By the time Jane reached downstairs, the door bell had rung. A high-pitched shriek went through the house and died. She looked in the kitchen.
"Oh, could you get that for me, darling?" Mrs. Macabre said as she, Catie, and Jack were cleaning up breakfast. Elvira sat on the window sill, looking bored as most cats often do.
Jane opened the front door and was greeted by a werewolf. She gasped as she looked up, gazing at the man whose body was covered in thick brown fur, his head resembled a snarling dog. Sharp fangs poked out from his maw and yellow eyes looked into hers. Around his body, he wore a leather satchel.
"Is this the residence of Mrs. Macabre?" He asked in a low voice.
"It is," she said, remembering to speak.
The werewolf opened his satchel and with a clawed hand, he took out an envelope and handed it to her. On the front was the address of the house, the return address was 1897 Crimson Castle. She looked on the back and saw a red wax seal with a bat embossed into it. "Took me forever to find the place," he said, apologetically.
"Thank you," Jane smiled. There was a pause. Not knowing what to do, she stood there, waiting for him to say something. After several awkward moments, the werewolf cleared his throat.
"Tip, please?" He held out a hairy hand.
"Oh!" Jane said and laughed. "Sorry! I'll be right back!" She rushed over into the kitchen. "Mrs. Macabre?" She asked handing the letter to her, "The were-mailman is asking for a tip."
Mrs. Macabre laughed. "They're called mail-werewolves, dear, not were-mailmen," she shook her head and smiled. Jane suddenly conjured the image of someone writhing in agony as they turned into a mailman by the light of a full moon. She held back a giggle. "The werewolf treats are over in the cabinet," the witch pointed to a cabinet in the corner and Jane walked over to it.
Opening the small door, she found a series of jars filled with everything from eyeballs to crows feet. She saw the one marked WEREWOLF TREATS and grabbed it. She took off the glass lid and saw that it was filled with cookies in the shape of humans. She picked one up and smelled it and to her surprise the scent was a blend of chicken and bacon. She placed the jar back and ran to the front door.
"Here you go!" She said, handing the treat to him with a theatrical gesture.
The werewolf looked at it, then looked to his right, then to his left as if to make sure that no one else was around. He moved closer to her, so that she could feel his warm breath. "Can you throw it, please?" He asked sheepishly.
"Of course!" Jane said and went onto the porch past the mail-werewolf. She threw it as hard as she could and it went several feet away.
The werewolf began to pant and ran after it. Jane watched his hind legs kick dirt in the air and his tail wag, as he sniffed through the dark grass to find it. He finally did and ate it in two quick bites. "Thank yooooouuuu!" He howled.
"You're welcome!" She laughed and waved to him, going back inside and shutting the door. As she returned to the kitchen, Mrs. Macabre was intently reading the letter that she had received.
"What does it say?" Catie asked, with bated anticipation.
"It's an invitation to the Vampire Queen's ball," she said, "She holds one every year, but this is the fist time I have been invited."
"Well, at least they won't drink witch's blood. You think they eat cats?" Elvira asked in a dry tone.
"Hush," Mrs. Macabre waved her hand at her. "It says that I am allowed to bring no more than two guests."
Catie gasped with excitement, while Jane kept in a word of hesitation. Though she wasn't quite sure if the Widow was friendly or not, the ghost's pleas did stay with her. After all, she wasn't exactly wrong to say that Mrs. Macabre had put them in harm's way up to that point. Even if she didn't mean to.
"Oh, Mrs. Macabre, can I stay here, please?" Jack shuddered. "Vampires are so scary. With their fangs, and their coffins, and they can turn into bats! Bats are terrifying!"
"They're quite charming once you get to know them. But, of course you can stay if you want to, dear. No one will force you to do anything you're not comfortable with," she patted him on the shoulder and Jack let out a sigh of relief.
"When is it?" Catie asked.
"Tonight, in fact."
"Can we go?"
"I don't know if we should," Jane finally said, unable to keep it to herself. They all looked at her, surprised.
"But- but they're vampires, Jane?" Catie said, shocked. "Don't tell me you've never wanted to meet a vampire?
"I do!" She said, embarrassed. "I just- after that whole thing with the Reaper. . . "
"Oh, sweetheart," Mrs. Macabre let out a sigh. "I told you I never should have brought you and Catie to the river with me. That was my fault, and I take full responsibility for it," she thought for a moment. "In fact, I think I know just the trick!" She snapped her fingers and a cupboard opened up. Various jars, tea pots, and containers came flying out and landed gently on the kitchen counter, until finally a large glass jug came out of the back. It was full of a red liquid that looked like fruit punch. "Ah, here we are!" Mrs. Macabre said, presenting it to everyone. "Vampire camouflage!"
