Something changed in Rose, just as Kate pushed as hard as she could, as if a sudden realization of her actions dawned on her. She loosened her grip, but Kate had already put her body in motion, unable to take back the momentum. They parted with much more force than necessary, and Kate nearly lost her balance over the railing before correcting herself. Rose, however, was not so lucky.

“No!” Kate shouted, lunging back to the empty arch as she watched Rose fall into the darkness, her death suddenly replayed for all to see. But when Kate reached the edge and peered out, she wasn’t greeted with the sight of Rose on the concrete below, but of a ghostly figure suspended a dozen feet above impact. The bells had stopped chiming.

“Are you okay?!” Edward shouted, pushing past the others and rushing to Kate. “I heard you screaming and…” He followed her eyes to Rose’s suspended body, confusion on his face.

“Edward, I’m so sorry, I–”

“It’s okay,” he said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I’m sure you didn’t mean to.”

“No, not that,” she replied. “She asked me to kiss her. It was the only way I could get the tear. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t see any other way, so…” Her words were silenced by his lips, her body instinctively returning the kiss that was meant for him all along. When he released her, his eyes were full of desire, rather than the anger she expected. Her arousal flared, but she kept it in check.

“It’s just a kiss babe. At the end of the day, I know where these lips truly belong.”

Kate smiled, reassured.

“You guys are super adorable, I’ll give you that,” said Alice. “But we still need those fucking tears, so does anyone have a plan?”

Edward looked back out of the arch. “If the bells play, she’ll keep falling?”

Savannah shrugged. “I guess so? This isn’t exactly something we’ve done before.”

“Then we have to try it. Alice, you go down to the carillon room and get ready to hit as many pegs as you can.”

“Why me?” asked Alice.

“Because you have the best hearing out of all of us. You’ll be able to hear us shouting from below.”

“What are you going to do?”

Edward turned to the others. “We need to catch her before she hits the ground. It may be the only way we save her, and get what we came for.”

Kate suddenly had an idea, and she couldn’t help but wonder it it had something to do with her newfound knowledge as a firefighter. “We need something we can stretch out beneath her, like a parachute.” She turned to the arch and looked out. Standing just in front of the entrance was a flagpole. Unfortunately, only the tattered remains of the flags were left to wave in the autumn breeze.

“Damn, I was hoping one of the flags would still be intact.”

“Maybe we can find a bed sheet or something?” suggested Luke. “Don’t haunted houses always have furniture covered in sheets?”

“I don’t think that’s how it works here,” Savannah replied. “But I think I have an idea. Follow me.”

She hurried toward the hatch before anyone could ask where she was going, the others following with no other ideas in mind. They left Alice in the carillon room but kept descending, following Little Red all the way down to the second floor of the building. She left the stairs, pushing through the door and hurrying down the hall with everyone on her heels. It didn’t take long before they saw where she was heading.

The second floor housed classrooms for one of the military programs on campus. Hanging on the walls on either side were two large flags, one of the Stars and Stripes and the other imprinted with the US Air Force logo.

“What about these, will they work?” Savannah asked, while Kate was already pulling them from the wall.

“The fabric is thin, but if we hold them together and pull tight, this should support her weight just fine,” Kate replied, pulling the first one down while the others worked on the second. “How did you know these were here?”

“How do you think?” Savannah replied.

“I’m guessing you hooked up with a cadet?”

Savannah didn’t respond, but her silence was answer enough. They had their makeshift parachute and quickly returned to the stairs, taking them two at a time as they made for the exit. They forced their way through the doors, forgetting in their haste that a werewolf might still be hunting them down, their eyes already pointed skyward to Rose’s suspended body.

“There’s not a lot of room for error, so let’s get this as perfect as we can,” said Edward. With the flags laid one on top the other, he took a corner and handed another to Kate, while Luke and Winston took the other two. Savannah stood back and guided them into position, stopping them just beneath the target and watching as they stretched the fabric as tight as they could.

“Okay Alice!” Edward shouted. “It’s now or never!”

Alice didn’t hesitate, striking peg after peg in a haphazard fashion. The sound of the bells was jarring, and nothing compared to the somewhat pleasant melody of Edward’s nursery rhyme, but it had the desired effect.

Rose’s body slowly began to lose its translucence, as well as the blue glow. She hovered for just a moment, as if she might slowly descend into their grasp, but the moment her body took solid form it fell under the laws of gravity. Rose screamed as the world around her passed by in a blur, her eyes finally open and her body in free-fall.

But then she stopped, a gasp leaving her lips as her body hit dead center of the improvised parachute. All four of her rescuers lurched forward as the impact nearly took them off their feet, but they managed to hold on as the nylon gave way under her weight. Their plan worked.

Rose looked up, brushing the hair from her eyes and panting in confusion and fear. When she could finally see again, she found a hand stretched out to pull her up. Kate stood before her, a smile on her face and ready to offer assistance.

Gently, Rose took the hand and pulled herself to her feet. “You saved me?” she asked, as though surprised. “You saved me, even though…” Words failed her once more, but Kate’s memory was still perfectly intact.

“Of course we saved you,” Kate answered. “You owe someone a kiss. Someone that isn’t me. And they’re going to be looking for you in that tower, not on the ground below.”

Rose couldn’t help but stare in stunned silence. Suddenly, tears began to flow once more, pouring heavy streams down her cheeks as she sobbed in guilt. “I’m so sorry,” she said, her words barely recognizable through the weeping. “I’ve behaved so terribly. I don’t know what came over me.”

“That’s okay,” Kate replied. “I think I do. It’s not your fault.”

Rose waited for an explanation, but Kate didn’t offer one. Instead, she lifted the vase, still unscathed and ready to fulfill its purpose. “Rose, if it’s okay with you, I really need those tears before we leave.”

Nodding, Rose leaned forward, her body solid as the vase connected with soft skin. In just a few seconds the bottom was covered in clear liquid, more than enough to satisfy the witch, or so they hoped.

“I can’t thank you enough,” said Rose, still weeping.

“Don’t mention it,” said Edward. “Just head back up and try not to fall out this time. We really need to be going.”

Rose nodded. “You know, I think it’s time I got out of here as well.” With sorrow in her eyes, she turned back to Kate. “I don’t think my love is coming to meet me.”

“Maybe she’s waiting for you as well, somewhere else.”

Another nod. Rose stepped back, and without another word, her body began to fade once more. There was no ghostly figure this time, nor was there a spectral glow. She continued to disappear, quickly, until there was nothing left of her to see. Rose was gone, though where to, none of them had any idea.

“Do you think she’s really gone?” asked Savannah.

Kate nodded. “There was nothing left for her here.” She looked down at the vase, swirling the liquid inside and wondering if perhaps she’d saved Rose in more than one way. She handed it to Savannah for safe keeping, freeing her own hands to grip her ax. “Come on, we need to get Alice down here and keep moving. That werewolf might be moving in on the sound of the bells as we speak.”

“Alice! You can come down now!” Edward shouted, and the bells immediately ceased. They waited for their feline friend to exit the building, all the while staring at the clock. Half an hour remained of their time.

“Did it work?” Alice asked, once she’d caught up.

Kate held out the vase in answer. “We have all the items, but we still have to find that bitch who left us here.”

“Did she say where to find her?” asked Luke. “I don’t remember.”

“No,” said Edward. “She just winked at us and disappeared. I’m guessing we need to find another clue.”

“On last fucking riddle,” breathed Winston. “Let’s look around.”

They did as instructed, fanning out in front of the building and searching for anything that might hold a hidden message. Kate began at the flowerbeds while Luke and Winston checked the walls and windows for bloodstains and spiderwebs like before. Savannah and Alice moved around the sides of the building, but it was Edward who went to check the statue.

Sitting just in front of the clock tower was a statue of the school’s founder and namesake. Cast in copper, his imposing green form sat thoughtfully in a chair of stone, his hands clasped together in his lap. Edward peered up, wondering if the statue’s head was always turned to the left? Then he took a step to the front, and immediately grew alarmed.

The head turned with him, following his every movement as Edward walked from left to right, the hollow pits of his eyes watching without blinking.

“What the fuck?” Edward whispered to himself.

