𝐑𝐄𝐃 • Max Dennison

VI: THEY'RE BACK

The walk to the Sanderson house was long. "Some people say that the bones of a hundred children are buried within these walls," Lilah said.

"Oh, great," Dani sighed.

"Don't worry, they're probably wrong."

"Probably isn't good enough."

Lilah laughed as she opened the gates to the Sanderson house. She'd never been to it, before. She'd been invited, and dared, but she never did. Even as a non-believe she knew better than to go inside, but something about this particular Halloween night made her think differently. Maybe it was something in the air.

The stairs creaked as they walked up them. First Lilah, then Max, then Dani. As Lilah opened the door, she was hit with an awful smell and a clump of cobwebs. She coughed, hitting the cobwebs off of herself.

"I can't see a thing," Dani complained. Max took her pumpkin basket and used it as a torch.

"There should be a light switch," Lilah said. Her and Max searched around and found a box of lighters. They both reached for the same one and their hands brushed slightly together. Lilah was quick to pull away. "Sorry," she said.

"You're alright," Max smiled, grabbing the lighter. He shone the fire on the wall and Lilah flicked on the light switch, revealing what the house looked like. "Whoa!" Max exclaimed.

They looked around the house, which was indeed filed with witch-y relics. Lilah began to question whether people had been telling the truth about the sisters, or whether everything had just been planted there.

She made her way over to the middle of the room. "This is apparently Winifred Sanderson's spell book, made from human skin and given to her by the devil himself. Ew, creepy." As Lilah spoke, Max stood behind her, leaning over her shoulder to look at the book. She felt her chest tighten.

"I get the picture," Dani said.

Max turned his attention to a candle in the corner of the room. "What's that?" He asked.

Lilah's eyes widened as she lay them in something she never thought existed. "The black flame candle," she said, almost as if she was trying to convince herself that she was really seeing it.

Max made his was over and read what the sign said. "Black Flame Candle. Made from the fat of a hanged man. Legend says that, on a full moon, it will raise the spirits of the dead when lit by a virgin on Halloween night."

"You best not light it, then," Lilah joked.

Max leaned on the wooden pillar. "Why not? Let's meet the old broads."

"Max, I don't think that's a-" Dani began, before being interrupted by screaming and... a cat? A black cat swooped down and jumped onto Max, knocking him down.

Max managed to throw the cat off and it ran away. "Stupid cat!" He yelled.

"Okay, Max," Dani said, "You've had your fun. It's time to go. Come on, Lilah."

"She's right, let's go," Lilah said.

Max got back up, looking at the candle. "Oh, come on. It's just a  bunch of hocus pocus."

"Max. Even Lilah's saying to leave, and she doesn't belive in this stuff, either. Let's go!"

Max ignored Dani's protests and lit the candle. For a second, it burned like a normal candle. But only for a second, until it turned black. "Uh oh," Max said. All of the lights in the hosue went off as a strange wind came out of nowhere.

"Okay, now I'm definitely not a non-believer," Lilah said. The floor boards began to shake underneath them. Through the cracks, Lilah could see something green and glowy underneath.