by Molly Snow
“Er!” Tiffany bit her tongue.
“Yeah right, Craig. I hear you leave your dates in the woods,” the girl’s voice trailed.
As Cathy and Todd were nearing the end of the slow song, Chrissy rushed over and flashed a picture with her camera. “High School memories.” She smiled.
“Hey, cute costume,” Cathy complimented the flapper-girl dress.
“Thanks. Well, I’m gonna go take a few more shots of people.” She started walking off, then turned suddenly, “I told you he liked you!”
Screech! The song ended with the microphone on stage making a piercing noise. “Sorry ’bout that.” The Dracula D.J. laughed. “Well, as the night has gone on, it has given our judges ample time to decide on this year’s costume contest winner!”
Cheering and clapping showed the excitement from both the student bodies.
“Father Townshend…” He turned to the P.E. teacher dressed as a priest. “May I have the envelope please?”
Mr. Townshend grabbed the mike. “Yes, my son, but first you must repent.”
“Repent of what?” Dracula went on.
“For sucking neck with my niece tonight.”
“Woooo!” Guys cheered from the back and more laughter waved through.
“You should be grateful, Father.” The D.J. had a sly look to his fake-blooded smile.
Hooting and whistling started up.
“Oh, and why is that?”
“I helped make her more… holy.” He opened his mouth, showing off the fake fangs.
“Hahaha!” Cathy laughed out loud with everyone else.
“May I now have the envelope?”
“Yes, my son, just don’t get too close to me.”
“Why not? Are you afraid?”
“No, I have really bad garlic breath tonight.”
“Ew! That would be very offensive.” He drew his cape up over half his face. “Hurry and hand me the envelope.”
Mr. Townshend did, then bowed and waved at the applauding crowd. “And the winner is… Wait, no drum roll?”
Already planned, a guy dressed in his band costume came up on stage with his drum.
“Great! Great! Come over here.”
Marching, he went over to Dracula.
“Now give me your drum.”
Acting confused, the guy reluctantly handed over the drum, then offered his drumsticks.
“No, no.” Dracula refused the drumsticks. “Now for the drum roll.”
Everyone cheered and waited. Surprisingly, he bent down, placing it on its side, then gave it a push. It began to roll across the stage and people cheered and laughed more. “And the winner is, the lovely, Tiffany Randall as a mermaid!”
Smiling brightly, she climbed the stage’s steps, then stood in front of the mike, as the D.J. handed her a bouquet of orange carnations.
Her eyes sparkled, her hair sparkled, and her sea-green dress sparkled. The crowd grew silent, awaiting her thanks for winning.
“Uh hum,” she cleared her throat, seeing the many faces in front of her, some masked. “I guess I’m supposed to show gratitude for winning this thing, but, uh, it was easy! I mean, well, look at all of you. Your costumes are pathetic. None of you know how to dress, even when you’re out of costume. What are you supposed to be?” she reluctantly said to a heavyset boy, wearing all white. “The Doughboy?” She bit her bottom lip as most everybody gasped. “No, I-I didn’t mean that. I meant, a chef, or a-a marshmallow.” Tiffany covered her mouth.
“What is she doing?” Cathy looked up at Todd, who was just as shocked. “Ah, jeez! I am so dumb.” Noticing that echoed out across the park, she put the mike behind her back as a reflex.
“You are dumb!” a guy yelled from the crowd and people yelled out comments in agreement.
Surla quickly recited another spell aimed for the most embarrassing thing to happen to a human being.
Tiffany felt her abdomen rumble. Then, without any way of turning back or holding in, a sound came out like a motorcycle revving up, but with more oomph. She, you know, “cut the cheese,” “let one go,” and it horrifically amplified out from the microphone for everyone in the audience and neighborhood to hear.
“Ew!” the audience yelled. Instantaneously, a couple of car alarms started blaring out from the parking lot. Tiffany dropped her carnations. Orange petals dotted the black stage as she stood there frozen from shock, her eyes as wide as a fish.
Suddenly, from a nearby street corner, a fire station bell rang out like a scream. Cathy and Todd busted up in laughter and disgust, like everyone else.
Soon rushing over, with its flashing lights and yellow firemen, a fire engine stopped in front of the park.
“Everyone, clear out!” The men ran, carrying heavy hoses, hooking them to hydrants. Tiffany finally ran off the stage, and out of sight.
“What’s going on?” Cathy asked, seeing all the frantic people.
“Clear out! Can’t you smell that?” a red-faced fireman called to her and Todd.
“Huh?”
“There’s a fire.” Todd pointed through to the other side of the park. “Right there! See?!” Flames billowed up and white smoke filled the dark sky. “Let’s get out of their way.”
He grabbed Cathy’s hand and jogged, leading her out to where all the cars were lined up against the sidewalk, along with the fire truck at the red-zone and soon an ambulance came. Many partiers were gathered out there with them, watching with excitement.
“Todd,” Cathy said, looking into his eyes, “isn’t this the second time you’ve saved my life?” She placed her arms around his neck.
Before he could answer, she had him involved in a kiss. He didn’t want to ruin the moment by telling her the fire must have been fifty yards away, out of harm. Instead, when they parted, he asked, “Can we pretend I saved your life for a third time?”