That’s when he noticed yet another difference with this statue, and once he saw it he knew it must be the clue they were searching for. Normally, at the base of the statue, there would have been a plaque with an inscription regarding the schools founder and his accomplishments. It was a local superstition that any student who read that plaque prior to their graduation would fail to receive their degree. But there was no plaque on the statue now, and instead it was replaced with a board of another kind.

“Hey guys,” Edward called, drawing his friends to come and look for themselves.

Luke was the first to arrive, and immediately he saw the anomaly. “Is that a ouija board?”

Edward nodded as the others joined. “I think it’s the clue. It has to be.”

Winston stepped forward, ignoring the statue’s watchful gaze as he pried the board from the concrete. It popped free without much effort, but as soon as he set it on the ground before them, the problem became quite obvious.

“How are we going to read this thing?” he asked. “Don’t you need a…I’m not sure what that thing is called.”

“A planchette,” said Alice. “And he’s right. There has to be one around here somewhere.”

Edward looked back to the statue, whose eyes were looking right back. He broke the stare and began his secondary search, but it didn’t take long before he found what he was looking for. The wooden object was unmistakable, and it was currently held in the statue’s oxidized fingers.

Nervously, the cop stepped forward. He silently wondered, as did all his friends behind him, if other parts of the statue were capable of movement. There was no telling how difficult it would be to free himself from the statue’s grasp if it decided to take hold of his outstretched hand. He pushed the thought from his mind, slowly reaching for the planchette while the others held their breath.

Fingertips brushed wood, and Edward felt his heart stop as the statue’s fingers came to life. But rather than snatch at his arm, he simply let go of the planchette, allowing Edward to slide it free. There was a collective sigh of relief as the pale officer returned to the ground with the prize in hand. The statue turned his gaze back to the path ahead, as if nothing had ever changed.

“Got it,” Edward breathed, hoping the others couldn’t hear his pounding heartbeat. Kate was looking more than a bit concerned.

“How does this work?” asked Savannah.

“Try putting it on the board,” suggested Winston.

Edward wasted no time, crouching down to place the planchette at the board’s center. Nothing happened.

“Of course, that would have been too easy,” said Alice. “We’re going to have to put our hands on it.”

“All of us?” asked Kate.

Alice shrugged, then dropped to her knees without bothering to answer further. The others joined her, forming a tight circle around the board. It wasn’t comfortable. One by one they extended their hands to put a finger or two on the planchette. It wasn’t until Kate put her fingers on the board, the last to do so, that the object began to move on its own accord. It darted quickly to the “I,” hovering for just a second before moving to the “M.” With nothing to write on, the group was forced to figure out the message aloud as they watched.

I must admit I’m quite surprised

You made it all this way

I’ll set you free as advertised

I’ve no more games to play

“No more games to play,” Savannah repeated.

“No mystery there,” said Edward. “If you’re going to play a game on campus, the stadium is the best place to be.”

“Are you sure it’s the stadium?” asked Alice, suddenly nervous.

“I suppose it could one of the other sports venues, like the soccer field,” said Luke. “But that part about setting us free ‘as advertised’ sounds like a hint as well. And we all know where the most advertising on the campus is done. The stadium is the most logical answer.” He noticed Alice didn’t look happy with this revelation. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Alice shivered. “That constant roar we’ve been hearing, I’m pretty sure it’s coming from that direction. And it’s getting louder.”

“All the more reason to believe that’s where we’ll find her,” said Edward. “Come on, it’s a ten minute walk on a normal day. I figure if we jog we can cut that down to five.”

“You’re kidding, right?” asked Savannah, but Edward was already on the move, making it clear he wasn’t joking.

They didn’t make it far, however, before they found their path impeded by an unlikely obstacle.

“Is that Ivy’s cat?” asked Winston, squinting as the dark silhouette stalked toward them along the road. The cat came into view, hissing and meowing as if agitated.

“What the hell is he doing?” asked Savannah, but it was Alice’s scared reply that caught their attention.

“He said we need to run!” she said, already trembling.

“What?” asked Edward. “We don’t have time for this! The stadium is right down–”

Suddenly, another figure emerged from the dark, moving quickly in their direction. It paused long enough to howl at the moon above before continuing with its attack.

“Run!” Edward yelled, drawing his pistol and firing two shots while the others took the path to their immediate left, dodging through the trees as they tried to escape. Edward’s bullets did nothing to slow the advancing werewolf, but to his surprise, the cat turned to face their attacker. He watched, certain he was going to die a terrible and painful death just as soon as the wolf finished with his feline appetizer, but instead the wolf came to a halt, snarling at the cat and snapping his jaws. The cat hissed back, but neither made a move to attack, eyes locked on one another as if afraid the other might end its life.

Edward didn’t hesitate this time, taking full advantage of the distraction as he ran to catch up with the others. They hadn’t made it far, but they ran as fast as their feet could carry them, desperate to put as much distance between them and the wolf as possible.

“Fuck!” shouted Alice, coming to a sudden stop in the middle of the path, causing her friends to nearly slam in to her.

“What the hell Alice! Why did you…” Kate didn’t need to finish her sentence, the mummy’s moan drawing their attention to his lumbering advance on the path ahead.

“He must have escaped!” said Alice, pointing out the obvious.

“This way!” shouted Luke, already pushing them down another path, this one leading back in the direction of the stadium.

“Is it following us?” Winston asked, watching as Luke spun his head in his hands to look to their rear.

“If he is, I doubt he’ll be able to keep up. Let’s keep running just in case.”

Nobody had to be told twice, dodging and weaving between trees and buildings as they followed the familiar route to the road just beyond. Edward’s plan to reach the stadium in five minutes had mostly been achieved, more by necessity than a desire to save time. The roar was much louder now, almost deafening, even before they were in sight of the stadium.

When they emerged from the path, however, the realized just how far off course they’d ran. Adjacent to the stadium was a cemetery, its many grave stones forming rows along the sloping hill. The mist was much thicker here, rolling through the trees like fog and flowing across the road to billow around them.

“That’s not creepy at all,” said Alice, her sarcasm not lost on the others.

“What do we do now?” asked Luke.

Edward sighed. “You know exactly what we have to do.”

“You’re not suggesting we go through there?” asked Savannah, clearly afraid.

“The stadium is just down the hill past this graveyard,” Edward replied. “We can’t take the main road, not unless you want to get eaten by a werewolf.”

“Again,” Luke added, earning another smack.

“It won’t take long to pass through, just stay close and we’ll keep moving.”

Edward didn’t wait for their reply, knowing they’d waste precious time debating unless someone took the lead. Raising his light and pistol once more, he took the first steps into the fog, hoping the others would follow.

They passed the first row of gravestones, their eerie granite faces unreadable in the soup that swirled around them. The roar of the stadium grew louder as they approached the crest of the hill, the rising structure somewhat visible ahead in the moonlight, though the fog made it difficult to see much else.

“We’re almost there,” Edward said, attempting to calm his friends.

“Alice, can you see anything ahead?” Luke asked, hoping her feline eyes could shed some light on their situation.

She shook her head. “My eyes are good, but not good enough to see through fog. The sooner we get out of here the–”

Savannah shrieked, causing them all to halt. “What was that?!”

They all turned to follow her pointed finger, but they could see nothing in the mist. Everyone stayed silent for a few seconds, but nothing happened.

“I swear to you, something moved out there,” Savannah continued, though her voice betrayed how little confidence she had in her own vision.

“I don’t see anything,” said Winston, trying to reassure her. “Maybe it was just your imagination?”

“I know I saw something!”

“Well,” Edward urged, “if there is anything out there, we need to keep moving before it finds us.”

They pressed forward, slower than they would prefer, but careful as they tried to stay quiet and invisible to whatever monsters might be waiting in the cloudy veil. Edward debated shutting off his light, but there was no way they’d be able to see the path if they lost their only light source, so he left it on but kept the beam low to the ground, illuminating just a few feet ahead of them.

“Is it just me,” said Luke, “or is the fog getting thicker?”

Before he could answer, a sudden noise brought them once again to a halt. This time there was no denying they weren’t alone in the cemetery, the snapping of a twig underfoot catching all of them by surprise. They scanned the mist, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“I don’t like this,” said Alice. “Can we please just get the fuck out of here?”

“Do you think it’s the werewolf?” asked Savannah, keeping pace with her shuffling friends.

