The Cabinet of Souls

by Jo Ann Ferguson

  The music started with a good beat. Beth put up her hands and began rocking to it. Everyone else started to dance to the beat, but Kellen didn’t move. The other dancers seemed to be having fun. Kellen began to bob his head.

  Beth poked his arm. Her expression told him that she wasn’t going to dance by herself. Kellen started to move. He wasn’t a bad dancer. In fact, he was pretty good at keeping up with Beth. He grabbed her waist and lifted her up as they turned around.

  “Not bad,” she said, slapping him playfully on the chest.

  “I don’t like showing off my moves to everyone,” he said, smiling at her.

  Nora Fishbine held out her arms, hands down, and called, “Dance like a zombie!”

  Beth and Kellen raised their arms and walked toward each other as if they’d just gotten a craving for brains. Around them, everyone was laughing and acting like the dead crawling out of their graves.

  “Dance like a skeleton!” Nora shouted.

  Letting their arms hang down from their elbows like a pair of scarecrows, Beth and Kellen danced around each other. They were having too good a time to notice the handsome, dark-haired guy who stepped out of the crowd. He was staring at the dancers.

  By now, Kellen was into it. He matched Beth move for move. They twisted their arms together and apart like two skeletons trying to find something to hold them up.

  The mayor nudged the sheriff and pointed to Beth and Kellen. “Now that’s dancing!” he said.

  Beth grinned. It was fun to dance like a skeleton. As Kellen danced around her, she turned … and caught the gaze of the handsome newcomer.

  At that moment, everything—music, the crowd, even Kellen—faded away. Who was this guy? She’d never seen such a drop-dead gorgeous boy before.

  Beth forced herself to look away and dance with Kellen, who hadn’t noticed anything. Even as she got back into the beat, she was aware that the guy was still watching her …

  “Now, everyone,” said Nora, lifting her arms into the air, “dance like a monster!”

  Kellen wasn’t sure how a monster danced, but he threw out his arms and bounced from one foot to the other. Beth matched his steps. Everyone on the floor was having fun. Even Luke and Nicole were getting into it.

  A distant squeak caught Beth’s attention. She looked up to see the weather vane on the gazebo spin. The evening’s gentle southern breeze had suddenly changed direction. Now it was a cold north wind.

  Beth stared at the weather vane, forgetting to concentrate on the dance. Kellen grabbed her hands and swung them together, thrusting her to her right. But Beth missed her cue. She dropped to the floor and slid toward the boots of a tall, gaunt man in a top hat and an antique black suit. He had a narrow beard and a mustache, and his skin had a faintly grayish hue. His laugh was strange, and his smile reminded her of a cat about to pounce on a mouse.

  Beth flinched as thunder shook the pavilion. Lightning flashed, seeming to surround the man in the top hat.

  Creepy, she thought.

  THE DANCERS STOPPED. THE MUSIC stopped. And it wasn’t on purpose, because the DJ was bending over his setup, trying to see what was wrong. Had it been struck by lightning?

  Kellen hurried over to help Beth. When she was back on her feet, she and Kellen noticed that a strikingly beautiful girl had come to stand by the man with the frightening laugh. Her hair was both red and black at the same time. Not streaked, just blended together in shades of blood and night. Her long dress was as black as the man’s coat, and she held a stack of papers in her ebony-gloved hands. The girl gave Kellen a half smile, annoying Beth for reasons she couldn’t quite explain.

  “What a fun festival this is,” said the man in the hat. He didn’t stop smiling, but it wasn’t a smile you wanted to return. “There is plenty more to come. Scary Halloween fun.

  “I am Dr. Hysteria, and my Hall of Horrors is not for the faint of heart. But it is for you—if you crave the shake and shiver, the thrill and chill of a fearsome, dark journey into the wretched black heart of pure evil itself.”

  “But fun,” said the girl beside him. Her jet-black necklace caught the light and twinkled as she smiled.

  Everyone laughed nervously, breaking the spell of Dr. Hysteria’s voice. It was just a show, after all.

  “Yessss,” Dr. Hysteria said, drawing out the “ess” like a hissing snake. “But fun. Fun for your whole family,” he added. “All are welcome to join us. If you dare to walk through the grim, black gates of the Hall of Horrors.”

