The Cabinet of Souls Read online

  “Maybe she’s just trying to make you jealous.”

  He smiled in spite of himself. “No, Beth’s not like that. She doesn’t play games.”

  She laughed. When she smiled, she looked more like a high school girl than a carnival performer. “You don’t know much about girls, do you? But if you’re right, I think your Beth is making the wrong choice.”

  That made him feel better. He grinned at her.

  “I’m Lilith, by the way,” she said.

  “I’m Kellen.”

  Lilith smiled in a way that suggested she knew a lot more about him than just his name. Then she took a half step toward the big tent. “Well, Kellen, I gotta get back to work. I hope you come to the show.”

  Kellen watched her walk to the tent, her black dress swaying above her tall boots. A moment later, she was gone.

  Yeah, he’d be back. He wanted to learn more about what was behind that strange doorway … and more about Lilith.

  UNDER THE LIGHTS THAT CRISS-crossed the town square, the harvest festival was humming with activity. Spooky music floated from the end of the street, where the Hall of Horrors was ablaze with eerie lights. A large tent with a banner of Dr. Hysteria’s face dominated the block.

  Performers dressed as zombies were chained to walls facing the street, while ghouls wandered through the crowd. Witches and vampires mingled among those who dared to venture into the shadows. Kids from five to fifteen squealed with delighted horror.

  Popcorn in hand, Mayor Smith strolled along, smiling. Then a ghoul lunged at him. Popcorn flew in every direction, but the mayor put on a brave face. “Oh, my! That’s really real.” He grinned weakly before hurrying in the opposite direction.

  “Our fearless leader,” Luke said, hooking a thumb at the mayor. He and Kellen were headed toward the Hall of Horrors. Luke was grinning, ready to have a good time, but Kellen wasn’t paying him any attention. He was searching for Beth. She and her new friend Hunter should have been here by now.

  “This place is so awesome. Do you think they sell churros?”

  “You and your churros, man,” Kellen said.

  Luke began one of his raps—

  “I like a churro.

  Lights up my neuro.

  Got one at home, yo.

  In my bureau.”

  Kellen shook his head. Usually Luke’s dumb raps made him laugh, but tonight, he had other things on his mind. Where was Beth?

  A group of ten-year-old girls posing for a photo suddenly screamed and rushed past Kellen and Luke. An actor dressed as a witch was chasing them.

  Everyone laughed, but Luke said seriously, “Now remember, this is all makeup and special effects.” But when another witch jumped out and hissed at him, he nearly jumped into Kellen’s arms.

  Even that didn’t make Kellen laugh. He couldn’t stop thinking about Beth and Hunter.

  “Hey, guys,” Nicole called, making her way toward them.

  “Nicole!” Luke cried. “Look out!” He pulled her out of the way of a goblin who’d been sneaking up behind her.

  “Back off, wormface,” he told the goblin. “Don’t be messin’ with my lady.”

  The goblin slunk away. Nicole smiled up at Luke.

  Kellen was still scanning the crowd, which was much thicker near the entrance to the Hall of Horrors.

  “We should go in together,” Nicole said with a nervous laugh.

  Kellen didn’t notice. He’d finally seen Beth. She and Hunter had tickets in their hands.

  “Hey,” Beth greeted them.

  “Hey, everyone,” Hunter added. “This is great, huh? I love all these costumes.”

  “Ooooh, look at that one.” Beth pointed at a chained zombie who was trying to grab visitors as they walked by.

  Luke couldn’t wait any longer. “I’ll get the tickets.” He hurried to the ticket booth.

  A familiar voice caught Kellen’s attention. Lilith! She stood in the middle of the street, calling out to the crowd. “Do not feed the zombies. Beware of the ghouls. Do not look the witches in the eye.”

  As Beth and Hunter headed toward the entrance, Kellen made straight for Lilith. He put up one hand as if to shield his eyes.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “You said not to look the witches in the eye.”

  She laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not a witch. I’m an enchantress.”

  He lowered his hand. “Then I should definitely look away.”

