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Clarke took a deep breath as she stared out the window watching the trees pass by outside the passenger window. She squeezed her fist tighter around the keys in her hand feeling the weight of the cool metal against her skin. She counted the number of keys as the seconds passed by bringing them closer to their destination. Clarke could her body vibrating with excitement as Bellmay turned onto the long winding dirt driveway.
“Breathe, Clarke,” Bellamy whispered from the driver seat. “It’s going to be okay, but you’re going to cut your hand on the keys if you don’t let go.”
“I’m okay, Bell.”
Clarke understood why he was concerned as she did have a death grip on the keys. He just didn’t understand her need for freedom. He had been on his own with Octavia for years, after her mother passed away. Everyone in their group of delinquents had been on their own but her. She was the one with the tyrant of a mother who demanded perfection from her only child. Clarke knew that she was never going to live up to the expectations and took off with the band of misfits she called family.
“Home Sweet Home, Clarke.”
Clarke felt her heart rise in her throat as she took in the stunning view of the huge Victorian house before her. The acreage alone was enough to make her scream with delight. She followed the porch as it wrapped around the house, the massive picture windows, and the intricately detailed wood covering the house. Clarke made her way back to the front stairs standing with her friends before ascending the stairs to the door.
“You guys ready?” She asked turning towards her family.
“You’re killing us, Griffin,” Murphy chided. “Either open the door or I’m picking the lock.”
“Here goes nothing…”
Clarke shoved the brass key into the lock turning swiftly to the right as she pushed the door open to get inside. Everyone followed behind her as she took in the foyer that had a grand staircase leading up to the upper levels. She looked around at the dust floating in the air and the sheets covering the furniture. Clarke listened to the group talking quietly as she walked over to the staircase running her fingers along the railing. She was mesmerized by the beauty of the old home.
“Well now I can see why it was so cheap,” Octavia stated, gesturing at all the cobwebs. “It looks like it’s been empty for decades.”
“There are enough bedrooms for everyone, O,” Bellamy rebuked. “At least we aren’t paying rent anymore.”
“Let’s make a plan to clean the house,” Clarke started, as she turned back towards her friends. “Then we can all pick out rooms.”
“We call the attic!” Jasper and Monty hollered in unison. “High five.”
“Only if you open a window and promise not to set anything on fire,” Raven demanded, pointing her fingers in their direction. “We just paid for it, no need to ruin it on the first day.”
“Let’s get this party started!” Harper squealed. “Time to divide the chores.”
Clarke rolled her eyes listening to Harper divide things equally between everyone. Clarke knew that the boys were just going to screw around waiting until the girls had finished with the house. She walked with Bellamy into the kitchen to start on their area of the house. It wasn’t too dirty but you could clearly see that the house had been neglected over the years. Clarke turned to the sink filling it up with hot soapy water to start on cleaning the cupboards. She knew that this was only the beginning of the cleaning, but she couldn’t shake the overwhelming happiness of finally finding her home.
Jasper climbed the stairs to the attic with his best friend following behind him. Neither of them wanted to clean and is the whole reason that they claimed the attic. It was going to be peaceful and a nice spot for them to smoke. He almost lost his shit when Raven called them out knowing that she was absolutely correct because that is what was going to happen. He pushed open the attic door and sighed as there wasn’t much inside but enough to keep them somewhat entertained.
“This space is amazing.” Jasper said in awe as he pushed the door open. “I don’t think we are ever going to leave.”
“You right,” Monty snickered, brushing past his best friend. “Look at all the furniture that we have up here!”
Jasper pulled off the sheets covering the couches coughing a little as the dust kicked up around them. He plopped himself down onto the closest couch stretching his legs out. He pulled a small baggy from his pocket winking at his friend and gesturing to the other couch across from him. Jasper quickly rolled a small joint catching the lighter his friend tossed his way sparking it deftly before pulling a drag into his lungs. He coughs just a little as the acrid smoke settles inside and he passes off the joint with a sly grin.