"What's that?" Catie asked.
"A little potion of my own making. An extract of vampire blood here, an extract of chameleon saliva there and presto! You'll be able to look, sound, and smell like a vampire. That way they won't confuse you for a midnight snack."
Jane prickled at the thought. Not just at the concept of being vampire food, but that the solution to her problem had been solved, partially to her disappointment. " I guess we can go then," she mumbled.
"Yaaaay!" Catie held up her arms with joy. "You won't regret this, Jane!"
She prayed that her sister was right.
***
After a litany of chores, which included: Feeding the man-eating plant, dusting the mummies' tombs, bathing the swamp monster, and making sure the giant spider had its exercise, it was time to leave for the ball.
"You won't get into too much trouble, will you?" Mrs. Macabre said as she scratched Elvira's ears.
"We'll make sure you'll never notice if we do," Elvira purred and titled her head back with pleasure. Jack shook his head to Mrs. Macabre diligently.
"All right girls, off to the ball!" Mrs. Macabre grabbed her broom out of the holder and opened the front door.
"How are we going to get there?" Jane asked as they walked out, holding on to one last hope that perhaps they couldn't go after all.
"Oh, it would take far too long to travel by house, my dear. So, instead, we'll get there the old fashioned way," she held up her broom horizontally and let go, it floated several feet above the ground. The broom then stretched, growing longer, so that it would fit all of them. "Hop on, then," Mrs. Macabre smiled as she swung around on the front, tapping the raven skull handle.
Catie gleefully got on behind her and Jane did so with great care. The last time she had done anything similar to such a task was when her parents took them horseback riding when they were five. She had hated it, never finding the comfort in riding a living thing. She felt a twinge of anxiety run through her as she gripped Catie's sides.
"Now hold on, children. Blasting off!" Mrs. Macabre kicked her legs off the ground and they went zooming up. Catie laughed as if she was on a roller coaster and Jane nearly had the wind taken out of her. She glanced down and saw Jack waving below them, growing smaller and smaller as they went up, he soon looked like a tiny figure of a scarecrow in front of a tiny model of the manor.
"Don't look down, don't look down," she kept repeating out loud. The wind whipped through her hair and she shivered from the cold.
"You're holding me too tight," Catie yelled behind her as they flew.
"Sorry!" Jane called out in return. She loosened her grip a bit. As their flight continued, her heart beat slowed down to its normal rate, she relaxed her hold on Catie's back, and she took in her surroundings. The night sky was illuminated by a giant, pale moon that hung in it for all eternity. Its beams shone over the bright twinkling stars over blankets of ink. Dark clouds were dotted here and there, swirling like cotton candy. Below them were mountains, trees, hills, rivers, and lakes. She saw villages and cities dancing with pin-points of candle light in their windows and street lamps. She wondered if anyone was looking up and seeing them, a witch on a broom must be as mundane as watching an airplane flying over their house was to her. All of it was bathed in a deep, rich purple making it feel like something from a dream. Though the land was full of monsters, it contained within it a beauty that she had never seen. Her heart ached at the thought of leaving it one day soon.
"Ah-ha!" Mrs. Macabre said, pointing downwards. As they slowly descended, the Crimson Castle came into view. Spires of red grew higher and higher as they drew nearer, appearing like a massive blot of blood in the indigo-tinted landscape. "What a lovely night for flying, don't you think, girls?" She asked as they touched down.
"That. Was. Amazing!" Catie said, getting off. "I can't wait to do it again!"
Jane wobbled a bit as she got up off of the broom, finding her land legs as she did so. She looked down at what she was wearing. "Don't you think we're a little underdressed for a ball?" She asked.
"That won't be a problem," Mrs. Macabre said and pulled out a piece of straw from her broom. She placed it in her pocket and snapped her fingers. Her daily wardrobe of black had turned into a red velvet suit. She moved her fingers through her raven hair, making it grow short and wavy as she did so. She struck a pose. "How do I look?"
"Fantastic!" The Gracey twins said with applause.
"Thank you," she bowed and pulled out two pieces from the broom and handed them to the girls. "Now you try it. Just think of what you want to wear and snap your fingers."
Jane and Catie carefully took the pieces from her as if they were radioactive. They placed them in their pockets, thought about what they wanted, then snapped their fingers. Instantaneously, their clothes turned into gorgeous red gowns, Jane's more formal with lining weaving in and out like black vines around her dress and Catie's more regal with glittering rubies dotted all around it.
"Thank god we didn't think of the same dress," Jane said with relief.
