by Penn Cassidy
“So you were super serious about the bat stew thing, weren’t you, Pip?” Maddie held her nose between her fingers. Her face was screwed up into a look of revulsion as she stared at the still bubbling cauldron.
“Bat chowder,” Auntie corrected with a cheeky wink, not really answering the question.
Norman looked a bit green around the gills, his eyes locked onto that cauldron before shivering. The bat was still snuggled against his neck, and I wondered if Norman forgot it was even there. Our eyes met and I tried to give him an encouraging smile, but he immediately scowled at me, jaw clenching so tight, I thought his fangs might snap in half.
Fangs. Holy shit balls… Norman had fangs. I wasn’t going to get used to that, even though the look was kind of hot on him, the bastard.
“Okay, now that’s all settled, let’s get Fe down here to help explain. It’s a doozy…” Auntie Pip clapped her hands together in barely contained excitement before lifting a steaming teacup to her grinning crimson lips. She blew on it, then sipped with a loud slurp that filled that awkward silence.
I couldn’t understand why she was acting like this was all completely normal. She looked utterly thrilled, actually. Norman was currently staring at my neck from across the table like it was the juiciest steak he’d ever seen. He was in for a rude awakening if he thought I was about to give him a snack. He kept licking his plump lips every few seconds as he squirmed in his seat. It didn’t help that I was intentionally flicking my hair every few moments to the other side of my shoulder…just to torture him. He deserved it.
“Knock it off, clown freak. I can see what you're doing,” Freddy whispered into my ear, leaning over from the chair to my left. His voice was tight, but he paused mid sentence and leaned even farther into my space, inhaling deeply. “Did you change your perfume, Redrum? Smells like…crisp apples mixed with…nutmeg?” He was practically on top of me, his nose buried in the small space between my neck and shoulder.
I shuffled in my seat, hating and also loving the way his nose skimmed my sensitive skin back and forth and the way his hot breath heated that one spot that caused me to shiver every time. Memories threatened again, but I shook them away. No way was I going there.
“Are you seriously sniffing her? Dude, what’s your problem?” Michael choked out, his eyes wide on Freddy. “And stop calling her a clown.” He reached over to grab the back of Freddy’s T-shirt and dragged him away from me, even though Freddy fought to get a few more sniffs in.
What the shit is going on?!
At least Michael had come to his senses and was standing up for me. Maybe soon I’d just be regular old October again.
“Come up with something more creative,” Michael said. “We don’t want to set our boy off again.” He nodded at Jason, who in return flipped him off without bothering to look. He was still watching Freddy struggle not to sniff me.
And there went my dreams down the drain again, any hope that they gave a shit quickly vanishing.
The sound of clicking heels had us all turning in our seats, facing the open doorway that led into a dark hallway. The noise of her heels on the wood floors clashed with a sudden crash of thunder from outside. Lightning illuminated the dim room, exposing shadows that cast eerie shapes over the boiling cauldron. A figure appeared in the doorway, nothing more than a dark shadow, until her milky white skin flashed in the light of another lightning strike. Dramatic…but wicked.
“Fe, for pumpkin’s sake, stop frightening our guests. It’s not even midnight yet. Save it for the witching hour.” Pip cackled, the sound causing me to cringe.
Auntie Pip sighed as she took a seat and proceeded to snag a cookie off the tea tray. I couldn’t help but hold my breath, wondering whether or not her death would be the result of her own baking skills. She’d likely poison herself. But it must have not been too bad because she lived, munching on the cookie with a wink thrown my way.
Michael watched her closely, his eyes shifting back and forth from her to the tray, before he grabbed one for himself. He glanced around nervously when he realized my creepy auntie wasn’t the center of attention anymore. We all watched him slowly bring the baked good to his mouth, cringing on his behalf. I wanted to smack the cookie out of his hand.
“Don’t die,” Freddy half joked under his breath, but his brows were scrunched together in concern as he worried his bottom lip.