  “We open right here tomorrow night,” the girl said, spreading her hands wide.

  “We close at the stroke of midnight on Halloween.” Dr. Hysteria laughed that deep laugh that sent another chill down Beth’s spine. “Everything you need to know is on the flyer.”

  The girl threw her papers high into the air. As the sheets drifted toward the ground, everyone strained to be the first to grab one.

  Kellen plucked one out of the air and chuckled when the girl gave him a smile that suggested he’d done a great job catching it.

  Dr. Hysteria put a thumb and finger to his mouth and made a sharp whistle. A horse’s whinny answered. As he and the girl turned to go, she tossed the rest of the flyers over her shoulder as if she didn’t care where they landed. The wind swirled them overhead.

  Beth gasped when she saw a coal-black horse heading toward them. It was pulling an open carriage with black velvet seats.

  There was no driver.

  THE HORSE REARED AND THEN stopped in front of them. Dr. Hysteria and his assistant climbed into the front seat. He picked up the reins and slapped them on the horse’s back. “Hi-yah!” was the last they heard as the pair made their dramatic exit. It was as if Dr. Hysteria wanted to make sure everyone saw them before they left.

  Luke grabbed Kellen’s shoulder, grinning. “All right. I wanna go! I need to go!”

  Beth patted Luke’s cheek and smiled. She knew he wanted to go. This was just the kind of thing that Luke—and the rest of them—had hoped would be part of the harvest festival.

  She looked at the flyer Kellen held. It was black—no surprise!—and had old-fashioned lettering on it in bright orange and blue. At the top it announced: DR. HYSTERIA’S HALL OF HORRORS. Under the headline was a picture of the man himself, pointing at two yellow ovals by his feet. Both showed hideous creatures: One was labeled GARGOYLES, and the other GHOULS. It gave the dates for three nights that week, closing at midnight on Halloween.

  “Admission is just four bucks,” Luke said, as if his friends needed convincing. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

  Beth looked at Kellen, and they both smiled.

  Half an hour later, Kellen, Beth, Luke, and Nicole were headed toward home. They strolled past houses decked out for Halloween, but Kellen didn’t pay them any attention. They’d left the harvest festival shortly after Dr. Hysteria made his appearance. Nothing could top that. Not even the dance contest. Beth and Kellen had won easily. In fact, half the contestants hadn’t even bothered to stay until the end. Everyone wanted to talk about Dr. Hysteria and his beautiful assistant. That girl had her role down pat.

  But when Kellen looked at Beth, the other girl was forgotten. They were almost to her house, and he still hadn’t asked her out. Maybe he just didn’t have the nerve.

  Walking in the road while his friends took up the sidewalk, Luke began rapping. Kellen laid down the beat.

  “I’m strollin’ with my posse …”

  “Yo!” chorused Kellen and Beth.

  “ ’Cause we got the moxie.”

  “Yo! Yo!”

  “Beth and Kellen won the contest …”

  “Yo! Yo!”

  “Why don’t you give it a rest?” Nicole jumped in to finish the rhyme. “And what in the world is moxie?”

  All three of them began laughing and teasing Luke. Kellen and Beth high-fived Nicole.

  “Whatever,” Luke said. He was peeved that Nicole had stolen his chance for a good punch line. He sighed, but nobody noticed. They’d stopped in f
ront of Beth’s house.

  As they were saying good-bye, Nicole’s phone rang. She scowled. “That’s the parents. I’ve gotta go.”

  As Beth and Nicole hugged, Luke fist-bumped Kellen. “Tomorrow night. Get our scare on. We will give Dr. Hysteria something to be hysterical about.”

  “Yes!” Kellen said.

  “Good night,” Beth added as Luke and Nicole headed toward their own houses.

  Kellen didn’t move. When Beth turned to say good night, he asked, “Ah … later on, you wanna come over for a little bit?” He glanced toward his house, across the street.

  Beth looked at her feet. “I really would, but I can’t. I’ve got a lot of homework.”

  “Oh …” He couldn’t let her see how disappointed he was. That wouldn’t be cool, and Beth deserved a cool guy. The strong, heroic type. A guy who got bummed because she had to do her homework was no hero.

