Dead End: Midnight Hollow by Penn Cassidy (free novel 24 TXT) 📗

“Sister, stop trying to kill the guests. You’re not exactly a ghoul scout,” Fe said with a dark chuckle.

She smoothed her hand down her completely black, silk power suit that had silver designs depicting double crescent moons around the collar and cuffs. She patted her red hair to make sure it was still in a perfect bun.

She did all of this while lifting something out of the cauldron, blocking my view as she faced away from us. She tsked again under her breath and turned back around to face her suspicious audience.

“I swear on the Holy Bible and Jesus himself, if there's a floating eyeball in there, I’m out.” Maddie made a peace sign and grimaced through a shudder. I didn’t blame her as I too stared suspiciously at the cauldron. I didn’t even know we owned a cauldron.

I wasn’t sure how much more of this ridiculous nonsense we could handle. It still felt like reality couldn’t quite catch up to us, holding us hostage, frozen in time.

“Pish posh, it’s—” Pip started with a flick of her wrist, like we were the crazy ones.

“Laundry day!” Fe finished for her, and sat down beside her sister with a steaming cup of tea that absolutely wasn’t there seconds ago.

I heard Freddy mumble, “I thought it was bat chowder…”

“Aunties, I think it’s time you told us what’s going on. Talking spiders, fangs, magic, killer clowns, and coming back from the dea…” I trailed off, feeling Jason’s burning stare on my skin. It was the first time he’d looked at me since entering this house tonight.

“The dead?” my aunties both said at the same time, causing everyone to visibly shiver, as if some phantom breeze wafted through the room. Even Jessica shivered.

There was no way, just no fucking way this was really happening. Magic wasn’t supposed to be real. Spiders couldn’t talk, and the dead stayed dead.

“No! That was a dream! Nobody really died!” My voice sounded hollow, even to my own ears. I detected the lie the second it was out of my mouth.

That was when I realized that the next thing to come out of my aunties' mouths would change everything. My life was never going to be the same after this. None of ours would ever be the same. I almost didn’t want to talk anymore. My breathing picked up as everyone stared at me with varying levels of pity and anger. So much anger, in fact, that it was nearly suffocating. But I didn’t fucking care. Whatever I did, I hadn’t meant to do it! But I’d do it again in a heartbeat, instead of seeing their vacant stares.

“I'm so sorry, dear,” Pip said softly, placing a gentle hand over mine. “We begged your parents to tell you a long time ago, but they wouldn’t listen.”

“Tell me what?” I wasn’t even sure I wanted to know anymore. With the way she was looking at me, I knew it was about to get weird.

Fe sighed, setting her mug of tea down with a smack as she blurted, “Oh for pumpkin’s sake, you’re a necromancer, October. On your father’s side, of course. David should have prepared you for this, honestly…”

“I’m a what?!” My jaw dropped, ready for the screaming to start.

“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.

“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 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 after 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