Dead End: Midnight Hollow

by Penn Cassidy

  For some reason, Jessica’s squeaky little voice kept popping into my head about…something important I was sure. With a helpless shrug, I turned towards the library and had to stop for a second to take in the beauty in front of me. The building itself was on a leaning angle, with black and grey bricks that looked like they were shifting. There was a low grinding noise that made me frown. Were the rooms inside shifting around? It wouldn’t surprise me. The strangest part was when I glanced upwards at its many windows and saw hooded figures passing by with a single lantern, as if they were haunting all three stories. Or maybe it could be the same person moving through the building really quickly.

  My excitement couldn’t be contained. I was going to find Maddie and make her help me look up this so-called Society. With that in mind, I had to use both hands to open the heavy oak doors and almost had a heart attack when my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting inside. How long could a person go without blinking, because I didn’t want to miss a single thing. Tilting my head back, I spun in a slow circle in the center of the library, mouth hanging open and heart still racing.

  The library lobby was domed, and had a painting on the ceiling that seemed to be moving in slow motion. The ceiling was pure black, and the painted image in the middle gave me goosebumps the more it moved. Four horsemen sat atop their terrifying red eyed horses as the sky behind them lit up with lightning that changed their features into skeletons before changing back to normal when the storm settled.

  It really was a masterpiece. It could make you question things, because at any moment, your life could change and you may or may not be able to go back to how things used to be. I knew that fact firsthand. In every direction, there were columns of bookshelves and passing students carrying armloads of research. The shelves literally spanned all three stories, with massive rolling ladders to reach up top.

  “Hey! Watch where you're going, mortal!” sneered a familiar voice. I’d rather not have had to deal with this bitch at the moment, but Payton was going to have to be dealt with eventually.

  Ignoring her, I glanced towards the second floor, where I saw Maddie walking away a little too quickly, wearing a black hoodie. It was my hoodie, so I’d recognize it anywhere. It was odd seeing her in all black with matching sunglasses, which were already suspicious because there was no sun here. The dark clothes were odd for a girl who loved her bright colors, and the hoodie was an out of character choice. Something had to be amiss.

  My gaze suddenly met raging violet eyes filled with hatred and furry. What the hell was up this chick’s butt?

  “What are you looking at?” Payton asked with a lip curl that suggested she thought I was just a bug beneath her red heels.

  Seriously? Who wears high heels with their cheer uniform? Is there even a sports team around here, or does she just like to dress up for Halloween all the time?

  I looked her up and down and with the most deadpan expression I could muster, then I asked, “Have you seen my son?”

  Payton drew back, looking at me like I was speaking gibberish, and snarled, “What are you talking about?”

  I was so close to laughing as I said, “Get it? Because you’re a clown? Like the fish?” She blinked at me, so I added with feigned enthusiasm, “You see, it all started when Nemo touched the butt—”

  She groaned, cutting me off. “Holy hell, do you ever shut up?! I don’t even know what you’re saying, you lunatic! This is why mortals should stay in their own dimension.”

  I stood there with a dumb grin, waiting for her to keep going. One second, she looked at me like I was just an afterthought as she twirled her green ponytail around her finger, but her gaze drifted down to my hand that still clutched the letter. Never had I seen a person’s face change so dramatically. If looks could kill, I would probably be dead. I was beginning to understand Jason’s fear of clowns.

  “You just can’t leave it alone can you? Why did you have to come here when everything was going well for me?! I’m the one on top, and you won’t take it away from me like your whoring mother did to mine.” She shoved into my shoulder as I stood there flabbergasted.

  “Hey… Shut up!” I responded as I stood on my tippy toes, pointing at her retreating back. It sounded lame, even to my own ears. Really, October? Shut up? And what the hell does my mom have to do with this dumb letter?

