Page 20 of Dead End

“Yer a wizard, Toby,” Maddie murmured, but Auntie Pip shoved her with an elbow. Maddie gave me an apologetic smirk that wasn’t very apologetic.

“What the hell is a neck romancer? You suckin’ on necks, goth girl? Don’t worry, you can practice on me.” Freddy tilted his head to the side, exposing his throat.

In a heartbeat, Norman was leaning in, his fangs suddenly extending as an accidental hiss slipped past his lips.

“I'm pretty sure the only one sucking necks is your brother,” Maddie quipped as Norman took a deep breath and wet his bloodless lips, staring at Freddy’s racing pulse.

“W-What!” Freddy stuttered, drawing back from his twin in horror and slapping a palm over his neck.

“What?” Norman shrugged, slumping back in his seat before meeting my eyes while he worried his one fang into his bottom lip. “You smell like a wet dog anyway.”

I knew he was talking about Freddy, but I felt like that insult was for me, if the slight uptilt to his wicked lips was any indication. I sneered back. Besides, I didn’t think Freddy smelled bad at all. In fact, he smelled rather fresh for a man who was dead a little over two hours ago.

What the fuck am I saying? None of this is okay!

Jason banged his closed fist on the table, making the china rattle as he pointed an accusing finger at my face, but he was staring right at my aunties when he asked the question I was too afraid to ask.

“This is her fault, isn’t it? She turned us into freaks just like her.” His eyes met mine, and I shrank away from the venom in them. For a moment, I could have sworn his eyes flashed bright yellow, just like they had before, out on the road. “What the hell did you do to us?” he hissed. His voice even sounded slightly deeper for a second.

“I wouldn’t—I never... Oh god, what have I done?” I stared down at my palms, remembering the way I’d touched each of their faces while that green lightning ripped through the sky. Unlike my friends, I'd never heard the term necromancer. I was a sci-fi and fantasy junkie. I knew what it was, but there was no way...

“There’s no reason to get your panties in a twist,” Fe tried to assure me, also looking at the guys pointedly. She settled her gaze on Norman. “You died on Halloween, and if I were to take a wild guess, I’d say it was nearly the stroke of midnight.”

She was right. It had been nearly midnight since we left the carnival. Again, my mind flashed back to Frank and his warning. Was this what he saw? It had to be.

“I don't get it,” I whispered to Fe. “Why are we here then? How did we get to this? I don’t even know what to call it. It’s Sunset Hollow, but it’s not. And why is Norman turning into a vampire?” I eyed his fangs again.

“You belong to this world now, whether you like it or not,” Fe said to the whole group. “October was born here, so it only makes sense she’d return one day. We just didn’t expect her to bring a posse along with her.”

She looked at me, her expression incredibly sad all of a sudden. “Pumpkin, your father was the very last necromancer known around here. The last of the Grimm necromancers. We’re the Hallowell witches; your mother made three. Your parents married, hoping to one day produce another necromancer to carry on the line of power.”

My eyes filled with tears. All this new information about my straight-laced parents was enough to make my head spin. My mother was a witch? It was laughable. Last time I checked, witches didn’t wear khaki slacks and Crocs.

“Fair warning, you’re very powerful, if tonight’s events have anything to say about it. You need to step carefully in this dimension because it mirrors the mortal world exactly. It might look like home, but creatures beyond your wildest imagination live here as equals.” Fe’s warning vibrated through my bones, leaving a chill behind.

“The clowns?” Jason asked, his voice raspy and unsure. Again, it was jarring to see this big, tough dude so afraid.

Fe nodded, slurping her tea again. “They won't harm you unless provoked. Usually. They just like to have a bit of fun with the newbies sometimes. You might have noticed how quiet it is around here tonight. Halloween is the one night of the year when creatures can cross into the mortal world, so we’re a little empty until the witching hour strikes. You all need to learn how to navigate this place, or it’ll gobble you up in no time.”

“So…What you’re saying is that we’re in another world right now? Are we not on Earth?” Maddie asked with wide eyes. To my ears, it sounded like nonsense, but we couldn’t argue what we were seeing with our own eyes.

“Another dimension,” Pip corrected, holding up a finger like a schoolteacher “It’s still the same physical space, only on a different dimensional plane.”

Maddie still looked confused, so I asked, “Does it always look like Halloween just threw up on the entire town?”

Both aunties laughed, and Fe said, “Halloween is a mortal celebration. Sometimes, creatures slip dimensions by accident and find themselves stranded in that world. The mortals called them demons and monsters and decided to make a holiday about it. It’s a good laugh in this dimension, but I dare say our culture was capitalized on quite a bit. ”

She suddenly turned her attention to Jason as he started to open his mouth. “Just be thankful October brought you all back. Not to mention whole instead of in pieces.” Jason shut his mouth fast but still glared at me with his thick arms crossed over his chest as he reclined in his chair.

“You still haven’t told me why I’m turning into a vampire,” said Norman. He was stroking the head of the little bat sitting on his shoulder almost absentmindedly.

“One thing you need to understand is that each and every one of you died tonight,” Fe deadpanned, letting it all sink in for a moment. “You died, and October’s powers kicked in to save her life, and in turn, yours. But when she brought you back, she used the life force of the world she was born in. You belong here now, and you’ll never be mortal again. In a sense, you are tied to October.”

It was silent for a moment before Michael asked, “So we’re all going to turn into vamps?” He fingered his newly silver hair with worry in his voice.

The aunties laughed again, more like a cackle. “Oh, great pumpkin, no.” We all breathed a sigh of relief, but it might have been too soon because she added, “There’s no telling what you might turn out to be. We’ll just have to wait and find out. It’s only a matter of time before your true, lovely creature shines through.”

The guys took turns glaring at me, while Maddie just stared off into space. All of this was my fault. I’d turned them into monsters.

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