"You look wonderful, darlings," Mrs. Macabre tapped her broom onto the ground and it turned into a walking cane. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She took out a vial from her pocket. It was filled with the elixir that they saw from the kitchen cabinet.
"Do we have to?" Catie groaned.
"Is it going to hurt?" Jane said, taking it.
"Not at all. Just a little discomfort, but that shouldn't last for more than several seconds."
Jane opened the vial and smelled it, the scent was strong and sharp, like medicine. She held her nose and took a swig. Bitter, sour liquid went down her throat, almost making her gag, but she kept it down, anyway. She handed it to Catie, who took it from her with a frown. She drank it with the same look of disgust.
"Give it a moment to kick in," Mrs. Macabre said, excited.
Several seconds past with no results. Then they both noticed that they were growing paler by the moment. Their stomachs began to gurgle as if they were hungry, then they felt something growing inside their mouths. It was a dull, throbbing sensation that they might have gotten from a toothache. The stomach and mouth problems soon disappeared.
"Whoah," Catie said, placing a finger delicately on her new born fangs.
"This is weird," Jane agreed, feeling the sharp points with her tongue.
" You two look just the parts!" Mrs. Macabre applauded, "Now, we should get going. The potion will only last a few hours.. Shall we, then?" She moved towards the castle and the girls followed her.
Now that they were down on ground level, they were able to see the castle more clearly. It was enormous, with a huge draw bridge and a portcullis made of iron. The torches that lined the walls made it glow like the rubies on Catie's dress. But surrounding the castle was something they hadn't expected at all. Roses. Hundreds of red roses made a perimeter around the castle, giving the whole space an overwhelming, sensuous red tint.
"Where are all the carriages?" Catie asked.
"What do you mean, dear?" Mrs. Macabre said.
"For all the guests. How did they get here?"
"They turned into bats or wolves, of course," she shook her head and smiled.
They reached the two massive double doors that was surrounded by several maids and butlers. Their eyes were wide and stared at nothing in particular.
"What's up with them?" Jane whispered, so as not to be seen as impolite.
"They're humans that the vampires have hypnotized," she explained. Jane wasn't sure if that made her feel better about the situation.
One of the butlers strolled up to them. "Hello," he said in a slow, monotoned voice, "welcome. To. The. Crimson Castle. May I. See your. Invitation?" He moved his hand out in a mechanical fashion towards her.
"Certainly," Mrs. Macabre said, pulling out the letter from her pocket.
The butler took it and read it. Or at least, that was the assumption, it was more accurate to say that he stared at the paper with his eyes unmoving. "Very well," he finally said. "Enjoy. The party," he turned to his associates and nodded to them.
The other butlers and maids took to the mighty doors and opened them with a loud creak. As they walked inside, the trio looked around with amazement. Enormous crystal chandeliers hung over them, balconies and baroque architecture were draped in curtains of red satin and velvet. In the middle of the room was a large fountain that bubbled blood surrounded by statues of vampire women. The vampires around them were dressed impeccably: reds, blacks, and golds danced around them. Feathers, jewelry, and even some masquerade masks entered their view. Some of the faces gazed at Mrs. Macabre with unkind eyes.
"Mrs. Macabre!" A voice cried out to them. They turned and saw a woman walking gracefully towards them, fangs smiling. The guests quickly parted, making a trail for her. She was dressed in a large crimson ball gown, with a cape trailing behind like bat wings. Atop her red hair sat a crown incrusted with rubies.
"Your Majesty," Mrs. Macabre bowed. "What an honor it is to be invited to your ball. You're looking as lovely as a freshly embalmed corpse," she took her hand and kissed it.
"Oh, you are too kind!" The Vampire Queen said, flattered. "News had spread that you had returned from your long hiatus, so think of it as my way of welcoming you back! And who are your two guests, might I ask?"
"These are my nieces," she interjected, before the girls could open their mouths, "Jane and Catherine. They've come to visit me, so I thought I'd give them the pleasure of meeting their monarch."
"Your Majesty," the twins bowed.
"Wonderful! Tell me, young ladies, which clan do you herald from?"
All three of them looked at one another for a moment. "The Dracula clan!" Jane said in a panic. "He's our distant cousin," she smiled.
"Funny. I've never heard him mention you before," the Queen placed a sharp nail to her chin in thought, then waved at the air and laughed. "Oh, that old bat is unable to remember where his own coffin is, anyways! You three just arrived in time! We're about to start the parlor games!"
