by Penn Cassidy
“What is going on?” Freddy asked at my back as he came up behind me, suddenly very out of breath.
“What’s with all the noise?” his twin asked on the other side of me as he stared at last door on the right of the hall.
Norman didn’t look so good. His lips were tinted a pale, almost colorless blue, and his skin was ghostly white. His gaze wasn’t on the door anymore like Freddy, but instead, it was aimed right at the pulse in my neck, pumping fast and frantic after racing up the stairs.
Jason shoved us aside, breaking Norman's intense concentration on my pulse. He gulped roughly and went to stand behind us. Jason paused at the door, placing his left ear against it, but nothing came from the other side as we gathered at his back. He glanced over his shoulder in annoyance, but that only caused me to move closer, because we had to know what was going on inside the room.
“Let’s just open the damn door already!” Freddy demanded as he snagged my hand and squeezed it, just as Jason slowly twisted the doorknob and sent the door flying open with a bang.
My mouth dropped open the moment I spotted Michael. His franic, horrified eyes swung our way, and he started shouting as he pointed at the foot of his bed. “Don’t just stand there! Kill the fucking zombie snake!” He had a lamp in his hands, which he used to swing at the snake trying to slither its way up the bedpost.
I honestly didn’t know where to look first—how the ceiling of his room appeared to be wide open to the night sky, a shooting star moving across the expanse, how the air crackled with static electricity that made my hair stand on end, or how Michael’s veins were turning black the way they had back on the bus. The ink-like substance crawled up his arms, up his neck, and down to his six pack that I couldn’t stop glancing at. I mean come on, who wouldn’t wouldn’t stare at that?
Focus, October!
I realized belatedly how quiet it was and glanced up from Michael’s abs, slowly realizing everyone was glaring at me. Except for Michael. He wore a satisfied, cocky smirk for about a half a second, until his attention was once again on the decaying black python at his feet. Its tiny bones peaked through its shedding snake skin, and its red beady eyes were staring up at him with...dare I say, love? Affection?
“Don’t move, man. Let’s just figure this out,” Jason said. “What’s the deal with this place?” Jason ran a hand through his mocha hair as he glanced around the room until he met my eyes. “And why do I get the feeling this is your fault?”
“My fault?!” I screeched, but was interrupted by Jessica, who skittered into the room and took a flying leap onto my shoulder.
“Holy pumpkin, people! Can’t an arachnid get some decent shut eye around here?!” She perched on my shoulder and faced Michael. “You’d think you’d be able to recognize your familiar when you see him. Honestly, what did Alfred ever do to you?”
I snorted and covered it up when the guys shot me a glare, but I could have sworn Norman looked a little smug. I noticed belatedly that he still had the little bat on his shoulder.
“Leave Billie out of this,” Norman hissed, inching away from me as he noticed me staring.
“Billie?” I asked in disbelief. “You named him?”
Norman rolled his eyes. “Jessica told me his name was Billie,” he said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Kind of rude not to use it, right?”
“I mean…” I shuffled on my feet under his intense stare.
“Guys!” Michael shouted. “I don’t want a fucking familiar! Get this thing out of my room right now!” Alfred slithered over the mattress, and Michael had no more room to back up. He was plastered against the wall now. “Holy shit, holy shit!”
“Stop being a baby,” Jessica drawled. “You’re going to feel really stupid about this later.”
Alfred didn’t hesitate. The snake slithered right up Michael’s leg, twisting upwards until he wrapped around his torso. Michael froze completely, his bright blue eyes going wide. Before any of us could do a thing, the snake reared back and sunk its fangs into Michael’s flesh, and he cried out in shock at the pain. “Fuck! Get it off!”
“Just give it a second,” Jessica said with a laugh. Apparently, she found all of this incredibly amusing. Honestly, I kind of did too. It was sort of nice seeing my tormentors out of their element for once.
“What the hell is it doing?” Freddy asked, taking a hesitant step forward. “Michael, you okay, man?”
