by Jeff O'Brien
Her hand clutched Kendall’s, and remained there until they were back in her car.
“I really hope we find a breakfast joint soon,” said Candy as she pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road. She needed desperately to find the security she’d been feeling since last night – to forget that she was hiding again, and what she was hiding from.
“Same.” Kendall laughed. “Certainly worked up quite an appetite last night.”
“No shit.” Candy allowed herself to laugh, and was damn happy Kendall had brought up last night. “Four times, stud. Are you always such a marathon man?”
“I don’t know. To be perfectly honest, it’s been a while. I guess you could say I was well rested.”
“Well, I do believe your break is over, boy,” said Candy, forced seduction lacing her words. “Even if you want to go to that party tonight, that gives us several hours to fuck each other’s brains out today.”
“It’s kind of amazing how on the same day I lose my job and my car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, there’s a silver lining that outshines all of that. So much so, even, that I completely forgot about my car until just now.”
“You want me to swing by the garage again before we eat?” asked Candy.
“Fuck it,” replied Kendall. “I’m fucking starving. Let’s eat. It’ll still be there in an hour, if it’s even there at all.”
Candy turned the stereo on, cranked up the death metal, and sped off down the winding, two-lane road.
The diner was charming, in its own way. As Candy and Kendall walked in, they both felt that there was something in the air – something that at first they could not place, and something that lent itself to another time in history.
The clientele was made up mostly of trucker hats and flannel shirts with buttons stretched across bellies. Most of the women had heads full of Aqua Net and judgmental looks scrawled across their faces when they saw the outsiders walk in. The staff didn’t look like they’d be much more friendly. But, neither of the two newcomers had expected the people of Hollows Point to react to them any differently.
“Sit anywhere you’d like,” said a bored, middle-aged woman at the front counter. She had a pair of costume cat ears on her head, which Candy and Kendall imagined was about as spooky of a Halloween costume as they’d be seeing in this place. Their focus was on another accessory – one hanging from the maître d’s mouth. The elusive anomaly they’d detected when they walked in was so obvious it didn’t register at first.
“You can smoke in here?” said Kendall as he and Candy started toward an open table by the window. “I knew something seemed off about this place right when we walked in.”
“Did we just walk into a time machine?” added Candy. “Between the smoking and the amount of hair spray in this place I guess neither the Board of Health nor OSHA care much about what goes on in Hollows Point. This could be one hell of a fire hazard.”
They looked around and saw ashtrays on every table, and multiple patrons enjoying cigarettes.
“Well shit,” said Kendall, as they each took a seat at a booth by the front windows. “Let’s light up.”
After a few minutes, a waitress approached their table. Both Candy and Kendall were stunned to see someone like them, one of their people, working here in Hollows Point. An actual goth chick, heavily tattooed, mixed in among the church moms and the NRA advocates? And a young, extremely attractive one, at that.
“Hi, I’m Autumn. I’ll be your server.”
“Nice dress,” said Candy, honestly taken by the tight, short-cut dress that looked like traditional 1950s diner server wear, but mixed with gothy fashion sensibility. Autumn’s hair was also jet black, as was her lipstick and eye shadow.
“Thank you!” sang the waitress. “It’s the one day of the year they actually let me dress like me. So it’s technically a costume as far as work is concerned, but it’s actually the real me. Anyways, what can I get you two?”
“Breakfast special number one,” said Candy. “And coffee. Black.”
“Same for me,” said Kendall. “Extra side of bacon. Soft and fatty. Not crispy, please.”
“That’ll be up in a just a few, and I’ll be right back with some coffee.” Autumn scurried off, showing a fine rear form that was appreciated by both her new patrons.
“She’s a sight for sore eyes,” said Kendall.
“Trying to make me jealous?” laughed Candy.
“No-no. I just mean it’s refreshing to see someone who looks like they might possibly worship Satan and listen to Deicide. You know, someone like you and me.”
“Oh, I see. I thought maybe you were talking about her rather incredible ass.”
“What, are we a couple or something now?” Kendall laughed, unsure of whether or not he really wanted her to answer that question. “Good eye, though. She sure does have one hell of a posterior. Nothing close to yours, though. Don’t worry. Nothing to get jealous about.”
“Oh, be quiet, Kendall. You know I’m kidding. I’d be on that ass faster than you.”
“We could share, maybe?”
“Oh, we definitely could.”
“All joking aside, I didn’t think the end result of this shit storm of an ill-fated road trip would be me meeting the girl of my dr-”
“Here’s your coffee,” said Autumn, startling them from momentarily being lost in each other’s eyes.
“Say, Autumn,” began Kendall, “you don’t by any chance know of some big Halloween party that’s happening around here tonight?”
“Oh, Blood Orgy in the Woods,” said Autumn. “Are you two in town for that?”
“Not exactly,” laughed Candy. “But we just found out about it this morning.”
Autumn cocked her head to the side, looking confused. “Who told you two about it?”
“There was a flyer for it on our motel room door,” added Kendall.
“That’s odd.” Autumn put the cups down on the table and poured. “I’ve never seen it advertised before. So are you two going?”
