Salem 1993

Sarah and Mary dove towards Max and Allison. The two teens split up, Max ran right, and Allison ran left, both heading to the woods for shelter from the flying witches.

Winifred watched for a moment, happy that her sisters had followed instructions for once in their lives. She cackled once more as she watched the scene play out. Billy took a step closer to her, looking like he was going to say something else spiteful. So, Winifred laughed sharply and dove for the zombie. Dani let out a frightened shout and Abigail ducked out of instinct and to avoid the witch's wrath. Billy tried to grab the broom handle, but he missed it. Winifred pulled the broom up and swung her legs down at the last second, landing a kick on Billy's jaw that sent his head flying for the second time that night. It bounced and rolled several feet away.

Abigail stood, about to chase down the poor man's head when Winifred swooped back down towards her. She turned and ran, trying to think of another spell to fire at the witch or find something on the ground to use as a weapon. She ducked and weaved through the trees and managed to lose Winifred, who couldn't fly between them. And, from the shouts of the other two sisters, Max and Allison were able to get away as well.

Dani peeked out of the grave, watching Winifred. When the witch had flown off after Abigail, Dani pulled herself out of the grave and hurried over to Billy's head, as his body was having trouble finding it.

Max and Allison stumbled out of the woods at the same time and spotted each other from across the clearing. They both headed to Billy's grave, needing to get back to Dani. Abigail emerged from the woods as they got to the grave.

Max froze when he saw the empty grave and Allison almost crashed into him. Dani wasn't there and he didn't know what to do. Abigail froze for a moment but was almost immediately turned to look for Dani. She didn't want to call out the girl's name, for fear of alerting the witches that she was vulnerable.

Allison spotted her first and tugged on Max's sleeve to break him out of his panic. Dani had carefully picked up Billy's head and was handing it to his body saying, "I think you dropped this."

As Billy reattached his head, a familiar cackle was heard through the trees. Winifred and her sisters appeared from the trees. Winifred swooped down quicker than anyone could react and grabbed Dani around the waist and lifted her into the sky.

"Max!" Dani screamed, hoping her brother could save her, again.

Billy, Max, Allison, and Abigail took off after them, while Binx watched from atop a gravestone, feeling helpless.

"Bye-bye, big brother," Winifred taunted over her shoulder. From within her robe, she pulled out a round vial filled with green liquid. She looked at Dani and through gritted teeth said, "All right, you little trollimog."

Sarah and Mary celebrated, flying in circles on their mop and vacuum.

"Hold on, Dani!" shouted Binx as he dashed in her direction. Leaping over rock and gravestones that were in his path.

Winifred bit down on the bottle's cork and yanked it out with her teeth. She spat it out onto the ground then shoved the bottle in Dani's face. "This will teach you to call people ugly," she sneered at the little girl. "Open your mouth."

Binx bolted up a branch Winifred had knocked down just minutes before. He leapt from the highest point and knocked the vial out of her hand. When Winifred reached for it, he clawed at her face and arms until she flung him away.

Abigail rushed toward her friend, trying to catch the falling cat, but she was too slow. Binx let out a yowl as he hit the ground, he'd fallen onto a rock, the impact breaking bones. He just had to wait until he healed, then he could help them again. Abigail ran over to the cat, keeping an eye on Winifred as best she could.

Thackery was hurt but not dead. He had several broken ribs that would probably kill him, but it would be slow. He wished he had died in the fall; it would be quicker coming back. His curse wouldn't heal his ribs, only revive and fix him when he died. He was glad that Abigail came over to try to help him.

Abigail fussed, not knowing what to do or where to touch. She didn't want to make it worse or hurt him more. Her mind went blank of spells. Would they even work on Thackery? He was under a curse that was far more powerful than her magic.

"It's okay," Thackery murmured. "I'll die in a moment and be back. Don't worry. I've been doing this for three hundred years."

"That is little comfort to me, Thackery," She whispered back. "I hate that you suffered alone for so long. I wish I had been a cat with thee, even if thee hated me for being a witch."

"I could never hate you, Abigail. I was angry, yes, but I, for a moment, thought you were like the sisters, but now I know you could never be."

Winifred's scream broke through their conversation, drawing them back into what was happening with their friends. "Give me that vial!"

Max held the potion above his head. "Put her down, or I'll smash it!"

"Smash it," hissed Winifred, "and she dies."

Allison stood with Billy who whispered in her ear. Abigail hoped that Billy was reasoning with Allison and that Max had a plan. Sunrise was near, they only had to stall for a little while longer.

They watched Max as he seemed to debate with himself over what to do with the vial. Then Max lifted the bottle to his lips and swallowed the whole thing at once.

