Dead End: Midnight Hollow

by Penn Cassidy

  The noise level was deafening as I pulled out an earbud. Seniors rushed past me, chatting with their friends, and the excitement of the weekend made everything louder. Mr. Myers was frantically waving me down as I pushed through the bodies with my books held tight to my chest, elbows shoving roughly into my sides. People snickered when I was jostled into a locker or tripped over someone's foot. They thought it was hilarious to make a target out of the loner goth girl who used to be a queen bee.

  “October, please see me in my office. We haven’t had a session in a while,” Mr. Myers said, loud enough for the eavesdropping athletic assholes to hear. They were crowded right outside the school counselor’s office door, just for this very purpose apparently.

  Their smiles made my skin crawl. They wanted to make my life a living hell, but the funny thing was I’d already been to Hell and I found I preferred it to this fucking place. So, joke’s on them. I just wanted to crawl into a little hole and stay there long enough to hide from the world, only popping out to pretend for my aunties so they wouldn’t feel the need to ship me off to the looney bin.

  I followed the counselor into his boring, ordinary office painted in a gross looking taupe, staring pityingly at the poster of a baby ducky behind his desk and wondering what in the world he’d been thinking.

  “Don’t be the follower, be the leader,” the duck poster said in bold white Comic Sans. I shivered.

  How about I just do neither? I’ll just stick to being me, October, the girl who wakes up every morning wondering when time will speed the fuck up so I can get out of here and far away from my tortumentors.

  Speak of the devil, and he shall arrive. The door opened the moment I sat down with my bookbag between my legs. I turned to see Jason walking inside, looking pissed off as usual when he saw me in the chair.

  “Ah, Mr. Evans. Thanks for coming. Have a seat.” Mr. Myers gestured to the empty chair next to me, and I didn’t even bother to hide my annoyance.

  If the rest of the guys showed up, I was out of there and didn’t give a damn what anyone said. I couldn’t even breathe without one of them jumping down my throat, goading me to punch their smug faces as they made a laughingstock of me in front of their teammates and friends. I wouldn’t normally care, since being inside my own head with just my thoughts for company was fine, but the constant bullying got to me sometimes.

  The shoves that happened to make me fall to the ground at their feet, the name calling that set my eyes blazing with murder, and the pranks that still made me cringe to this day. I couldn't count the times I’d had trash thrown over my hair, and damnit, I loved my hair. It was especially cruel on their end, because they knew this. I thought what got to me most was knowing that at least one of them went on real, actual dates with the girls who made fun of me just because of how I looked.

  “I’ve called you both in here today to discuss an issue that’s come to my attention. You see, friends grow apart or sometimes blossom into more, but I wanted you two to talk about what happened yesterday afternoon after school. Mr. Evans, you’re supposed to be an outstanding role model for your basketball team, but to get your teammates to attack Miss Hallowell is crossing the line.” Mr. Myers threaded his fingers together and placed his elbows on his desk, raising a brow as he waited for Jason to say something.

  I knew I had nothing to say and was absolutely not willing to talk about or relive the trauma they’d caused me yesterday.

  “What are you talking about?” Jason growled darkly, leaning on the edge of his seat and shooting daggers at my profile, but I didn't bother looking at him.

  “You didn’t know about this? It’s a shame that it’s come to this, but I expect you to get your team into order. Whip them into shape or there will be consequences, possibly ending in someone getting kicked off the court.” Mr. Myers clucked his tongue and slowly shook his head in disappointment.

  It set my teeth on edge, realizing how no one in this damn school cared about anyone hurting inside, just what happened to our sports team.

  “What happened?” Jason’s knuckles were clenching the wood of his chair as he hissed at the counselor.

  “It would seem after school, two of your teammates cornered Miss Hallowell under the bleachers and…well, did some unmentionable things.” He threw me a pitiful look that only had my molars grinding.

  I was about to bolt, my hands shaking, because there was no way Jason and the guys didn’t put Howard and Eddie up to it yesterday. Their cruelty extended beyond the four of them, and I was fed up with it all.