Michael’s eyes had gone completely black, and his whole body seemed to be calming down as the snake began to…absorb into his skin. I blinked a couple of times, shaking my head. The snake faded like smoke, leaving behind what appeared to be a tattoo type mark that wound around Michael’s entire torso. Michael glanced down, his shoulders losing all of their tension. I watched in disbelief as his lips tilted upwards.
A black flame flickered over his fingertips as his fingers morphed into sharp claws. We stared in disbelief, and I stumbled, tripping over my feet and into a hard chest. A pair of strong arms wrapped around my waist, catching my fall. I was too wrapped up in Michael to realize what was happening.
Freddy’s grip on my waist tightened as he seemed to force me back a step, as if protecting me from one of his best friends. Freddy’s muscles bunched, and something poked me in the side, causing me to yelp, but Freddy only shoved me towards his brother. Norman caught me and pulled me so close, I could feel him sniffing my neck. My pulse raced for many, many reasons.
“Bro, you good?” Jason asked hesitantly, stepping into the room.
Michael’s head popped up, the black beginning to recede from his eyes and disappear from his hands and arms. “I’m good. Alfred won’t hurt me, we have a mutual understanding. Jessica was right…”
“Of course I was,” she sniffed. “I told you I’d be your official tour guide, but did you listen? Nope!”
There was a hiss, right before a massive cloud of white filled the room, covering Michael in foam. It was only then that he finally snapped out of his trance and backed into the wall, sinking down and sitting in a daze on top of his mattress. That snake tattoo was still there, but the claws and fire were gone.
“Goodie, you kids are up!” Pip said, holding a fire extinguisher on her hip as the foam began to dissipate. I stared at the red canister in disbelief. Where the hell did that even come from? Pip continued before I could ask. “Chop, chop, lazy bones. It’s time to head into town.”
“What the hell for?” Norman grumbled, staring at my neck with a hungry look in his eyes.
At the same time, I asked, “How come?” I cut him a glare, pulling away slightly.
“Places to be, creatures to see,” Pip singsonged, clapping her hands to get us to move. “We said we’d give you a week to figure everything out, but that doesn't mean we should let ourselves become idle, now does it? Besides, you need supplies if you’re going to be staying here forever.”
My stomach dropped, but in the next heartbeat, I felt a cold breath on the skin of my neck.
“Dude, again?” Freddy grumbled, glaring at his brother, who still had a hold of my waist. “Stop sniffing her, or you’ll catch some kind of freaky disease.”
I jerked away from Norman, who was indeed sniffing my neck. “Both of you stay the hell away from me!” I spat, shaking out my hair and shivering. “Seriously, I’m going to start rubbing myself in garlic.”
“Morning, guys.” Maddie peeked around the corner, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “What did I miss?”
I went to her immediately, latching onto her like a lifeline. With a narrow eyed glare tossed over my shoulder at the four hulking assholes staring at my back, I whispered, “Trust me, you don’t want to fucking know.”
“Do try and keep up, because quite frankly, you might never be found otherwise,” Auntie Fe announced ominously, her colorful robe swooshing around her ankles as she led us into town. “And if someone hands you a flyer for the Golem Grove Café or the Hangry Forest, best to avoid them.”
We walked into town as a group,
my aunties leading the charge. Apparently, it was time to tour the town and pick up a few things. I thought we were all a bit skeptical, as the last time we’d visited town, it didn't go so well for us. Flashes of clowns and men standing under gas pumps filled my head. Yesterday had been quite literally a perfect cocktail of every nightmare I’d ever had. It was perpetually night in this place too, which didn’t help. I felt myself jumping at every movement in the shadows. It was disorienting, and I didn’t quite understand how it all worked.
“What’s a Hangry Forest?” Freddy asked.
“There are so many ways I could answer that, Freddy dear, but alas, they might not warm you up to this place. Your family lives there, right, Jessica?” Pip reached over and gave Jessica a little pat on her fuzzy spider head.