Michael chewed slowly, then a loud crunch echoed around the room. He paled and coughed as he reached up and pulled a piece of bone from his mouth. He swayed in his seat, tossing the bone on the table with a clatter. I hid a chuckle behind my other hand as he grinned weakly at Auntie Pip so her feelings wouldn’t get hurt.
“Ah, that’s where that little bugger went. A nice touch though, adds that healthy, crunchy texture.” Pip beamed proudly and ate another cookie without missing a beat. Michael just nodded eagerly, fighting a cringe before bringing his napkin up to his face to spit the rest of the cookie out of his mouth.
Auntie Fe sighed from the doorway, shaking her head while making a clicking noise with her tongue. Dramatic entrance forgotten entirely, she walked over to the cauldron to give the bubbling whatever it was a stir.
She stared at a still cooling rack of cookies next to the pot and tsked. “Sister, stop trying to kill the guests. You’re not exactly a ghoul scout,” Fe said with a dark chuckle.
She smoothed her hand down her completely black, silk power suit that had silver designs depicting double crescent moons around the collar and cuffs. She patted her red hair to make sure it was still in a perfect bun.
She did all of this while lifting something out of the cauldron, blocking my view as she faced away from us. She tsked again under her breath and turned back around to face her suspicious audience.
“I swear on the Holy Bible and Jesus himself, if there's a floating eyeball in there, I’m out.” Maddie made a peace sign and grimaced through a shudder. I didn’t blame her as I too stared suspiciously at the cauldron. I didn’t even know we owned a cauldron.
I wasn’t sure how much more of this ridiculous nonsense we could handle. It still felt like reality couldn’t quite catch up to us, holding us hostage, frozen in time.
“Pish posh, it’s—” Pip started with a flick of her wrist, like we were the crazy ones.
“Laundry day!” Fe finished for her, and sat down beside her sister with a steaming cup of tea that absolutely wasn’t there seconds ago.
I heard Freddy mumble, “I thought it was bat chowder…”
“Aunties, I think it’s time you told us what’s going on. Talking spiders, fangs, magic, killer clowns, and coming back from the dea…” I trailed off, feeling Jason’s burning stare on my skin. It was the first time he’d looked at me since entering this house tonight.
“The dead?” my aunties both said at the same time, causing everyone to visibly shiver, as if some phantom breeze wafted through the room. Even Jessica shivered.
There was no way, just no fucking way this was really happening. Magic wasn’t supposed to be real. Spiders couldn’t talk, and the dead stayed dead.
“No! That was a dream! Nobody really died!” My voice sounded hollow, even to my own ears. I detected the lie the second it was out of my mouth.
That was when I realized that the next thing to come out of my aunties' mouths would change everything. My life was never going to be the same after this. None of ours would ever be the same. I almost didn’t want to talk anymore. My breathing picked up as everyone stared at me with varying levels of pity and anger. So much anger, in fact, that it was nearly suffocating. But I didn’t fucking care. Whatever I did, I hadn’t meant to do it! But I’d do it again in a heartbeat, instead of seeing their vacant stares.
“I'm so sorry, dear,” Pip said softly, placing a gentle hand over mine. “We begged your parents to tell you a long time ago, but they wouldn’t listen.”
“Tell me what?” I wasn’t even sure I wanted to know anymore. With the way she was looking at me, I knew it was about
to get weird.
Fe sighed, setting her mug of tea down with a smack as she blurted, “Oh for pumpkin’s sake, you’re a necromancer, October. On your father’s side, of course. David should have prepared you for this, honestly…”
“I’m a what?!” My jaw dropped, ready for the screaming to start.
“Yer a wizard, Toby,” Maddie murmured, but Auntie Pip shoved her with an elbow. Maddie gave me an apologetic smirk that wasn’t very apologetic.
“What the hell is a neck romancer? You suckin’ on necks, goth girl? Don’t worry, you can practice on me.” Freddy tilted his head to the side, exposing his throat.
In a heartbeat, Norman was leaning in, his fangs suddenly extending as an accidental hiss slipped past his lips.