“If it is, we don’t want to–”

Once again, Edward failed to finish his sentence. They all heard it at the same time, barely audible over the roar of the stadium ahead. It started as a low moan, but grew louder, as if coming from multiple sources. Nobody spoke, but they all watched as the silhouettes began to take shape, each one a dark mass, shuffling around in the fog ahead.

“What are those?” asked Kate. “More ghosts?”

Winston looked around, trying to make out as many details as possible. That’s when he noticed the grave just to his right, or at least what was left of it. The stone was leaning back at an odd angle, while the grave itself was little more than a gaping hole in the earth, almost as if something had crawled out of the ground.

“Oh no,” he whispered, and five pairs of eyes turned to him expecting more. He looked to Edward, the only one in the group with a firearm. “Zombies!”

As if on cue, the lumbering figures began to take a more defined shape, shuffling closer and closer as they continued to groan. Edward felt his friends move closer together behind him, forming a circle as they scanned their surroundings.

“My god,” said Kate. “They’re everywhere!”

“What are they saying?” asked Savannah. “Is it ‘brains?’ Isn’t that what they always said in the old movies?”

“I don’t think so,” answered Alice. “It sounds kind of like…”

“Booooooooobs!” A zombie lurched forward through the fog, startling another scream from Savannah’s lips as it stretched its jagged nails toward her chest, teeth bared and ready to take a juicy bite.

Luke made certain it never came close, running his spear through the reanimated corpse’s eye and dropping him dead once more. There was no time to celebrate, as another zombie pushed through the fog and reached for Kate. She responded swiftly, swinging her ax overhand and planting the blade firmly in its skull, kicking with her boot to free her weapon and toss the body aside.

A gunshot broke through the quiet darkness as Edward leveled his pistol with another attacker and fired a single, well aimed shot. The bullet left a perfect hole between the zombies eyes, but two more took its place before the body finished falling to the ground.

“They know we’re here,” Edward announced.

Alice screamed, drawing their attention as she struggled with two zombies advancing on her at the same time. One had already fallen victim to her spear, but the other latched on to her bodysuit, pulling her away as the weapon slipped free of her fingers, firmly wedged under the jaw of a writhing corpse. She pushed away, but skeletal fingers managed to tear at the fabric covering her nipple before Winston could lunge forward to drive his sword through her assailant’s skull.

The zombie fell lifelessly to the ground once more, but Alice’s bare chest quickly became a beacon for more of the hungry undead. “Booooobs!” they moaned, stumbling on rotting feet as they reached for their prey.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” she shouted, dodging under a swiping arm as Winston moved to defend her once more. Three more gunshots rang out, followed by the sounds of two more bodies falling to the dirt. Dozens more continued to walk toward them, their numbers growing faster than they could handle.

“There’s too many of them!” Edward shouted, placing four more well-aimed shots to bring his body count to six. Kate swung her ax next to him, severing the head of another zombie as she sliced through the rotting flesh of its neck.

“We have to run for it!” shouted Luke, already losing grip on his spear as he tried to save Savannah once again, placing himself between her and the hoard of advancing monsters.

“Shit!” Kate shouted, and Edward turned to see that she’d dropped her ax after decapitating another zombie. The handle was slick with blood and impossible to grip.

Realizing this battle was going to be over before they even have a chance, Edward shouted for them to run. “To the stadium! Don’t stop for anything!” He fired two more rounds, then speed after them, trying to keep up with his friends as they made their way down the dark pathway, dodging zombies and gravestones along the way.

The zombies were too slow to catch up, but dozens of them began to close in from both sides like a wall of teeth and festering flesh. A few managed to break through the fog, forcing Winston to cut through an outstretched hand and Edward to empty his second magazine while trying to shoot on the run. His aim was less accurate, but he managed to take down two more before running empty.

Slamming his third and final magazine into the weapon, he did the math quickly in his head, already knowing the answer. The number of silhouettes moving toward them was far greater than the fifteen rounds he had left. If they didn’t make it out of this cemetery quickly, they’d all be dead long before midnight.

Something slipped beneath Edwards feet, and suddenly he was falling forward, dropping the flashlight but holding tight to the pistol as he braced for impact. He hit the sloping ground with a heavy thud, immediately losing the wind in his lungs. Kate was right behind him, but she stopped to help him up.

“Keep going!” Edward shouted, but Kate didn’t listen. She reached to help, but Winston was next in line. He grabbed Kate by the waist and pulled her forward, making sure she made it safely out of the fog.

“Luke, get Edward!” Winston shouted, but Luke was struggling to keep his own head in his hands while simultaneously pulling Savannah in his wake, her stockings torn and useless as she ran barefoot through the dark. Alice was close behind, but when she reached to help Edward stand, he waved her off, climbing to his feet and yelling for her to follow the others.

Kate and Winston made it out of the fog before the others, and it took all of his effort to keep her from running back to save her boyfriend. She shouted for him to let go, but Winston knew if she went back into the mist without a light or weapon she would never find her way back out.

Luke and Savannah burst through the cloud next, followed quickly by Alice. They all turned to wait for Edward, but he didn’t follow. Instead, they heard gunshots. First two, a quick double tap, followed by three more. They counted each bullet, though none of them were exactly certain how many Edward had left to defend himself with. The shots stopped at fourteen, followed by a few seconds of silence. Then, a single shot broke the silence, the last bullet Edward had at his disposal.

Kate fell to her knees and began to cry. “Edward!” she shouted, hoping to lure him to the sound of her voice. If the zombies were capable of walking past the fog, they made no attempt, and Kate simply didn’t care. She shouted for him again, fearing the worst, but still hopeful.

“Edward!” Luke yelled, his voice louder than Kate’s as she choked on her own tears. Alice and Savannah added their shouts to the party, followed by Winston, still holding tight to Kate’s shirt just in case she tried to run for it.

“Kate,” Alice finally said, when nothing else could be done. “I don’t think–”

“He’s coming,” Kate insisted, interrupting her friend with hope in her eyes.

Alice said nothing, adjusting her bodysuit to cover her exposed breast to the chilly autumn air. Seconds passed by, then a minute. Three ticked by, but there was no sign of life in the fog. Luke began to mumble, trying his best to form words that might comfort Kate in her grief, but words failed him.

Suddenly, a dark figure moved toward them in the cloudy soup. Winston drew his sword, certain a zombie had found the courage to come after them, beyond the perimeter of the graveyard. The figure moved closer.

Kate climbed to her feet, staring silently as she said a prayer to herself. Her prayer was answered as Edward’s limping body emerged from the mist. His gun was hanging at his side, the slide locked to the rear on an empty chamber. His leg was bleeding and difficult to stand on, but he managed to keep moving, stopping only when Kate’s arms wrapped around his neck.

“Edward! I was so scared!”

He hugged her tight to his body. “I’m fine. I’m okay.”

“You crazy bastard!” said Luke, joining the hug and glad to have his friend back. Savannah was close behind, tears running down her cheeks as she latched on, with Alice and Winston joining soon after.

“Were you bitten?” Luke asked, once the group hug was finally broken. He pointed to Edward’s injured leg. “Like, are you going to turn into a zombie now?”

“Don’t worry,” Edward replied. “I did that when I tripped. Must have landed on something sharp.”

“We heard that last gunshot,” Savannah added. “I thought for sure you must have…” She finished the thought by miming a gun to her temple, a performance which Kate was quick to turn away from.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Edward answered. “I saved that last bullet because I knew there would be at least one zombie blocking the way out. I was right.” He looked at his empty gun and tossed it to the ground. It had served its purpose well, but was nothing more than dead weight to him now.

“How much time did we lose in there?” Alice asked.

“I can’t see the clock,” Luke replied, holding his head as high as he could, “but I’d say we spent at least ten minutes getting lost in there.”

“That gives us fifteen minutes,” said Edward. They all turned at once to the stadium behind them, the roar from within now clear enough to identify.

“Those are definitely people in there,” said Winston, staring at the black gates ahead. “I can see a lot of movement, but the mist is still in the way.”

“It doesn’t sound like cheering,” Edward observed. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it sounds like they’re in pain.”

“You don’t think she turned the stadium into one giant killing floor, do you?” Winston asked, for anyone to answer. Nobody did, mostly out of fear.

“Well that’s where we’ll find her,” said Savannah, still picking splinters from her feet.

