"Hey, you remember what I said last year, right? We're Zombie Boy and Ghost Boy. I'm not ever gonna leave you."
"Promise?"
"One hundred percent."
***
In which Alistair fights the monster that possessed his friend alongside his friends, while trying...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Chapter Eighteen: Sauna Exorcism
(The Sauna Test, Pt. 3)
***
Alistair's heart was thumping in his chest, so loud he was surprised it hadn't exploded out of his chest.
It was way past closing time, afternoon slipping into night. Only Alistair, Will, Mike, Lucas, Cami, Max and El remained at the pool, along with Billy and Hugin, who joined the Party just before they started the plan. No one else was around and in danger if Billy was activated while they were exorcising the Mind Flayer out of him or at least loosening its control.
It was the perfect time to enact the plan.
Alistair forced himself to breathe, controlling his heart rate. There was no time to panic. Not now.
Especially when, judging by the faint clanging of the locker, loud in the otherwise empty building, the plan was about to start.
It was confirmed when a door suddenly banged, a signal as much as a notice to Billy there were people still here.
Loosing out a breath that had been knotted in his chest, Alistair stood up and crept to the edge of the corner he'd been hiding in, watching as Billy said, "Pool's closed."
The banging sounded again and Billy slammed his locker shut as he yelled, "Hey. Do you hear me? Pool is closed!"
He ran out to the entrance for the men's locker room, and that was Alistair's cue.
He stepped out, ducking in the shadows when Mike's voice rang out, "Billy."
"Who's there?" Billy demanded, turning.
"Billy," Mike sing-songed as Alistair ran forward, knowing he'd been seen out of the corner of Billy's eyes as he again demanded, "Who's there?"
"Billy! Billy!" Mike yelled as Alistair showed himself to Billy, waving and giving a shit-eating grin before running toward the sauna.
"You think this is funny, huh?" Billy demanded, but Alistair could hear Billy following.
"Billy. Come and find us," Mike cajoled as Alistair sprinted for the sauna, Billy right behind him.
"I find you and your buddy, and it's your funerals," Billy threatened, as he came closer to the sauna.
Almost there...
"Come and get us. Come on!" Mike egged, as finally, Alistair rounded the corner and darted into the sauna—jut as Billy arrived.
"Billy!" Mike cried from the walkie, and Alistair waggled his fingers as Billy grinned.
"Got you."
He laughed, clapping his hands as he came closer, Mike saying through the walkie, "Come and get us, you piece of shit."