  “What. Did. They. Do?” Jason demanded, and I didn’t understand why he was pretending. He probably set the whole thing up.

  “They duct taped Miss Hallowell to the bleacher poles…in her underwear, and spat some very ugly words at her. I believe something about your parents?” Mr. Myers glanced at me for confirmation, scratching his head, and I had to wonder how the hell he was a counselor when he appeared to have no real concern for his students.

  He was the one to find me taped to the pole in utter humiliation and exposure as he walked out to his car. He didn’t report it to anyone but gave them a slap on the wrist as he ordered them to get me down. So yeah, I was in this idiot’s office waiting for the floor to swallow me up and spit me out so I could finally sleep.

  It was almost scary quiet for a few minutes, and I nearly jumped out of my chair when Jason’s chair squeaked over the linoleum as he turned to me. I didn’t look his way. I couldn’t, unable to take the laughing mocking eyes staring back at me, so I continued looking at the duck picture behind Mr. Myers.

  “What about your parents?” he asked so softly, I almost didn’t hear him. Just to give the sick bastard what he wanted, I told him exactly what Eddie and Howard said. I just wanted Jason to leave me the fuck alone.

  “‘How does it feel not having parents, freak? Don’t you wish you could just die too? Maybe you’ll stop acting like a zombie and just become one.’” I ground my teeth as I repeated it and grabbed the strap of my bag with tears in my eyes.

  Jason didn’t say a word. He literally just got up and left, a flabbergasted Mr. Myers yelling after him. I for sure wasn’t going to stick around if he didn’t have to, so I bolted before Mr. Myers could stop me. It was a waste anyways, and yeah, I cried for a long time, until my makeup ran down my face and my eyes burned. Maybe Eddie and Howard weren’t so far off.

  Who would care if I dropped off the face of the earth besides the aunties and Maddie? No one. Maybe that’s why I dragged my feet like a zombie everyday, with only music to keep me above water. I went to class to class in a daze, not rushing through the hallways once the final bell rang like everyone else, and I didn’t look up from my feet until I stepped outside the front of the school.

  A large crowd was gathered around the flagpole, and when I pushed my way through to get to the buses, I stopped in my tracks with my jaw dropping to the ground.

  Duct taped to the flagpole was Howard and Eddie, completely stripped down to their underwear as students laughed and took pictures. They cursed behind their taped mouths, wiggling to try to get free. I stopped staring at them, scanning the parking lot, and stopped on the cherry red Mustang with four of my ex-best friends leaning on the bumper, small smirks displayed on their faces. My gaze connected with Jason’s for a split second, and I knew he did this… Did he do it for me?

  Pulled out of that memory, I think I knew even then that they loved me and showed me the only way I would allow at the time—through anger. They may not have seen the big picture, but each of them saved my life that day. That was the day I started questioning everything, like why I was still alive.

  They kept me alive by bringing my anger to the surface and letting emotion take over instead of going down the empty road I was heading. For that, I think I loved them even more. Deciding it was time to stop living in the past and look at what was right in front of me, I let all the guilt and resentment go and started really living with my guys.

  “Michael, I gotta get
up.” I reached behind my back, sliding my hands through his hair.

  He grumbled grumply, which I found freaking adorable, and rolled off my ass and onto Norman’s leg, wrapping his arms around it while snuggling into his calf.

  I quickly but quietly slid away from Freddy and out of Jason’s strong hold on my waist. Norman slipped onto his side with his mouth pursed in his sleep the moment I made it to the end of the bed.

  I wished I had a camera to capture this moment in time as I held back a giggle with my hand. Freddy patted his chest, a frown marring his brow when he couldn’t find me in his sleep. That was…until he found a willing victim. He wrapped his arm around Jason’s chest and smiled in his sleep when his new snuggle buddy started slipping his fingers through his hair, thinking it was me instead of his best friend.

  I glanced at the tree branch Jessica slept on but still found it empty. I missed her like crazy and wondered if I could find her somehow without being eaten alive by her family if I went to the Hangry Forest. I didn’t know what it was, but something inside me had been pulling me to reach out to her, just to make sure she was okay. She’d been missing for three days, and her absence was noted by everyone.