  “If you can.” Lilith smiled and raised her eyebrows at him. Then she repeated her chant. “Do not feed the zombies. Beware of the ghouls. Do NOT look the witches in the eye.”

  Kellen went to catch up with his friends, but couldn’t help glancing back at Lilith. There was something strange but interesting about her.

  He was still thinking of her as he walked into the Hall of Horrors. He’d forgotten all about Beth. For a moment, he was too preoccupied with Lilith and her amazing eyes.

  BETH HANDED OVER HER TICKET and held out her hand. A ghoul stamped it with a picture of Dr. Hysteria. His eyes seemed to be looking directly at her.

  It’s just a stamp, she told herself. But it was creepy.

  She joined her friends, and they walked into the Hall of Horrors together. Behind them, a wall of steam separated them from the crowds waiting to get in.

  Beth led Hunter, Luke, Kellen, and Nicole as they wended their way through a maze of corridors. There were colored lights, but mist clouded everything.

  The deeper the kids moved into the maze, the creepier the sounds that echoed around them. Screams. Moans. Creaking doors. Spooky noises seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

  Along the maze’s walls, jutting out into the narrow pathways, were skulls and coffins. Candles flickered and went out before mysteriously lighting again. The air was thick with smoke and the smell of mildew.

  Beth drew in her arms, not wanting to touch anything. Even though she knew it was just a show, her heart pounded against her chest. Breathing wasn’t easy, because she knew if she took a deep breath, it would come out as a scream.

  Suddenly, Beth regretted going first. But she couldn’t step back now and let someone else take the lead.

  As they passed a corpse playing a pipe organ, another jumped out at her with a screech. Beth shrank away from it, almost bumping into Hunter, who seemed to be taking everything in stride. He put his hands on her shoulders as he followed her farther into the Hall of Horrors.

  “Kellen, I don’t want to do this,” Nicole moaned.

  “You’ll be fine,” Beth said, and then screamed as a goblin leered at her from the shadows. Beth laughed along with everyone else, but the place really wasn’t her idea of fun.

  Next, they passed Count Dracula and more ghouls. As one leaped out of a side room, the visitors had to slip past single file.

  Luke offered Nicole to Dracula. “Take her. Take her.”

  Nicole didn’t bother laughing. She just glowered at him.

  Another door loomed before them. Beth took a hesitant step in. There was a coffin in the center of the room.

  Suddenly, the lid flew open, and a rotting, ragged zombie leaped out. “Quiet down!” he ordered. “I’m trying to sleep.” He sank out of sight, and the lid slammed shut again.

  Everyone giggled, but their laughter was short-lived. A banshee was swooping overhead, screeching and reaching for their hair.

  Nicole threw her arms around Kellen, hiding her face against his chest.

  “Hey, Kellen, I didn’t know your mom worked here,” Luke cracked.

  Nicole whirled around. “Will you just cool it?”

  They followed Beth down a dim, narrow hallway. In the dark, Beth nearly crashed into a ghoul wearing a dusty black karate gi. Behind her, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. The odor of smoke was suffocating.

  Suddenly, Dr. Hysteria appeared high above their heads. It turned out to be a hologram, but there was something about his leering, flickering image that was even scarier than the man himself.

/>   “Honored guests … or should I say, unfortunate victims?” He laughed wickedly at his own joke. “I invite you on a journey to … Zombie Boulevard.” He gave another evil laugh … and then vanished.

  Beth smiled in nervous anticipation as a ghoul drew aside a velvet rope and let them pass. Terrifying sights awaited them on the other side. A mother zombie was feeding a baby zombie. The bottle appeared to be filled with blood. Other zombies jumped out of the darkness, growling.

  Beth screamed, then covered her mouth with her hands. It was so real! She looked back. Nicole was clinging to Kellen’s arm. Whenever something moved, she pressed her face to his shoulder.

  Kellen was laughing. His calm reaction gave Beth a second wind, and she continued on.

  When they turned another corner, an undead vendor was holding up an enormous fork with a desiccated hot dog on the end.

  “Brains on a stick!” it called. “Get your brains on a stick!”