Chrissy ran over and snapped a picture of them in each others’ arms. “That was perfect! Isn’t this one crazy night? I wonder what started that fire in the first place.”
Faster than expected, the fire was out and paramedics were called over to help. Three men, two carrying a stretcher, and one holding first aid supplies, ran out to the burned area.
“Oh my gosh. Do you think there is a body out there?” Chrissy continued. Everyone else was thinking or saying the same thing.
“I hope not!” Cathy gasped.
Surla was sneaking around the wheels and taped-off area where only the firemen were allowed.
One big man, with a curled mustache, was sitting as the driver for the ambulance. He was talking to a lady officer. “Yeah, some guy, Lenny, called the station a couple minutes ago. Boy, he was right on time. A minute later and these flames would have really spread.”
“Why are they calling the paramedics out there?” The lady officer strained to see. “Someone’s hurt?”
“I suppose.” He was just as surprised as she. Spectators came as close as possible to the ambulance without being a nuisance. Todd and Cathy happened to be in a section of the crowd that had a good view of what was happening.
Soon the back doors of the ambulance flew open and a stretcher was being propped inside. Cathy caught a glimpse of what looked like a charred broomstick poking out of the zipper to a body bag.
Chapter 17
A police car sat on the curb outside of Idis’s. At the front door, a lady officer talked with a Chinese woman who wore a red trench-coat. “So, what you are trying to tell me is, you were suddenly transformed into a… puddle?”
“Yes! Crazy Americans. I tell Gramma ’bout this one. First prane to China!” Two dirty shoe-prints marked the back of her coat as she scurried off into the night.
The officer put out her fist to knock on the door, but it creaked open on its own. It was Marilyn, but he was different now. His black hair was combed back into a neat, small, ponytail. His eyes were a pretty gray-green, and even more, his whole Gothic wardrobe was gone. He stood there in a preppy striped sweater-vest and beige khaki pants. “Hel
lo.” His voice was rich and smooth. “What can I do for you?”
“Well,” she started. “I got a ‘disturbance of peace’ call and …,” she paused from what was about to be said, “a spinning house. Can you tell me of any strange occurrences that may have happened in this house?”
“Now I’m going to tell you the honest truth here.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “All I remember is, one day I was having a drink with a very attractive and famous woman. We were getting very drunk,” he continued, “and woo! She told me she was like a virgin…”
“Yeah.” She had no idea where this story was headed, but her eyes showed obvious curiosity anyway.
“So, of course I was very taken by her. I mean, this very attractive woman was interested in me and I remember she looked deeply into my eyes and said that I must be her lucky star. Then, in the next moment, I am a huge rock star and my name isn’t Marvin Manson—it’s Marilyn Handsome.”
“Uh huh.” The officer was still interested, but said, “What’s it have to do with tonight?”
“I’m getting to that part.” He smiled and leaned an arm against the door-frame. “Well, life as a rock star was not what I thought it would be like. It didn’t make me happy. I dreaded the word ‘fun’ and hadn’t cracked a smile in four years. All I remember about tonight is… I was turned back to my old self.”
She laughed in response and said, “Well, now that you aren’t a famous rock star anymore, what do you plan on doing?”
“Oh, I’m going to Disneyland!”
She heard the seriousness in his voice but laughed anyway. “Is there anyone else here I can talk to about tonight?”
“…Other than twelve possessed witches, I don’t… Wait, the witches are already gone.”
She laughed some more. Then the sound of metal clanking caused Marilyn to turn toward the inside the house. “I guess there is someone else here.”
Dressed as a knight, a man with brown, long hair took off his helmet and greeted Marilyn and the officer. “My heavens, I feel splendid.”
“Interesting costume. It looks very authentic,” Marvin said.
“That’s because it is authentic, my fellow. The name is Vladimir.” He extended a hand to them both, one at a time. “What a great night.”
The officer then began to question him for her report, but he had nothing to offer except to say he wasn’t a ‘mere reflection’ of anyone else anymore.
“So, I don’t understand. Why would I receive a disturbance of peace call? You two seem like very well-mannered men.”
“I don’t know…” Vladimirror worked his heavy armor off, to which he now bore a delicious physique.
Marilyn answered, “Maybe it was all the cats meowing.”
“It was probably a prank call then, ’cause why would someone see a spinning house anyway, unless they were watching The Wizard of Oz.”
“Wait, actually, this does look like the back door.” Marilyn pointed out the plastic cat-door. “And where’s the driveway?”
Within the next couple of seconds, they heard a motor start, then a yellow station wagon sped from the backyard, to the front and down the road.
Vladimir cut into the perplexing moment by saying to the officer, “Do I know you from somewhere?”
“I, uh, don’t think so. But your voice sounds very familiar.” She worked on putting a loose strand of curly hair back under her hat.
Slowly, he reached his hand forward and pulled off the hat. Out plummeted a mound of beautiful blond strands.
Quickly, Vladimir’s eyebrows raised in realization. “Cindy?”
“Uh, yes,” she said, confused.
