Sunshine, A Bartholy Halloween Story

Part VIII: Repercussions

It's hours later, and I am still sitting at the kitchen table. The only sound I can hear is that of the clock ticking: Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock... it feels like it's counting down the last remaining minutes of my life. I strain to listen out for anyone's voice, but the house is as silent as a tomb. Only this time, the tomb is mine.

What the hell was I thinking? I should not have messed with dark magic. After all, Sarah, my best friend, who also happens to be an experienced witch, warned me not to do it. And the fact that the book of spells was placed so far up on the bookshelf should've been another clue. And let's not forget about the forbidden section - there was probably a very good reason for which the pages were stuck together. Most likely, to prevent fools like me from gaining access to dangerous spells.

Oh well... what's done is done. At least the Bartholys were able to get rid of all the zombies I called forth. The weird thing is... I never even saw Sunshine. I'm not sure whether or not that's because I was too terrified by the other living dead, or because the bunny never made an appearance. I guess I'll never know now...

I think about my short twenty-one years of life, of what I could've done and should've done... and shouldn't have done.... My eyes start to tear up again as I see Drogo's face before my eyes: the disappointment and shame he felt for me after he had to clean up my mess. Boy, I really screwed things up this time. Who knows what Nicolae and his brothers will decide to do with me? I'm not feeling very optimistic at the moment.

I realize I haven't seen Lorie since she disappeared from my side in the garden. I hope she wasn't hurt by any of the zombies... probably not, or I wouldn't still be sitting here alive and well. If anything happened to their sister, the Bartholy men would've finished me off by now. So at least that's something to be thankful for.

My thoughts drift all over the place while I wait for my sentencing. I notice that it's getting lighter outside. It must be close to dawn - perhaps my last one ever. I bite my fingernails anxiously. I almost wish Nicolae would just come back in here and do whatever he plans to do. The wait is pure torture... but maybe that's part of my punishment.

I'm about to get up and go investigate when the kitchen door opens. I freeze. Drogo walks in. He looks as grim as he did before. This is definitely a bad sign. I don't speak, but wait for him to start.

Drogo plops down heavily at the kitchen table, across from me. He lets out a sigh and runs a hand through his hair.

"Little thing, little thing... you've really done it this time."

I bite my lower lip, as my heart rate accelerates. Say 'good-bye' to life, I think to myself. Drogo raises his eyes and looks at me, head tilted to one side.

"Why did you do it?"

I take a deep breath and exhale through my nose. "I wanted to scare you."

"What?" Drogo's eyebrows shoot upwards. "Are you kidding me? You did... all of that... to scare me?"

I nod. Now that I think about it... it was the dumbest idea I'd ever had. I look down at my hands that I'm nervously kneading in my lap.

Drogo shakes his head, in both wonder and disappointment. "I can't believe you'd go to such lengths.... I mean... raising the dead???"

"I know, I know," I mutter. "Believe me! I realize how stupid I was."

"Not to mention reckless and imprudent," he adds spitefully. That brings me down an additional notch.

Drogo studies me in silence for a while. "Do you realize the trouble you could've gotten all of us in? What if someone heard what was going on? What if they decided to see what was causing all the noise and saw us... battling zombies... in our vampiric forms?"