  Chuckling, Beth eased by him, making sure not to touch any of his wares. She jumped aside as a zombie nurse reached long-nailed fingers toward her. She felt better when Hunter stepped around her to take the lead.

  They entered a schoolroom. A zombie teacher was standing at the front, teaching three undead children.

  The students intoned in halting voices, “A … G … Z … B …”

  “Perrr-fffect,” said the zombie teacher.

  “Guess now we know why zombies are always looking for brains,” Luke said.

  Beth giggled. It was funny and creepy at the same time. She kept both hands around Hunter’s arm. But her laughter broke off when Hunter put his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze, before he led the way out of the room.

  Kellen pushed his way to her side, between her and Hunter. “Cool show, right?” he said.

  “Yes. Totally.” She was suddenly uneasy. She could tell Hunter made Kellen uncomfortable.

  As a few other kids passed by, he asked, “Can I talk to you for a sec?” He glanced at Hunter. “Alone?”

  She was surprised when Hunter said, “I’ll just go on ahead. Okay?”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “It’s okay,” Hunter said.

  As Hunter continued down a corridor illuminated by a flashing strobe light, Beth took a deep breath. Why did Kellen have to talk to her now? What was so important it couldn’t wait until after they were done with the Hall of Horrors? “What’s up, Kellen?”

  “Nothing …” Even in the dark, she could see that his face was serious, maybe even sad. “I mean … so … you and Hunter …”

  “What?”

  “You’re like …”

  “We’re like what?”

  Kellen flung out his hands, almost hitting a kid passing by. “I don’t know … you know … I mean … I see you guys are, like, holding hands.”

  “Kellen, were you watching us through binoculars or something?”

  He shook his head. “No, I … um … it’s all good …”

  “Okay,” she said, relieved.

  “I’m just …” He squared his shoulders. “You know, never mind.” He stepped around her and followed their friends down the corridor.

  She watched him go. Kellen wasn’t acting like himself at all. In fact, he hadn’t been acting like himself since the dance contest.

  “Brains on a stick!” snarled the zombie, thrusting a skewer close to her face.

  She cringed until the zombie moved away.

  The lights dimmed. She couldn’t see anything. Or hear anyone. Where were Hunter and Kellen and Nicole and Luke?

  To her right, a door slowly creaked open, letting in a finger of light.

  “Hello?” Beth called. “Where is everybody?”

  As lights flashed and terrible screams sounded in the distance, Beth hurried to the door and pushed it open wider. She wanted out of this place. It wasn’t fun by herself. And whatever was on the other side of the door couldn’t possibly be worse than what was on this side.

  Could it?

  She stepped through a dimly lit corridor. Curtains covered several walls. Were there rooms behind them? She wasn’t in the mood to explore. She wanted to find her friends and get out of here.

  Beth strode down the corridor, her boots echoing on the floor. She shouldn’t be here. She knew that, and she didn’t want to get caught. But going back wasn’t an option. She’d had enough of the Hall of Horrors.

  As she turned a corner, she heard a curtain pulled shut behind her. A rat raced across the floor. Just an effect, she told herself … but it looked real.

  A door slammed. Beth heard loud footsteps headed her way. They were getting louder and louder.

  She wasn’t alone anymore.

  “DID YOU LEAVE THIS DOOR OPEN?” A snarling voice asked.

  Beth was hidden behind a curtain. She peeked out to see a vampire in an elegant opera cape and tuxedo confronting a zombie in a dress shirt and tie.

  “Uhhhh …” the zombie said.

  “What if someone saw it?” demanded the vampire, his fangs glistening in the weak light.

  The zombie mumbled again.

  “Idiot!” With a whirl of his cloak, the vampire pushed aside the curtain and disappeared through the doorway beyond it. The zombie followed him with a lurch.

  Beth waited until she was sure they were gone. Then she ran back to the door and tugged on the knob. It was locked!

  She looked both ways. What next?