“We don’t have much else to do since my car is broken down and in the shop.” Kendall took a quick sip of his coffee, savoring the caffeine as it entered his system. “Ooh, that’s good coffee. Anyhow, do you know how to get there?”
“Well…it’s at a house in the middle of the woods,” said Autumn. “It’s not exactly easy to give directions to it since it’s not on any official town road. It’s just this house that seems to pop up out of nowhere all of sudden. Most locals all know where it is. And even fewer, many many fewer, know about Blood Orgy.”
“Is it anywhere near the Hollows Point Motel?” asked Candy.
“Yeah, actually. Is that where you two are staying?”
“Yup,” said Kendall.
“Classy joint,” added Candy.
“Did you two happen to meet Curtis the night manager?”
“Ugh,” groaned Candy. “We did.”
“Yeah, he’s a real creep and a scumbag. Keep a distance from him, especially you.” Autumn was looking at Candy.
“That certainly won’t be an issue,” said Candy.
“Anyways, though, about half a mile down from the motel, heading out of town toward the interstate, there’s a path, a sort of clearing in the woods right on the side of the road. Sounds vague, but it’s the only path to be found from Hollows Point Road, so you kind of can’t miss it.”
“So when we find a path about half a mile down from the motel, we can assume we’re on the right path,” said Candy.
“That’s right,” replied Autumn with a friendly nod.
“Sounds like this is some kind of secret members-only party,” said Kendall.
“Sort of,” laughed Autumn. “There aren’t many of us around here, if you know what I mean. The organizers want to keep the faux hillbillies and the college kids out. If the church community got wind of it they’d probably be outside with picket signs, too. Gotta keep it as much of a goth-metalhead-only kind of affair as possible, which is why I’m super
surprised that you two had a flyer for it put on your door.”
“So, Blood Orgy,” laughed Kendall. “Is that an exaggeration?”
“What do you mean?” Autumn gave Kendall an inquisitive look. “You’re not a prude, are you?”
“No, no. Not at all. Well maybe, if I don’t want to get cut up.”
“Relax,” laughed Autumn. “It’s a good time. I promise. You won’t get cut up. Unless, of course, you want to.”
“Well, it certainly sounds like a good time to me,” said Candy, snickering.
“It has been for a long time,” said Autumn. “Hell, I’ve been going every year for the last five years. Once you go, it’s pretty damn hard to stay away. But, I better go check on your food. Be right back.”
Once again, both Candy and Kendall admired Autumn’s form as she sauntered off.
“It sounds to me like she’s saying that to get to this party we have to walk through right where we had that little experience last night,” said Candy, her voice slightly quavering.
“Yeah, if it’s on a path about a half a mile from the motel, and it’s the only path on that road, it’d have to be the same spot.”
“I don’t remember seeing any house though.”
“Me neither. But, then again, we got pretty distracted by, you know, that thing we saw.”
“Still want to go?” asked Candy.
“I can’t see any reason not to, unless you wanna stay in bed again all night.” Kendall blushed, slightly embarrassed he’d spoken so openly.
“Aww, are you blushing, Kendall?”
“Maybe a little.”
“Hun.” Candy leaned over the table and whispered close to Kendall’s face. “You fucked me four times last night, and once was in the ass. We’re past the point of blushing.”
“Fair enough, Candy. Fair enough.”
“Say, did Autumn say what time she’s going to arrive there tonight?” asked Candy. “It’d be nice to have someone we know to talk to when we get there.”
“Yeah, I’ve never been a big fan of being a floater at parties. Or parties at all for that matter. But this one tonight seems different. We can ask her when she comes back.”
The two enjoyed their coffee in comfortable silence for a few moments that dragged on a bit too long when they realized their food was taking its sweet time getting to their table.
Another waitress, an older woman who looked more typical of Hollows Point, finally arrived with their plates a few minutes later.
“Is Autumn still here?” asked Candy.
“Sure is,” replied the grumpy waitress. “Got about two months left on the calendar like every other year.”
“No, no,” laughed Candy. “I mean Autumn who works here. Young girl. Black hair. Tattoos.”
“The only girl fitting that description I’ve seen here today is you. Been working here fifteen years and I’ve never met an Autumn.”
“Okay then,” groaned Candy.
“Anything else I can get you two?” asked the waitress.
“Nope,” said Candy. “I guess we’re all set for now.”
After a surprisingly good late breakfast, perhaps the only good non-sexual experience they had since arriving, Candy and Kendall pulled into the lot of the auto shop. It looked no different than it had the night before. No one was there, and there was no sign of Kendall’s car.
Kendall got out and walked over to the the service bay, which was still closed. He peered in through the glass, surprised to find that his car was actually on the other side. No mechanics or even people at all were anywhere to be found, though.
“Car’s in there,” he called out to Candy, “I’m gonna take a walk around the building to see if I can find an actual human being.”
Candy balled her hands and grimaced as Kendall disappeared around the corner, feeling alone and vulnerable again. Without Kendall by her side, she was afraid he would vanish into thin air and leave her to hide from Rhino all by herself.