“Who do you think owned the house before us?
“I’m not sure,” Monty replied, as he leaned over passing the joint back to Jasper. “But they had killer taste.”
“This entire house is goth chic at its finest,” Jasper laughed out. “From the dark espresso wood furnishings to the blood red decor all over, it’s like vampires lived here.”
“Or witches…”
Jasper snapped his head towards his friend in question and found him staring at a book. He had been only joking about there being anything sinister about the house. He quickly dashed to the other couch sitting next to his friend. Jasper looked down at the leather bound book with strange carvings burned into the leather. He thumbed the cover open as his jaw dropped in shock at the words scrawled on the page in fancy lettering.
“It’s a grimoire,” Jasper whispered. “A book of potions and spells from a coven.”
“Do you think it’s real?” Monty chuckled before taking a hit. “It definitely is old but it’s probably just aged.”
Jasper nods his head in agreement, he doesn’t necessarily believe in the paranormal but when he touched the book something inside of it called to him. He felt energy radiating from the pages like the book itself was vibrating. He glanced at his friend out of the corner of his eye to see if there was any reaction but he didn’t think that Monty felt a thing.
“I wonder what other treasures this attic holds,” Jasper mumbles, still thumbing the pages. “Maybe we should actually clean and see what else we can unearth.”
“You really are high,” Monty sighs as he gets to his feet. “We better get started before Harper finds us.”
Jasper waits for Monty to turn his back to grab the cleaning supplies before slipping the book into his pocket. He will have to take a closer look at the book when he is by himself and see what exactly has it giving off the energy to him. He grabs a rag with a bottle of multipurpose cleaner and starts spraying everything down. He can feel the weight of the book pressing into his thigh and he has to fight the urge to disappear with it. He just continued cleaning biding his time until he could sneak off to discover the secrets the book holds
Bellamy feels his eyes rolling for probably the hundredth time as the arguing continues to happen at the table. Halloween was quickly approaching meaning that everyone was trying to have a Halloween party but no one could decide on a theme for it. He turned to look at Clarke who wanted a medieval theme to go with the décor that the house already has going. She was up against everyone else who wanted to do a Harry Potter theme. He could care less about the theme, he was definitely looking forward to a night to just unwind.
“I think the medieval theme works best with the house,” he interjects once the arguing quiets. “It will be easy to decorate and allows more money towards drinks.”
“You're just on Clarke’s side, Bell,” Octavia whines. “I don’t think that it works with the house.”
“He just wants to see Griffin in a corset,” Murphy chides winking at Clarke. “I can’t say that I blame him.”
“John!”
Bellamy ducked as a knife flew by his head as Emori stormed in from the kitchen. He starts laughing as it trims a small amount of hair from Murphy’s spiked tips. As he catches the smirk Murphy gives her when returning the knife, Bellamy wonders for a moment if he is living with psychopaths but Clarke loves Murphy and he trusts her with his life.
“Alright all jokes aside,” Bellamy cuts off the fight before it can begin. “Let’s take a vote before we have a blood bath in the dining room.”
Bellamy calls the vote for the different themes. He sighs in relief as the medieval theme passes by one vote. Selfishly he doesn’t want to have to decorate or clean up for the party and the theme is easier.
“Do we all know what we want to be?” Harper asks looking at everyone. “I want to be a hippie.”
“A princess for me and a Robin Hood for Bellamy,” Clarke exclaims in a giddy voice. “I have the perfect outfit for us.”
“You would coordinate couples costumes,” Octavia spits in disgust. “I’m going to be a Viking warrior!”
“I think I’m going to be a peacekeeper,” Monty states. “Gonna go with my peacful hippie.”
“We are just gonna be ghosts,” Murphy expresses pointing between himself and Emori. “It’s gotta be the easiest choice.”
“I’m going to be…” Jasper starts as he drums his fingers against the table laughing. “A….cereal killer!” He continues to laugh as everyone around the table just stares at him.
