Chapter 12 - So Little Help, So Little Time
Maybe I should try to track down Craig or Brandy, surely one of them would know what to do …
"Where are we going?" Max asked.
"I'm trying to find someone I know, he might be able to help!" Binx explained.
"Wait, you know other people?" Allison asked.
"Not many but a few..." Binx said. "We just need to head to The Salem Community College."
"The community. college?" Allison asked, stopping mid run. "Binx, that's halfway across town, we can't go there!"
Binx paused mid run. Wait … It's halfway across town? Really? But he comes over everyday and … and gives me the newspaper! Does he really travel that far just to see me everyday?
He exhaled sharply. "Fine … do any of you have ideas?"
Max looked around. "Over there! There's a cop!"
The four of them ran over to the cop sitting on his bike outside of a store called Cellar Liquors.
"Officer! Officer!" Dani yelled as they got closer.
"Officer, we need your help!" Allison pleaded.
"What's the problem?" He asked.
Max looked anxiously at Allison, until Dani grabbed onto his side. "Tell him!"
"Go ahead." Allison said.
"Well um … ..." Max got closer to the cop. "Well you see f … ... I just … .. I just moved here ..."
The cop stared him down, looking slightly amused.
"W .. .. well you see I .. .. it's like this , .. .." Max stumbled through his words. "I .. .. I um .. … I broke into the old Sanderson house and .. ... I brought the witches back from the dead. See I even have the book!" He held it out for the officer to see.
The officer glanced down at it and then glared at Max. "You lit The Black Flame Candle?" His voice was serious.
"Yeah … .." Max confirmed, nodding anxiously.
The officer got off the bike and went over to him. "Come on. Okay, let's get on the sidewalk."
"And he's a virgin." Dani added once he got close enough.
The officer glanced to the side and back to Max. Embarrassed, Max tried to avoid eye contact.
"Come here." The officer said. Max got closer and he hesitated before he started whispering to him, "Are you a virgin?"
" … ... Yeah …. .." Max said.
"Really?" He asked
"Look, I'll get it tattooed on my forehead, okay!?" Max snapped.
"Officer, this is not a prank!" Allison protested.
"Really ... ..." Dani whined.
"Hey!" The officer snapped. "I put my life on the line to protect this community and you punks pull this? Get outta here …"
"Come on Dani." Allison said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away.
"And take that cat with you!" The officer pointed to Binx who was sitting on the stone steps beside the store. He slipped through the thin white banisters and followed the other three
"Are all police so rude?" Binx asked.
"Pretty much." Max said.
Binx looked at Dani who was still shaken up by the whole thing. "Dani? Would ... would you feel better if you … . held me?
Dani managed a small smile as she leaned down to pick him up. "Thanks Binx."
He purred slightly as he turned to face Max and Allison "So, where else do we suggest we go?"
"Max, your parents are at the town hall for the party right?" Allison asked.
"Yeah, why?" Max asked.
"We need to tell them what's going on! Come on!" Allison said.
They headed to town hall where a dozen or so adults were filtering in.
"Oh great." Max groaned. "How are we ever gonna find mom and dad in this place?"
Walking in with a group of adults, they managed to sneak by into the town hall.
A man dressed in all black with skeleton face paint sang on the stage while the band played :
"Awwwho! Those fingers through my hair. That sly "Come hither" stare."
Ugh. What ever happened to the good music like Dancing With The House on fire?
"That strips my conscience bare. It's witchcraft."
"I'm gonna look for mom." Dani said.
"And I've got no defense for it. The heat is too intense for it. What good would common sense for it do?"
Allison and Max stuck together and looked around the party for Max's dad. Suddenly someone grabbed Max's shoulders from behind.
A scared sound released from Max's mouth, fearing it was one of The Sanderson Sisters or Billy. When he turned around he saw his dad wearing fake vampire fangs and a black cloak.
"Oh, dad." Max sighed in relief.
"It's not dad." He replied in a fake Transylvanian accent. "It's Dadcula."
Then he caught sight of Allison. "Oh my goodness!" He pulled her closer and kissed the top of her hand. "Who must this charming young blood donor be?"
"Dad!" Max yelled. "Somethin' terrible happened!"
His dad instantly stopped the vampire facade and spoke, worried, "Dani? What's wrong? Wh ..."