  With a heavy sigh, I grabbed the Society cloak from under my bed and slipped it over my shoulders. I’d found it on the doorstep a few days ago and couldn’t help shaking my head at how creepy that was. I mean, they could have rung the doorbell to hand it over. I wasn’t dressed to impress, since I’d just been laying in bed earlier with the guys in charcoal grey tight fitting sweats and a Van Helsing T-shirt that I may have stolen from Freddy, the only shirt from the mortal world he had with him. He didn’t seem to mind, if the gleam in his eye last night was anything to go by. Norman had taken one look at the shirt and rolled his eyes at the famous vampire slayer.

  The cloak material was black and maroon with gold stitching of half moons and stars. It was pretty and completely matched my style. I slipped out the door, looking back one more time and wishing I didn’t have to go to this stupid Society thing. I didn’t tell the guys because they’d been up my ass for the past few weeks about not going anywhere alone. They weren’t invited to attend, and I knew each of them would’ve demanded to watch over me. I needed answers about my parents, and this was my way to figure out who they were once and for all.

  “It’s about time. I thought you were having a orgy in there,” Maddie whispered at my back, making me jump a foot in the air as I spun around with wide eyes. “Oh my god, were you?!” She gripped my shoulders, looking me up and down before sighing in disappointment at my lack of guilt.

  “Let’s just get there and get back before they wake up. I want this over with and behind me,” I muttered quietly as I shut the door and looped my arm through hers. We snuck down the stairs, avoiding all the creaking steps.

  “This is kind of exciting. I feel like we're on a secret special mission and we’re about to discover something important! You look hot, by the way, in a comfy, steal your boyfriend’s clothes kind of way!” she whispered loudly, grimacing at the way her voice echoed in the dark, empty hallway at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Thanks,” I said through a chuckle. “I know, boyfriend material looks good on me.”

  Her face sobered. “Feels kinda sketchy, right?” she asked.

  I met her eyes in the darkness and nodded reluctantly. “I have the same feeling, but it could just be the moons. Tomorrow is the blood moon, like the one when we first got here except it’s an eclipse. That’s got to mean some spooky shit’s about to go down.” I shivered, trying to put the bus crash that seemed like a million years ago in the back of my mind.

  I looked up and down the entryway, seeing that the coast was clear as we made our way to the front door, only to stop when the walls vibrated with a loud knocking sound that had us both jumping.

  “What is that? I swear I hear that noise at least twice a day!” Maddie cocked her head to the side, straining to hear anything at all, but we were only met with silence.

  “Hell if I know. Probably the aunties bubbling up something vile in the cauldron again?” I grumbled dumbly, wanting to get out before another green bubble of slime exploded again. In the back of my mind though, I knew that wasn’t what it was.

  I pulled Maddie along behind me and cracked the front door open with my breath held. I didn’t start breathing until the door was shut behind us and we were walking down the street under the half moons towards the university.

  “You sure this is the right place?” Maddie stared in disbelief at the door that read Broom Closet.

  The moment we entered the basement part of the west wing, we found a note sticking out between the cracks of the brick with a red candle wax stamp that said E.S. As if that wasn’t clue enough, it had my name on it. With an eye roll, I tore it open, and it said in simple words to head into the broom closet with a small star drawn over it and follow the you are here arrows leading the way through a short maze of passages. I didn’t understand why someone couldn’t meet me here, but whatever.

  “Why are my palms sweating?” I asked with a nervous giggle and rubbed my hands down my cloak.

  “Let’s see what’s on the other side, shall we? No worries, Tobs. I’m here, and I’ll stick to the shadows when they sacrifice you to the great pumpkin,” she said with a straight face until she broke out in a maniacal cackle as I punched her arm.

  “Don’t say shit like that, it’s like my worst nightmare right now. I’m totes picturing myself laid out on an altar as some weirdo hums and chants mumbo jumbo around me.”