With no clock in sight to remind them of the time, they set off to what they hoped would be their final destination, at least as far as this world was concerned. None of them spoke aloud their fears, that they’d made it all this way just to potentially die at the last minute.

Those worries were quickly dispelled, however. The stadium was close enough they could see the movement inside, and the deafening sound echoing throughout the structure was much more recognizable. It wasn’t pain.

“Guys,” said Luke. “I know it only makes sense to be seeing what I’m seeing right now, but just in case I’m losing my mind–”

“You almost made a pun,” Savannah interrupted. “But you’re not crazy, unless you and I aren’t thinking the same thing.”

“I don’t think there’s any denying what we’re seeing,” added Winston. “I just don’t know if I can even fathom something like this. Definitely not on this scale.”

The entire football field was covered from endzone to endzone in a sea of writhing bodies, with even more taking up a considerable amount of the lower stands. What they’d mistaken as sounds of torture and misery were actually the exact opposite, as the entire scene appeared to be one giant orgy, filling the night sky with moans and sighs of ecstasy. There wasn’t a single participant that wasn’t having sex, or at least engaging in some form of sexual act, but that wasn’t nearly the most perplexing aspect of what they were witnessing.

These were clearly fellow students, with a few professors and faculty mixed in, judging by the ages. Like Kate and Edward and the others, each of them appeared to be transformed according to the costume they were wearing at the time of the transition.

“I guess that explains where all the other students went,” whispered Savannah, the others taking in the view with stunned silence.

An angel rode passionately atop a menacing looking clown while taking the cock of a hockey-masked killer in her greedy mouth. Not far from them, they saw a girl on her knees, completely naked, apart from the fairy wings on her back, her dress torn and thrown aside to reveal her perky breasts. Cum dripped from her lips and down her entire body as a group of men in various uniforms stood around her in a circle, stroking vigorously while she begged for more.

Stretched between the nearest goalpost was a large spiderweb. Caught in its sticky center was a ladybug, or at least the girl’s tangled wings appeared to be. She screamed as a spider-girl approached step by step, only to discover she was to be eaten in manner not entirely unpleasant. Her bodysuit unsnapped at the crotch and the screams became moans soon after.

Some of the participants were less fortunate in their choice of costume. A schoolgirl was bent over at her waist, waiting impatiently while professor Frankenstein tried desperately to reattach his sewn-on cock so he could finish fucking her. Somewhere in the stands above, a man in aviator shades and flight suit struggled with his decision to fuck a bumblebee whose stinger was dangerously close to her pussy.

The examples went on, stretching for a hundred yards and high into the stands. Princesses submitting their bodies to superheros. Monsters ripping uniforms apart. Aliens getting freaky with the divine. And unfortunately, they didn’t appear to be alone in their desires.

The sounds of passionate kissing drew Savannah’s eyes to her left, only to discover that Kate and Edward had decided to join the fun. Their clothes remained intact, but judging from the way his hand was slowly unbuttoning Kate’s trousers, that wouldn’t last much longer.

“Kate? Edward?” Savannah tried to get her friends attention, but they ignored her plea as they continued to kiss and touch each other in ways that would best be done in private. It wasn’t until Winston and Luke chimed in that the cop and firefighter separated, an embarrassed and guilty frown on both their faces as they mumbled their apologies.

“Sorry,” Kate said, pulling the zipper of her pants back up. “I honestly don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s fine,” said Alice. “It’s probably just the spell. I’m actually starting to feel it again too.”

Luke and Savannah nodded in agreement, but Winston wasn’t paying attention, having spotted something more important than his friends’ libido. Just inside the gate stood a black pillar, and atop that pillar sat a rock. Football traditions aside, the rock itself wasn’t all that important at the moment, but the witch standing just beside it certainly was. She was the lone exception to the participants within the stadium walls, the only one not currently engaged in something naughty. She stood patiently, and as if she sensed she was being watched, she turned to find Winston and his friends staring back at her.

“Well, isn’t this quite a surprise,” she said, adding a laugh as they made their way to the gate. “You know, I honestly didn’t think you’d make it past the first round. I certainly didn’t think you’d make it this far, not without running short of time.”

Still flushed with embarrassment, Edward let his growing anger take control. “Well, we did. And with fifteen minutes to spare.”

The witch smiled, a sinister sort of grin that did little to comfort them, before turning on her heels and beckoning them inside with her finger. As she turned, Luke spotted something odd about her dress, something he hadn’t noticed before, but he wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing.

They reluctantly followed, stepping through the gates and pushing past a pair of french maids obediently servicing the cock of their pumpkin-headed master. The witch waved her hand over the massive orgy.

“Incredible, isn’t it?” she asked, though it was clear she didn’t really care for their answer.

Alice gasped, their heads turning once more as they watched Kate push Edward into the grass and climb on top of his shirtless body. She was already pulling her top off before Alice and Savannah reached out to stop her. Kate ignored them this time, pushing them away as she desperately locked on to Edwards lips, his hands taking hold of her waist and pulling her tight against him. It was obvious what would soon follow.

“What have you done to them?” Savannah asked, malice in her eyes.

The witch smiled. “Oh, don’t worry about them. They’ll be just fine, I assure you.”

Savannah’s anger only grew stronger with the dismissal. She turned her eyes to the orgy. “What is all this?”

The witch laughed once more, but didn’t get a chance to reply. Luke held his head low next to his hip, trying to get a better view beneath the witch’s dress. He spotted the tail once more, certain this time his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, and decided it was time to take action. While Savannah had her distracted, he lunged forward, wrapping his one good arm around her and attempting to throw the witch to the pavement below.

The witch was caught by surprise, losing her hat as she fell to the ground beneath Luke’s massive frame. For a moment the others thought he’d managed to overtake her, but they’d severely underestimated her power. Luke suddenly snapped into a plank, his body convulsing as if an electric current were passing through it. The witch held her grip on his crotch, slowly climbing to her knees with a smile on her face as the others watched Luke fall to the ground, buckling under whatever pain she was inflicting.

“Let him go!” Savannah shouted, and the witch did indeed release Luke from her grasp, but only because Luke was no longer a threat.

Savannah rushed to her headless friend, checking his pulse to ensure he was still alive. Her sigh of relief was a good indication, but Winston was focused elsewhere. With the witches hat no longer atop her head, he had a much clearer view of what she’d been hiding all along. A pair of crimson horns, barely two inches long, rose from her scalp. The bifurcated tail beneath her dress now swished wildly at her rear, signaling her agitation.

“What are you?” Winston asked, watching as their foe climbed to her feet and brushed away the grass from her dress. “I know witches better than anyone else here, trust me. You’re definitely not one of them.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she replied. “I’m sure even your feeble brains can arrive to the proper conclusion.”

“You’re a succubus,” said Alice, certainty in her voice. “A sex demon”

“Smart kitty,” the demon replied, her grin displaying the rows of sharp teeth within her mouth.

“Of course,” Winston muttered. “How didn’t I see this before? That explains why we’ve been horny this entire time, and why all the monsters we’ve come across were so eager to have sex. It wasn’t part of the spell at all, it was just…you!”

The succubus’ smile faded ever so slightly. “Well, you’re partially correct. I never intended for the challenges to be quite so erotic, an unexpected side effect of releasing such a large concentration of pheromones in one location. It takes quite a lot of enticement to create something as large as this,” she said, waving again to the ongoing orgy. “It was inevitable there would be a bit of spill-over.”

She nodded to Kate and Edward, still locked in their passionate kiss as the latter slid his hand beneath his lover’s pants, her moans indicating his fingers had found something warm and slippery to wiggle their way inside of. “It would appear your friends aren’t quite as strong willed as the rest of you when it comes to resisting.”

“What are pheromones?” Luke asked, regaining his ability to form words as Savannah helped him to his feet. The demon watched with vicious eyes, just in case he tried anything foolish once more. But Luke had learned his lesson and only wanted answers to the many questions burning in his mind.

“It’s kind of like a scent,” Alice replied. “Like a chemical hormone in the air, so subtle you can’t even tell it’s there, but strong enough to make you think and act differently. That’s why we’ve had lower inhibitions since arriving here. Her skin is leaking the shit like crazy, so much it’s filling the air and spreading all over campus.”