"No, Dani's fine." Max reassured as quickly as he could.
"Good." He paused and turned to Allison. "Excuse me."
"Come here ..." He said, pulling Max away.
"Shoot Max." He whispered. "Look whatever it is, just tell me."
Allison turned so she could better hear the conversation and step in if she needed to.
Meanwhile Dani still looked around the party for her mom. She saw someone with about the same body shape as her in a crocodile costume, dancing excitedly to the music. "Mom?"
The person shook their head and kept on dancing.
Dani backed into the crowd. Dancing in front of her was a blonde woman, microphone on her ear, wearing some rather pointed and colorful lingerie.
Oh goodness! Is she dressed as … … ..
"Mom? Dani asked in surprise.
"Hmm?" She replied.
"What are you supposed to be?" Dani asked.
"Madonna." She said.
Ha! I knew it! .. … Perhaps I have been spending a little bit too much time with Craig … … … .
Her mom paused when she noticed Dani's confusion. "Well, you know … .. Well obviously ! D .. .. don't you think?"
Yes. A little too accurate actually … ...
"Come here." Dani said, urging her mom closer with her hand.
"What?" She asked as she leaned down to Dani's level.
"This cat here Binx, right? He can talk. And my brother's a virgin and he lit The Black Flame Candle, the witches are back from the dead and they're after us! We need help!" Dani said in one breath.
"How much candy have you had, honey?" Her mom asked, pinching her cheek slightly.
"Mom I haven't O.D'd, I haven't even had a piece! They're real witches! They can fly, and they're gonna eat all the kids in Salem! They're real!" Dani protested.
"Hmm." Her mom said as she stood up. "Lets just … ... find your father .. …"
"It's an ancient pitch! But one I wouldn't switch!" The song continued.
Due to Mary's good nose, the sisters had managed to follow the scent of Dani to the town hall.
"Slither about!" Winifred commanded. "Find them!"
"Oh no, I'll never switch."
Mary danced, liking the beat of the song. Winifred elbowed her in the side and she got going again.
"Cause there's no nicer witch than you." The skeleton man said as he pointed into the crowd. Winifred was curious about the skeleton man's song and got an idea.
"I put a spell on you! And now you're mine!"
"Dad please, you gotta listen to us!" Max protested. "We snuck into the old Sanderson Sisters house and I .. I .. I lit The Black Flame Candle and brought them back from the dead!"
"Max." His dad sighed. "Is there an actual problem, or are you just pulling my leg?"
"He's not joking! This is real!" Allison protested. "The witches are back from the dead!"
"Yeah!" Dani added as she ran up with her mother close behind "We all saw them! Binx did too!"
"Hey, guys, I love you." Max and Dani's dad said. "But enough is enough. Just calm down!"
"But they're gonna come!" Max yelled.
"Don't you see how crazy this sounds!?" His dad protested.
Oh great more non believers in this town … Why are there so few Craigs, and Brandys … And Maxes, and Allisons ... and Danis … I thought the whole town knew about me! … But I suppose I was mistaken then …
Dani avoided eye contact with her mom as her eyes scanned the room. Suddenly she turned around. "Max, Max! They're here! They're here!"
"What is it?" Their mom asked worriedly, putting her hands on Dani's shoulders.
Max and Allison looked around, and their eyes immediately set on Winifred and Mary.
"Did you find them?" Winifred asked her sister.
"Sorry." Mary apologized.
Winifred let out an annoyed groan and hit her in the stomach again. "Get out there and find them!"
"Nobody's here sweetheart." Dani's mom reassured her gently. "Sweetheart, nobody's here."
"Here, hold this." Max said, handing the book off to Allison and running towards the stage.
"Wait! Max! Max!" His dad called.
Allison followed Max, Dani tried to but was restrained by her mother.
"Sarah!" Winifred called. She whistled, causing Sarah to pull away from a man dressed as a mummy she was flirting around with.
" .. .. Bye .. .." Sarah said bashfully before running back to her sister.
"Get over here! Did you find them?" Winifred asked.
"Find who?" Sarah replied.
"I ain't lyin', no I ain't lyin'."
Max hopped on stage and grabbed the microphone. "Hey, cut the music! Cut the music!"
The band members stopped playing, although they were confused as to why.