  “You can keep this, if you want,” Kellen said, handing her the trophy they’d won at the contest. It was six inches tall, topped by a gold man and woman swirling in a fancy waltz. Nothing like the fun steps they’d made up on the spot.

  Beth took it, shooting him a look of mock horror. “Kellen! You would part with this example of fine craftsmanship?” She laughed. “I actually think this is cheaper than my peewee soccer trophy, which I won, I think, for second place.”

  Kellen laughed. “Hey, we were good together, right?”

  “Yeah. We rocked.” She turned to leave. “See you in school tomorrow.”

  He couldn’t let the night end. Not yet. “Wait!”

  Beth brushed at her coat sleeve. “Ugh! Do I have a bug on me?”

  “No, no, no.” He took a couple steps toward her. Now or never … No, he didn’t like the sound of that. He’d have another chance if he blew this one. Wouldn’t he? “It’s just that I wanted to tell you something.”

  “Whew,” she said, obviously relieved, but he could tell she thought he was teasing her. “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”

  He closed the distance between them. He swallowed. Hard. Something was clogging his throat. How was he going to ask her out if he couldn’t talk?

  Maybe he’d be better off not saying anything. As he looked at her lips and then up to her eyes, she gazed at him. Her eyes widened. Did she know what he was going to do? He wasn’t even sure himself. He moved closer, and she didn’t move away.

  Closer.

  Closer.

  At the last minute, he lost his nerve. “Remember we’ve got that—that—that history quiz tomorrow,” Kellen blurted. Now he was stuttering on top of acting like a jerk.

  Beth looked surprised, and then relieved. That final expression flitting across her face was like a knife through his heart.

  “Yeah.” She smiled, but it wasn’t the same. Everything was weird now. “Thank you.” She patted his hand before walking up to the porch. “Bye!” she called over her shoulder.

  Kellen watched as she went inside. Then he turned away, groaning inwardly over what a jerk he’d been.

  Tomorrow … tomorrow morning at school, first thing, he’d ask her to go to the Hall of Horrors with him. He wouldn’t chicken out this time. He was going to be the hero he needed to be for such a special girl.

  BETH LEANED BACK AGAINST HER front door. What was that all about? Kellen had been her best friend since her family had moved to Danville years ago, but he’d been acting so weird lately. He reminded her of Nicole, who pouted if she didn’t get her mirror time, and Luke, who wasn’t happy unless everyone was laughing over some silly, stupid thing he’d done.

  Was she changing, too?

  Beth pushed away from the door. She had homework. The big questions of life would have to wait while she studied for her history quiz.

  She went into the kitchen and turned on the TV. It was late, so her parents had already gone to bed. The sound from the TV would keep her from drowsing off over the questions about the War of 1812, which seemed to be the most boring war ever.

  The news came on, and Beth glanced up, ready for an interruption. It was a reporter outside a suburban house that didn’t look that different from hers. A photo of a girl about her own age appeared on the left side of the screen. Under the picture was the name Andrea Payton, along with a bar that said MISSING GIRL UPDATE.

  “The season reminds us that it was Halloween last year when fifteen-year-old Andrea Payton mysteriously disappeared from Federson Township,” the reporter said.

  The girl’s picture filled the screen. She had curly blonde hair.

  “She was last seen by friends wearing a maroon Federson High School hoodie and blue jeans,” the reporter continued, now with Beth’s full attention. “Her family remains hopeful that someone will come forward with information as to her whereabouts. When we return, we’ll have all the latest weather updates.”

  Beth looked down at her homework, but she couldn’t help wondering: What had happened to Andrea? A shiver ran down her spine. Federson wasn’t far from Danville. It was really kind of freaky that Andrea had just disappeared.

  Really freaky.

  AT THREE O’CLOCK THE NEXT DAY, the streets outside Danville High School were busy as kids and teachers headed for home. Some students walked. Others drove.

  Kellen hurried over to Beth, who was lugging her bag down the front stairs.

  “Hey!” he called.

  She stopped. “Hi!”

  Kellen grasped the straps of his backpack. Here was his chance. He’d better take it while he could. “I just want to tell you—that is—there’s something I want to talk about …”

  The powerful rumble of a car engine drowned out his words. He and Beth turned to see a long black muscle car pull into the school’s driveway. The door opened.