“How stoned are you?” Raven questions as she shakes her head in disbelief. “I don’t even think you understand your costume.”
“A cereal killer,” Jasper laughs, grabbing his stomach. “You know someone who kills cereal.”
“You’re a moron.” Raven remarks dismissing the idiocy that is Jasper. “I’m going to be a mad scientist.”
“Are we going to want to invite anyone else?”
“I’m inviting Lincoln along with Maya from the coffee shop,” Octavia declares getting up from the table. “Lord knows that Jasper is in love with her but isn’t going to talk to her.”
“Hey!” Jasper shouts as his laughter abruptly stops. “I was going to talk to her...eventually.”
“Yeah and she was going to be married by the time that happens.”
“Enough!” Bellamy shouts to stop the bickering. “Let’s get the planning part finished, some of us have work later.”
Bellamy listened to everyone as they each claimed a task to get done before the Halloween party on Saturday. He grabbed his coffee mug to fill and bent down to kiss Clarke on her forehead on his way to the kitchen. Murphy wasn’t wrong when he said that he was looking forward to seeing her in a corset but he was definitely looking forward to seeing her out of it too.
Jasper reaches down for the book he has hidden beneath his bed, ready to explore the contents a bit more. He runs his fingers along the spine of the book feeling the same energy pulsing off of it that drew him in the first place. He brings it to his lap opening the cover to trace the blocky lettering describing the contents. Jasper lets out a sigh as he begins to thumb through the pages. There are so many different spells and potions he doesn’t know where to start exactly. He allows his fingers to flutter along the outer edge of the pages. He stops his fingers when the book jolts to a page somewhere in the middle. Jasper reads the page wondering what made him stop on this particular spell.
“Are you still messing with that book?”
“Jesus fuck!” Jasper yells as his friend scares him. “Monty could you not creep on me like that?’’
“Jasper I totally knocked on the door before I entered,” Monty explained. “Did you not hear anything?”
“No, I didn’t hear you come in,” Jasper said shaking his head. “There is something about this book that appeals to me and I think it wants me to try this spell.” He explains lifting the book to his friend to read the open page.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it pulses with a kind of energy that only I can feel,” Jasper begins. "I opened it to just browse through it, but it opened to that specific page.”
“Jasper, did you take the shrooms?”
“I’m not high for once in my life, Monty,” Jasper huffs as he grabs the book back. “I think we should recite the spell tonight before the party.”
“Let me know how that works for you,” Monty says with a laugh. “I don’t think there is anyone here that’s going to recite that spell with you.”
Jasper grabs the book back from his friend with an angry huff. He definitely thought his best friend was going to be on his side but clearly he was talking to a non believer. He brushed past his friend moving through the house calling for a house meeting. The house was already decorated with fake spider webs, candles, and whatever the hell Clarke had decided was medieval. He waits until everyone is gathered around the table before he suggests his plan.
“Alright, guys, I found this book,” Jasper says, setting the book down for everyone to see. “It’s a grimoire with different spells and recipes for potions.”
“Let me guess the space cadet thinks it’s real,” Murphy remarks pulling the book towards himself. “Did you smoke too much?”
Jasper listens quietly as each of his friends look over the book. No one besides Murphy makes a comment on the validity of the book. The girls look like they’re turning it over in their minds but the guys definitely think he’s out of his mind.
“I think that we should try one of the spells tonight,” Jasper suggests. “Before the party to see what happens.”
“Which one?”
“Griffin you can’t be serious,” Murphy deadpans, shooting her a skeptical look. “Aren’t we a little old for spells and potions?”
“Speak for yourself, asshole,” Octavia chides. “Let’s see which one he picked.”
“A somnum exterreri solebat chaos.” Jasper recites the title on the page. “The book chose it.”
“Jasper do you even know what that means?” Raven questions.
“A nightmare of chaos,” Bellamy explains an odd look on his face. “I don’t know if that’s a good one, Jasper.”
“C’mon, we should at least try,” Jasper begs looking back to Clarke and Octavia. “It will spice up this Halloween party!”