Savannah remained silent but couldn’t help recall what Victor whispered in her ear right before fucking her senseless. So much was beginning to make sense. “The ghost,” she said, her voice so soft the others could barely hear it over the crowd. “She only wanted a kiss, but as soon as her body took physical form, and she could breath in the air…”

“She couldn’t control her urges,” Winston finished. He turned to Kate and Edward once more. “But why are they so heavily effected now? Why aren’t the rest of us?”

“Again, a question with an obvious answer,” the succubus teased.

“They’re the only ones who haven’t had an orgasm in the last several hours,” Savannah answered. “The rest of us are immune because we’ve already been satisfied.”

“Again, partial credit,” the succubus replied. “Orgasm or not, my powers are inescapable. You may have a slight resistance to my pheromones for now, but I’m certain you’ll be feeling the effects soon enough, if you aren’t already.”

She wasn’t wrong. Beneath Savannah’s growing anger was the inexplicable desire to remove her clothes and join the mindless sex frenzy down below. Luke, who’d had the longest time to recover, was already having trouble keeping his eyes from wandering.

“That explains the ‘how,'” Winston said. “But why do this at all?” He waved to the orgy. “What do you gain from all of this?”

“Power, to put it simply,” she replied. “I’m a succubus, dear. A sex demon. We feed on sexual energy, plain and simple.”

“Don’t you have to actually have sex for that to happen?”

More sinister laughter. “Of course not! Direct feeding is more efficient, but not at all necessary. You have no idea the amount of power I’ve tasted here tonight! When I’m finished, I’ll be free to come and go between worlds with ease, feeding whenever I desire, regardless of how thin the barrier may be!”

“But why bring us here at all?” Alice pondered, trying to distract herself from the growing warmth between her legs. A pleasant scent filtered through her feline nose, but she struggled to ignore it.

The succubus rolled her eyes, throwing a thumb over her shoulder to point to the crowd. “Do you honestly think I could pull this off in your world? Certainly not on this scale. I’m good, but not that good. Sure, it may have drained me of nearly everything I have, but I’ve regained my strength and so much more!”

The moaning next to them grew louder, and Alice turned to find that Edward’s cock had found a warm new home in Kate’s mouth. Their clothes were completely discarded, granting her fingers full access between her legs as she knelt before him, bobbing back and forth along his shaft and swallowing several inches at a time.

“And what about these?” Winston asked, turning away from the alluring sight and pulling the siren’s scale and mummy’s eye from his pocket. “Why did you even need these items?”

“Oh, those? They’re completely useless.” she replied with a laugh.

“But you said the only way home was–”

“Haven’t you realized yet?” she interrupted. “I never gave a fuck about any of those items! There’s nothing special about the six of you! I simply wanted to play a little game, especially with officer dickhead over there, after he refused my advances. I’m used to getting my way, and refusal has its consequences.”

“So it was all a lie? We’re trapped here forever?” asked Savannah.

The smile wavered as the succubus sighed, crossing her arms. “Fortunately for you, no. I may be a sex demon, but I’m still a demon nonetheless, and a deal is a deal. You managed to complete all six challenges and make it here before midnight, so I’m obligated to fulfill my end of the bargain.”

Savannah sighed with relief, trying desperately to ignore the growing bulge in Luke’s pants. She pulled her fingers back, unaware of just how far they’d traveled up his thigh in her distraction.

“So that’s it?” Winston asked. “You’ll send us home? All of us?”

The succubus grinned. “Just as promised, the six of you can go back to your world.”

The problem was immediately apparent. “What about them?” Alice asked, waving to the ongoing orgy.

“They were never part of the bargain,” the demon answered. “Divine law prevents me from causing harm to any human, but there’s nothing to stop me from leaving them all here, fucking and sucking until they’re too exhausted to breath. By then, I’ll be more powerful than you can ever imagine! So consider yourselves lucky, your fate could be far worse.”

“You can’t expect us to just leave them here like this?” Winston asked.

“Personally, I don’t fucking care one way or the other. You can either return home, probably becoming famous as the only six survivors in a mysterious mass disappearance at a rural college, or you can stay here and join the others. The choice is yours, but the clock is still ticking, and by my calculations you have ten minutes before the deal is void.”

Winston turned to Alice, who was struggling to keep her fingers from ripping her already torn clothing even further apart. He then turned to Savannah, and Luke, seeing the guilt in their eyes as they imagined returning home while leaving so many others behind.

He looked to Edward, wishing he were in a state of mind to resume his leadership of the group, a role he’d dutifully held all night, right up until he couldn’t resist temptation any longer. He never even glanced in Winston’s direction, his focus solely on the pleasure of Kate’s lips around his shaft.

“We can’t leave ten-thousand students here to die. Surely you’ve gained more than enough power by now?”

The succubus threw her head back this time as she filled the sky with laughter. “Now, why would I do a silly thing like that? Why waste so much of my power to send everyone back to your world?”

Her words had an unintended effect on Winston, the growing arousal now instantly replaced with a burning rage. His fingers instinctively wrapped around the hilt of his sword before anyone could stop him, drawing his blade and swiftly pointing it at the demon’s milky throat. The threat was implied with no words exchanged.

“Pity,” came her whispered reply. “Very few get the opportunity to escape with their lives. You have chosen poorly.”

She raised her hand before Winston could strike a killing blow, bringing her palm to her lips and blowing gently across it’s surface as if sending him a kiss. A pleasant scent washed over Winston’s body, an aroma so arousing he immediately dropped his sword and forgot his anger. The succubus shifted her aim, blowing a stream of pheromones over Alice before she could turn to run. The effects were immediate, her cat-like eyes turning to Winston as she reached between her legs to unclasp her bodysuit. His hands were already at work with the buttons on his shirt.

Savannah and Luke observed in fear as their friends joined the others on the ground, hypnotized by the power of their own lust and blissfully ignorant of everything else around them.

“Don’t worry, dear. I wasn’t going to leave you out!” The succubus moved with impossible speed, grabbing hold of Savannah’s wrist and pulling her tight against her chest before Luke could pry her away. The scream was silenced with a kiss, the demon filling Savannah’s lips with something deliciously arousing before turning to Luke. With Little Red safely under her spell once more, he alone remained unaffected.

“You’re already weak,” she mused. “I can smell it, the way you fight your urges.” She stepped closer, confident in her abilities. “Sometimes it just takes the tiniest little…” She traced a finger over her waist, following the curve until she reached her breast. Luke watched with hungry eyes, his resistance crumbling the moment her fingers passed over the outline of her nipple. “Push,” she finished, watching with satisfaction as Luke turned his attention to his friends.

Winston had already taken his place on the grass, laying on his back with Alice sitting on his face. His tongue lapped hungrily between her legs, her moans muffled by Savannah’s lips as she leaned forward to give her friend a kiss. Her dress was nowhere to be found, nor was Winston’s cock as she rocked her hips back and forth atop his body.

Luke wandered over, his cock now free and desperate to feel the warmth of a woman as it swayed heavy and thick just a few inches from Alice’s lips. She took it willingly, sucking his entire length into her throat while Winston continued to flick her tiny clit with is tongue below. She released Luke from her grasp only to share with Savannah, watching without a care in the world as her gorgeous friend took her turn, wrapping her lips around his girthy manhood.

Kate and Edward hadn’t been left behind. Her gasps joined the symphony of pleasure as he climbed on top of her naked body, her legs spread wide around him as he slid into her pussy, inch by throbbing inch. He paused just long enough to enjoy the way she felt around him, to give her time to catch her breath as her body willing submitted to him. Then the thrusting began, slow and deliberate as he explored her depths.

It wasn’t long before his shaft was covered in Kate’s creamy arousal. His thrusts fell heavy against her pelvis, the blades of grass beneath her bare back leaving marks against her skin. She begged for more, whimpering in his ear to fuck her harder and faster, digging her nails into the dirt as he granted her wish.

He pounded her tiny body with all his might, disregarding the cramp in his leg as he forced the moans and gasps from Kate’s lips. His shaft was already swelling as it filled with cum, ready to empty his balls into her eager body. Her whispered moans weren’t audible above the roar of ecstasy around them, but he could see the longing in her eyes, the way they begged him to fill her body with everything he had to offer.