"Max no!" Dani cried, but there was nothing to be done now.

"No!" Abigail shouted, jumping to her feet. Thackery was scared nearly out of his skin by her shout. He had never heard her, or anyone, that angry in all his life. He could hear her spitting out words under her breath, obviously trying to come up with a spell to help. He hoped that she could think of one.

Winifred recoiled in disgust while her sisters waited for her to move.

Max smashed the empty bottle against a nearby tombstone and glared at the ginger witch. "Now you have no choice," he said. "You have to take me."

Winifred flew lower. "What a fool you are, to give up thy life for thy sister's." As she neared the ground, Winifred released Dani and grabbed Max's collar. She surprised Max with how strong she was, lifting him into the air.

Dani collapsed on the ground, sobbing, after being released. Billy and Allison hurried up to her.

Max began to glow a golden light, which followed his movements but at a delayed, relaxed rate. Winifred brought his face close to hers and opened her mouth. A stream of light pulled away from him and into her mouth. He could feel a draining sensation in his chest, and he felt older as if he'd aged when Winifred took that stream of light. Distantly he could hear Dani and Allison screaming, but he couldn't think of anything to do about it.

Max reached up and tried to push Winifred's face away, but she just swatted his hand. He tried again with more force and she had to turn her head and close her mouth. The golden light moved back around his body and he felt better, more alive, more solid. He then heaved his whole body at Winifred, reaching for her throat and digging his fingers into the hollow of it. She gagged and pushed him away, shoving him hard enough that he almost fell. He could hear someone shriek in fear at this, but he still couldn't worry about that, he was hanging onto the broom by his fingers.

He pulled hard, flipping the broom so that Winifred was unseated and hanging from the broom, like him. Winifred was scrambling to get a better grip on the broom, shouting at her sisters. "Hallowed ground!" she cried. "Hallowed ground! Sisters!"

"Winnie!" Mary called. "I'm coming!"

The brunet witch flew towards her older sister, not realizing that the cord of her vacuum was hanging down. Dani latched on to it and dug her heels into the ground, prompting Allison and Billy to do the same. Mary only flew a few more feet before the weight on the cord stopped her. Looking over her shoulder, Mary cried out when she saw what happened. But Dani, Allison, and Billy only pulled harder.

Abigail watched everything, trying to come up with some spell to help, but she didn't want to leave Thackery, he was still injured, and she would not leave him again. The last time she let him jump into trouble he ended up a cat. She threw a "Motus subsisto" at Mary to keep her from flying off, just in case the three people on the end of the cord weren't enough.

"Sarah!" Mary called, hoping her sister could help her with the weight on the end of the cord.

The blonde flew over and grabbed her sister's hand, prompting Abigail to cast "ipsi adherebis" to make them stick together. But Sarah's tugging didn't help Mary one bit. Dani, Allison, and Billy were stronger and with each tug, they pulled the sisters closer to the ground.

"Let go – now!" Allison shouted. The three of them released their hold and Abigail released her spells. The sudden lack of tension, and magic, sent the two sisters spinning through the air.

Winifred watched as her sisters arched over the treetops trying to right themselves. Using her distraction to his advantage, Max swung his body, using his weight to knock her from the broom.

Abigail's head swung back to the pair. She watched as the two dropped to the ground feet apart. Winifred roared as she turned herself over and began to crawl towards Max. Her movements stiff and labored, thanks to the effects of the hallowed ground. Her nails dug into the dirt, sending clumps flying every time she lifted her hands to drag herself forward.

Max tried to get away, but he was so tired, and the golden light still shimmered in front of his eyes. And eventually, Winifred had him.

She grabbed him by the front of his sweater, lifting him up as he struggled once more in her grasp. She opened her mouth to suck the life from him, but Max noticed that her boots were beginning to smoke and harden into granite.

The stone crawled up from her shoes faster than anyone could believe, and in seconds Winifred was left a furious statue, and Max was stuck in her grip. Max struggled still, trying to break free of the stone grip, and his grey sweater finally ripped, dropping him to the ground.

When the sun rose fully over Salem Harbor, just moments later, the golden glow around him disappeared. Above the graveyard, Sarah squeaked before bursting into purple glitter, and Mary's jaw dropped as she exploded into red smoke. The mop and the vacuum fell with two thuds.

The statue that had been Winifred began to quiver and crack and then blew apart with a lime green burst. Max was sure that being so close to an exploding statue would kill him, but once the air was clear he didn't even have a scratch on him.