He then said, “Cindy? 1-555-Cuff-Me?”
She blushed and Marilyn stood there silent, looking at the two in curiosity.
“Well, I guess I’ve got my report.” She arched an eyebrow.
“Hey, why don’t I escort you to your car.”
She accepted, and as Vladimir opened the driver-side door for her, he added, “I always keep your number on redial.”
“How long have you been interested in police procedure?” Marilyn heard her say.
Chapter 18
What’s going on in each of the characters’ lives:
Pussface, after setting Idis’s broom on fire and sending it through the sky like a shooting star, became a hero. He still had to go back and live with Gretchen, which he doesn’t mind. The relationship they had was much better than Surla and Idis’s. On occasional visits back to Cathy’s town, he still pursues Diamond, and thinks she will finally come around.
Tiffany hasn’t been seen at school since the embarrassment she made of herself at Washington and Jefferson High’s Halloween Bash. Chrissy says she still sees her come out of her house to get the mail. Right at this moment, Tiffany is working with a tutor in the privacy of her own home. She’s on Independent Study.
Craig hasn’t been able to get a date in months. The news spread around school about what he did to Cathy on their date, and now girls don’t even want to look at him. Right now, he’s spending a Friday night home alone, watching Jeopardy with his mom.
Chrissy had the pictures developed from the party. She decided to sign up for Journalism next semester, so she could help write and choose photos for the yearbook. The one of Cathy and Todd dancing will be placed right next to the one of Tiffany dropping her carnations with mortification in her eyes. Right now she is laughing for her hundredth time about that night.
Marvin Manson did go to Disneyland and had a blast riding Space Mountain over and over again. He has written a book about eating sushi with meditation and it will be released next June.
Vladimir has been seeing the officer, Cindy, for the last couple of months. They aren’t interested in a serious relationship; they’re too wild and flirtatious for that (give him a break, he’s been a mirror for the last couple hundred years). It turns out, he is interested in the entertainment industry as well. Right now he is tearing off his shirt for a wrestle-mania championship.
Surla is still best friends with Cathy and she hopes it will last forever. She can be found lying on the porch with her two other friends, Pussface and Diamond, on sunny afternoons. Lately, her thoughts have been on the deeper meanings of magic and the influence it has had in her life and others’.
Cathy is still with Todd. She became homecoming queen and is thinking about being a veterinarian some day. All she wanted in her teen-life is finally piecing itself together. Right now she is brushing her hair in front of her mirror, which is plastered with pictures of her and Todd at different events together.
Todd became homecoming king and is thinking of becoming a pro football player. But if that doesn’t work out, he wouldn’t mind being a professor of Chemistry. He has stayed madly in love with Cathy since the night of the Halloween party. Right now, Todd is on his way over to pick up Cathy for another date.
Idis was brought to the morgue on the night of the Halloween party. The coroner could have sworn he saw her big toe twitch. Right now, Idis is…
THE END
Read on, to learn more about Molly Snow and her books.
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Love, Molly Snow
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A full list of my books and pen-names:
(Under Molly Snow:)
BeSwitched
BeSwitched Witch
Royally BeSwitched
BeSwitched in Time
Head Over Halo
To Kiss a Werewolf
To Date a Werewolf
(Under Claire Kane:)
The Riddles of Hillgate
Cruise to Murder
Hexes and X’s
Legend of The Lost (coming soon)
A sneak peek into
> BeSwitched Witch (BeSwitched, #2)
ABOUT:
When sassy black cat, Surla, ends up crossing paths with her ex-witch, the outrageous and hot-tempered Idis, it triggers again the curse of being BeSwitched
Idis was supposed to be dead in a drawer at the morgue, and Surla was supposed to be having some bonding time with her new human best friend, Cathy. Instead, these two enemies are forced to get along while in search of the last spell book, or stay switched forever. If only the curious and handsome new guy in school, Jax Morreau, would stop distracting Surla from their plan.
SAMPLE (first 2 chapters):
Chapter 1
In the wee hours after Halloween:
It was dark in the morgue. The clock at the reception desk showed “2:00 a.m.”
Idis’s eyelids popped open, revealing her glowing green eyes. She didn’t blink for a long seven seconds. She tried to look around, but it was to no avail—she couldn’t see anything but pitch black. It was very cold and she felt the little hairs on her arms stand up.
Where am I? The last thing I remember was Pussface and the neighborhood black cats doing the hokey pokey or some nonsense. She attempted to sit up, but found she couldn’t. There was a barrier. She put out her hands to feel her surroundings, but was prevented by some sort of thick plastic bag. The space was barely bigger than her own body.
Idis went to feel her hair. That’s strange. It seems as if my hair has been cut. And what is that horrid odor of smoke? She sniffed. Brimstone and fire? Am I in Hell? she wondered. Hmmm… Well, if I am in Hell, I do hope I can meet Dracula! She remembered his picture she kept in her sock drawer, torn from an old book. Dracula had signed it for her over a hundred years ago at an Annual Witches’ Ball. She thought of his fangs, and how attractive they were. “Oh, this is ridiculous! I am not in Hell. Maybe in a coffin. Buried alive?”