chapter 6
Sera slipped the black velvet cape around her shoulders and tied it at her throat. It swept along the floor as she moved to Kathleen’s closet where her full length mirror hung. Kathleen was cursing miserably in front of the small mirror on her dresser as she angrily shoved bobby pins into her hair. She was trying to get a long black wig to stay in place for the night, but Sera was certain that she was going to rip her own hair out trying.
Sera stepped in front of the mirror and was instantly surprised by her reflection. Her long blond hair had been swept up and pinned neatly on her head. Spiraling tendrils of it fell down to frame her face. Her eyes shone a brilliant purple against the deep violet of her long, medieval dress. The sleeves of which clung to her upper arms to reveal her shoulders. An elegant gold choker, with fake blue stones hanging from it, was clasped around her neck. Kathleen had painted flames on her face that swirled out from her eyes and curled to her temples. They made her eyes seem larger, and more mysterious.
She barely recognized herself as she stared in dumbfounded silence.
“There,” Kathleen announced. “That should do it.”
Sera turned to look at her. The long black wig hung down to Kathleen’s waist and swished as she moved. She had bought an Elvira dress that was cut dangerously low to enhance her large breasts. Her eyes were outlined in dark black, and she had painted a spider, and a web on her right cheek. Her lips were painted black, and she had placed long, black fingernails on. She looked utterly amazing, sexy and dark.
“You look wonderful,” Sera said.
“Thank you,” she replied, sweeping back her long black hair. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks, you ready to go?”
“Yeah, let’s get Danielle.”
Sera opened the door, and Kathleen swept past her, swishing her hair as she went. They moved down the hall, dodging the bats, spider webs, spiders, and witches that hung from the ceiling. Kathleen knocked on Danielle’s door and pushed it open. An eerie howl greeted them, and a skeleton began to laugh as its glowing green eyes lit up.
“Hey guys,” Danielle greeted as she shoved a pile of clothes on the floor.
Danielle had managed to get one of the few single rooms in the dorm. In her first three years she had hated her roommates. This year she’d decided that she would rather be alone. She was much happier with the arrangement.
“You look so cute!” Kathleen gushed.
Danielle cast them a flashing grin as she tossed back her long dark hair. She was dressed in a tight gray leotard. Her hair had been pulled into a ponytail, and gray ears had been placed securely on her head. Whiskers decorated her face and she had painted the tip of her slender nose black.
“You two look amazing.”
“But of course,” Kathleen cried as she spun in a circle.
“I’m ready.” Danielle grabbed her small gray purse. “I hope this party is good.”
“So do I.” Kathleen bounced over to Sera as she opened the door. “The school party last year sucked! So this one had better be good.”
“It’s a frat house,” Sera said smiling. “Drinking, dancing, and passing out, only it will be in disguise.”
Kathleen laughed and skipped down the hall. “Like we won’t know who it is through a mask!” she called, punching the button for the elevator. They stepped into it as Kathleen pushed the button for the first floor. “I can’t wait to bob for apples in Budweiser, the Coors caramel apples, and beer bottle bats!”
They laughed as the doors opened and they stepped into the lobby. A handful of people were gathered around, costumes on, waiting to go to parties. Streamers flowed from the ceiling to the floor, and decorations covered the walls in preparation for the trick-or-treaters tomorrow night. The three of them crossed the hall and exited through the thick wood doors. The crisp air and the smell of dead leaves instantly filled Sera’s nostrils. Students strolled along the sidewalks, almost all of them were wearing costumes, as they made their way toward whatever party they were invited to, or bar that they were going to spend the night at.
“Got your invite?” Danielle asked.
“I can’t believe they sent out invitations,” Kathleen said, pulling hers from between her breasts. “When did they get class Sera?”
“Liam said they were doing something different this year, and that they didn’t have enough room for a lot of people. There will be no underclassmen there, unless they’re in the frat, or a girlfriend.”
“There are still about a thousand people in the upper-class.” Kathleen pulled her dress down to expose more of her ample chest.
“They only sent out a hundred invitations.”
“There are more people than that on the dance floor most nights,” Danielle muttered.
“They’re opening it up for the kid’s tomorrow night,” Sera said. “Everyone is invited after that.”
They reached the front of the frat house to discover a line that led all the way down to the sidewalk. “What the hell is this?” Kathleen demanded.