Not to be outdone, Luke decided to take their foursome to the next level. He held Alice by her hair as she gagged on his cock, releasing her only when she needed to come up for air, giving Savannah the same opportunity in turn. When Little Red came up to breath, Alice instinctively leaned forward to take him back into her mouth once more, but Luke stepped away, stroking his cock to keep it nice and slippery.

Alice pouted for just a moment before Winston’s tongue reminded her of the impending orgasm, causing her to literally purr with excitement. She spotted something from the corner of her eye, just before they rolled into the back of her head from ecstasy. A lone black cat was sitting just outside the gate, staring with those judgmental eyes. When her eyes returned to their normal position she looked again, but the cat was nowhere to be seen. She wondered briefly if he at least enjoyed the show, before another moan brought her back to the task at hand.

She turned to Savannah, the source of all the commotion, and quickly realized why. Luke was on his knees behind her, holding tight to her hips as he began to thrust. With Winston’s cock still occupying her pussy, Savannah’s ass had been the only hole available for the taking. Luke was perfectly fine with that, and as he slowly pushed the tip inside her, Savannah’s gasp and subsequent moan made it clear she was perfectly fine with it as well.

Neither of the boys were lacking when it came to size, but Savannah managed to adjust as her body stretched to accommodate. With Luke in control of her hips, rocking her back and forth between the two of them, Winston freed his hands to take hold of her hefty breasts, only to find that Alice had already claimed one of Savannah’s nipples in her mouth.

The sex demon observed with a pleased smile across her lips, drinking in the raw and passionate energy from her new food source. She watched Edward enviously as he flipped Kate onto her hands and knees, giving her just enough time to catch her breath before sliding back into her depths from behind. The oxygen left her lungs in a gasp of pleasure just before the thrusting resumed.

“Pathetic. All that work, for nothing,” she mused. “You should have fucked me when you had the chance, Edward. You’d still be exactly where you are, but at least you’d have the chance to feel my tight, warm pussy before you die. What an honor, but not one you’ll ever experience.”

The sound of retching caused her to spin in startled surprise. The succubus turned to find a lovely blonde witch staring down at her from atop her broom, a finger in her mouth as she mockingly gagged. “Do you hear yourself? No wonder you picked the stadium as your little hideout. Nowhere else could fit that ego.”

The demon was not amused. “Stay out of this, witch.”

Ivy dropped from her broom, a furious look on her face. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, demon. You see, I’m rather attached to one of these poor bastards you’ve turned into a meal.”

“Perhaps you’d like to join him then?” Before she could hear an answer, the succubus blew a kiss in Ivy’s direction. But Ivy came prepared, waving her hand to cast a spell that would block the pheromones from coming near.

“You’ve crossed a line, succubus. Taking one human every now and then is one thing, but an entire student body? You can’t really expect to get away with this?”

Angrily, the demon lashed out. “And who’s going to stop me? Certainly not you!” She waved to the orgy, the moans still echoing throughout the structure. “Look at the source of my power! Do you really think you stand a chance against a demon like me?”

Ivy smirked, summoning her broom and throwing her leg over the handle. “Oh, I’m plenty capable of handling you. But first you’ll have to catch me.”

“Why would I even bother chasing you down?” the demon asked. “Your life means nothing to me!”

“So you won’t mind if I send a quick little message to Queen Lilith then?”

The demon froze at the mention of her mother’s name, but said nothing.

“That’s what I thought,” Ivy continued. “I’m guessing she doesn’t know about this ridiculous plan of yours? Perhaps somebody should inform her?”

Before the succubus could reply, Ivy flung herself into the night, flying high and fast as she fled the stadium. Fearing the worst, the demon decided to give chase. A pair of leathery wings rose from her back, ripping through the fabric of her dress and leaving the tattered remains at her feet. Naked, she took to the sky, flapping her wings hard and fast in an effort to catch up to the little witch.

Ivy dodged between buildings and trees, flying as fast as her broom would allow as she made her escape. Turning her head, she saw the pale, naked form of her pursuer, the demon rushing to intercept. Exactly as Ivy planned.

The demon didn’t need to catch her, however. Ivy turned again, just in time to see a pair of demonic blades hurling in her direction. She rolled left, narrowly avoiding the deadly knives as the whizzed by, but there were many more where those came from. She turned toward the clock tower, zipping by at full speed as the sound of hell-forged steel collided with the brick next to her. She couldn’t keep dodging blades all night, and her energy was quickly draining.

She made another turn, screaming in pain as something sharp struck with her arm. The sleeve was torn, and a tiny stream of blood began to flow down her skin where the knife connected with her flesh, but it was barely worth a second thought.

“You can run all you want, little witch! I’ll get you in the end!” the succubus shouted from the rear.

Ivy ignored the taunt, her destination now in sight. She sped toward the reflection pond, its glossy black surface still as glass, reflecting a mirror image of the night sky above. She just needed to time her dive perfectly–

Another knife grazed her body, this time in her thigh. Ivy flinched from the pain, hoping the wound was as trivial as the first. But the burn was much more intense, more than anything she could handle, as if the fires of hell itself were running through the wound. She struggled to hold her grip on the broom, but the pain was too much. She wobbled in the air, her flight path erratic as she began to lose control. And then her feet hit the ground, much sooner than intended, as she made impact with the concrete.

Her body tumbled, knocking the air from her lungs as her roll came to a sudden stop just a few feet from the edge of the pool. Her broom was snapped at the handle, lying in two broken pieces just beyond her reach.

The demon landed with a heavy thud, her razor sharp smile dripping with murderous intentions. “You should have minded your own business, little witch!”

Ivy rolled onto her stomach and began to crawl to the water. Just a few more feet and she would reach the pond, but just as her fingers pulled her face to the edge, she felt the demon’s hand upon her.

Ivy was flipped with aggressive force onto her back, causing her to gasp in pain as she came face to face with her attacker. The succubus straddled her, the chill of her naked body causing the frightened witch to tremble. The demon crawled higher on her body, coming eye to eye with her meal, a toothy smile on her lips.

Somewhere in the distance, the clock tower chimed. Midnight had finally arrived. The succubus laughed, her smile growing impossibly wide as she stared into the green eyes of her prey, her hand gripping tight to Ivy’s throat. “Time’s up, little witch. Not that you’ll live much longer regardless.”

Now it was Ivy’s turn to laugh, causing the demon to loosen her grip ever so slightly so she could hear the reason why. “You stupid bitch,” Ivy breathed, savoring the air she was allowed to take once more. “Looks like someone forgot about daylight savings.”

“What?”

Ivy winked. “November first, darling. The clock turns back one hour.”

The succubus paused a minute more before smiling. “Nice try, but we both know the clocks don’t turn back until two. It’s still too late for them.”

Ivy rolled her eyes. “You really think the autumn equinox gives a fuck about the railroad? As far as time is concerned, we never lost an hour back in spring. Meaning…”

The demon flinched. “There’s still an hour left!”

She loosened her grip in her terror, allowing Ivy enough breath to utter the fatal, final words. “And I’m guessing you also forgot about that.” She lifted her hand to point above her head, right into the reflective water just out of reach.

The demon followed with her gaze, but saw nothing on the water’s surface. She tightened her grip around the throat once more. “Don’t play games with me!”

Ivy shook her head, struggling to breath as she formed the words. “Look…closer…”

The demon kept her fingers clenched, but couldn’t help her own curiosity. She leaned closer, realizing much too late she’d fallen into a trap. The eyes peering back at her were her own as she stared down into her own reflection, the placid water forming a natural mirror.

“So beautiful,” she whispered. For a few brief moments she forgot about the witch currently struggling in her grasp. Ivy tried to hold on, but her vision was quickly going black. She couldn’t help but wonder if her plan was always doomed to end in failure, that she’d already inhaled last breath she would ever take before the bitter end.

True to legend, the succubus remained completely mesmerized by her own unblinking reflection, her own vanity rendering her incapable of looking away from her mirrored beauty. But the eyes staring back at her seemed oddly black. Then she heard the singing, so subtle it could almost be mistaken for the wind, were the water not completely still. As the alluring melody took control of her desires, the demon realized with sudden clarity the terrible mistake she’d made.

“Oh, fuck!”

