They spot a strange looking couple at the ball. There are several more strangers, already circulating. The people there seem to be under a spell, and they discover that the punch is tainted. Brian realizes that the band members aren’t who they seem to be either. He gives the leader a five dollar bill full of blessed salt, and isn’t surprised when the fellow overreacts to its touch.
“No, sir. Sure won’t.” Brian walked away and the band started playing.
“What was all that?” Chase said, watching the band leader.
“Had a feeling about something. I gave him some salt. He didn’t much like it, but he didn’t act like a demon either.”
“We’ll keep an eye.”
Brian’s discomfort increased. Though he dribbled salt around the dance floor and rubbed it on people as he passed, he could tell it wasn’t having a lot of effect. He signaled the others to regroup. They met in the middle of the dance floor. He hadn’t seen the strangers for several minutes and that had him somewhat concerned, because he wasn’t sure they were really gone.
“I think we need to get out of here,” he said. “Maybe divert them away from here. Too many potential hostages.”
“Where to?”
“I have an idea about that. Let’s meet up at the family crypt.”
“In the cemetery? In these shoes?” Jordan said. “No worries, actually. I have better ones in the car.”
They left in a hurry, heading to their cars. Brian and Dwight stayed behind for a few minutes, making sure that the strangers knew they were leaving. Even if he didn’t see them, he knew they were still around. Brian wanted their exodus noticed. If these people had a mind to slaughter innocents, he wanted to get them as far away as possible. He and Dwight made a big show of leaving, with luck, drawing the attention of the creepy couples. They could feel half a dozen pairs of eyes on them as they walked out.
“You sure about this, my friend?” Dwight asked.
“Not at all. Got a better idea?”
“No. But I want it on record that I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I, but it seems the logical place to go. They’d love it if we went to the bad crypt. I’m not willing to endanger us that much.”
They drove into the empty, silent cemetery, heading down a narrow gravel track to the vault. When they arrived, they looked around for the others.
“They should have been here by now,” Dwight said.
“Did you see them in the parking lot?”
“No, their cars were gone. I have a really bad feeling about this.”
Brian did too. His hackles rose and his ancestor’s ring burned cold on his left hand. He could see the stones glowing. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out his amulet. These stones glowed too. They pulsed in time with his heartbeat.
“Call Jordan,” Brian gasped, handing Dwight his phone.
“You okay, mate?”
Brian couldn’t answer. His head slammed against the headrest, his chest arched and his eyes rolled back in his head. The ground rumbled. Tombstones jittered and danced, uprooting and toppling over. The ground roiled as Brian continued to shake.
Dwight made the call, but got voicemail. Horrified, he opened the doors and pulled Brian’s stiff body across the center console and into the passenger seat. He couldn’t do anything about the apparent seizure, but he could get them away from the mausoleum. He had a feeling he knew where the others were. With a few false starts, he got his bearings in the unfamiliar town and headed to Chase’s house.
Jordan walked out of the community center and headed to her father’s car. Her clothing and shoes were in the back. She changed quickly, watching her friends do the same. Brian and Dwight still hadn’t come out and it had been at least five minutes.
“Time to head out,” Miles said.
They got in the cars with the adults driving. When they came to the main thoroughfare of town, instead of turning right to go to the cemetery, all the drivers turned left.
“Dad, what’s up?” Jordan asked.
He didn’t respond. Instead, he sped up, flying down the narrow highway at 90.
“Dad? Speak to me!”
He said nothing. Her mother was equally unresponsive. Diving into her bag, Jordan pulled out her phone. Her father’s hand shot out, grabbing it. He hurled it out the window before Jordan had a chance to react. Moments later, they pulled up at Chase’s house. The others joined them a few seconds later.
The adults got out of the car and went to stand in a circle around the far end of the clearing. By the paint on the ground, the teenagers knew that was where the mausoleum stood.
“Can we call someone?” Jordan asked.
“Dad took my phone,” Marissa said. “And Mom took Chase’s.”
“Dad threw mine out the window,” Jordan added.
A short consultation revealed that they’d either left their phones at home or had them taken away. Jordan assessed the situation and ran to her father’s car. The door wasn’t locked and she quickly pulled it open. As she’d hoped, her father’s phone sat in the hands free dash attachment. Snatching it up, she dialed Brian. It rang and went to voice mail. She called back. The third time she called, she got an answer. It wasn’t Brian.
“Dwight here. Problems all round. Where are you?”
© 2017 Dellani Oakes
Dellani Oakes 