“All four hundred of us!” Jessica chirped. My eyes widened, and I saw Freddy visibly shudder as she added, “We multiply every full moon. I really miss my cousins twice removed on my cousins’ other side. Great family. Maybe we could visit them sometime.”
I was already shaking my head, and Freddy looked stricken by the thought. Maybe the big guy had a fear of spiders he never told me about.
“Does anyone else recognize that dummy?” Jessica pointed her little leg at the shop across the street. We all turned to look, but all I could see was a big, bright pink sign spinning in a circle with sparks coming out the sides.
Hello, candy shop. Come to mama.
“It’s the doll from the motel—” she started to say, but my brain was so far beyond reliving that nightmare.
“Sure, Jessica... I’m so here for this!” I murmured, still staring at the candy shop. I was positive that particular spot used to be a hardware store back in the mortal world.
In fact, the entire expanse of Main Street seemed to be utterly transformed. Smiling jack-o’-lanterns lined the streets, along with tall flickering lamp posts and colorful banners. Street vendors were on every corner, selling treats from little wagons and carts. But that wasn’t the only thing that was different.
All around us, townsfolk laughed, talked and enjoyed their day—I mean night. My eyes were wide as I spotted a pair of what I could only describe as trolls, walking along and pushing a smaller version of themselves in a stroller. On the street corner were a few teenagers, who, instead of skin, had scales covering their bodies from head to toe. I saw horns, tails, scales, fur, and fangs everywhere. I saw translucent skin, glowing eyes, wands, witch hats, and all sorts of other impossible things.
It was as enchanting as it was terrifying. We truly were in a different dimension. This place was like Halloween come to life, even down to the sweet smell of pumpkin and vanilla in the air. On our run through here last night, we’d been the only ones around and all the shops had been closed up. I guessed it had something to do with what the aunties had said about how creatures could only travel to the mortal world on Halloween night. I supposed it made sense for it to be a ghost town, so to speak.
I wasn’t even sure Maddie noticed all the creatures, because she seemed to have tunnel vision. With an excited squeal, she took off with a skip in her step, black hair flowing behind her towards the Pumpkin Eater Candy Shop without waiting for any of us. I laughed as I watched her go. Maddie’s love for sweets was a thing of beauty, and not even the fact that we were stuck in another dimension could deter that woman.
“Oh fuck yeah, finally something normal,” Freddy muttered with a begrudging smile before following behind her just as fast. I watched him sidestep a pair of boys who passed him, coming close enough to stop and try to sniff him.
“Guess we’re going to the candy shop,” grumpy Jason muttered as he dragged Norman with him, leaving me with my aunties and Michael, who still looked like he didn't feel well from the shock of the whole snake thing.
When he saw me studying him, he smirked and squared his shoulders, then turned to the guys walking away and called out, “Have fun licking all those lollipops. Don’t stop until you hit that spot!” I shook my head when he only got the middle finger in return.
“Shall we?” Auntie Pip asked. “I haven’t had cobwebbed candy in forever.” I swear to god, she clicked her heels and took off running into the shop, her cloak flapping behind her.
Auntie Fe rolled her eyes as we followed behind at a normal, leisurely pace, trying not to look like tourists. The shop was quaint from the outside, with a little wooden door adorned by painted golden letters. The windows were filled with candy displays, and when we opened the door, instead of a bell or a chime, there was what sounded like a tinny witch’s cackle.
“Ladies first, Carrot Top.” Michael gestured towards the shop door, which he held open after Fe let herself in.
With a sigh, I entered the shop, wishing things could go back to how they used to be with the guys. Why did life have to be so complicated?
My eyes widened as human music filled the shop. “The Monster Mash” played from multiple speakers as tiny pink bubbles floated in my face and popped in Michael’s. A slimy substance stuck to his face, and after a second, I realized it was gum. I bent at the waist laughing, then reached up after I gained some control of myself, snagging a piece off his lips to pop into my mouth.
“Yum, cherry.” I grinned at him, but my smile faded away slowly as he just stood there, not saying anything as he stared at my mouth. His normally sky blue eyes were suddenly navy.
