𝐑𝐄𝐃 • Max Dennison

XXIII: FINALE

Max's terrible driving managed to get them away from the witches. Although Winnie didn't give up so easily, they managed to get her away from the car, flinging her into the forest. "You could have just rolled the window up," Lilah said.

"She'd still follow us," Max replied.

"She was flying low, you could have just hit her with the car."

"That's immoral."

"You literally left her to burn to death earlier, what's worse?"

Max ignored her and continued driving until they reached the graveyard. "Hurry! Hurry!" Binx said as they jumped out of the terribly parked car, running to the gate. "Come on! Let's get a move on!"

Lilah and Dani managed to make it halfway down the path, before turning back and seeing Max stopped by the zombie. He pulled out a pocket knife, holding it up to the zombie and urging the two girls to run. For once, Lilah actually listened to him, holding onto Dani's hand and running into the graveyard.

Max soon came running towards them, Billy behind him. "Bro, why are you running so slow? Move!"

"No, no. It's fine. He's a good zombie."

"Fine, just don't let him too close to me, I'm wearing a new perfume."

"Come on," Binx said, "We'll have to hold them out until dawn."

Lilah, in all honesty, didn't really understand much of the plan, she just knew to protect Dani until the sun rose. She was placed inside of Billy's now open grave, and Lilah created a ring of salt around her and Max practiced swinging his bat.

She'd never really been scared. Sure, she'd been, like, briefly scared, like on a roller coaster of while watching a horror film, but she'd never been genuinely scared. Not like she was, now. After so many years of convincing herself all of the horror stories she was told were untrue, she was facing one of them in real life. Talk about a change of heart.

"Here they come!" Binx suddenly called out, "Billy, guard Dani. Max, Lilah, spread out!"

Lilah ran to the left, wishing that she was the one who was guarding Dani rather than supposedly fighting of witches with nothing but a jar of salt.

Winifred easily took Max's bat, and he of course ended up on the floor, again. Sarah swooped down in an attempt to get Lilah, only to be met with salt in her face. Lilah winced as she threw the salt, imagining what it would feel like in her eyes. It certainly didn't feel good.

Winifred then swooped down onto Billy, knocking his head off. "Ew," Lilah whispered as Billy's head rolled. She silently debated whether or not she should fetch the zombies head for it, then quickly decided against it. She didn't want to end up headless, too.

Sarah came back for Lilah, who had now ran out of salt and instead had to duck in order to avoid the youngest witch. She soon found Max again, and they ran over to where they'd left Dani. She wasn't there.

They looked up into the sky, Winifred flying close to the ground. Lilah looked over in the direction she was flying, seeing Dani being scooped up by the hag. "Bye bye, big brother," Winifred cackled as she fly higher and higher into the sky.

Everyone ran over to the two, flying in the sky. "Alright, you little trollimog. This'll teach you to call people ugly," Winifred said as she tried to force Dani to drink the vial. Before she could even reach Dani's mouth, Binx jumped onto Winifred, knocking the vial out of her hand for Max to catch.

"Give me that vial!" Winifred screeched.

"Put her down or I'll smash it!" Max threatened.

"Smash it and she dies!"

Lilah tried to run over to Max, but was held back by Billy. Max suddenly held the vial to his mouth, pouring Winifred's potion down his throat and Lilah watched in horror.

"Now you have no choice! You have to take me."

Winifred threw Dani off of her broomstick. "What a fool to give up thy life for thy sister's." She dragged Max up by the collar of his shirt, Lilah and Billy running over to help up Dani.

Winifred began to suck the life out of Max, like she had done with Emily Binx all those years ago. Max fought back, however, moving Winifred's face out of the way in an attempt to buy himself some time. Max now hung off the broom, unable to get off as he was too high up.

He pushed Winifred, almost making her fall. "Hollowed ground! Hollowed ground, sisters!" She screamed.

"Winnie, I'm coming!" Mary said, starting up her vacuum. Dani grabbed onto the wire, Billy and Lilah following. Sarah came to Mary's rescue, not completely saving her, but making it harder for the three to hold her back.

"Let go!" Lilah yelled. The three suddenly let go, sending the two witches flying and distracting Winifred enough so that Max could push her off of her broom, sending him to the ground as well.

Winifred crawled over to Max, grabbing him by the collar again. She suddenly looked down at the ground, realising she was stood on hollowed ground. She turned into a stone statue, still gripping onto Max. He eventually managed to struggle away, ripping the top of his jumper in the process as the sun rose and the other two witches disappeared. Winifred's statue burst into green fog and glitter, until everything was finally over.

Lilah ran over to Max, as Dani supposedly looked around for Binx. "You okay?" Lilah asked, sitting down next to Max.

"Yeah, I think so."

"You know, you saved Dani's life. You saved everyone's lives."

"Well, I had to. I was the one who started it."

"Can't argue with you in that."

"You know, we were cute short earlier, when we..."

"Yeah, and we're not gonna continue in the graveyard while your sisters here."

"Fair enough, another time?"

"Obviously," Lilah stood up, holding her hand out for Max, "Come on."

They walked over to Dani. "Where's Binx?" Max asked.

"I can't find him," Dani said.

The three looked around for Binx, who was finally spotted by Dani. "Binx!"

"He's gone," Lilah said.

"But he can't die! Remember? Wake up, Binx. Binx, wake up. Like last time!"

Dani began to cry, as a voice sounded from across the graveyard. "Dani. Come on, please don't be sad for me."

"Binx? Is that you?"

"Yeah. The witches are dead. My soul's finally free. You freed me Dani, thank you. Hey, Max. Thanks for lighting the candle."

Another voice suddenly sounded, as a little girl appeared around the corner. "Thackery! Thackery Binx!"

"It's Emily," Binx said, leaning down to whisper in Dani's ear. "I shall always be with you."

After a kiss to Dani's cheek, which Lilah found a bit odd, Binx went off with his own little sister, telling her the story of the nights events.

And so, the witches were dead. Well, not totally, but at least Lilah and Max didn't have to deal with them anymore.

It was a sorry for them to tell their children, and a story for the oldest daughter to experience herself, but that's a story for another time.