Xeplegh's Happy Hallowe'en Party Ch. 01

"Hi, um... Me and my friends are at a party, and we think that the host might be, um..." Lilly knew why Rose was hesitating. Even after three years, it still felt a little strange to talk about stuff like this. "We think she might be a vampire." Before the Quake, it would have been a ridiculous thing to say. Now, it was a very real and credible threat.

"Okay, sir-"

"Ma'am," said Rose. "I'm a woman, I just have a deep voice."

"Sorry, ma'am, do we have your permission to cast a spell to determine your location?"

"You can do that? Uh, yeah, sure..."

They didn't feel or see anything, but they heard the agent say, "United States... Missouri... Blanchepierre. Okay, we've got your city, and that spell will pinpoint exactly where your call is coming from. We're sending an agent out to your location. In the meantime, is the person who you suspect is a vampire demonstrating any violent behavior towards you?"

"Uh, no, and she's in the other room, but we think that she might have faked text messages to lure us here. Is it possible to mess with phones like that with magic?"

"It is possible. Is she stopping you from leaving the party?"

"Uh... We haven't tried yet. Are vampires like ghosts, where we think they're dangerous because of folklore but they're actually not?"

"Vampires are very dangerous." The three of them looked at each other nervously. "But if you remain calm, we can help you get through this. If you can, try to leave. Try to remain calm, and try not to let her know what you think she is, but if she attempts to stop you do not-"

There was a click, and the call ended suddenly. "What is going on over here? " came a voice from down the hall. They all turned, and they all paled. It was Xeplegh. Her blue, slitted eyes gleamed in the hall light.

Rose spoke first. "Uh, Lilly is feeling really sick."

It certainly wouldn't be difficult for her to play along. She felt like she was going to throw up.

Xeplegh gave a little gasp and put her hand to her mouth. If she was feigning concern she was very good at it, for she appeared to be genuinely, truly worried. "Oh no! What's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, no, I think we just need to get her home." Rose put an arm around Lilly's shoulder. "Uh, Mari, Lilly left her stomach meds at your place, right? Why don't you come with us so that she can grab those?"

"Right! Yeah, I can do that. Sorry to leave the party so early, Xeplegh, but we need to take care of this."

They all made to move around her, for the only way out that they knew of was the front door, and the only way to it was past Xeplegh. For a brief and terrifying instant Lilly was worried that she wouldn't let them pass her, or that when they did she would lash out with those fangs of hers... But, no. She let them by.

"U- um..." She certainly seemed worried. Nervous, even. "Are you sure I cannot help? My, uh... My father is a doctor! Yes, I could, er... Call for him?"

"No, no!" said Rose hurriedly. "No need! We know what it is, just a stomach condition that Lilly has, and we just really need to get that medicine from Mari's place, no need for you do any... anything..." She trailed off, because they had just entered the living room. There was nobody there. It was completely empty. There were no people, no decorations, not even any furniture. Xeplegh was following after them, and when she saw the room she yelped.

And suddenly it was full again. Everyone who was there before was there once again. The decorations reappeared, along with the sofa and television and shelves and things. "Are you okay, Lilly?" asked Emily as she walked up to the three of them.

"Okay, time to leave!" said Mari frantically. "Really sorry to ditch your party but we've got to- aah!" She yelled, because she had tried to push past Emily, who was blocking the path to the front door, but when she did her hand passed right through her shoulder.

"No! Don't go, please!" cried Xeplegh. "I just forgot to make her solid! I'll fix her! See?" Emily reached out and touched Mari on the shoulder, and her hand clearly had mass all of a sudden. "Please, don't leave! We can play games and, and talk, and tell jokes! It will be fun!"

None of them slowed down. They rushed to the door as fast as they could, phasing through one or two of the other guests along the way, and when they got there Rose swung it open.

Or, at least, she tried to. It was locked tight, and there didn't seem to actually be any way to unlock it from the inside.

Xeplegh was actually crying now. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "I'm sorry! I wanted to make this fun, but... I can't let you leave. It's been too long since I... I'll starve if you leave."

The door had two large windows to either side of it. Large enough for the three of them to fit through. Rose kicked at one of them...

But before her foot even made contact with the glass, she stumbled and fell. Lilly called out her name as she passed out, catching her before she hit the ground. There was a noise, and she turned to see that Mari had collapsed too, and that Xeplegh had caught her.

"What did you do to them!?" Lilly cried.

"I just put them to sleep. They are not hurt... How are you still awake?"

Suddenly, a crushing, unrelenting wave of exhaustion came over her. She fell on her butt, Rose still in her arms. "Wha- What are you..."

"There it goes... Nobody has ever resisted one of my spells like that. How are you doing that?"

Her voice was growing muffled and indistinguishable, and Lilly's vision was going blurry. She wanted to protest, to fight, to scream, to escape, but more than any of that... She just wanted to sleep. The floor was lacquered wood, but as she rested her head on it it felt as soft as a pillow.

"I'm sorry, I didn't..." Xeplegh started to say, but the rest of her words faded off into nothing.