Jane and Catie looked at each other, relieved that their cover hadn't been blown. The games that the Queen was excited for were both familiar and foreign at the same time. The first, was croquet, a game that they had never played before- especially not with skulls- but they were fast learners. The second was snake racing, in which tracks were invented through a series of small wooden walls. Snakes would then be set loose and whichever snake reached the finish line first, the person who had placed the bet on it would win a large sum of money. As the reptiles slithered through the labyrinthine structure, all the vampires cheered for their snake to win. It, unfortunately, ended on a technicality error in which the python ate the cobra.
After an hour or so of games, dancing, and conversing with the other vampires, the dinner bell was rung. Everyone entered the dining room and sat at an enormous banquet table that spanned the length of the hall.
"Oh, I do hope you two are humanitarians," the Queen said as she sat at her throne placed at the end of the table.
The Gracey twins looked at Mrs. Macabre, who nodded back to them immediately. "We are!" Catie said with smiling fangs. She nor Jane knew what the Queen had meant, but it soon became clear once the butlers and maids placed the main course in front of them. In a bowl made of fine china was a dark red liquid that was quickly deduced to be blood. Wisps of steam rose off of it as the girls looked down, shocked.
"Where is it from?" Jane whispered to Mrs. Macabre.
"You don't want to know," she said as she sipped hers.
Catie took the smallest amount of her soup from her spoon then made a face as if she had tasted something strong. "It's really salty," she said to Jane. "Just tell yourself it's tomato soup or something," her tone was not as confident as her sister had hoped.
Jane looked around and saw the other vampires slurping and eating their blood soup as if it was the most delicious meal they'd ever had. Some dipped bread into it, others asked for eyeballs to be dashed into theirs, all of it made her nearly sick to her stomach.
"May I be excused, Your Majesty?" She asked, getting up.
"Whatever for, my dear?" The Queen asked, breaking conversation from a noble vampire.
"I- I don't feel good," Jane clutched her stomach, "Where is your restroom?"
"The washroom is down the corridor to the right," she said pointing to it and looking genuinely concerned.
"Thank you," she curtsied and turned. As she moved her seat back into the table, she gave an apologetic look to Mrs. Macabre and Catie, who in turn were looking at her with a sense of abandonment. She rushed down the hall, her shoes echoing against the marble floor and bleeding into the conversation at the table.
She soon reached the washroom and locked the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief and walked over to the sink, turning it on and washing her face in the cold water. She looked into the mirror and laughed with surprise to see that she had no reflection. The laughter soon died down when she noticed that she was not alone.
"Enjoying the party?" The Widow asked from the back of the room.
"What do you want from me?" Jane spun around.
"The broom, child," the Widow floated from the shadows towards her, "the broom is the key to your prison."
"What do you mean?"
"The witch is indeed full of magic, but the strongest source of it comes from the broom. Without it, she is less powerful. Without it, she is harmless. Without it, you and your sister are safe."
"What- what do you want me to do with it?" Jane stammered, getting colder as the Widow drew closer.
"Nothing, my sweet. Only to give it to me," the Widow placed a boney hand to her chest. "I cannot enter the manor without it. Once I have the broom, I shall set you and your sister free, so that you may return to your world."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"You doubt her, I know you do. Is there not a part of you that doubts her intentions? To make you stay here, in the Hallowland forever, instead of going back to where you belong?. Wouldn't you want to go back home and live a normal life? A life where you keep your love of the dark hidden? Without being teased, without being judged, without being seen as a freak?"
Jane shivered, but not from the cold. There was a part of her, deep in the back of her mind, that wished that she and her sister would hide who they were. Being called strange and unusual by other children just made her and Catie feel even more lonelier than they already did. And maybe, just maybe, if they were normal then their parents wouldn't look at them as if they were from another planet. "I do," she said.
"Then let me take it, then," the Widow laid a hand on Jane's chin. "Let me take that pain away, let me make you feel joy again, let me help you rid this disease of being yourself."
"How?" She asked, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Tomorrow. Meet me in the attic at noon. Commandeer the broom and give it to me through the window. Remember, no one must see you. No one."
"I will."
"Excellent. Now hurry along, your truth is showing," the Widow tilted her head to the mirror.
Jane looked behind her and saw that the ghost had vanished, but she also noticed a faint outline of her reflection in the mirror. She panicked, if the potion was wearing off for her, then it surely was doing the same for Catie. She quickly unlocked the door and rushed out.
Composing herself, she walked back to the dining hall. The chatter amongst everyone was still in session, a chorus of voices talking about things she wasn't paying attention to.
"Oh, thank Hades, you're back!" The Queen said, noticing her. "Just in time for desert!"
Jane sat back down and saw, to her surprise, a piece of white cake had replaced her soup. She wiped some sweat off of her brow. "Sorry," she mumbled to Catie.
"What took you so long?" She whispered back.
