𝐑𝐄𝐃 • Max Dennison

VII: ON THY FEET

"Woah, woah, woah, woah! Come on, this is a graveyard," Max said as they stood outside the gates to the huge graveyard.

"Obviously," Lilah rolled her eyes.

"It's hallowed ground," the black cat said, "Witches can't set foot here."

"What the-"

"He talks," Max said.

"And we're just not supposed to question that?"

"After what just happened, I don't think any of us should we questioning anything," Dani said.

"Why is it British, though?"

The cat jumped through the bars of the gates. "Follow me!" He said. Dani and Max went straight through the gates, but Lilah was hesitant.

"Come on," Max said.

"I don't know, Max, what if this is all a part of their plan?"

"Then I'll protect you. And Dani," Max held out his hand and Lilah reluctantly took it, the two quickly catching up with Dani and the cat.

"Over here, I wanna show you something. Give you an idea of exactly what we're dealing with," the cat said.

Max looked at the grave in front of them, "William Butcherson? Lost soul?"

"Billy Butcherson was Winifred's lover. But she found him sporting with her sister, Sarah, so she poisoned him and sewed his mouth shut with a dull needle, so he couldn't tell her secrets even in death. Winifred always was the jealous type."

Lilah came to a sudden realisation. "You're Thackery Binx!"

"Yes."

"So the legends are true," Max said.

Lilah furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Was that note made evident when the witches came back from the dead and the cat started talking?"

"Well, come along," Binx said, "I want to show you something else." Binx took the trio to the grace of Emily Binx, his younger sister who was killed by the Sanderson sisters. "Because of me, my little sister's life was stolen. For years I waited for my life to end so I could be reunited with my family. But Winifred's curse of immortality kept me alive, the one day I figured out what to do with my eternal life. Now, I'd failed Emily, but I wouldn't fail again. When Winifred and her sisters returned, I'd be there to stop them. So for three centuries, I've guarded their house on All Hallows' night, when I knew some airhead virgin might light that candle."

Binx gave Max a death glare, to which Max rolled his eyes. Lilah laughed. "Nice going, airhead," Dani said.

"Yeah, virgin," Lilah rolled her eyes.

"Hey, look. I'm sorry, okay?" Max stood up, "We're talkin' about three ancient hags versus the twentieth century. How bad can it be?"

"Bad," Binx said.

"They're three ancient hags with a spell book and powers, Max. We don't exactly have flying cars," Lilah said as she opened the spell book.

"Stay out of there!" Binx warned.

"Why?"

"It holds Winifred's most dangerous spells. She must not get it."

"Well, let's torch this sucker," Max said. Max took the book from Lilah's hand and put the lighter to it.

"I don't think that's working," Lilah said.

"Obviously," Dani deadpanned

"It's protected by magic," Binx told them. A sudden cackling sounded above them, and the four gasped as the witches appeared on broomsticks.

"It's just a bunch of hocus-pocus!" Winifred yelled.

Sarah dipped down, seemingly as far as she could without touching the ground of the graveyard. "Brave little virgin who lit the candle. I'll be thy friend."

"Fuck off!" Lilah yells, hitting Sarah with a branch, "Sorry, Dani."

"I've heard worse," Dani shrugged.

Winifred called out to her spell book, "Come to Mummy."

"Afraid not!" Jinx yelled as he jumped on top of the book.

"Thackery Binx, thou mangy feline. Still alive?"

"And waiting for you."

"Thou hast waited in vain, and thou will fail to save thy friends just as thou failed to save thy sister!"

Binx screeched as Winifred swooped down and everyone ran away, Max grabbing the book. They came face to face with Mary, quickly sucking out of her path. "They can't touch us here, right?" Max asked.

"Well, they can't," Binx said.

"I don't like the way you said that," Dani said.

"What? Are you gonna tell us that some zombies gonna crawl out of its grave or something?" Lilah asked, half jokingly. Binx stayed silent. "Binx?"

The three witches suddenly appeared being him, and Winifred recited a spell. "Unfaithful lover, long since dead, deep asleep in they wormy bed, wiggle thy toes, open thine eyes, twist thy fingers towards the sky, life is sweet, be not shy, on thy feet, so sayeth I!"

The ground and all of the headstones suddenly began to shake. "You have got to be kidding me!"