“They’re having a haunted house,” a girl in an elf suit replied. “They’re taking us in ten at a time.”
“Yeah, but once you go in, you don’t come out,” a boy dressed as Robin Hood added with a sinister laugh.
“Oh cut it out John,” the girl replied, slapping him on the arm.
“Cool.” Kathleen’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “This should definitely be fun!”
Sera stared up at the house. Candles lit some of the windows on the lower floors, and jack-o-lanterns had been placed in all of them. In the attic, the lights were on, and a few people were moving about in front of the windows. Sera realized that they were the people who had already gone through, and had now begun the party. The line inched forward as they moved slowly toward the doorway.
Halloween music poured out as the door opened to let in groups of people. No one appeared in the doorway, and no lights lit up the foyer. Sera tried to peer inside, but it was impossible to see anything in the darkness. She glanced back through the line, her eyes landing on an Egyptian princess in a body hugging gold dress. All of her exposed skin was painted gold, except for her face, which was exquisitely layered with makeup. Her brilliant red hair was flowing around her shoulders, and topped with a gold tiara.
Sera felt a wave of anger as she stared at Michelle, who was flirting with a man dressed as a musketeer. He reached out to touch her shoulder and Michelle quickly slapped his hand away as she snapped at him not to mess up her makeup. “How did that bitch get an invitation?” Kathleen demanded, hands on her hips.
“Kathleen...” Sera warned.
“No way Sera, that was the best thing about tonight, goddamn it!”
“She comes to all the parties here, I’m sure she’s made more than a few friends. Just ignore her.”
“You know I can’t. She gives you dirty looks at all the parties, and she still won’t lay off Liam. All she does is talk about what a jerk he is, but you know she’s just waiting to make a move on him.”
Sera felt extremely uncomfortable as she glanced warily back at Michelle. She was amazingly beautiful, and tonight it really showed. She knew that Liam couldn’t stand her, but she had to be hard for a man to refuse, and Kathleen was right, Michelle did want Liam.
They reached the front of the line, where a man dressed as a troll took their invitations. The door swung open and Sera found herself faced with complete blackness. “Welcome to the house of hell,” a voice from behind the door said. “Enter at your own risk.”
Sera walked into the foyer, followed by nine other people. The door closed behind them and a small light came on to dimly illuminate the floor around them. “Awesome,” Kathleen whispered in her ear.
“This is ridiculous,” a cool voice said from behind her. “How old are we?”
Sera bristled at Michelle’s condescending tone, and tried to push away her disappointment at having to go through with her. “Shit,” Danielle whispered.
A man stepped out of the shadows, startling them all, and causing Sera to take a step back. He wore a vampire costume, and was covered with so much makeup that Sera couldn’t tell who he was. “I see you were brave enough to enter. I have to warn you that not all of you will make it through alive. If you wish to leave now, please, be my guest.” Sera bit back a smile as she recognized Jack’s voice. She had never expected to see him so dressed up for Halloween, and she found it charming.
“How corny,” Michelle sneered.
“I see we have a disbeliever,” Jack continued. “They are usually the ones that don’t make it. Now, follow me to your death.”
He moved slowly away from them and toward the kitchen. They followed him down the dimly lit hall, past the swinging doors. “Welcome,” he announced. “To the kitchen of death.”
They stepped into an elaborately decorated death scene. On the kitchen table lay a torso with blood dripping out of its neck, and stumpy legs. A man stood by the sink holding a bloody knife, his white apron was covered in blood. “Have you brought me presents?” he asked, lowering the knife.
“Yes, master,” Jack answered.
“You have done well. Come forward my children, and see what I have for you.”
Sera cocked an eyebrow at Jack as he grinned down at her, his hazel eyes twinkling merrily. “Cute costume,” she whispered.
“And you’re looking lovely tonight,” he said low. “Now move before I have to drink your blood.”
Sera laughed softly as she moved forward, a little thrill of excitement flowed through her. She loved haunted houses. “Come.” The man with the knife gestured them closer to the sink. They crowded around the sink to stare down at a bloody, decapitated head. “This was my brother. He stole my girlfriend, now I need a new one. What about you sweetie?” he asked Kathleen.
“I love a man who knows how to protect himself,” Kathleen replied laughingly.
“Oh baby!”
They all jumped in surprise as the head in the sink uttered the words and opened its eyes to look at them. A few of the girls screamed and jumped back, and then everybody began to laugh nervously. “I need a girlfriend too,” the head cried.