“Let’s do it!”
“What does it say we need Bell?” Clarke asks, turning towards him. “You’re the only one that speaks Latin.”
“It looks like just a few candles,” Bellamy reads the instructions under the title. “We need to recite the spell three times while forming a circle around the book.”
Jasper grabs a couple of the candles that have been lit surrounding the table. He places them in the center of the table next to the book and maneuvers everyone around the table to form the circle. Jasper takes a deep breath nodding at everyone to begin reciting the spell.
Tempus se mutare
Ut cupio quid fiet
Una nocte
A somnum exterreri solebat chaos
Jasper cracks his eyes open to see if anything has changed but everything is still the same. He huffs grabbing the book from the table and taking off towards his room. He ignores the laughter reverberating throughout the house. Something is about to change he can feel it deep in his bones; the spell worked but he’s just not sure about what they just unleashed for the night.
Murphy stands in front of the mirror that hangs off of his door, examining his handy work he did for his costume. He didn’t have to do much besides cut holes in the sheets he procured from the hallway closet. He wasn’t cutting up his Egyptian cotton sheets only to have Emori kill him while he slept just for the inconvenience. Murphy smudges a little more eyeliner on his lids to complete the eyes of the dead.
“Babe, you almost done?” Murphy called out. “We need to beat everyone for the good alco--”
Murphy gasps for air as his throat starts to close effectively cutting off his sentence. He brings his hands up to claw at the sheet covering his face. He stumbles towards the bathroom where Emori was prepping her costume, his vision turning black. Murphy reaches the door feeling for the handle to swing it open just as everything goes black.
“John…” Emori whispers attempting to shake him. “Wake up…”
Murphy jolts awake, gasping for breath as he slowly takes in his surroundings. He doesn’t remember getting into the bathroom before passing out. He turns to look at Emori who is sitting on the bathroom floor next to him looking paler than he can ever remember seeing her.
“What happened?”
“I was putting the sheet over myself when I suddenly couldn’t breathe,” Emori explains. “And then you fell through the door, John.”
“Through?”
“You never opened the door, John,” Emori murmurs reaching for him. “Look.”
Murphy watches as her hand passes through his arm as a chill makes its way down his spine. He looks back up to her attempting to do the same encountering nothing more than a cold chill. He scrambles back away from her as though she is the cause of whatever is happening. Murphy suddenly finds himself on the outside of the bathroom in the hallway. He yells out to see if anyone can come help him but no one responds.
“I don’t think they can hear us, John,” Emori explains as she emerges into the hallway through the bathroom door. “I think it’s safe to say that Jasper’s spell worked.”
“What the actual fuck?” Murphy screams into the abyss. “I thought he was just fucking high!”
“Let’s go check on the others.”
Murphy makes his way down the stairs, following closely behind Emori and looking for his friends. He turns towards the kitchen and hears someone rummaging in the cupboards. He doesn’t bother with trying to open the swinging door and he encounters a very strange looking Raven digging in the cupboard under the sink where the cleaning supplies are located. Murphy notices that Jasper is sitting on the counter with all the boxes of cereal open munching away.
“Raven?” Murphy calls her name. “Can you hear me?”
Murphy watches her grab a few bottles of cleaner before turning to storm out of the room. She walks right through him causing him to vanish slightly before returning to his form. He turns to look at the one who caused the issues happening, ready to kill him where he sits on the counter. Jasper doesn’t seem to register anything as his eyes are completely blank while he laughs manically eating all the cereal.
“I can’t seem to find the others, Murphy,” Emori calls from behind him. “I’m starting to get worried.”
“Well it appears that everyone has turned into their costume,” Murphy grunts while waving a hand towards Jasper. “We have the ‘cereal’ killer here, the mad scientist just dashed away with chemicals, and we are ghosts.”
“The spell worked?” Emori shouts realizing he’s telling the truth. “That leaves the peacemaker, the hippie, viking warrior, princess, and Robin Hood.” She counts the remaining people in the house on her fingers.