"Just wasn't feeling good," Jane cut the cake with her fork and it oozed red. She wished that she was still in the bathroom.
"Well, don't do that again," Catie said, annoyed. "I had to think up vampire small talk, and believe me, that wasn't easy."
"I said I was-" Jane stopped, her breath taken from her and her eyes stared at Catie in horror.
"What?"
"Your-your mouth," she touched her own lips.
Catie felt it and understood what Jane saw. Her fangs were gone. "What do we do?" She asked in a slightly higher voice, a common trait of hers whenever she was scared.
"I don't know," Jane looked at Mrs. Macabre, who was gleefully conversing with a vampire lord. "Don't panic."
"Does anyone smell something?" A vampire duke asked the table.
"Now that you mention it," a woman said, sniffing the air. "I do detect a hint of some odor."
"I'm panicking," Catie said, looking around. Mrs. Macabre's eyes shifted with a steely gaze.
"It smells like. . . " Another vampire chimed in.
"Humans," the Queen said, looking at the three of them. "Mrs. Macabre, I do believe your guests are not who they claim to be," she smiled like a shark or some wild predator.
"I could go for a fresh snack," the duke said, his features changing like all the rest of the vampires at the table. Their faces transformed from human to bat-like, their fingers grew like spider legs and their nails turned to claws.
"Get out, now," Mrs. Macabre said to the girls as she brandished her cane like a sword.
Jane and Catie both rushed out of their seats and ran as the vampires clawed at them from across the table, their hissing mixed in together with the crashing of plates and glasses. Jane turned and briefly saw Mrs. Macabre shooting bulbs of garlic from her cane at them, sending the vampires recoiling in disgust.
"Seize them!" The Queen's screams echoed through the castle. "Seize them both!"
They ran down hallways for what seemed like miles. All of the beautiful drapes and decorum of the castle seemed different now, it was grotesque and ugly, like something from a surreal nightmare. Their feet were the only sounds bouncing off the walls. Their hearts pumped in their chests and their breathing came out like exhaust from a great engine. They ran and ran until they hit something that sent them onto the floor. Above them stood a butler and a maid.
"You're. Not. Leaving," the butler droned.
"The. Queen. Wants. Your blood," the maid said.
"And. What. The. Queen wants-"
"The. Queen. Shall get."
The man and woman lunged towards them. Catie kicked the woman in the face, knocking her out. Jane tried to fight, but the butler took hold of her. She bit and flailed in his grasp, but he wouldn't budge. None of her attacks seemed to bother him whatsoever.
"Do not. Struggle," he said. "It. Is futile. To-" A huge crash broke his words and he was sent tumbling to the floor, with Jane falling on top of him. She looked up and Catie was standing over them with shards of a vase surrounding them. Roses and dirt laid around the remains, an empty column stood in the corner.
"Come on," she helped Jane up and they continued running. They turned a corner and heard a door open next to them. They whipped around, ready to defend themselves, and saw that it was Mrs. Macabre. Her suit was now decorated with claw marks, velvet stuck out here and there like patches of red grass. Her hair was unkept and messy.
"Girls," she panted. "Get behind me."
They did what they were told, and as soon as they hid themselves behind her back, the door burst open and the vampires came rushing through. As the space grew more crowded, they were sent slowly backing into a corner.
"Don't worry, darlings," the Queen said. "It won't hurt for more than a moment. Besides, you could join our court if you wanted to. You wouldn't need to pretend anymore," she smiled and her royal guests laughed and jeered along with her.
"Shut your eyes," Mrs. Macabre turned her head towards the twins. "And, whatever you do, don't open them until I say otherwise."
"What?" Jane asked, terrified.
"Do it!"
They both covered their eyes and shut them as hard as they could. Even in their darkness, they could see the faintest glimmer of the brightest light they'd ever seen. The vampires hissed and screamed and then the cacophony died down along with the light. Several seconds past.
"You can open them, now," they heard Mrs. Macabre's voice.
They did and they saw that the vampires were gone. "What happened to them?" Catie asked.
"I replicated sunlight with this," she held up her cane," they went scurrying back to their coffins or underground. They'll soon find out it was spell, so I think it's best that we excuse ourselves from the party, immediately," she said, exhausted.
The three of them left the castle alone in silence. Mrs. Macabre had turned the cane back into her broom and they flew off. As they traveled back to the manor, Jane looked down and was surprised to find that she wasn't filled with anxiety about the height any longer. She didn't find the view beautiful, either. The Hallowland now appeared to be full of danger within its shadows, the moonlight showing a vast terrain of horrors and terrors below. She had thought that perhaps the Widow was right.