hall and slip out the door. I’ll create some kind of chaos and slip out as fast as I can, but you better be waiting for me when I get outside, got it?”

  They nodded, and Norman asked, “You sure you can do this?”

  No, I’m not, Norman, but thanks for the vote of confidence.

  “Just do it,” I said, shooing them towards the stairs. This was ridiculous. We were being childish, but these truly were hi
gh stakes. When I said Pip’s food could kill off the dinosaurs all over again, I meant it.

  We crept down the stairs on silent feet, and I was never more thankful that they were carpeted than I was right now. We split off once we reached the bottom landing, and I gestured with my hand slicing through the air that the guys needed to make a break for it. I was taking one for the team, and if Auntie Pip shoved a poisoned scone down my throat along the way…well, let’s just say they’d owe me big time.

  I heard the front door open, so at that exact moment, before the aunties could hear, I made my way into the kitchen, walking much faster than I normally would, pretending to be in a frantic hurry. I saw Maddie first, staring down at the plate in front of her. Her face was slightly green, and her brown eyes were full of hopelessness. Jason didn’t look any better as he sloshed around a bowl of what looked like a greenish brown mush.

  They both looked up as I came in, and I tried to fight a smile behind my palm. Maddie groaned, and Jason shook his head with pleading eyes. For a split second, his eyes flickered to yellow, and I watched Damon’s forked tongue slip out and dip into the mush before Jason reeled back with a look of devastation and revulsion on his face. Betrayal at its finest.

  “Oh good, October!” Pip announced, bustling over with oven mitts on her hands. “Just in time to try out this new recipe.”

  Dread pooled in my gut as I skirted her path and snagged an apple from the bowl in the center island. Fe was standing in the corner of the kitchen, leaning against the wooden countertop with a mug of tea raised to her lips that smelled like tequila from here. Was she having a margarita this early? Her orange hair was wild around her head, and her purple and yellow robes were covered in flour. She raised a brow and shrugged her shoulder in a what can you do gesture.

  I gave Pip an apologetic wince. “Sorry, Auntie, I gotta be at school super early this morning. I have a meeting with a teacher in twenty… Uh, save some for me?” I zoomed through the kitchen, grabbing my satchel and cloak off the coat rack and grinned at the two unfortunate souls, who sneered back at me. Just before I twirled out into the entryway, I wiggled my fingers under my chin with a wink at Jason.