“Pretty sure the only one sucking necks is your brother,” Maddie quipped as Norman took a deep breath and wet his bloodless lips, staring at Freddy’s racing pulse.
“W-What!” Freddy stuttered, drawing back from his twin in horror and slapping a palm over his neck.
“What?” Norman shrugged, slumping back in his seat before meeting my eyes while he worried his one fang into his bottom lip. “You smell like a wet dog anyway.”
I knew he was talking about Freddy, but I felt like that insult was for me, if the slight uptilt to his wicked lips was any indication. I sneered back. Besides, I didn’t think Freddy smelled bad at all. In fact, he smelled rather fresh for a man who was dead a little over two hours ago.
What the fuck am I saying? None of this is okay!
Jason banged his closed fist on the table, making the china rattle as he pointed an accusing finger at my face, but he was staring right at my aunties when he asked the question I was too afraid to ask.
“This is her fault, isn’t it? She turned us into freaks just like her,” His eyes met mine, and I shrank away from the venom in them. For a moment, I could have sworn his eyes flashed bright yellow, just like they had before, out on the road. “What the hell did you do to us?” he hissed. His voice even sounded slightly deeper for a second.
“I wouldn’t—I never… Oh god, what have I done?!” I stared down at my palms, remembering the way I’d touched each of their faces while that green lightning ripped through the sky. Unlike my friends, I’d heard the term necromancer. I was a sci-fi and fantasy junkie. I knew what it was, but there was no way…
“There’s no reason to get your panties in a twist,” Fe tried to assure me, also looking at the guys pointedly. She settled her gaze on Norman. “You died on Halloween, and if I were to take a wild guess, I’d say it was nearly the stroke of midnight.”
She was right. It had been nearly midnight after we left the carnival. Again, my mind flashed back to Frank and his warning. Was this what he saw? It had to be.
“I don't get it,” I whispered to Fe. “Why are we here then? How did we get to this…I don’t even know what to call it. It’s Sunset Hollow, but it’s not. And why is Norman turning into a vampire?” I eyed his fangs again.
“You belong to this world now, whether you like it or not,” Fe said to the whole group. “October was born here, so it only makes sense she’d return one day. We just didn’t expect her to bring a posse along with her.”
She looked at me, her expression incredibly sad all of a sudden. “Pumpkin, your father was the very last necromancer known around here. The last of the Grimm necromancers. We’re the Hallowell witches, your mother made three. Your parents married, hoping to one day produce another necromancer to carry on the line of power.”
My eyes filled with tears. All this new information about my straight-laced parents was enough to make my head spin. My mother…was a witch? It was laughable. Last time I checked, witches didn’t wear khaki slacks and Crocs.
“Fair warning, you’re very powerful, if tonight’s events have anything to say about it. You need to step carefully in this dimension, because it mirrors the mortal world exactly. It might look like home, but creatures beyond your wildest imagination live here as equals.” Fe’s warning vibrated through my bones, leaving a chill behind.
“The clowns?” Jason asked, his voice raspy and unsure. Again, it was jarring to see this big, tough dude so afraid.
Fe nodded, slurping her tea again. “They won't harm you unless provoked. Usually. They just like to have a bit of fun with the newbies sometimes. You might have noticed how quiet it is around here tonight. Halloween is the one night of the year when creatures can cross to the mortal world, so we’re a little empty until the witching hour strikes. You all need to learn how to navigate this place, or it’ll gobble you up in no time.”
“So…what you’re saying is we’re in another world right now? Are we not on Earth?” Maddie asked with wide eyes. To my own ears, it sounded like nonsense, but we couldn’t argue what we were seeing with our own eyes.
“Another dimension,” Pip corrected, holding up a finger like a school teacher. “It’s still the same physical space, only a different dimensional plane.”
Maddie still looked confused, so I asked, “Does it always look like Halloween just threw up on the entire town?”
