Paranormality

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Maddie woke up eagerly at the day it was. It was Halloween and somehow her best friend—Faith—scored her and Alex invites to Jerome Khan's birthday. This was her chance now to actually talk to Jerome in her first party in Black Chapel. It was also the first party her parents actually let her go to. Her mother was a bit hesitant, but Maddie didn't understand why. She was fourteen years old and a freshman in high school; she was practically an adult now. Sure, it was her first Halloween without her mom, but this party was important for her status.

Maddie pulled out the costume she bought without her parents knowing. It was a slutty vampire costume, and it was super low cut and super short. Faith made her get it so that she could impress Jerome, but Maddie's parents would kill her if they saw what she was wearing. She had a plan. Maddie put on the costume, and did her make up. She straightened her hair, curled it so that her curls are smooth. Her natural curls were too crazy. Maddie did her usual dark make-up. Maddie put on her sweatshirt and sweat pants. She then walked out of her room and walked downstairs.

Maddie walked downstairs to the warm feel and smell of pancakes. Maddie spotted Alex eating at least eight of them at a time with his siblings and hers. She took a seat next to Mason as her mother was passing out pancakes to an entire table full of her siblings and cousins. Her mother put a baby down on the highchair and sat between Maddie and the child. The table was extremely long, and it fit their entire household of fourteen. The sun shined on her mother's golden hair, and illuminated her green eyes. Her mother was cutting the baby's pancakes, but stopped as she spotted Maddie's curly hair. On the other side of a high chair, sat Maddie's father. Her father's face was cold as he exchanged looks with her mother.

"Sweetheart, why didn't you straighten it?" Her mother asked her.

"Faith and I agreed to twin with our hairs curly," Maddie explained.

"You know what I say about a straightening iron..." Her mother's voice trailed off as she was feeding Maddie's sister.

Maddie rolled her eyes with annoyance. "Why are you so concerned with my hair all the time?"

"I just think your hair looks nice when its straighten," Her mother said plainly. She looked around the table and gestured across the table to Alex's red haired mom. "Right, Penny?"

"Yup, Evangeline." Penny played with a little blonde girl's hair in a motherly way. "Chloe straightens her hair all the time and she likes it."

Maddie said nothing and continued to eat her food. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and saw that it Faith waiting outside for her and Alex. "We should go. Faith's waiting outside!" Maddie smiled as she stood up from the table. Alex kissed his parents goodbye as he grabbed his jacket and waited by the door. Maddie grabbed her stuff, but was stopped when her mother went to hug her tightly. Her mother's hug felt like it was the last time she was going to see her. It was tight and suffocating. "Mom, what are you doing?"

Her mother played with Maddie's hair affectionately. Maddie caught onto her mother eyeing her father. "Maybe you shouldn't go tonight," Her mother suggested. "We could go out to the lake house up in Montauk, and we can have our own family Halloween party."

Maddie blinked and felt the itch to argue like a fourteen-year-old she was. What was she doing? "I'm confused. I thought you said I could go. The both of you did!"

"The circumstances were different then," Her mother said. "It's dangerous for you to be out with these people coming..."

"Who's coming?" Maddie asked her. Maddie looked at the table to see if her father can vouch for her, but there was nobody there. Maddie blinked and rubbed her head. Two seconds ago, there was a table full of people, but now it felt like a ghost town. "Mom, where did everyone just go?" Her mother stared blankly into the air and ignored her question. "Mom?" Maddie asked, feeling a little bit afraid now.