  I hopped in place, preparing myself to open the door, when Maddie rolled her eyes and just swung the door open before I could stop her.

  “Well, I was expecting something more epic…” Maddie trailed off, staring at the same thing I was in confusion.

  “It’s a freaking broom closet,” I deadpanned. “Like a real one with brooms and shit.” I poked my head inside, flipping on the single light bulb and continued looking around as if it was a practical joke. I swore, if Payton was behind this…

  Handcrafted brooms made of wicker and smooth carved wood lined the walls of the tiny closet, and I stepped inside with Maddie, watching her run her fingertips over the handles with a sly grin.

  “I wonder if I could fly one of these bad boys?” She grabbed the wooden handle of a mahogany broom in the corner of the room. The moment she pulled the handle, the wall beside it shifted with a groan that made me wince at the sound. It opened with a creak and cloud of dust billowing out.

  “Seems like it’s the right place.” I shifted closer to the opening, seeing it was dark, completely covered in shadows and cobwebs, and led down a series of stone steps into a tunnel.

  There was a low, flickering light down there, and I knew I had to go that way, even though my brain told me not to. A cold draft swept up from below, leaving behind what sounded like a long drawn out howl.

  “I’m just going to wait right here. Good luck and don’t get killed.” Maddie pushed on my back with a small pat and gave me a thumbs up when I turned to look back at her like she was crazy, then I stepped past the threshold.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. If I don’t come back in thirty minutes, send backup.” I swallowed thickly and offered a small grin just before blending in with the dark.

  I moved along the stone steps carefully, my hand skimming the wall to help me balance in the darkness, and ignored how wet the walls were under my palm and the smell of mildew heavy in the thick air. I kept my eyes on that small spot of light up ahead, watching it grow bigger and bigger the closer I got.

  My hand was trembling with nerves by the time I got to the bottom of the stairs, having to duck down under low ceilings, and finally saw that the light was a torch with a handle attached to the stone wall. I grabbed the torch off the wall and bumped the ceiling with my head as a noise startled me, the sound of humming emanating from the tunnel straight ahead, with more flickering flames in the distance.

  “You are a moth
erfucking badass, October. Stop being a chicken butt and follow the creepy noise to your destiny…” I muttered in a half-assed attempt to boost my confidence and nodded in complete agreement with myself.

  With a deep breath, I hunched over and most likely headed straight into my own demise, because who in their right mind would traipse into a cult meeting at midnight in a freaking underground tunnel? I swore it was like being in a mummy movie—every noise startled me, and the lights played tricks on my eyes. The flickering flame made it look like shadows were moving in creepy swirls. The noise grew louder the closer I came to the end of the tunnel, and it sounded like multiple humming voices in tune with each other.

  “She’s here, she’s here. The legacy has arrived,” a lone voice whispered as I stepped into the light. “Join us, October Grimm.” I stepped into the opening of a circular room.

  Grimm. My dad’s real last name… A legacy.

  The ceiling was shaped like a dome made of bricks that were covered in moss from aging and crumbling through the years. Columns ran in a circle around the room, each supporting flickering torches and casting a spooky orange glow on the eight figures standing in a circle with hoods drawn over their faces.

  “Elite, elite, elite,” they were chanting in low, humming voices that echoed, bouncing off the walls, until it seemed like hundreds of people were talking at once.

  Then suddenly, they stopped. The abrupt silence was deafening as their hooded faces turned to face me in sync. I couldn’t stop shuffling on my feet, feeling the pressure of their heavy gazes. I could feel them judging me.

  “Um, hey. Hi. What’s up?” I cleared my throat with a nervous chuckle and decided it was a tough crowd when no one said anything. I straightened my legs awkwardly.

  Shit…did I just curtsy? Oh god, I totally did.

  “You’ve been chosen to join the Society. Since the beginning, we have built and structured this university. Carried it on our very backs, on our legacies. We are the creatures born with great power and unbroken bloodlines. Welcome, necromancer.” A hooded figure stepped forward with his arms wide open, laughing lightly as he spun in a slow circle until he was facing me again.