Everyone was gathered in the lounge area, dressed in their Halloween outfits for the party. They talked about the apples in the tub and how they couldn't wait to bob for them.
"Everyone will get the chance to bob for apples later" Ms. Mead told the group.
Mallory cleared her throat, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Ms. Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt." she announced.
Coco walked in with her costume and hair done.
Then Mr. Gallant cleared his throat, "Can we clap please?" he asked.
"Thank you" Coco told him.
Everyone applauded.
"You did that?" Emily asked.
"Without a blow-dryer. Sometimes I astonish myself." Mr. Gallant said.
"Tonight is All Hallows' Eve, which marks the beginning of the dark half of the year, when the boundary between this world and the Other thins, and lost souls pierce the firmament, desperate to find their way home. It is a night to remember the dead, and there have been far too many to mourn. But also to celebrate that we have yet to join them. We delight in the small things that were once taken for granted. To eat. To drink. Music and dance." Ms. Venable said when she walked onto the balcony on the upper floor above the lounge room.
Everyone laughed and cheered before beginning to party. Ms. Venable and Ms. Mead scanned the group, checking to make sure everyone showed up.
"Wait, the twins are missing" Ms. Mead said.
"They are with Langdon, he said that he wanted to finally continue their interview" Ms. Venable told her.
Jack and Piper stood in Langdon's room. Upon his request, they stood away from each other.
"So, what are you?" Michael decided to ask once again.
The twins didn't say anything, refusing to answer him. He sighed before returning to his laptop, typing away. The twins looked at each other but, stayed in their place. A knock came from the door before the two woman walked in.
"Jack, Piper, please step out. We would like to speak with Mr. Langdon alone." Ms. Venable told the twins.
"Ladies, I'm a little busy right now formulating my selections" Michael said before shutting his laptop and turning to Ms. Venable and Ms. Mead.
"Also, the twins will stay put. I still have questions for them" he added.
"This won't take long" Ms. Venable told him.
"What is this?" he asks.
"We're making the selections now, Mr. Langdon and I'm afraid you didn't make the cut" Ms. Venable told him.
Michael laughed, "I'm sorry. I wanted to let you have your moment, but I just couldn't hold it in." he tells her.
The twins looked at each other as they moved closer to each other while Langdon spoke with Ms. Venable.
"You think this is funny?" she asks him.
"I think I'm impressed, Ms. Venable. I wasn't sure you had it in you. You've passed the test. You're perfect for The Sanctuary." he tells her as he got up from his seat.
Ms. Venable smirked, "Ms. Mead" she says.
Said woman pulled out a gun and aimed it at Langdon. Jack brought his sister closer to him in a protective manner.
"I wouldn't do that." Langdon tells Ms. Mead.
"Ms. Mead" Ms. Venable repeats.
Ms. Mead hesitated before changing the direction of her gun and shot Ms. Venable instead. The twins let out a gasp at the sudden gunshot and Ms. Venable lied on the floor gasping.
"I don't know why I did that. I was always loyal to her" Ms. Mead said before dropping her gun.
"It's all right. You were obeying commands, like you're programmed to do. My commands. Did you enjoy executing the poison apples plan as much as I enjoyed coming up with it?" Langdon asked her.
"You wanted everyone dead?" Ms. Mead asked in confusion.
"I've never been a fan of getting my hands dirty. Learned that from my Father. Always more fun to entice men and women to dirty deeds. Confirms what I've always believed." he tells her.
"W-what do you believe?" she asks him curiously.
"That all people, if given the right pressures or stimulus, are evil motherfuckers." he tells her.
"That's not true" Piper spoke up.
Michael and Ms. Mead looked over at the twins.
"I forgot the two of you were still here" Langdon said.
The twins looked at each other as Michael walked over to them.
"I said people, but you two aren't people. You're not human" he said to them.
Jack held Piper's hand. Michael looked at the two of them before turning to look at Ms. Mead.
"Ms. Mead, please escort Jack out. I'd like to talk to Piper alone" he tells her.
Piper looked at her twin brother in alarm before looking back at Michael.
"W-what?! N-no, you can't do that" she tells him.
Michael looked at the girl, seeing the fear in her eyes.
"Yes I can and I have. Ms. Mead, if you'd please" he tells the woman.
Ms. Mead took Jack by the arm and led him out of the room with her. Piper met her brother's eyes before the door closed. She then turned her attention back to Michael Langdon.
"Maybe now that I have you alone, you'll answer my questions. What is the darkness I'm seeing in your eyes that's suppressed?" Michael asked her.
Piper's eyes widened at the question, she had no idea that her hidden darkness was easily shown through her eyes.
"What? There's no darkness in me, I'm good" she answered hastily.
"You're lying! I can see it in your eyes" he tells her.
"There is no darkness" she repeats.
Langdon could tell she was lying and thought the best way to get the truth out of her was to scare her. So, he rushed at her and allowed his face to change but, he wasn't expecting for her eyes to glow golden and the flames from the fire pit to rise and cast her shadow behind her. He thought nothing of it until, a larger shadow appeared in the shape of wings. His black eyes met her golden ones when suddenly the door slammed opened and Michael was thrown across the room.
Jack was the one who threw Michael across the room when he bursted through the door. His own eyes matching the glowing gold of his sister's.
"Pipes, c'mon" he called out to his sister.
The golden color in her eyes faded and returned to her natural eye color as she ran over to her brother and took his hand, to be yanked out of the room. The twins ran down the hallway and into the lounge area.
"No, no, no, Jack they're all dead" Piper cried when they came across all the bodies on the ground.
"I-I know but, we can't do anything about it now. C'mon, let's go before he catches up to us." Jack tells his sister.
He pulled her with him past all the bodies before they broke into a run again. Jack threw their bedroom door open and they ran in. Piper closed the door and locked the doorknob. She slid down the wall and panted.
"Are you okay Piper? Did he hurt you?" Jack asked as he sat in front of her.
"N-no, I'm okay. H-he just…his face changed again and then instinct took over I guess" she tells him.
Jack and Piper remained in their room, catching their breath when they felt something.
"Someone's here, someone powerful other than Michael" Piper tells her brother.
"Then we need to stay in this room. Where we're safe for now." He says.
Piper nodded her head and moved slightly so she was sitting criss-cross applesauce, "So…what are we supposed to do for now?" She asked him.
"I know you miss home so, let's remember some good memories" Jack tells her.
"Okay" she agrees.
Jack held his hand up to his sister's face, resting his thumb on her temple. Piper mimicked her brother, using her opposite hand to put on his face. At the same time, the twins' eyes glowed golden as they connected their minds to share memories.