Dark Days (The Childe Series, #2) (29 page)

“No, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t mention it, does it?”  Rachel’s puzzled look met his.

“Well, I guess it’s too late to stop her now. I thought she was spending the night with Amanda and the rest of the gang like they normally do on Halloween.”

“So did I,” Rachel replied, picking up the empty dinner plates and putting them in the sink.

Cat felt the cold as soon as she stepped outside.
It’s freakin’ freezing
, she thought. She rushed to her Jeep, not realizing someone was sitting inside until she opened the door. “Julie, what are you doing here?!” 

“I’m coming with you. Wherever that is. Do you think after all these years together I wouldn’t see past the little untruth you told the others so you could have the night free to do…whatever you’re doing? I can’t believe you tried to skip out on us tonight,” she chastised, watching Cat look away ashamed.

“Okay, so I lied a little. I’m just taking a minor detour.” She saw Julie smile mischievously.

“So where are we going? And don’t say I’m not invited, because that’s just tough. I’m going. And hurry because a certain snow-woman is making her way across the yard to converse with us,” Julie said, pointing to Maude Roberts who was bundled up in a ghastly white coat and a black ski hat.

“Too late, she’s blocked us in! How the heck does she move so fast?” Cat sighed, grabbed her flannel, faux fur-lined winter coat, and put it on before she rolled down the window.

“Catherine, where are you off to tonight? Don’t you and your little friends usually get together on Halloween and watch those trashy movies you young people like so much?”

“Oh, hello Mrs. Roberts. How are you?” Cat tried to keep a straight face as she heard Julie giggling quietly behind her.

“Why thank you for asking. Well, my arthritis is acting up something fierce, and I’ve had a pain in my neck for a couple of days. Those stupid doctors can’t find anything wrong. Don’t know how they can feel justified in taking my hard-earned money for nothing. No help at all,” Maude grumbled as she struggled to pull back her pooch’s leash. “Fredricka, leave those tires alone! Bad girl, stand over here by Momma.” She pulled hard on the leash, making the little dog turn and grab it with her teeth, tugging with all her might. “So where are…you…off…to?” she finally got out, her face turning red from the effort of trying to get the leash out of the little dog’s mouth.

“Have to run, Mrs. Roberts, I think Fredricka needs to pee.” Cat’s face was strained trying to hold back the laughter as Maude realized Fredricka was peeing all over her shoe. Maude could swear the little dog had a defiant look as Fredricka stared up at her while squatting down over it.

“Oh my! You little devil! You just wait until we get home and I tell your daddy! He won’t be happy, no sir. Bye girls,” Maude called out as the Jeep backed down the driveway and took off up the road. Cat and Julie burst out laughing so hard that Cat had to stop the car and wipe the tears from her eyes. When they had regained their composure, Cat looked to Julie.

“Alright, you can come, but this is our secret. Number one, I don’t want to hurt the others’ feelings. And number two, I don’t want them to know where we went. Understood?” Cat watched as Julie nodded. Quickly looking in all of her mirrors, Cat slowly pulled back onto the road.

“That was hysterical. Poor Fredricka! Did you see the jacket she had on? It matched Maude’s. And those little doggy boots! I bet she feels like a real freak. So where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Cat replied, keeping her eyes on the road.  Julie was silent until they turned down a lane, making their way toward the woods.

“I’ve never been this way before. Are you sure you’re not lost?” Julie asked as they entered through an archway of large, bare, and ominous trees that towered over them.

“No, we aren’t lost. It’s just a little farther. Now Julie, I want you to keep an open mind tonight. This place we’re going is hard to explain, and you might see things that don’t make any sense. And the people are also a little different than your usual Astoria native, but they’re good people. So please be nice.”

“When am I ever not nice?” Julie turned and looked at Cat trying to keep a straight face.

“Sometimes you can be a little blunt and you know it,” Cat laughed, seeing her friend’s stern mouth break into a grin.

It seemed like they had been driving through the forest forever with no sign of exit. Cat slowed the car and pulled off the trail. “Damn, I forgot, I can’t get in without the words,” Cat murmured to herself.
Listen to me. I can’t get in without the words? I sound like a crazy person. Who would have thought all of this exists. Magic, vampires, witches, what’s next?
She thought.

“What? What’s wrong?” Julie asked confused.

“Oh nothing, I just need to make a call really quick,” Cat said, pulling out her cell. “Great, no reception! Now how are we supposed to get in?” Just as the words left her mouth a car pulled up beside them. Inside, a round face with frizzy hair beamed at them, her face slightly illuminated by the soft glow from the car’s inside lights. As they watched, she rolled down her window and gave them a kind smile.

“Forgot the password have we, dearies? Don’t worry. I do it all the time. Just follow me,” she laughed pulling ahead of them. As Cat followed the car, suddenly the forest opened up and they were bathed in the moonlight. Sneaking a look at Julie, Cat saw that her mouth was gaped wide open.

“How…did…that entrance wasn’t there before?” she stuttered.

“Now Julie, I told you that you’d see things tonight that might not make sense. This is one of them. Just go with it.  Okay?” 

“Okay…I think,” Julie muttered while shaking her head. 

“Look, the road is lined with carved pumpkins. There must be hundreds of them!” Cat said, distracted by the sight before her.

“Cat, keep your eyes on the road,” Julie preached, even though Cat saw she was just as astonished, looking on with awe at the sight before them.

 “Where’d she go?” Duffie asked Leif, who was sitting next to her in the car. He shrugged his shoulders.

They had followed Cat and Julie from Nehalem Avenue. At lunch the day before, Cat had made an excuse why she would be late to Amanda’s horror movie fest. Duffie couldn’t figure out why she was the only one who knew Cat was lying, especially since these people had known Cat all her life. She thumped her hand on the steering wheel in frustration.
Something’s strange about Cat, and Julie’s another mystery
, she thought. “I guess we’ll just wait in the woods until they come back out,” Duffie muttered while backing up the car and settling into the darkness.