  Fed up with both myself and all the bullshit that’d been dumped onto my plate this week, I took the stairs to my right, my boots echoing loudly up each step. Halfway up, while wondering where Maddie took off to, a grinding noise reached my ears that reminded me of a cranking engine, just as the steps shifted under my feet like an escalator.

  Alrighty then… Magic stairs. I can dig it. Oh wise, magic floating stairs, take me to Maddie.

  I was kind of joking, but apparently, the stairs didn’t mess around. They shifted quickly to the right, then to the left, until I was probably going to barf. Finally, they stopped unexpectedly, and I quickly exited with a relieved exhale.

  What the hell is she doing?

  It was easy to find Maddie, because of the book floating by her head in mid air. Not to mention, Maddie was currently playing dodgeball between shelves. She stood on her tippy toes as she shoved books aside to peer over the other side of the aisle. She cursed under her breath and crouched down to do the same thing all over again on a lower shelf. I crept closer, not really wanting to disturb her, because she had me curious about what was holding her interest on the other side.

  “Oh sweet baby Jesus, just look at those glutes. I bet I could bounce apples off that tight butt. Yes, ma’am,” Maddie muttered. She didn’t notice me leaning on the bookshelf behind her, too caught up in spying on someone like a creep.

  “What I wouldn’t do to you…yessss…come to mama!” She started fanning herself as she straightened, gently parting more books on the middle shelf as she shoved her face between them. “I would totally take you to the candy shop. I’d lick you till you’re begging, baby. Oh god, so good.” She pretty much moaned, so I decided it was time to interrupt before it got even weirder.

  Note to self—teach Maddie being a peeping Tom is a no no.

  I slid in right beside her, dodging a floating book by her shoulder, and practically pressed my face against her cheek so I could see who she was staring at. She was so absorbed with her spying that she didn’t even notice me.

  “Gosh darn it, he’s so…ugh those muscles… I’d have his babies…” She was whispering so quietly under her breath that I missed half what she said. I had to suppress a giggle.

  To say I wasn’t at least a little surprised was probably an understatement, because Baen, from The Wicked Quill, was on the other side of the aisle, standing on a ladder while stacking books.

  “What are we looking at?” I said with my lips close to her ear, playing dumb.

  She gasped so loudly, I was sure the whole library heard her. The books immediately fell to the ground around us as she drew back from the shelf, her cheeks flaming red. She raked her hand through her midnight colored hair that matched her spying on Baen outfit as she blew a raspberry.

  Yeah, chica, you're busted.

  “I was just admiring these books and, uh, the um…” She quickly picked up a random book behind her and waved it around in my face. “This! I was studying this one right here!”

  I glanced at the title and back at her with my eyebrow raised, trying to fight a grin. “You were reading that book?” I pointed at the book she was still waving around, and she nodded so fast, it looked like her head was going to bob off.

  “How To Get Rid of Warts. Hmm, maybe you should go see a doctor about that, Maddie, before it gets serious.” I laughed when she dropped the paperback like a hot potato.

  “I don’t need to see a doctor!” she groaned. “Ugh, you know that’s not what I was doing, stop laughing! He has a magnificent ass that’s begging to be placed into these bad boys.” She held her hands up in grabby motions as I wiped tears from my eyes and pointed behind her as I tried to ca
tch my breath, but I couldn’t stop chuckling.

  Her face turned pale as she placed her hands together in a silent prayer before slowly turning around to face Baen. He held a stack of books under his huge biceps with his mouth gaping open before he snapped it closed. He raked his heated gaze up and down my pervy friend.

  “Maddie,” he purred. Straight up, he actually started purring like a contented cat. “Can I help you with anything?” His double meaning was clear as he stepped closer, towering over her while she fanned her face.

  Well, talk about awkward. If I started doing the Hokey Pokey, they wouldn’t even notice me standing here. I cleared my throat loudly, and when that didn’t work, I moved my body so that it blocked his gaze. Baen’s skin rippled like water, and I had to wonder what exactly his creature was, because the only vibe I was getting from him was naughty librarian.

