Page 62 of Dead End

Freddy had his ear pressed against the door, but after a moment, he turned around, running a hand down his face. “What the fuck was that?”

“Did anyone else feel like that attack was targeted?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” said Norman. “Like someone set those things on us?”

I nodded, and Freddy asked, “But why would someone do that?”

“Maybe it was the same person who attacked me the other day. Did you guys see that creepy doll? I’ve seen him one too many times for this to be a coincidence.”

“Shit, you’re probably right.” Norman’s fists tightened at his side. “We need to find this fucker.”

He was right, but the notion was impossible. How could we fight someone we couldn’t even see? Someone who had the ability to attack without me seeing him and who could...

Wait a second.

“Guys,” I said quietly. “Zombies are corpses.”

They turned to me, and Freddy snorted. “Um, obviously?”

I groaned. “Ugh, you don’t get it? They were dead. Meaning someone had to make them, um, not dead.”

“Undead?” Norman suggested.

I snapped my fingers. “That’s it. Someone had to make them that way. Someone like me.”

“A necromancer,” Freddy finished. “So whoever attacked you is a necromancer too?”

Shaking my head, I tried to puzzle it out. “I don’t think so. Remember what the aunties said about the unsanctioned magic that was used on the corpse in the morgue? I had the same feeling just now. It didn’t feel like necromancy. I’ve been reading a lot about my powers, and it says necromancy is passed through a bloodline and is actually tied to dark magic, using a connection to the earth to raise spirits from the grave. But spirits can only come back if they haven't already moved on. Whatever this person is doing isn’t how it’s supposed to be done. They’re not necromancers. They’re something else. Something wrong and unnatural.”

“Shit,” Norman sighed.

I nodded. “Shit, indeed.”

“Well, we can’t do anything about it until we talk some more with the others. Maybe the aunties know something more about dark magic. In the meantime, we might as well get comfortable in here until those things are gone. We still have a couple hours before classes start. What is this place anyway?” Freddy turned away, moving a few things here and there.

Now that I had a chance to look around, I realized we were in a small room, lit by nothing but a single skylight up above, allowing the moonlight to shine through and bathe the room in an orange hue. We were surrounded by clothing racks, chaise lounges, old chairs, and shoes. “This must be the costume room. We’re in a theater, remember?”

I started sifting through the clothing racks, unable to help myself. I was such a sucker for clothes. I spied dresses that looked like they came from the Renaissance: peasant blouses, boots, ruffled collars, and cloaks made of soft silks and velvets. Running my hands along the different textures, I suddenly craved to watch one of these productions.

“Is this where you’ve been clothes shopping this whole time?” Freddy teased.

I gave him a narrow-eyed look over my shoulder, but my lips were stretching into a smirk. “You’re just jealous you can’t pull off something like this.” I held up a black corset to my torso.

Freddy’s eyes darkened with hunger, and his face suddenly sobered. His gaze flickered down to the item I held up and then back up to my face, only he wasn’t looking at my eyes. He was staring at my lips. “I can think of a few things I’d like to pull off.”

His voice had a growly quality to it that I hadn’t heard since that day in The Wicked Quill. I shivered as memories of what his fingers had done to me came back. Even here, stuck in this small room while zombies roamed around town, my clit throbbed, the ghost of those skilled fingers coming back.

“I bet you say that to all the girls nowadays,” I said, only half teasing.

The twins looked at each other seriously for a moment, and Norman’s eyes darkened as he said, “I can assure you there’s been no one else, October.”

I sucked in a breath, wanting to believe it so badly. “But I saw you guys with other cheerleaders—”

“Fuck what you saw. It was all a show. Every single time you were out of sight, the show stopped. There’s been no one else. Not for any of us.”

I was speechless and tongue-tied. Both of them just smirked.

“Why don’t you try it on?” Norman suggested. He was seated on the torn velvet chaise lounge by the far wall, watching my exchange with Freddy. His eyes were on the item in my grip as he licked his lips.

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