Both aunties laughed, and Fe said, “Halloween is a mortal celebration. Sometimes, creatures slip dimensions on accident and find themselves stranded in that world. The mortals call them demons and monsters, and decided to make a holiday about it. It’s a good laugh in this dimension, but I dare say our culture was capitalized on quite a bit. ”
She suddenly turned her attention to Jason as he started to open his mouth. “Just be thankful October brought you all back. Not to mention whole instead of in pieces.” Jason shut his mouth fast, but still glared at me with his thick arms crossed over his chest as he reclined in his chair.
“You still haven’t told me why I’m turning into a vampire,” said Norman. He was stroking the head of the little bat sitting on his shoulder almost absentmindedly.
“One thing you need to understand is that each and every one of you died tonight,” Fe deadpanned, letting it all sink in for a moment. “You died, and October’s powers kicked in to save her life, and in turn, yours. But when she brought you back, she used the life force of the world she was born in. You belong here now, and you’ll never be mortal again. In a sense, you are tied to October.”
It was silent for a moment before Michael asked, “So we’re all going to turn into vamps?” He fingered his newly silver hair with worry clear in his voice.
The aunties laughed again, more like a cackle. “Oh, great pumpkin, no.” We all breathed a sigh of relief, but it might have been too soon because she added, “There’s no telling what you might turn out to be. We’ll just have to wait and find out. It’s only a matter of time before your true, lovely creature shines through.”
The guys took turns glaring at me, while Maddie just stared off into space. All of this was my fault. I’d turned them into monsters…
“And my spider?” I asked.
“Arachnid!” Jessica shouted, scrambling out of my hair.
“Sorry,” I muttered, looking back to the aunties. “Why do I have a witch’s familiar if I’m a necromancer like my dad?” I was confused. Was it because my mom was a witch?
“All powerful creatures have familiars, pumpkin,” Pip said with a small smile. “Sometimes, a body contains too much magic and needs a source to hold some of it. Yours is a spider, and it looks like Norman here might have found his own little batty buddy, Billie.” She gestured to the bat as she frowned into her tea cup. It was almost empty.
Norman’s eyes went wide as the bat continued to nuzzle his neck. I fought a smile, because now wasn’t the time. But it was really damn cute watching him fight the urge to snuggle back.
“So we might all get one?” Maddie asked. I could see the wheels turning in her brain already. Maddie was a sucker for cute animals. With her luck, she’d end up with a freaking panda.
Pip shook her head. “Not necessarily. For example, Fe and I do not possess a familiar because our power as sisters is balanced.” Her eyes fli
ckered to mine sadly. My mother had been the third, and now she was gone.
We went quiet, everyone pondering their own individual situations. I could see everyone struggling with what to do and how to react to the news that we could never go home again.
“I have just the solution,” Pip announced, clapping her hands together. “The six of you were just starting university, so we’ll sign you up for some courses here at Midnight U, that way you can acclimate to this world and learn a little something about the creatures here.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jason spat angrily. “I don’t want to acclimate. I don’t want to go to some freaky creature university. We have basketball scholarships to think about. I just want to go back to our world and forget this ever happened.” The others murmured their agreements.
“That’s tough luck, then,” Auntie Pip said, finishing the last slurp of her tea and standing up from her chair. “You belong here now. You left the mortal world behind when you died, and I’m sorry if that’s upsetting, but if you don’t learn to live amongst us, then we cannot protect you. Hallowell witches are powerful, but we cannot perform miracles. It’s a trick or treat world out there, and I’d rather see you treated not tricked.” She winked.
Pip stood up as well. “We’ll give you a week to settle in, but make no mistake, this is permanent. And don’t go blaming my niece. She saved your sorry lives, and for that, you should be on your knees thanking her.” She tossed me a proud, loving smile, but I felt sick to my stomach.
I stood then as all eyes turned to me. I couldn’t take it anymore. It was all too much. I felt dizzy and nauseous and like I could sleep for a month. Needing to get out of the room, I pushed back my chair and fumbled to get to the other side of the table, but in less than a second, my vision swam.
I heard Fe shout, “Take it easy! You expended a lot of power after you died, try not to—”