The siren broke the water’s surface with a powerful lunge, far too quick for the succubus to escape. Ivy sucked an uncomfortable amount of air into her lungs as the demon lost her grip on her neck, leaving her choking on her own saliva as she rubbed the cuts left by demonic claws. Her vision was still dark, but she could hear the splash as her attacker was pulled beneath the surface of the water. She crawled as quickly as she could away from the water’s edge, fearing she’d be the next to disappear if she failed to escape.

Her vision slowly began to come back to her, and Ivy knew she had little time before the succubus fought off her assailants and broke through the water once more. Rising on trembling feet, the witch waved her hand over the pond, pushing a wave of freezing air across its rippling surface. The ice formed quickly, fanning out from where she stood until it left a frosty layer on the brick on the other side. Ivy stood there for a few seconds longer, catching her breath as she watched the ice for signs of weakness. There was no movement, not so much as a single crack.

“Stay frosty, bitch.”

Meow. Ivy turned to find her black cat watching from nearby, sitting next to the broken pieces of her broom.

“Don’t judge me for my puns,” Ivy retorted, rolling her eyes before stepping over to retrieve her items. With the snap of her fingers the broom repaired itself, rising of its own accord as she examined the wounds on her arm and thigh. Another wave of the hand and the wounds began to slowly heal, though the burn would last for several days.

With nothing left to fix, Ivy swung her leg over the broomstick and took a firm grip on the handle. “I’ll meet you back at the dorm. Good work, Sebastian.” The cat meowed once more before prancing off, thinking of the treats he was certain to receive later that night. Ivy took to the sky.

She was back at the stadium within minutes, touching down exactly where she left off and marveling at the scene before her. The orgy raged on, though probably not for much longer, now that the succubus was gone, along with her pheromones. She turned her attention to Winston and his friends, smirking at the eroticism on display.

Kate had given Edward a much needed break. He held tight to her ass, groaning with pleasure as his girlfriend straddled him, bouncing enthusiastically on his lengthy cock. His breathing was quick and heavy, signaling the end was fast approaching. Kate could feel it too, the way he swelled inside her as his shaft filled with pearly cum. She bounced harder, her ass smacking rhythmically against his thighs until she felt the eruption inside her body.

Edward’s knuckles turned white as he held his lover in place above him, seating his cock as deep inside her pussy as physically possible, his balls twitching as he pumped her full of cum. Kate was quick to follow, giving in to the incredible sensation as he throbbed against her walls, letting an avalanche of pleasure descend upon her body. She arched her back, thrusting her chest to the sky as she screamed with joy, adding the sounds of her ecstasy to the moans of ten-thousand others.

Ivy watched their embrace as the orgasms faded, but not for long, as the sound of grunting drew her attention to the foursome on her right. Except it wasn’t a foursome anymore.

Luke continued to pound Savannah’s ass, her gasps and moans muffled in the ground as she bent over on her hands and knees. The words she formed were hard to understand, but the meaning behind them was quite clear as her legs began to tremble, threatening to collapse. Just as her orgasm reached its peak, Luke discovered his own, pulling free of her body and stroking his cock until ropes of pearly white began to fall across her arching back.

Then there was Alice, who apparently grew jealous in Ivy’s absence and decided she needed a cock to play with all her own. She ended up with two. Winston’s was currently sliding in and out of her pussy as she bent over at the waist, his hands holding tight to her hips as he pounded with ferocious energy. Judging from the glisten running down Alice’s thighs and disappearing into her fur, her orgasm had already come and gone. The second cock belonged to someone new, a young and fit professor who’d made the fortunate decision to dress as a doctor.

Ivy couldn’t help but laugh as he began to grunt, pulling free of Alice’s lips and giving his shaft a few quick strokes before covering her whiskered face with everything his balls had to give. Winston followed suit, but didn’t bother pulling out as he slammed hard and heavy one last time into her juicy slit, filling her slender little body with whatever Ivy hadn’t already claimed for herself.

She gave them a few minutes to recover, watching as they panted in the grass at her feet, sweat and semen and pussy juice covering their bodies. A similar scene unfolded all across the stadium as orgasms began to fade. Without the steady influence of pheromones, students were slowly coming to realize something was amiss, and Ivy knew there was little time before all hell broke loose.

“Oh my god,” Alice moaned, suddenly aware of the sticky warmth on her face. She turned to find Winston standing behind her, hands still on her hips and his cock still throbbing inside her. He looked equally embarrassed and immediately pulled out, only to watch his own cum dripping from her pussy.

Luke and Savannah said nothing as they looked into each others eyes. His cock was still in his hand, a tiny bead of cum clinging to the tip, as she slowly connected the dots. Still, she remained silent as she searched for something she could use to clean up the mess he’d left on her backside. Already naked, she retrieved her dress and used it to wipe herself off, deciding modesty was more or less pointless now.

Kate and Edward were the last to come to, the hormones in their blood flowing stronger than the others. But when they did, there was nothing but the flush of red to signal their embarrassment, both of them scrambling to find their clothes as they muttered awkward apologies.

Deciding they’d had enough time to clear their thoughts, Ivy finally broke the silence. “Looks like you guys had one hell of a party in my absence.”

Winston was the most embarrassed, but the only one to speak. “Where did she go? The…”

“Succubus?” Ivy finished. “She’s trapped in the reflection pond. For now. I can’t promise she’ll stay that way for long. Are you guys okay?”

There were nods all around, including from out-of-place professor.

“Wait,” said Edward, regaining his senses. “What time is it?”

Alice turned to the street just outside the gate, the road leading all the way back to the clock tower. Even from this distance, she could see the hands were not positioned in their favor. “It’s after midnight. We’re fucked.”

“No, that can’t be,” said Luke, refusing to accept defeat. “We can still make it, right? We finished all those stupid challenges, narrowly escaping death and dismemberment the whole fucking time!”

“She’s gone, Luke.” It’s Savannah who consoled him, the tears beginning to form in her eyes. “It’s over.”

“Actually,” Ivy interrupted. “It isn’t.”

They all turned to her once more, faces full of hope as they waited for more. “Sex demons can be pretty clever, but they often forget that humans like to invent trivial bullshit when it suits their needs. Daylight savings, for example.”

“The clocks turn back tonight,” said Edward. “But that doesn’t happen until–”

“Two o-clock, yes I know,” Ivy replied, interrupting again. “But that’s only because the railroads needed it to, back in the day. Time is linear, no matter how you try to slice it up, and when we moved the clock forward an hour back in spring, mother nature didn’t just play along, like we assume she will.”

“So what are you saying?” asked Alice. “That it’s not really midnight?”

“It’s not an exact science,” Ivy answered. “But you’ve more or less got half an hour before the barrier between worlds becomes impassable.”

“Holy shit,” Savannah whispered. “You straight-up Hocus Pocused her ass!” The compliment earned a giggle from their witchy friend, but not everyone was pleased.

“Great!” Edward replied. “Except the demon who brought us here is trapped in a pond somehow, and according to Winston, you’ve already said you can’t do much to help us.”

Ivy shrugged. “I saved your lives. I’d say that’s helping.”

Embarrassed, Edward blushed. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t mention it. And as for getting you back home, I said I didn’t understand the spell she used to trap you here.” Ivy smiled. “But she wasn’t using a spell, was she? A succubus doesn’t have magic like witches do, just their own demonic power.”

“What’s the difference?” asked Luke.

“The difference,” Ivy continued, “is apples and oranges, my headless friend. Her hold on you, and the ten-thousand idiots still fucking each other senseless out there, relies heavily on her physical abilities.”

“You mean the pheromones?” asked Winston.

“That, and her powers of seduction. Remove all that from the equation, and your tether to this world is practically nonexistent.”

“Wait, are you saying you can actually get us back to the world we belong in?” Luke asked, voice full of hope. “All of us?”

Ivy shrugged again. “It’ll take quite a lot of magic just to move this many people, not to mention I’ll have to find a way to fix the unintended consequences of so much unprotected sex. Then there’s the whole ‘transforming into whatever stupid costume you decided to wear’ bit, which is another matter entirely. Not to mention the limitations with string theory and–”

“Ivy,” Winston interrupted. “Can you do it?”

They looked at her with eyes full of hope. She smiled. “Sure, I think I can do it.”

“You think?” asked Edward, skeptical of her reply.

“Like I said, it’s going to take a lot of magic. Do you want me to try it or not?”