A shrill scream filled the air as a figure dressed in white came rushing at them. Sera yelped in surprise and stumbled into Danielle. “They’re mine!” she screamed as she charged at them. “You can’t have them!”
One of the men broke out laughing, and the terror quickly fled Sera’s body. “Come now!” Jack cried. “We must leave this room if we all want to survive.”
“This is awesome!” Kathleen enthused.
They moved through a pitch black hall, bouncing against the walls as they felt their way along. Spider webs brushed annoyingly against her face, sending chills down her spine. The walls suddenly turned to mush, and Sera jerked her hand away as her fingers were enveloped in gunk.
“Uggh,” Danielle cried. “What the hell is this?”
“Brains,” Jack replied. “Of those who didn’t make it through.”
“Well, it had better not stain!” Michelle yelled from the back.
“Bitch,” Jack muttered.
“You can say that again,” Kathleen announced loudly.
Jack laughed as Sera grinned. Suddenly she bumped into something solid. “Sorry,” she apologized, realizing that it was a body.
Light suddenly flooded the room. Sera yelled and jumped backward. The body was hanging from the ceiling staring down at her. “Help me,” it cried, reaching out to her.
“Shit!” she gasped, her hand flying to her chest as Michelle laughed shrilly.
“Scared?” she taunted.
“Help me,” it called again as she brushed past it, and back into the dark.
“We are about to enter the basement of torture,” Jack announced.
A light flickered on. Sera eyed the rickety stairs before her, wondering if they would support her weight, and the others. She swallowed heavily as she followed Jack down the narrow stairwell. An eerie feeling began to envelope her as the stairs rocked slightly but held firm beneath them. The group followed behind her until they were all standing at the bottom. The only source of light was the bulb from above, and it was impossible to see anything beyond the ten foot beam.
The light above went out and they were plunged into complete blackness. Sera felt a chill go through her as Kathleen grabbed her arm. “I don’t like this,” Kathleen whispered.
Sera had to admit that she didn’t like it either. She wondered briefly where Liam was in this blackness, and wished that he were there with her. Something brushed against her arm and she jumped back, stifling the scream that rose in her throat. Kathleen suddenly jumped, and gripped her arm tighter.
“What the hell?” someone asked from the back.
“Something touched me!”
A large, hairy hand grabbed Sera’s arm and she screamed at the same time that a few other people did. A dim light suddenly came on. There was absolutely nothing around them. No hint of movement, and no place for anyone to hide. A shiver wracked through her as she bit down on her bottom lip.
“Can we go to the party now?” a girl in the back asked nervously.
“Only the survivors will party,” Jack taunted. “The dead will be dinner.”
“Great,” Kathleen mumbled, releasing Sera’s arm.
They followed Jack into a dimly lit side room. In the middle of the room stood a man wearing surgical scrubs. A woman was lying on a medical table with blood pooling around her. The doctor looked up and pulled his mask down as he smiled at them. His teeth were gaping holes.
“Oh, more victims. I need practice!”
The young woman sat up. Blood flowed from her mouth and her teeth hung grotesquely out. “Help,” she begged, reaching out to them. “Make him stop!”
The dentist came closer to them, a set of pliers in his hand. “I need more teeth for my collection!”
He held up a jar full of white teeth and waved it in front of them. “What about you?” he asked a girl dressed as red riding hood.
“How about you goldie?” he asked Michelle. She laughed at him as he stopped in front of her. “Yes, you’ll do,” he grinned.
The lights went out and screams issued from everywhere. When the lights came back on, Michelle was pressed against the back wall, the dentist standing before her, laughing. “Let’s go,” Jack said, unable to keep the laughter from his voice.
The lights went back out and Sera started to move cautiously forward. The wall suddenly gave out and her hand fumbled into nothingness. Someone grabbed hold of it, pulling her to the side. She opened her mouth to scream, when a hand wrapped around it, effectively cutting her off. She gasped in panic, her heart hammered, and her chest heaved as she struggled in the fierce grip.
“Shh, it’s me,” Liam whispered in her ear.
She slumped against him in relief as the panic fled. She turned toward him, but she could see nothing in the dark. “You scared the hell out of me!” she hissed.
