Chapter 35

Eric entered the house beside Beth, and saw the group on the stairway: Doons, Miss Major and a stranger. The unfamiliar woman wore bib overalls and a plaid shirt, like Doons. Probably his wife. Eric shook his head, astonished that the v. p. and teacher had both shown up. It was almost too good to be true.

‘Where’re they going? ’ he asked.

‘Doing something upstairs, ’ said Eddie.

‘Doing something? ’ asked John the vampire, wriggling his eyebrows.

At the top of the stairway, the group turned left and disappeared.

‘Where’ll we put the guys’ clothes and stuff? ’ asked Mary Lou.

‘We’ll think of something, ’ said Aleshia. ‘Hang onto them for now. Come on. ’

They followed Aleshia into the living room. ‘Holy shit, ’ she muttered.

‘Wow, ’ said Beth.

Eric stared, gaping at the rows of candles on the floor along each wall, at the pair of shaggy gorillas suspended from the window bars, at the crudely painted drawings.

The drawings fascinated Eric. He saw a witch riding her broomstick across the ceiling – the witch naked, the broomstick a rigid penis. On a wall stood a black-hooded headsman, his bloody ax held high. Farther down the wall, a group of naked women were gathered in a circle munching parts of a dismembered man.

Eric walked along the wall, looking closely.

‘Sick, ’ Beth muttered. ‘Really sick. ’

‘Yeah. ’

He took a few more steps and saw the red-painted Devil sodomizing a woman.

‘My God, ’ Beth said. She turned away. ‘Come on. Let’s stay with the others. ’

Ahead of them, the group had split up – half continuing toward the refreshment table, the other half veering to the left for a closer look at the gorillas.

‘God, you don’t think there’s anyone in those things? ’ Sue Diamond squeezed the leg of the nearest one.

Mark Bailey pounded the leg with his helmet liner. ‘Nobody alive, ’ he said, and laughed.

‘Very amusing. ’

‘Looky here! Booze! ’

‘All right! ’

‘Better get some before Doons comes down. ’

‘Fuck Doons. ’

‘Thanks but no thanks. ’

‘Look at this! Scotch, bourbon, vodka, gin. Jesus H. Christ, we can all tie one on. ’

‘Man, I’d like to meet the guy that’s throwing this party. I’d like to shake his hand. ’

‘I’d like to kiss him. ’

‘You don’t know who the host is? ’ asked a whispery voice from the rear.

Whirling around, Eric saw Elmer Cantwell lurch through the entryway and hobble forward.

‘It is I, ’ he said. ‘Hop-Frog. ’

‘Hey, well, it’s fantastic! ’

‘I’m pleased that you’re pleased. ’

‘I thought you were the hunchback of Notre Dame. ’

‘Hop-Frog, ’ he said, scurrying toward them. ‘Hop-Frog at your service. ’

‘You sure know how to throw a party. ’

They walked slowly down the hall, Doons in the lead with his candle, the two women close behind him. So far, they’d passed two doors. Both had been locked. Doons had rapped quietly on each with no response.

‘Should we try calling out? ’ Marjorie whispered.

‘No, ’ Doons said. He came to the door with a splintery hole hacked into it. Crouching slightly, he peered into the gap. A face appeared. He yelped and jumped back, bumping into Marjorie. She grabbed his arm.

‘Hey, ’ a voice whispered from behind the door.

Doons took a deep, shaky breath. ‘Good Christ, ’ he said. ‘You scared the …’

‘You’ve gotta get us out of here. ’

‘What’re you doing in there? ’

‘He nailed the door shut. ’

‘Who? ’

‘There’s a maniac in the house. ’

‘Oh my goodness! ’ Marjorie gasped.

‘I think he killed the real estate guy. Morley? This afternoon. He tried to get us. He has a gun. ’

‘You on the level? ’

‘Look, you’ve gotta help us get out of here. ’

‘This is a joke, right? A Halloween prank? ’

‘It’s no prank, damn it. Look, somebody went by here a minute ago. A woman. I heard her laughing. Thought she might be with the killer, so I kept down. ’

‘That was Thelma. ’

‘She’s with a guy? ’

‘A gorilla. ’

‘Shit! You may think this is funny, pal, but …’

‘A guy in a gorilla suit. ’

‘You know him? ’

‘Haven’t seen his face. He was here when we arrived. ’

‘Oh Christ. Have you got a weapon? ’

Doons shook his head.

‘You’d better take this. ’

‘No! ’ cried a woman behind the door. ‘It’s all we’ve got. ’

‘It’s okay, honey. ’

‘Harold! ’

‘We

’ll be all right, ’ he told her. Then a metal object was thrust through the hole in the door. A hatchet head. ‘Take it, ’ he said, pushing the hatchet out.

Doons took it.

The face of the man reappeared. ‘That’s all the protection we had, mister. We’re counting on you. ’

Doons nodded.

‘Go get the bastard. ’

‘Maybe we’d better get you out, first, and …’

‘It’d take too long. If you want to save that lady’s skin …’

‘Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. ’ Doons swung around. ‘One of you gals go for the boys. Get ’em up here quick. ’

‘I’m staying with you, ’ said Marjorie.

‘I’ll go. ’

Barbara raced up the hall.

‘Excuse me, ’ Eric said. ‘I need to find a bathroom. I’ll be right back. ’

Nodding, Beth raised a glass of bourbon to her lips. She tasted it and shivered.

Elmer hobbled in front of Eric. ‘Enjoying the festivities? ’

‘Yeah. ’ Eric kept walking.

‘The fun has barely begun. ’ He reached for Eric’s arm.

Eric sidestepped. ‘Don’t touch me. ’

‘It’s my party. I touch whomever I please. ’

‘It’s not your party, you liar. It’s my party. Mine! And I didn’t invite you. ’

Elmer chuckled and rolled his eyes. ‘My mistake. ’

‘Damn right. ’ Eric shoved him aside, and hurried by.

He left the living room.

Miss Major came running down the stairs. ‘Quick! Get all the guys! We need help! ’

‘Fuck you, ’ he said.

‘Eric! ’

He stepped to the front door, and removed a padlock from his pants pocket.

‘Eric! What’re you doing! ’

The latch was where he’d been told it would be, where he’d seen it as he entered. He flipped it over the metal hoop on the doorframe, and snapped the padlock into place.

‘Eric! ’

‘Nobody leaves. ’

Miss Major gazed at him, her eyes wide, her mouth hanging open. Then she ran into the living room. ‘Help! ’ she cried out. ‘Everyone! Upstairs! ’

Doons blew out his candle and slid it into a pocket of his overalls. The hatchet was slippery in his wet hand. He reached for the doorknob, and slowly turned it.

This door was not locked.

He suddenly felt as if he would lose control of his bowels. He clamped his buttocks together and clenched his sphincter. He took a deep breath. Then he pushed the door open.

Marjorie screamed.

Doons stared. His sphincter let go. He began to whimper.

He saw naked corpses on the floor, some lying on their backs, others sitting with their backs to the far wall. Mutilated. A couple of small boys. A man he didn’t recognize. Glendon Morley. An old woman with red pulp where her face should be. Two younger women. One was Thelma. She lay near the door, her torso slit open, a lighted candle imbedded in the coils of her exposed guts, another in her mouth, another protruding from between her legs. Every corpse held a candle in its mouth. Each woman had one in her vagina.

The gorilla stepped out from behind the door.

Still screaming, Marjorie ran up the hall.

Doons swung the hatchet, missed the gorilla by a yard, and ran.

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