The Monster Apocalypse

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY

Brin and Justin and Ash and Anaya and Valerie just stared forward, while Mr. Barker drove the last three miles. Nobody really said anything. Except for the occasional deep breath from Anaya or sneeze from Justin, the suburban was dead quiet, like nobody wanted to address the fact that their vice principal had turned into a witch, or that they had just passed dozens of ghosts, or that it was possible those three giant demons were still on their trail.

Or maybe the group just didn't want to discuss the fact that they were about to face potential death in the terror that lay underneath the spookiest ghost town in the entire world.

"Last climb," Mr. Barker said.

"What?" Brin asked from the back.

"We're climbing the last hill. We're almost there."

Brin looked out her shattered window. She remembered how nervous she'd been two weeks ago to make that final climb, toward the mysterious ghost town. She hadn't known how Anaya was going to turn out as a director, or if they were going to get caught for illegally trespassing. When Sawyer's big van had gotten caught in a ditch, she thought nothing more terrifying could have possibly happened.

Then the next two weeks happened.

Then today happened.

And the worst, Brin knew, was yet to come.

"Oh, look at that," Mr. Barker said, quietly.

"What?" Brin asked, again.

"The snow. Do you see the snow?"

Brin looked back out her window. All of her fears and worries disappeared for a moment. She watched as pretty, plump snowflakes started falling down from the black clouds above.

"Wow," she said, bringing her palm up to her cheek. She even managed a smile. "It's beautiful."

"Might be the last beautiful thing we ever see," Anaya said.

Brin looked at the girl and tapped her hand against her shoulder. "Don't think like that. We're going to make it through this."

"Yeah," Anaya said, not looking back at Brin. "You keep telling yourself that."

The suburban reached the top of the hill and this time didn't come close to getting stuck in a ditch. Mr. Barker looked cool and confident as he made a sharp left and drove down the hill toward Bodie Ghost Town, which Brin could finally see out the front windshield.

"Thank God Rosalie had a suburban," Mr. Barker said, as he continued speeding upward of 25 MPH, even in the deepest of snow.

"Because of the four wheel drive?" asked Valerie.

"The snow tires," Mr. Barker responded.

"Maybe they're magic witch tires," Ash added, to no one's amusement.

"Where do you think we should stop, Mr. Barker?" Brin asked.

"I'm thinking the center of town. We don't want to have to walk farther than we need to, especially if some of you guys are carrying those heavy guns."

"Some of us?" Justin said. "You mean, you're not going to grab a weapon yourself?"

"Uhh, no."

"Why?"

Mr. Barker glanced back at Justin, then looked at the knowing Valerie. "Valerie and I aren't going to need weapons."

"Why not?" he said. "Why—oh." The truth came to him fast. "Because the two of you aren't human. Because you're monsters."