“Maya and Lincoln were coming,” Murphy starts. “I just don’t know if they got here before or after that stupid fucking spell.”
Murphy hears a blood curdling scream coming from the attic that definitely sounded a lot like Clarke. He can’t get out of the kitchen fast enough as he runs towards the stairs, leaving Jasper in the kitchen, knowing that Emori would follow him. Passing Monty and Harper chanting in the living room, Murphy takes the stairs two at a time racing towards the attic and feels his stomach drop as he bursts into the room at the sight before him. He screams to get their attention but remembers that no one but Emori can hear him. He is left to just watch in horror as his best friend has a knife to her throat.
Clarke closes her eyes as the blade of the knife digs in against the column of her throat. She has been here before when someone else stormed the castle wanting her as ransom. She opens her eyes looking towards the man standing in front of her and the warrior. He has his sword drawn in one hand with a dagger in another poised to fight for her. Clarke can feel her limbs shaking and her heart beating faster as she tries to think of a way out of this trouble.
“May I ask who you've came for?” Clarke asks of the stranger behind her.
“You, my dear,” The warrior whispers into her ear. “You’ll fetch a fair price in ransom.”
“I would kindly ask you to take your hands off my wife,” The man growls stepping towards both of them. “She’s not yours to ransom to anyone.”
“The princess isn’t your wife,” The warrior snorts. “She wears no ring and neither do you, sir.”
Clarke wants to scream for the guards that have to be waiting down the hall but knows that the sword will pierce her throat if she tries. She isn’t sure why the man claimed her to be his wife when she has never met him before. Certainly she would remember the strong jaw and curly hair that stands wildly all over. She smiles softly at him when he looks her way, her heart fluttering despite the danger she is in. She attempts to turn back towards the warrior behind her but is unsuccessful as the sword pierces her skin.
“I wouldn’t do that my dear,” The warrior chuckles in her ear. “My sword is the sharpest you’ll ever encounter.”
“Let her go and I will pay whatever fee you desire.”
“Are you sure that you can afford my fee?”
“I steal from the rich to give to the poor,” The man responds with a smirk. “Clearly, that would be you.”
Clarke bites her lip at the brazen way the man talks to the warrior still holding her hostage. She is confused as to why the guards have not come. Surely she had screamed loud enough when the warrior captured her. Clarke feels her body beginning to tire of the position letting out a whimper as her legs buckle slightly.
“Is the princess getting tired?” The warrior mocks. “Does your delicate body require rest?”
“Name your price and it’s yours,” The man growls attempting to take a step closer. “Just let her go.”
“Seven hundred gold coins,” The warrior snidely announces. “And the beautiful princess is all yours.”
Clarke’s heart drops into the pit of her stomach as the price is set higher than she could’ve imagined. She feels her vision start to blur as the tears line her lashes knowing that she will surely die at the hands of the warrior. She blinks letting the salty droplets cascade down her cheeks wishing she had more time. Suddenly the sword at her throat disappears as she’s being shoved behind the man tripping over her feet to land on her knees. Clarke looks up in just enough time to see the stranger holding her captor in his grasp.
“I believe she is all mine now,” The man grins victoriously. “I’m sorry but your price was a bit--”
A sound cuts off the man’s sentence that is so loud it rings throughout the entire area. Clarke covers her ears as it continues to chime throughout the house. She listens as twelve rings sound marking the time as midnight judging by the darkness seeping through the window. Clarke wipes her cheeks wondering what caused her to start crying. The last thing that she remembered was putting on the dress to start the Halloween party. She glances to her left at the other figures in the room and sighs in relief as she recognizes Bellamy and Octavia.
“Clarke!” Murphy screams as he bursts into the attic. “Jesus, fuck, are you okay?”
“Murphy what the fuck happened?” Bellamy growls as he releases his hold on his sister. “How the hell did we get up here?”
“Why the hell do you have a toy knife to my throat, Bellamy?”