  Beth drew in a sharp breath. The drop-dead gorgeous guy she’d seen during the dance contest stepped out. He was dressed in a gray shirt and black pants, and his black combat boots gave him a cool, bad-boy vibe.

  “Do you know who that guy is?” she asked Kellen.

  Before he could answer, the guy approached them. “Hey,” he said. “You were at that dance contest yesterday. Congratulations.” He looked straight at Beth. “You and your boyfriend were great.”

  “Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” Beth said. “We’re just buds.”

  “Cool. I’m Hunter Grey. I just moved here,” the guy said.

  “I’m Beth, and this is Kellen.”

  “So Beth, you think I could convince you to go with me to that Hall of Horrors thing?”

  Hunter was asking her out when they’d met only a few seconds ago? She giggled. That was the most flattering thing a boy had ever done for her.

  “Um … okay,” she said. She glanced at Kellen, who wasn’t smiling.

  Beth frowned at him. He was acting weird again.

  “In the meantime, can you point me to the office?” Hunter said.

  “I can take you,” she replied.

  “Sweet.”

  Kellen just stood there, shocked, as Beth and Hunter walked away together.

  “Oh, hold up a second,” Beth said. She hurried back to where Kellen stood. “Kel, did you want to talk to me about something?”

  “Oh … uh … never mind,” he said.

  “Okay.” She looked back at Hunter.

  “All right,” said Hunter, smiling at her. They started toward the office again. “Hey,” he told Kellen offhandedly, “maybe we’ll see you tomorrow, too … partner.”

  It was a low blow, and it burned.

  A hand slapped Kellen’s arm. It was Luke, hopping from one foot to another. “Kell-man,” he said. “Wanna get a smoothie?”

  Kellen shook his head, still staring at Beth and Hunter, who were laughing together. “Nah, I’m good.”

  Luke followed his gaze. “Who’s that guy?”

  “New kid. His name’s Hunter.”

  “Looks like Hunter’s found his prey.” When Kellen didn’t laugh, Luke frowned. “Dude, what’s happened to your sense of humor? All right, I’l
l see you later, right?”

  “Maybe,” Kellen said. He sighed, shifted his backpack, and headed for home.

  Kellen decided to take the long way, by the fairgrounds where the Hall of Horrors would open tomorrow. A new chain-link fence surrounded the grounds.

  Kellen turned away. Now that Beth was going to the Hall of Horrors with Hunter, he wasn’t sure he’d even bother checking it out.

  Suddenly, the section of fence next to him rattled loudly.

  Kellen whipped around and gasped.

  A ghoulish creature on the other side was staring right at him.

  KELLEN LOOKED AGAIN. IT WAS JUST a person dressed as a ghoul, emptying a large garbage can. Probably one of the actors in that dumb Dr. Hysteria show, Kellen told himself. What a phony.

  “So,” came a voice from behind the ghoul. “Who won the dance contest?”

  It was the girl who’d tossed the flyers into the air yesterday. Behind her he could see DR. HYSTERIA’S HALL OF HORRORS painted in huge letters across the front of a large tent. Around it were other smaller tents spreading in every direction.

  The main tent’s entrance looked like a giant version of Dr. Hysteria’s mouth, as if he’d swallow people whole as they entered his haunted house.

  “Uh, you mean yesterday?” Kellen asked, realizing the girl was waiting for an answer. “The dance contest. Beth and I won.”

  “Beth …” the girl said, tilting her head. The brilliant purple of her eye shadow made her eyes look even bigger, and her voice was as silky as melted chocolate. “Is she that really pretty girl you were dancing with?”

  “Pretty? Yeah, Beth is pretty,” he agreed, though at the moment he couldn’t take his eyes off this girl. Something about her pale skin against her black costume, maybe. Or the way her lipstick was almost the exact shade of red-black as her hair.

  “Mm-hmm … I noticed this other guy who kept checking her out,” the girl went on. “A super-good-looking guy. I mean, like, really good-looking. You could see his muscles through his shirt.”

  “Yeah, that would be Hunter.” Talking about Hunter was the last thing Kellen wanted to do. First Beth, now this girl. He felt like a loser. And it felt even worse when he admitted, “I think she sorta likes him.”