  Beth took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Those ghouls and vampires were just actors, right? She’d stumbled backstage, and now all she had to do was walk back out again. The actors might yell at her for poking her nose where it didn’t belong, but then they’d lead her out of the Hall of Horrors.

  Out! That’s all she wanted. To get out of this place, find her friends, and never come back again.

  Drawing aside the curtain, Beth slipped into the room where she’d seen the zombie and vampire. It was obviously a dressing room for the actors. She’d find one of them, and …

  She passed a rack of clothing and then stopped and stared. The vampire sat by a makeup mirror, sharpening his fangs with a file.

  Beth glanced in the mirror. There was her reflection. But the vampire didn’t have one!

  She swallowed a scream. Everyone knew that vampires don’t have reflections. But that was just in books and movies.

  Beth looked again. All she saw was her terrified face.

  The vampire looked up from his fangs and spotted her pale face in the mirror. As he spun to face her, his expression tightened into a hideous glare. He made a horrible threatening sound, half roar and half hiss.

  Beth turned and ran.

  She heard the vampire call to the zombie to join him. They were going to catch her! She ran faster.

  There had to be a way out somewhere. But where?

  Behind her, their footsteps were drawing closer. Beth hid behind a pole and spotted more racks of costumes. Desperately, she pushed her way through the clothing. There had to be a place to hide—or even better, a way out!

  There was no exit in sight. So Beth squatted on the floor, wishing she were invisible.

  She heard sniffing. Like a dog trailing someone.

  “Flesh,” growled the zombie.

  He came closer and closer, sniffing.

  “Flesh?” He sounded less sure.

  He drew closer still, sniffing the air and lurching heavily from side to side. Then he moved away.

  Beth closed her eyes and drew in a silent breath.

  A hand, mottled and rotting, suddenly pushed between the clothes, just inches from her face. She bit back a scream.

  “Flesh …” the zombie moaned.

  BETH FROZE. HER EYES DARTED about, looking for an escape, any escape from this horror.

  A rat ran right by her foot. She saw the zombie’s hand, his fingers spread wide, searching the clothing again. He was closer this time.

  A rat! Beth felt paralyzed by fear. If only this was all a bad dream.

  But she
knew that it was no dream. She had to do something or the zombie would devour her.

  Gritting her teeth, Beth grabbed the rat and thrust it into the zombie’s open hand.

  His fingers closed around it. A moment later, he’d pulled it back through the racks of clothes. “Flesh.” There was triumph in his voice.

  He stood up, bringing the rat to his lips. He licked it slowly, and then stuffed it into his mouth and began chewing.

  Behind him, the vampire muttered something about zombies and their appalling diets. He turned and began pacing on the other side of the room.

  While they were both distracted, Beth grabbed a black cloak from the end of the costume rack. This was her chance.

  This time, she didn’t hesitate. She draped the black cloak over her head and slipped into the shadows and out of the room.

  What she’d seen was no act. She would have to try to make sense of it later. Right now, all she wanted was to get out of the Hall of Horrors while she still could.

  Beth took steady steps as she walked down the hall. She tried to look as though she belonged there. She didn’t want to stand out in any way. She continued down the corridor and around the corner. She didn’t stop when she saw a ghoul and a gremlin coming toward her. She prepared to run if they stopped her.

  But they didn’t. They walked past her as if she didn’t exist.

  Beth hurried around another corner, hoping to find an unlocked door. But she was starting to feel as though she were back in the maze. She kept turning corner after corner with no exit in sight. She had to figure out which turns to take and which turns led to traps.

  As she turned another corner, she saw blue strobe lights flickering ahead of her. A freak with a chainsaw stood on a bed. Beth froze as he swung the chainsaw. Was he coming after her?

  Meanwhile, Kellen, Nicole, and Luke had made it almost all of the way through the Hall of Horrors.

  Nicole spotted Hunter coming around the corner. He actually looked a little bored.

  Luke grabbed hold of Kellen at the same time Nicole did. A portrait of Dr. Hysteria hung on the wall before them—but the moment they looked at it, the portrait vanished! The three kids screamed as the real Dr. Hysteria materialized where the painting once stood.