Haunt

Gallows Trixie Meets Snapper - Part 1 of 2

Weekend One, Friday night continued

September 16, 2022

POV: Kelsie Conrad

I was gonna bring that poor, hostage makeup artist out of there alive.

The next train car was just past a blank metal door. It was barely open; I saw a thin light line from the next room. I hugged the wall, then the door. I didn't want to show myself, but I had no idea what I was rolling into. So I peeked inside, just barely, like I was peering through a window blind. It was another makeup-station car, except filled with storage bins. I saw two people to my left, facing a wide, brightly lit makeup mirror so I could catch their faces.

One woman was standing. I thought I knew her from her purple hair - this was Delana, a recent addition to our makeup crew. She was doing something to a girl who just had to be Snapper, who looked like one of those Japanese ghosts that crawls out of your TV set. Just like the description: gray skin, matching gray clothing, wide black eyes, and an unexpected white smile with fangs - oh my lord, she wore prosthetic vampire teeth. Delana adjusted a brunette wig on Snapper's head as if doing a regular makeup job back at the warehouse. And I swear they were kind of giggling together.

But it smelled terrible in there. My thoughts ran on fast-forward. There it is. Has she got Delana under mind control? Poor Delana doesn't know how much danger she's in! No time to lose! I slammed the door open, aimed my fire at the creature, and yelled, "Stop! Hands in the air!"

"Holy shit!" Delena started and turned, arms in the air.

The creature didn't move in her seat except to eerily turn her head. She stared into the mirror, caught my reflection, smiled, and pointed at my reflected face. 'Gallows Trixie!" she hissed, holding a long, pleased groan in her throat.

Before I could do anything else, Delana hurried to me and put a hand on one of my extended arms. "Whoa! Hey." She crooned. "Easy! Let's put down the fire, alright?" Delana smiled diplomatically. Then she spoke in a weird, sing-songy voice. "Our guest is being super nice; she just wants to look pretty."

I slowly lowered my arms, but I did not extinguish my flame. I chose not to mimic the sing-songy voice. "What are you doing here? What is she doing here? That thing bit off Jackie's thumb!"

Delana glanced aside. "Well, look, everyone makes mistakes."

"Delana, are you under mind control?"

"It's Delilah, and how could I tell you if I was?"

"Okay, I agree that would be hard, but–"

"Gallows Trixie." The creature, Snapper, hissed again. She kept pointing at my reflection. "See Spider fix?"

The creature opened its mouth wide, and a couple of threads of sticky goop stretched thinly along her teeth and broke apart. "Spider fix! Trixie see. Yes. Ap gappa bad bag."

I expected this to be different. This freaky thumb-eating monster had no right to be sort of cute and pathetic like a puppy dog. "Spiders? Fix what?" I asked Delilah.

Delilah spoke to Snapper in a motherly tone. "Yes, fixed! She calls me Spider. My tattoos, I think. I gave her brand-new teeth and hair. Doesn't she just look like a peach?" She smiled at her charge, complimenting her. "You've been so nice and patient! You can relax right there and admire your new looks while I chat with our friend Gallows Trixie! Then maybe we can get you some fake eyelashes for those big black eyes!"

"Trixie!" Snapper agreed. "Trixie, see fix! Spider fix!"

Delena led me to the other side of the train car, near some racks of costume coats. Snapper's head followed our reflections.