“Can you guys believe this place?!” Maddie rushed up, grabbing my shoulders as she bounced with excitement.
You couldn't help but pick up on her overwhelming energy. Looking around at the impossible things, I finally understood why my aunties had always taught me to look for the magic in everything. My mom had told me it was nonsense, but I got it now. Being faced with the reality of staying here forever was starting to seem like not such a bad thing. It wasn’t like I had a plan in the mortal world.
There was literally magic in everything, like the child in the far corner, surrounded by three friends as she ate a piece of hard candy that looked kind of like a butterscotch. When she opened her mouth, a high pitched, realistic meow came out. The girl and her little friends burst out laughing, and the next one to try it reared her head back and howled. I studied the girls closer, realizing something didn’t quite look right about them. At a glance, you’d think them nothing more than human children, until you noticed the canines poking out of their mouths.
“Werewolf pack. Don’t want to mess with them, they mostly keep to themselves.” Jessica was acting like the tour guide again, and I could tell she was loving it as she shouted, “Freddy, take notes!”
His head swiveled our way, and a confused frown puckered his brows. A moment later, he’d forgotten entirely, rubbing his hands together as he stared at all the caramel apples lining the glass display.
“Oh goodie! Poison apples!” said a teen boy standing next to Freddy, licking his lips as he passed two silver coins to the cashier. The boy whispered something under his breath once the apple was in his hands and we watched in fascination as the apple grew to the size of the boy’s head before he turned and walked out, whistling like it was nothing. Freddy groaned in apparent pain as he continued to stare at all the candies, not knowing if anything was safe to eat.
“Don’t even think about it,” Norman said suddenly, grabbing Freddy by the collar of his shirt. “Let’s get out of here before one of you turns into a pumpkin.”
He strode towards the door, dragging his brother with him, all the while ignoring the group of four incredibly pale college age women standing in the darkest part of the store, where the frozen chocolates were displayed. They stood there without moving or blinking, only their eyes shifting slightly to watch Norman leave.
“Don’t worry, he wouldn’t go for the vampire chicks,” Jessica whispered in my ear. “Vampires don’t drink each other's blood, and yours smells so much better anyway, all spicy and delicious!” She crawled into my hair and ignored my wide eyed stare as I watched Norman leave.
He glanced at me out of
the corner of his eye, but he just scowled and headed outside without a single word. Auntie Fe came to my side and wrapped her arm around my shoulder and squeezed gently, letting me know without words that she had my back. She called over her shoulder to Pip and Maddie, who were giggling like schoolgirls by the cotton candy machine.
My eyes bugged out when I spied what was responsible for the hype. A spider sat inside a glass sphere, weaving the colorful candy with her web. Jessica muttered in my ear, too low for me to make out, but I could have sworn I heard her grumble the words “Slave labor.”
Shaking my head with a grin, I began to wonder if this strange new dimension was simply a product of my bestie’s imagination, because she really seemed to be stepping into her comfort zone. Now that the clowns, the fog, and the creepiness were gone, she actually seemed to be handling all of this pretty well. That was one of the reasons I loved her to pieces—she just went with the flow, smiling no matter what.
“We’ll be at the potion shop, ladies!” Auntie Fe called across the store and waited until they both waved over their shoulders without looking away from the spinning webs of purple cotton candy.
The guys were standing in the middle of the town square under a massive banner about some sort of festival coming up, but all I could do was stare at Norman. Billie was circling around his head, almost blending in with his dark hair as he landed, nuzzling at him repeatedly. Norman’s eyes were closed as he leaned against a lamp post, the flame casting his face in shadows. He looked worn out, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
“Auntie, what’s going on with Norman?” I asked, picking at my chipped black nail polish, nerves eating me alive. I tried to keep my voice down, knowing Norman didn’t want anything to do with me anymore.
Even after the shit the guys had put me through this last year, I couldn’t stop worrying and caring about them, even when my heart told me it was dangerous.