Abigail watched neither of the sisters in the air explode, instead, she kept her eyes on Winifred. She knew that the witch would turn to stone on holy ground, but also that she would be destroyed at sunrise, and Max was too close. She'd given Thackery a quick "I'm sorry" before chanting her final spell.

To save a friend

An eye for an eye

Max need not die

A life for a life

To stop a family's strife

Take all my days

So that Death delays

A blessing and a curse

For better and worse

My time is at an end

And then she collapsed, the world going black before she hit the ground.

Thackery could only watch Abigail work her magic, it was far too much like Halloween three hundred years ago. Here he was, once again, in pain and unable to stop her from using a spell with irreversible consequences. He closed his eyes, feeling more tired than he had in the past three hundred years.

For a few moments, Max's world was only his heartbeat ringing in his ears, the relief that flooded his system, and the dull light of the sunrise. He buried his face into his arms, happy that it was over. He was safe, Dani was safe, and the witches were gone for good this time.

"Max?" a voice called, but he was too dazed to answer. He, instead, propped himself up into a sitting position and looked around. Nothing had changed really, but everything was different. The witches were gone, and there had been witches. He was alive, though he'd nearly had his soul sucked out through his pores. And Dani was safe, at least she should be.

"Dani!" Max cried, turning around to find her, only to see her running towards him.

"Max," she said, once she was kneeling next to him. He'd never heard her sound so gentle. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." His voice came out as more of a croak. "I think so."

"You saved my life," she said, her voice still small.

He looked at her, noting the surprise on her face. "Well, I had to. I'm your big brother."

Dani beamed, so glad that he was still alive. "I love you, jerk face," she told him.

"I love you, too."

Dani threw her arms around Max's neck and he returned the hug.

"Come on," Dani said after a moment. She helped him to his feet and led him to Billy's grave. The zombie was already climbing back into his coffin, ready to return to his eternal sleep. The night had worn him out, all that running around, and dismemberment wasn't good for him.

Allison walked over and put her arm around Max's shoulders. She felt solid and real to him in a way that the rest of the graveyard didn't, even Dani didn't seem quite all there to him. Max wound his arm around Allison's waist as they watched Dani help Billy get settled in his coffin.

"It all really happened, didn't it?" he asked quietly.

Allison squeezed his arm. "Yeah."

It felt unbelievable that all of it had happened. The Black Flame Candle, the Sanderson sisters, Abigail, Binx, Dani's kidnapping and rescue, Billy, and his own life being almost sucked out. But it was over now. They were safe.

"Bye, Billy," Dani said when the undead man reached for his coffin lid. "Have a nice sleep."

"Hey, Billy," Max called, stopping the zombie, who gave Max an expectant look. "Thanks."

Allison gave Billy a small wave, which he returned before stretching and yawning, then falling back into his grave.

Dani looked around, realizing that two people were missing. "Binx. Abby," she called. "Where's Binx and Abby?"

She broke away from Max and Allison to look for the colonial pair, but when she found them, she fell to her knees.

"No…" she gasped. Binx's body was lying still and lifeless and Abigail was just feet away, looking like she'd suddenly collapsed. They were laying by Emily's grave and Abigail's gravestone. Binx was on his side, looking like a cat taking a nap, but he was far too still. Abigail looked like she'd simply gone limp and dropped. Her legs were tucked under at awkward angles and there was an abrasion on her head where it had hit the ground.

"They're gone, Dani," Allison said softly.

"But Binx can't die, remember?" Dani touched the cat's narrow shoulders. "And Abby wouldn't leave Binx alone again, she promised. Binx, Binx, wake up. Like last time." She turned to Abigail and grabbed her hand, tugging slightly. "Abby, wake up, you have to read all the books in the library, remember?"

When neither moved, Dani broke into a fresh wave of tears.

"Come on," Binx said, though the cat wasn't talking. "Please don't cry for us."

"It's alright, Dani," Abigail's voice rang out.

Dani, Allison, and Max all looked around, trying to find their friends. A few feet away they spotted a young man, he looked about Max's age, wearing a billowing white shirt that was open at the collar and brown pants. He had sandy blond hair that was tied back. The light of the morning sun filtered through him like he wasn't all there. Next to him stood Abigail in her tan dress, and the light filtered through her as well.

"Binx, is that you?" Dani asked the boy.

"Yeah," the ghost answered with a smile. "The witches are dead. My soul is finally free."

"You freed me, Dani," Binx told her. "Thank you."

"And what about you Abby?" Dani asked. "Did you die because the witches are gone too?"

"No," Abigail shook her head. "I knew Winifred would explode after being on hallowed ground. Max was far too close to survive it. I gave my life for his. But do not feel guilty, it was an easy choice to make. Now I can see my family again."