There was a soft clicking sound and then a small light lit the alcove they were standing in. He lifted the tiny flashlight to look down at her. Sera smiled as she saw the Dracula costume he was wearing. The white shirt clung to his solid chest, and broad shoulders. The tight black pants fit snugly against his solid thighs. The large bulge in his pants was obvious, and she had to tear her gaze away from it as heat washed through her face. Her gaze shot back to his twinkling green eyes as he smiled knowingly at her and propped his hand on the wall beside her head. His face was painted white and blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, but all the makeup in the world couldn’t cover his elegant good looks, or his overpowering sensuality.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered, gently stroking her cheek.
“I bet you say that to all your victims.” She teased as she pressed her body tightly against his.
“Only the ones I want to eat,” he replied, kissing her softly.
“Are you a tour guide?”
“I’m done with the tours, now I want to eat.”
“I’m sweet,” she whispered huskily.
“I know you are.”
She fell into his warm embrace as his hands began to wander over her body and he kissed her leisurely. She tingled and burned wherever he touched as her hands stroked slowly up and down his hard back. She was just beginning to lose herself when the noise of the next group coming through reached her.
She started to laugh as she pulled slowly away from him. Screams echoed through the air and people began to laugh. He cradled the back of her head and kissed her again, his tongue delving deeply into her mouth as he gently pushed her against the wall. His hands skimmed down to cup her breast. Her nipples hardened as a small gasp of pleasure escaped her and her hands dug into his back.
He gently lowered her dress and bra to free one of her breasts. He cupped it in his hand, his thumb rubbing tantalizingly against the hardened nub. His mouth left hers as he bent to take the nipple into his mouth. His tongue caressed and teased it through the thin lace of her bra before nipping softly. She gasped and wound her fingers into his hair as she arched against him; shivers of pleasure racked through her and caused her knees to go weak.
Screams filled the air again as the next group came through. Liam was slightly breathless as he pulled away. “We had better go,” he whispered. “Or we’ll never leave.”
She managed a small nod as disappointment coursed through her. She could have spent the entire night there, but she knew that it was impossible. She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her racing heart. He smiled as he gently wiped her cheek. “Make up,” he explained.
She adjusted her dress and stepped back to watch as he fixed his cape. She gazed admiringly at his powerful physique, unable to keep her gaze from the bulge in his pants that was even more noticeable than before. She finished straightening her dress in an attempt to keep her mind distracted from the racing excitement that coursed through her veins. Liam stepped forward and took hold of her arm.
She followed him quickly through the passage ways and back to the stairs that she had come down earlier. A group was descending now. He turned off the flashlight as he pulled her beneath the stairs. A group of guys were standing there, smiling at the two of them as they waited to scare the unsuspecting people on the stairs.
“Tsk tsk tsk,” Mike said softly, wagging a hairy finger in her face.
“Shut up Mike,” she whispered, laughing as she shoved his finger away.
He grinned at her and looked up as the group reached the bottom of the stairs. “Got you earlier,” Mike whispered in her ear before he slipped his mask back on.
She shoved him playfully as the lights went out. Then they were pushing past. Liam took hold of her arm as the group began to yell and curse. “Don’t touch me!” someone snapped. Someone else screamed loudly, and the lights came back on as the group slowly left.
Sera glanced around at the group surrounding her again. “See you guys upstairs,” a Frankenstein monster said.
“No more detours!” Mike called after them as they made their way quickly up the stairs.
She followed Liam through a few more passageways before she found herself at the back stairway. She had come to know the frat house quiet well, but even she was confused and disoriented by the maze that had been erected. They hurried up the stairs and into the attic. People were spread out across the room. Music was playing, but not at the level that it usually did. Drinks were being passed around as people laughed and talked happily. They all sparkled in an amazing assortment of costumes, and glitter. Decorations hung across the room, and the faint sounds of Halloween music drifted up from the Haunted House.
Sera caught sight of Michelle as she floated past in a wave of gold. Kathleen came bounding up to her, a large smile on her face. “Did you have fun?” she asked, slyly glancing up at Liam.
He flashed a bright grin. “Always tactful,” he laughed.
“That’s why you love me!” she cried. “That was a great Haunted House. You would have loved it Sera,” she added mischievously. “Poor Michelle actually fell on the floor trying to get away from the headless horseman!”
Sera laughed and almost wished that she had been there to see it. “I’m going to get a drink,” Liam said, touching her arm gently.
“All right.”
He disappeared into the crowd and she followed Kathleen over to where Danielle was sitting.