"I'm in the middle of a song!" The skeleton man protested.
"It's an emergency! Only for a minute!" Max pleaded as the crowd behind him booed. "Will everybody listen up please?"
The sisters spotted him from the crowd and eyed him curiously.
"Listen to him!" Dani protested to her parents.
"No, he's getting everybody worked up!" Her dad said, grabbing onto her.
"Your kids are in danger!" Max said.
The crowd let out confused mumbles. A woman dressed as a cowboy stepped forward, "What do you mean!?"
"Three Hundred Years ago The Sanderson Sisters bewitched people … And now they've returned from their grave." Max said.
Anxiously the sisters huddled together in the crowd. However everyone else started laughing.
"Hey man, I'm serious! It's not a joke!" Max snapped.
"This has gone far enough … ..." His dad said to his mom.
"I know this sounds dumb!" Max shouted into the microphone. "But they're here tonight! They're right over there!"
Max pointed into the crowd as a spotlight focused on the sisters.
"Thank you Max ... .." Winifred said. "For that marvelous introduction …"
The crowd laughed.
"I put a spell on you … . ... and now you're mine." Winifred started to sing of a siren song of her own.
The crowd laughed more.
"You can't stop the things I do .. .. I ain't lyyyyyying."
"No!" Dani shouted as she covered her ears. "No! Don't listen to them!"
"It's been three hundred years, right down to the day. Now the witch is back! And there's hell to pay … "
The crowd laughed and clapped as Winifred sung her siren song.
"I put a spell on you." Winifred continued.
"Good joke. Happy Halloween, thanks." The Skeleton Man said as he urged Max off stage.
"No man, I'm serious!" Max protested.
"Yeah, yeah, I know …." The skeleton man said as he started pushing Max off of the stage.
"You've gotta believe me!" Max pleaded
"And now you're miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!" Winifred kept going.
Yes! Yes! The song of our queen is being sung! We must rejoice! Embrace it! Thackery Binx, accept us! We'll make ourselves truly shown this time!
Never! Binx laid on the floor, gripping his ears tightly with his paws. Go away! Go away! Go away you awful, vile, villains! He let out a deep hiss.
"All right." The Skeleton Man clapped and turned to his band. "Gear up! Lets go guys!"
While her parents were distracted Dani managed to get out of their grasp and run over to Max and Allison.
"Hello, Salem!" Winifred said as she took the stage.
The crowd clapped and cheered as Sarah and Mary joined her on stage,
"My name's Winifred! What's yours?" She said before continuing her song.
"I put a spell on you! And now you're gone!"
"Gone, gone,gone so long!" Her sisters sang.
Max started backing away from the stage.
It's so beautiful! Oh you simply must listen! The villains said as they tried to force Binx's paws off of his ears.
N … no … ... no … Binx started to stagger up. I won't listen to you nor the siren song!
"My whammy fell on you! And it was strong!" Winifred proclaimed/
"So strong, so strong, so strong" Her sisters continued, it was as if their minds had become one, allowing them to sing the song together.
"Your wretched little lives have all been cursed!" Winifred sang as she stormed around the stage. "'Cause of all the witches working …. I'm the worst! I put a spell on you, and now you're mine!"
Dani, Max, and Allison all met up in the center of the dance floor.
"Binx, where are you!?" Dani called.
Dani! He ran right to her.
"Watch out, watch out, watch out, watch out!" The sisters sang in unison.
They could feel someone right behind them. When they turned around, Billy was standing there. I've had enough trouble with you punks! I've lost my fingers, I've lost my head … literally! I didn't ask to be awoken from my slumber, but you didn't seem to care! Maybe if I get you four for Winifred she won't ever bug me again!
They screamed as Billy lunged for them.
"Lets go!" Max said as they ran off.
"If you don't believe, you'd better get superstitious!"
"Mom! Dad!" Max said, grabbing onto them. "Thank God!"
"Hey Max, great show!" His dad said.
"Cover your ears!" They all pleaded.
"I put a spell on you!"
Billy ran their way, stopping only when his outstretched arms got caught on their parents. He hesitated a second before chasing after them again.
"Dance, dance! Dance until you die!" Winifred commanded. The sisters cackled as they left the stage, ready to put their sinister plan into motion.