Edward apologized again, but the sounds of uproar brought his attention back to the field behind them. Moans quickly transformed to screams and shouts as the students began to realize what was happening. Some of them, the ones with transfigured bodies such as Alice, panicked immediately, while others would take several minutes to realize they weren’t dreaming.

“Guess I’ll have to do this quickly,” Ivy observed. “Oh, one last thing.”

They turned back to the young witch, fearful she was about to deliver bad news.

“If I do this, I’ll have to wipe your memories as well.” Her face was genuinely apologetic. “I’m sorry, it’s just the rules. Humans aren’t supposed to see this world, and I can’t risk having thousands of witnesses suddenly reappear in your realm.”

“I’m perfectly fine with that,” said Alice.

“Same here,” said Kate. “In fact, the sooner I forget this nightmare, the better.”

“Fair enough.”

“So, how does this work?” Luke asked. “Do you need like a spellbook or something? A magic staff? Or is it like a potion we have to drink while chanting some sort of ancient text?”

Ivy raised her brow, glancing to Savannah. “Is he always this stupid, or has decapitation made it worse?”

“Let’s just say there’s a reason he’s not an engineering major,” she replied, giving Luke a wink.

“So what do we do then?” asked Edward.

“Nothing. You just stand there and sit pretty, and I’ll just kind of…push you…across the barrier. I’ll have to do it in groups of course. I can’t send ten-thousand people all at once.”

“What do you mean by push–”

“Dasvidaniya,” Ivy said, giving a tiny wave before snapping her fingers and sending everything to black.

ONE WEEK LATER

“If you don’t let go of me we’ll never make it to the tavern on time,” Kate moaned, clutching tight to Edwards arm despite her insistence he let her go. The tangled sheets around their naked bodies were damp from sweat, a worthy sacrifice for the incredible orgasm he’d given her just minutes before.

He kissed her gently on the shoulder as he pulled her tighter against his chest, his softening cock still pressed against her glistening folds and teasing her with naughty thoughts. “You know,” he replied. “We should have done this sooner.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Kate answered, sighing with lust as he kissed higher on her neck. Thoughts of round two returned to her imagination. “You know, it doesn’t even feel like the first time.”

“What do you mean?” Edward asked.

Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it just feels like we’ve done this before? I know that seems silly.”

Edward laughed, kissing her between breaths. “Maybe it’s because I’m living up to your fantasies.”

“Mmmm, perhaps! I have quite a few you’re more than welcome to reenact for me!”

This caught Edward’s attention. “Oh? Like what?”

Kate smacked his hefty arm. “Like the one where you help me find my panties so we can go meet our friends, like we promised.” Reluctantly, Edward loosened his grip and let his girlfriend climb to her feet, receiving an excellent view of her bare ass and everything in between.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” he asked, climbing to his feet with a groan.

“Because the last one there has to buy the first round,” Kate replied, slipping into her jeans, the bounce of her breasts distracting Edward once more. “And I’m a broke college student, so I have no intention of buying shots this evening!”

He returned the smile, leaning in for a kiss. “Fine, you win. But maybe later we can…”

“Absolutely.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

Kate smirked. “Does it involve more orgasms? Perhaps under a hot shower with lots of soap involved?”

Edward laughed again. “You read my mind. Alright, let’s get out of here, you little vixen.”

He grabbed his shirt from the desk, revealing the paperwork beneath. Kate saw it and was immediately curious.

“What’s all that about?”

Edward turned to follow her stare, picking up one of the brochures. “Police Academy. I don’t know why, but I’ve had the idea in my head for a few days now. Thought maybe I could become a cop after I graduate, work my way to detective.”

“I can see you doing that,” Kate replied.

“Really?”

She grinned. “A reason to keep working out. A snazzy uniform. Not to mention handcuffs. I can see a lot of pros to this.”

Edward laughed, rolling his eyes before throwing his shirt over his head. Kate pouted as the muscles disappeared.

When they entered the bar ten minutes later they found Savannah and Alice were already in their seats at the booth, with Luke sitting silently to the side.

“Cats are just so judgmental,” Savannah said, indicating the topic of their argument. “You can’t even pet them without getting a claw or two in your skin, not to mention they’re super high maintenance.”

“High maintenance?” Alice replied. “They literally shit in a box and clean themselves. The only thing you have to do is make sure the food bowl isn’t empty, and even if you leave the house for days a time they’ll ration out the food until you get back. What can a dog do that’s better than that?”

“Wag their tails? Show emotion? Let you rub their belly without gnawing your fingers off in the process? Dogs are the best, end of argument.”

Edward and Kate took their seats with a sigh, both turning to Luke. “Have they been arguing like this since they got here?”

Luke nodded. “Going on ten minutes now.”

Savannah rolled her eyes. “If you and I are going to date I’m going to need you to realize I’m always right.”

Luke surrendered. “I didn’t say cats were better than dogs! I just don’t understand why you’re even arguing over it in the first place?”

“And since when did you become such a huge fan of dogs anyway?” Kate asked, turning to Savannah.

Her friend shrugged. “Right about the time my shaggy boyfriend stepped into my life.”

“Oh, so you’re her boyfriend now?” Edward asked, a teasing grin on his face.

“Still in the trial period,” Savannah answered for him. “But so far I’m thinking I’ll renew my subscription. I’ve even got him going to the library more often!”

Kate raised a brow. “You guys are already fucking in the library?”

Savannah feigned a shocked expression. “Rude!” she replied. “I’ll have you know he’s taken a keen interest in reading lately.”

“Oh yeah?” Edward asked. “Reading what?”

Luke struggled to think of an appropriate answer, anything other than admitting the truth. He’d never hear the end of it if he let it slip he had a sudden interest in vampire fiction.

“Oh look, there’s Winston!” Luke said, suddenly grateful to have a reason to change the subject.

Winston stumbled over, his smile fading very quickly as he performed a headcount. “Fuck,” he muttered, already searching for his wallet.

“You know the rules,” Kate teased. “Last one here…”

“Buys the first round. Yeah, I know. Stupid bus was late.”

“Excuses, excuses,” said Luke.

Winston flipped him off before asking each of them what they’d have to drink. The order was thankfully light enough for his modest income, and he shuffled off to the bar to place it. Distracted, he turned to carry the tray back to his friends, only to bump into someone in the process.

The girl gasped, wine sloshing in her glass as she turned to recover from the sudden blow. She spilled a considerable amount of her drink, but Winston managed to keep his balance, thankfully saving the drinks he’d just purchased.

“Oh my gosh!” he said, immediately embarrassed. The girl was quite lovely, with blonde hair and green eyes, eyes which thankfully stared at him with curiosity rather than anger. She had a slim frame under her black top, and a long, shapely pair of legs beneath denim shorts. Her arms and legs were a canvas, not completely covered in tattoos, but enough to draw his gaze. Especially the one of a black cat on her thigh, the ink dark and fresh as if recently done.

“I’m so sorry!” he stammered, his voice shaky from a mixture of embarrassment and infatuation.

The blonde smiled, as if amused. “Don’t worry about. Accidents happen.”

Winston blushed. “Well, at least let me buy you another drink.”

“What for?”

“Well because…” He watched as the girl brought her wine glass to her lips, taking a sip of the champagne colored liquid. The glass was nearly full. “I…I thought…”

The blonde giggled. “Are you okay? You seem a bit frazzled.”

Unsure how to reply, Winston just nodded. But there was something strange about this girl, and he couldn’t help but wonder what it might be. “I’m sorry, but have we met before? I’m getting the strangest sense of deja vu.”

“Oh I doubt that very much. I just transferred here.” She extended her flawless hand. “I’m Ivy.”

Winston took it. “Winston.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Winston.” The deja vu only intensified.

“Well, I guess I should welcome you to the school. I’m off to a rude start.”

Ivy giggled again. “Well, maybe you could make it up to me by showing me around sometime? I’m still figuring the campus out, and I haven’t made many friends so far.”

“Yeah, totally. I’d love to.” Winston found a bit of courage in that moment. “Actually, do you want to come sit with us? We have a booth over in the corner.”

Ivy smiled. “Sure, why not?” She followed him through the crowd, delightfully pleased with the spoils of her hunt.

THE END OF CHAPTER FOUR