Luckily, Kendall came back from around the other side of the building in under a minute and was back in her car.
“Not a single human being in sight,” he groaned. “Maybe Curtis is working the desk back at the motel and might be able to help. He did give some inclination last night that he knew those guys from the garage.”
“Yeah, he referred to them as his boys,” groaned Candy. “Can’t wait to see him again.”
“He sure was a charming fellow,” Kendall mock agreed. “Seems harmless though. Just creepy as fuck. He won’t be able to make a single untoward gesture to you without answering to me.”
“Aww. At least I have a big, strong dork to protect me.”
Kendall blushed again and looked away.
After a quick drive back to the motel, Kendall and Candy found the same girl from earlier working the desk.
“Hello again,” she said. “What can I do for you folks?”
“Hello again, Laura,” said Kendall. “Any chance Curtis is around? The guy who was working here last night?”
“Oh.” Laura paused momentarily. “He’s not in today. Called out sick. Anything I can help with?”
“Well, last night my car got towed to that garage next door. Only it doesn’t look like anyone’s working there today. I guess Curtis knows the guys who work there or something. Thought maybe he could help me out. I’d call the number on the door of the shop, but doesn’t seem like I’d reach anyone.”
“I’ll see if I can get in touch with Curtis and I’ll give you a call when and if I do. You left your cell number when you checked in, right?”
“Sure did. Thanks.”
Kendall and Candy left the office and headed for the stairway to the upper level.
“What do you want do for the next few hours?” asked Candy, grabbing hold of Kendall’s hand and giving it a good affectionate squeeze.
Kendall and Candy did little else beyond fucking and smoking cigarettes for the next six hours.
11
It was officially Halloween Night, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Not cold, just the right combination of cool and crisp that perfectly complimented the dying orange and brown forestry that lined Hollows Point Road.
Candy and Kendall enjoyed the nice half-mile walk down the road, feeling kind of romantic after almost an entire day of careless, unprotected sex. Last night Kendall wandered this road a lost and hopeless man. Now he wandered back the other way, a new man with a beautiful woman by his side.
Their costumes, which the flyer said were mandatory, consisted of their blackest clothing and a simple application of white and black makeup in the fashion of classic corpse paint of black metal fame. On top of being a great fuck, a perfect ten, and the potential perfect mate, Candy was pretty adept in the art of applying corpse paint, which made Kendall only more smitten.
Standing at the mouth of the same path they were sure they’d been at last night, they headed onward by the light of their cellphones.
“This is definitely the same path,” said Kendall. “I know it’s been dark both times we’ve been here, but this definitely at least feels the same.”
“Are you sure you don’t remember seeing a house anywhere around here last night?” asked Candy.
“Can’t say that I do. But we didn’t head too far in. We saw…what we saw…in a clearing just past the pond on the other side of that hill up ahead. And like I said earlier, with a show like that going on, there could have been a hundred houses there and I might not have noticed even one.”
“Well, then, let’s try not to think too much about that and enjoy a hopefully more normal spooky stroll on Halloween night.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Remaining calm, they communicated their unease with squeezes of each other’s hands while they walked on. The mood was lightened by Candy’s laughter when Kendall, for the second night in a row, grew tired and winded as they ascended the incline of the small hill.
“Come on, you old stallion,” giggled Candy. “You can do it
.”
“I don’t dan-”
“You don’t dance for a living. You used that excuse last night. You need to come up with some new material, lover boy.”
“Right there, you just said it. How many times did we do it today? You don’t know how much it takes out of a guy!”
“I’ll actually buy that excuse.” Candy playfully butt-checked Kendall and gave his hand another squeeze. “I have zero complaints about your performance.”
“Likewise,” groaned Kendall as they descended the other side of the hill. “Stop for a smoke when we get to the bottom?”
“Yeah, that’s gonna help your stamina.”
They reached the bottom of the hill just moments later and turned left at the pond. Both stopped in their tracks, stunned by what they saw off in the distance. Just beyond the water, on the the other side of the brush that surrounded the clearing, there stood a house. Its dimly lit windows shined through the openings in the brush, revealing classic gothic architecture.
“No fucking way,” gasped Kendall.
“That…definitely was not there last night,” added Candy. “That’s right where we saw that girl go…and do that thing she did.”
“No,” said Kendall flatly. “Let’s not let our sick imaginations get the best of us. We just don’t remember the layout of these woods as well as we’d like to think. It’s not as dark right now as it was last night. We could have gone a different way, or taken a different turn, or just anything different because houses definitely don’t get built that fast. And that thing looks like the fucking Munster house.”
“And how do you explain five naked women suddenly disappearing before our very eyes.”
“They were kinda far away, and it was very dark.” Kendall paused, clearly concocting rational explanations. “I certainly can’t come up with a good reason for them doing what they were doing, but they probably just walked away into the woods. All an optical illusion or something.”
“I’m not sure I agree,” began Candy, “but for the sake of my sanity I’m just gonna go along with what you’re saying. Anyways, the good news is, it looks like we found the party.”
