“Trick or treat, everyone?” she asked.
“Trick!” the crowd yelled.
“You asked for it,” she said and then dropped the mic. An eerie hush fell over everyone as they stood there waiting for some lame party trick to happen.
At first nothing happened at all, and I glanced at Kimber who was still at my side, eyes closed with a weird smile on her face. She stretched her fingers toward the ground and that’s when it began.
“Look!” someone yelled out on the dock and pointed toward the center of the lake.
The water was taking on an electric green color that seemed to start at the bottom and rise up as the water churned. Bubbles boiled and rose up, popping just above the surface and streaking the air with the same bright green in the water. People began to chant, “Bubble, bubble, bubble.” And Kimber began to laugh.
A bolt of lightning lit up the sky and with a crack it hit the water, causing a neon tidal wave to rise up and then crash, drenching everyone near the lake.
Everyone went nuts, clapping and whistling. People around us were telling Kimber it was her best Halloween party yet. She gave a little bow and people clapped and then she turned to me and winked. “I did that just for you.”
I wanted to ask her what she meant, but then the DJ spoke into his sound system, drawing everyone’s attention. “Did you know we had a birthday girl in the house?”
Everyone cheered.
“Everybody say happy b-day to Heven!”
He started playing the “Happy Birthday” song and everyone sang along.
Kimber had a funny look on her face. “How did he know it was her birthday?” she said almost to herself.
“Maybe because this party is for her?” I ventured.
Kimber snorted. “Yeah, for those that know it’s her birthday. But for everybody else, it’s just a kickass Halloween bash.” After the words left her mouth, she slid a glance at me with a guilty look on her face.
I should’ve known when Kimber said it was a party for Heven, she actually meant it had been a way for her to look good by saying it was for Heven. Really, this had all been about Kimber.
The song ended and instead of playing another, the DJ spoke into the sound system again. “The birthday girl and I have cooked up a little Halloween fun for you all to enjoy. So hang tight. It’s on its way.” I glanced back over at Heven who had a strange look on her face. Riley didn’t look too thrilled, either.
The “Monster Mash” began to play and I hurried through the crowd, stepping up by the platform just in time for me to hear the DJ say, “I hope you like your birthday gift, Heven.”
I reached out and took her hand, pulling her down next to me. Riley followed, not once putting his back to the DJ until we were several yards away. “What’s wrong?” I asked Heven.
“I could just kill him now. Save us the trouble later,” Riley said.
Heven actually seemed to consider it, but then she rolled her eyes. “You can’t kill someone for acting strange at a Halloween party.”
“He was acting strange?”
“He knew it was her birthday,” Riley told me.
“Kimber might have told him,” Heven said, looking hopeful.
“Kimber didn’t tell him,” Riley and I said at the same time. Heven sighed and nodded.
“Did he touch you?” I asked, looking her over. “Say anything that wasn’t in English?” I couldn’t help but think about the story Gran had told us when Beelzebub tried to kidnap Heven as a child all those years ago.
“I’m fine. He just wanted to tell me happy birthday.”
“Yeah, and cook up a Halloween surprise from you to everyone else,” Riley said.
Heven grimaced. “I’ve had enough surprises to last me a lifetime.”
I looked toward the DJ booth. He looked at me and grinned. The hound in me stirred. Was that Beelzebub? Was he here, in that guy’s body, just waiting for an opportunity to strike?
I was thinking about Riley’s suggestion when there was a commotion down at the water.
Someone was crying and then a girl screamed.
“There’s a body!”
Heven
Sam was the first to turn and rush forward toward the commotion by the lakeshore. But even in his concern, he reached for me, tucking my hand beneath his arm and pulling me along with him. I glanced behind me at Riley who was close behind, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew I could handle whatever came my way tonight. I knew I was strong enough to take care of myself, but it was still nice to know I had the two strongest guys on my side.
There was a small group of people gathered down by the water, standing in a semicircle, all gazing down at where the water lapped at the sandy shoreline. It was completely dark out now and the water looked like a pool of onyx that the shadow-filled sky fell down to meet. Two shades of night coming together to form the perfect backdrop for what everyone stared at.
Two girls were crying and when we got close enough they turned away, moving so we could see the skeleton. It stood out among the dark, bones that appeared pearly white as they lay there rattling every time a swell of water rushed forward, pushing them and drawing them back, pushing them and drawing them back, as if the lake itself couldn’t decide to keep the remains or let them go.
I shivered when my eyes focused on the dark holes in the skull, the eye sockets that once held eyes that allowed this person to explore the world around them. I wondered about the last thing they saw. Had it been the dark, crushing weight of the water swallowing them whole? Had it been the angry face of a killer?
Stop it, Sam said, cutting into my thoughts, reaching up to cup the back of my head with his hand. Don’t do that to yourself.
Then he was stepping away to stand just over the remains, remains that appeared somewhat intact. The two crying girls moved out of his way, while the two guys still stood there looking at it like it was an exhibit at a museum. Sam crouched down and looked the body over, his eyes stopping at the body’s hand.
It was missing.
“We need to call the police,” one of the girls said between sobs.
Her friend pulled a phone out of her coat pocket and stared down at it like she didn’t know how to use it.
Riley cleared his throat and stepped forward a bit. “Looks like a bad party trick to me.”
Everyone turned their eyes to him. One of the guys next to Sam narrowed his. “Who the hell are you?”
“He’s a friend of mine from where I used to live,” Sam answered and the guy scrutinizing Riley relaxed.