“Space cadet’s spell actually fucking worked,” Murphy hollered. “Everyone turned into the costume that they chose.”
“Do you not remember fighting Octavia for Clarke?” Emori questions entering the room. “Jasper has eaten all the cereal, Monty and Harper sang ‘Kumbaya’ in front of the fire, and Raven made some concoction in the basement.” She tells the group wondering if the others remember.
“What happened to the both of you?” Clarke asks with confusion written on her face. “Why do you remember what everyone did?”
“We were ghosts, Griffin,” Murphy clarified rolling his eyes. “We died left to watch as Octavia attempted to ransom you and Bellamy called you his wife.” He said with a laugh knowing it was going to get a rise out of her.
“You tried to ransom me, O,” Clarke nearly shouts as she gets to her feet. “And you called me your wife!”
“Oh c’mon, Griffin,” Murphy chides. “It’s not like that isn’t exactly where you’re headed anyway.”
“Shut up, Murphy,” Clarke demands, crossing over to her boyfriend. “At least if you’re going to call me your wife make sure I’ll remember it.”
“Yes, Princess,” Bellamy acquiesces kissing her forehead. “Promise to not get held hostage by my sister.”
“Deal.”
“Now where the hell is Jasper?” Bellamy groans heading for the stairs. “I’m going to need that book back from him.”
Clarke follows the rest of the group as they head down to the main floor, picking up her skirts to make sure that she doesn’t fall flat on her face. She feels someone tug her back slightly causing her to stop and turn to see who pulled on her arm.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again, Griffin,” Murphy whispers in her ear as he hugs her. “I don’t think you’ll ever understand what it felt like to watch that hell play out.”
“I promise, Murphy,” Clarke mumbles against his chest hugging him tighter. “No more spells, no more magic.”
“No more being held hostage by a Viking warrior with a sword.”
“That too.”
“Alright enough mushy stuff, Griffin,” Murphy chastises. “Let’s get down there before lover boy kills the space cadet.”
Clarke shakes her head, laughing as she follows Murphy down to the kitchen where Jasper is laying on the counter. She takes in the state of the kitchen with all the cereal being scattered around her friend who was currently in a sugar coma.
“Jasper, wake up!” Bellamy shouts, shaking his shoulder. “You need to find that book, now!”
“What the hell happened?” Jasper groans, pushing himself up to a sitting position. “I think I’m gonna be sick.”
“I think you’re going to be dead, space cadet,” Murphy threatens, stepping closer to Jasper. “If you don’t bring us that grimoire.”
Clarke watches as Jasper pulls the book from his pocket handing it over to Bellamy. He still looks a little lost and confused as to what is going on. She knows the feeling as she is still trying to piece together the evening. Her body feels like it’s been on a rollercoaster for the last three days. Clarke rubs that back of her neck to ease the ache finding a small scratch on the side. She glances over at Octavia who sheepishly hides the toy sword behind her back.
“We are burning the book, Jasper.”
“No, c’mon, it didn’t even work!” Jasper yells in defense of not trashing the book. “We said the spell but nothing happened.”
“A lot happened, Jasper,” Emori states gesturing to those around them. “No one remembers but John and I because we died to turn into ghosts.”
“That’s enough,” Clarke grits out, grabbing for the book. “I will take care of it.”
Clarke removes the book from Jasper’s hands making her way towards the living room. She reaches the fireplace that has a nice fire going and tosses the book inside. The pages catch quickly as the flames engulf it completely. Everyone stands around the fireplace watching the book burn and listening to the soft pops and crackles of the fire. She almost feels bad knowing that Jasper meant no harm in testing out the spell but then she reaches up to trace the scratch left by Octavia’s sword that she can’t remember getting.
“That book was going to bring nothing but trouble,” Clarke whispers into the quiet. “And now it’s gone for good.”
“As it should be” Bellamy agrees, satisfied just watching it burn. “No more spells, Jasper.”
“Agreed!” Everyone hollers in unison.
“Okay, okay, no more magic!”