  He must seriously love books if he owns a bookstore and works in a library…

  He shook his head and quickly pulled a flask out of his pocket, taking a drink and putting it away just as fast. We gave him a blank stare, and his cheeks went a rosy color as he scratched the back of his neck.

  “Uh, I have to take a potion or the beast inside me will come out…” he said awkwardly. “So, what can I help you ladies with?” He obviously wanted to change the subject. I really wanted to know what he was inside that beautiful shell, but Maddie went all dazed and pervy the moment he mentioned the beast. She’d always had a thing for Beauty and the Beast. Her dreams were coming true.

  “Hey, yeah, I could use some help.” I stepped forward, covering Maddie’s daze. “We’ve met before at The Wicked Quill, I’m October. I just came from the shop just now. It’s pretty cool that you work here too. Though it seems Maddie already knew that.” I slid a glance her way and rolled my eyes.

  Baen hardly glanced at me, his dark chocolate eyes only drawn to my bestie, which only made me like him more.

  “Anywho, do you have any books on something called…” I lowered my voice to a whisper, “the Society?”

  His head whipped in my direction and he stepped closer, gazing down at me with sudden concern. “Where did you hear about that?” he asked with a confused frown, but in a heartbeat, it was like a lightbulb went on in his brain. “Hold on a second… I knew you looked familiar. Follow me.” He turned on his heel before I could even answer and strode away from us, but at the last second, peered back at Maddie with a smirk. “Oh and, sweetheart, you’re definitely allowed to look, but if you feel the desire to touch, I give you permission.” He winked before disappearing around a corner.

  Maddie leaned against me still in a lusty daze, her eyes still at his butt level, even though he was waiting for us in another aisle already. “Pinch me, Toby. I think I’m in love,” she said with a dreamy sigh and practically floated after him.

  “You're something all right,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head, and ran to catch up with them.

  Baen led us down—or was it up—the same stairway as before, I was pretty sure, but it just got more confusing because everything seemed to move on its own. We even passed the hooded figure with the lantern I’d seen in the window earlier. He was just sort of floating down between each bookcase like a ghost. Shit, maybe he was a ghost… You just never knew around here. Perhaps he was some sort of ghoulish hall monitor…or maybe he just worked here. I didn’t have a clue.

  Finally, Baen stopped in front of a red velvet drop curtain near a hanging gold threaded rope, and for some reason, I didn’t find it odd at all that the curtain was in the very back of the deepest depths of the weird library. He pulled the gold rope and the curtains opened, revealing a display case of trophies, old articles, and framed black and white pictures lit up by three small lights, indicating that the items inside the case were historically important.

  “The Society has been around for ages. It was created by the twelve founding members long before our time, but they only invite descendants inside the inner circle. Most everyone knows about it, but pretends not to know who’s involved…but they’re all right here.” Baen pointed to a framed photo with twelve people posing for the photographer.

  “These Society members made the decisions around here. Everyone wanted to be them back then, but now it’s less talked about. They still have the monthly gathering of the Elites that they think we don’t know about, but again, that’s just a lie.” He rolled his eyes and put his hands in his pockets as he stared at the photo, before nodding to something else in the case that had me catching my breath.

  “What are my parents doing in this?” I traced my finger over their familiar features under the glass, seeing their smiling faces as they stared at the camera—Dad hugging Mom under his arm as she peaked underneath it with a small smile.

  Holy shit, they look so happy here…

  “I thought you looked familiar the first time I met you and this is why. You look just like your mother,” he whispered, probably picking up on my conflicting emotions.

  Everything was a secret with my parents, and I thought I never really knew who they were to begin with. How was I supposed to connect with them when everything was a lie my whole life?

  “October, why are you asking about this Society?” Maddie questioned with a sharp glance my way as she paced along the display case reading each article.

  I slipped my Necromancy 101 book out of my waistband of my skirt and pulled out the letter I’d stuffed between the pages.

