Page 5 of Castings & Curses

Jan grinned but continued in the same breath, “Don’t get me started on the astronomy club that arrived today. They’re all missing a few screws.”

Fabian put one arm around Jan and the other around Lucille before he’d be left out. “Let’s get some drinks.”

“But real drinks,” Jan insisted.

Lucille clicked her tongue. “You still got to work later.”

“With kids,” Fabian joined her.

Jan scowled. “Who’s a prissy now?”

Laughing, Fabian guided his friends down the lane and led them to the cocktail booth. Though he had been eighteen for almost a year now, it was still exciting to be able to buy a drink other than beer or wine. There were so many different cocktails to choose from. In the end, he followed Lucille’s example and got a Mai Tai, while Jan picked a mojito.

With their drinks in hand, the three of them began walking across the festival.

“There’s one thing I really need to tell you,” Jan said before taking a big slurp from his drink. “While cleaning out the rooms this morning, I found a head.”

The drink in Fabian’s mouth turned sour. “I don’t like where this is going.”

Carefully, Lucille asked, “And by head, you mean…”

“A head,” Jan said promptly. “With blood and all the shebang. Alright, the eyes were missing.”

Fabian lowered his drink with disgust. He wouldn’t be able to take another sip for hours.

“Does this happen often?” Lucille asked softly.

“Yes, Lu. We’re actually a demon hostel. On Wednesdays, we hold the black mass in the community room.”

Lucille rolled her eyes. “Let me rephrase that. Do you have any idea who might be behind this?”

Jan shook his head. “Not really, but I suppose it’s one of our guests. Not the sixth graders. They might all be little demons, but not that kind of demon. The astronomy club, perhaps. They’re weird and… they’re really weird.” By the sounds of it, Jan seemed positively traumatised by them. “Or those two, but they’re my favourite guests. Clean, quiet, always friendly.”

He pointed into the crowd. Fabian had a sinking feeling before he even looked. Sure enough, it was the two girls from the pool. “So, it was blood.”

Next to him, Lucille sighed. “I’m afraid, you have at least one monster at the hostel.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We met those two at the pool yesterday. The one with the long hair drinks blood. The one offers it to her,” Lucille explained.

Sceptically, Jan took another glance. Offers it to her means she offers herself?”

Fabian shuddered. “No, fortunately not. The blood came in a bottle.”

“We were hoping we were misjudging what we saw,” Lucille elaborated, “but your find fits too well.” She took a deep breath. “Oh well, it would’ve been too nice if they were only a bit eccentric. Let’s talk to them.”

It wasn’t something Fabian relished, but after the year they’d had, he knew better than to run from a monster.

They approached the girls and watched their eyes light up at the sight of them. Definitely not what he expected from a pair of monsters in hiding.

Hanne smiled at them. “Hey. That’s a nice surprise.”

“Such a small city,” Lucille said through a forced smile of her own.

“You’re the guy from the hostel, aren’t you?” Mika asked Jan. She seemed a bit more reserved than her girlfriend.

Jan nodded. “Yes, Jan. Not Hosty.”

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