Max was shocked. He could have died if Abby wasn't there. Maybe that was why things hadn't felt quite real after Winifred had blown up, Abby had cast a spell to save his life.

"Hey, Max," Thackery said, breaking Max out of his thoughts. "Thanks for lighting the candle."

"Any time," Max snorted. "And thanks, Abby, for saving me."

"Live thy life well, Max, and treasure those that are in it," she said with a smile.

Max nodded, knowing she meant Dani, but he hoped that it would include Allison for quite a while too.

"I guess we need some shovels," Max commented. He was not thrilled with the idea of picking up and burying a corpse, but it wouldn't do to leave it lying about.

"No need," Abigail said. "But would thou mind burying Thackery as well? Let his body rest in a grave."

"Terram aperire," Abigail spoke, and the ground opened up into a perfect rectangle. The siblings gently placed their friends inside and Abigail closed the hole with the words: "Prope terram."

"Now we can rest." Abigail smiled. "I am sorry thou had to do that."

"Thackery?" a voice called through the graveyard, breaking the somewhat awkward silence that had fallen over the group, it wasn't every day a ghost asked you to bury the body they'd left behind. They saw a little girl in a white dress and a white cap peeking around a tree. "Thackery Binx?"

"Emily," another voice was heard. This one older, but still female. From behind the tree came a woman with the same hair as Abigail. It was a beautiful auburn that was pulled back into a long plait. She wore a simple black dress with a white apron and a white cap.

"It's Emily," Thackery said, looking back at his friends.

"And mother!" Abigail gasped happily; tears were gathering in the corner of her eyes.

Thackery leaned down and gave Dani a kiss on her cheek. "I shall always be with you," he whispered. Abigail kneeled down and wrapped Dani in a hug that the little girl could barely feel.

"I am so happy that I got to meet thee," Abigail said quietly, moving back to look at the girl one last time. "Thou shall always be in my heart and my best friend Dani."

Dani nodded at the pair, tears in her eyes. Thackery and Abigail then held hands and took off to join Emily and Abigail's mother. They hugged the little girl and Abigail hugged her mother. Binx took Emily's hand and Abigail took her mother's, though they once again held hands with each other too.

"Thackery Binx, what took thee so long?" Emily asked, gazing up at her brother.

"I'm sorry, Emily," he said, as the ghostly group walked towards the sunrise coming through the iron gates of the cemetery. "I had to wait three hundred years for a virgin to light a candle."

"Not to mention, fight witches," Abigail added with a giggle.

The three still left in the graveyard watched as all four of the ghostly figures disappeared in the light and shadow, a trick of the sun through the leaves. Once they were gone, Max gave Dani a hug. To which she laughed and pushed him away.

"So," Allison said, breaking the silence and bumping Max with her hip. "Did I make a believer out of you?"

They laughed. "Yeah," Max admitted. "I guess so."

Neither of the teens was sure who started the kiss, or how long it lasted, but they broke for air for only a second it seemed before resuming. Max cupped Allison's face while she pulled him closer with the hem of his sweater.

Dani gave them a couple of seconds, before clearing her throat loudly. "Can we go home?" she asked. "I'm tired and I haven't gotten a single piece of candy tonight."

Max laughed and pushed her ahead of him as they headed back to the family car. "Sure, thing kid."

"I'm glad you saved me, Max," Dani told her brother. "Now I get to bug you for years and years."

Allison laughed at that, which made Dani laugh too.

Max only wove his fingers through Allison's and said, "Can't wait." And he meant it.

Not far away, in the Sanderson house, Ernie and Jay were still hanging in their cages, waiting for someone to come and save them. They hoped that someone would come eventually.

Below them, on the podium, Winifred's spell book opened its eye and looked around. It knew that its master was gone. It rose into the air, making Jay and Ernie scream at the sight. It soared out the window, over the cemetery, and through town. It passed over a crowd of adults who were stumbling home after a night of dancing.

It soared higher and higher, and it wasn't going to stop until it found its master.

A/N: Happy Halloween! It's over. It's done. I hope you have enjoyed my story. I'm sorry if burying Abby and Binx felt a little clunky, but I didn't want to have an unexplained body left in the Salem Cemetery! I also added Abigail's mom as a ghost. I figured if Emily could come to get Thackery then someone could be there for Abby, and while she did have a sister, her sister was very young when Abby was turned into stone.

Also, once again, the spells in Latin I used Google translate for, so please let me know if they are wrong or if there is a better phrase that could be used. Thanks!

Movement stop - Motus subsisto

Adhere - ipsi adherebis

Ground open - terram aperire

Ground close - prope terram