  “A message for me apparently… I’m not sure what to do with it.” I shrugged and couldn’t stop staring at the picture of my parents, then I scanned the other members until one caught my eye. “Hey, Baen, is that the mayor?”

  He peered closer with his eyes squinted and nodded slowly before pulling away to allow Maddie to squeeze in beside him to take a look. It was definitely the mayor because he still dressed the same as he did now. But in the photo, he wasn’t even looking at the camera—he was staring at my mom.

  “Yes, Mayor Ichabod Addams is a legacy because his great-grandfather was one of the founders that started it all.” He began, pointing at other members, but stopped as Maddie let out a gasp and grabbed his arm, pointing at the far right corner of the photo.

  “Is that Payton?” she asked and leaned closer before shaking her head. “No, it can’t be. She’d have to be in her early fifties by now. It looks like her down to the nasty scowl and clown markings. Toby, look how she’s staring at the mayor! She has a thing for him, I recognize that look! It’s the same one you give the guys all the time.” I elbowed her in the stomach, ignoring her grunt and started pacing.

  “That’s not Payton, but her mother. The resemblance is admittedly uncanny. You have to understand that these people weren’t just in a club. They were a family too,” Baen said, his eyes unfocusing as he started stroking Maddie’s hip almost absentminded before glancing at me. “As the story goes, Ichabod and your parents grew up together as childhood friends.”

  “That makes no sense. I met the mayor already, and he acted like he didn’t know me. As you said yourself, I look just like my mother.” At that point, I felt like pulling out my hair in frustration and decided I was definitely going to the society meeting to find out more.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen those eyes…” The mayor’s words from the night we met came back to me in an instant.

  No more secrets.

  “Are you okay?” Maddie asked. She shifted her gaze over to Baen and nodded her head in the other direction, basically telling him to scram. He took off without a word, hands in his pockets. That guy was a keeper for sure.

  “Not really… I’m a mess. First this place…” I looked around helplessly. “It’s my fault we’re stuck here, and I’m being followed by something invisible, attacked by scarecrows, and I can’t even protect myself because I’m fucking useless. Don’t even get me started on the guys,” I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest. I felt like my feelings were going to swallow me whole soon.

  “Ok
ay first of all, this Halloween town isn’t so bad. You have more power inside then you know, and take it from the girl who suppresses her power constantly when I say I can feel yours blossoming like a flower. The guys won’t let anything happen to you, and neither will I.” She smiled cheekily, adding, “And if they also make you see stars while still frustrating you at the same time, that probably only means one thing—you need to open your eyes.”

  My cheeks warmed as she went on, “And don’t you dare deny you’ve had sex with at least one of them because I heard you last night. Which was wild, by the way. Was it any good? Wait, don’t answer that. By the sounds you were making, it had to be good.”

  Maddie grinned and jumped up and down at my burning face as she shook my shoulders in her excitement.

  “I’m so not answering that,” I said through a laugh, but then sobered again. “I’m scared shitless… What if they break my heart? I don’t think I can do this a second time. And this stuff about being a legacy is freaking me out too, because I don’t know jack shit about that either. Everything has been a lie… My whole life, Mads.” I wanted to cry but the tears were all dried up.

  She stopped bouncing around and looked me dead in the eyes as she leaned in closer to make her point. “Being scared is part of life, Toby. If you aren’t scared sometimes, are you really living to begin with? Your life wasn’t a lie, not by far. I think your parents wanted you to have a normal childhood before this place became unavoidable. You wouldn’t have met me and my fabulous self or the guys if you grew up here. Stop hiding, and embrace what you have right in front of you.”

  She hugged me hard and didn’t let go, even when I placed my head on her shoulder, my body shaking from suppressed tears and the emotions that were threatening to let go.

  “Why are you always right?” I mumbled as I pulled away and watched her wipe at her eyes as she laughed.