An Uneasy Alliance

I widened my eyes, gawking at the pair of pitch-black holes in his sack.

The thought of spirits roaming outside of Halloween was concerning for sure, but now that I thought of it, that would explain how people across the world could encounter supernatural phenomena. So many of those unexplained ghost sightings could be real after all…

I swallowed and asked, ”So there’s been killing contests like this everywhere?”

Crowley shrugged. “Who can say? Everyone celebrates Halloween in their own way, right? This is our event. We can do practically whatever we want—as long as this house still has some of that witch’s magic.”

“A witch, huh? So what are they, exactly? Humans with supernatural powers or something?”

“Why, yes. That’s correct.”

I blinked. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” Crowley twirled his crooked finger around. “You see, on rare occasions, humans who’ve mingled with the dead long enough may start to absorb souls, granting them supernatural abilities. They are what we call witches—or warlocks if they’re men.” He sighed and shrugged. “But it’s so incredibly rare to cross paths with them, let alone witness their birth on Halloween. Your town happened to have one decades ago, and when she died, she expelled her powers here on her deathbed, allowing us spirits to gather together until the next human absorbs them!”

I stared at the bathroom walls and windows. “In other words, this place is the former witch’s home?” I concluded.

“Correct! Hehehe, thanks to the power she left, we can make as much noise as we want without attracting any attention. That is until unknowing guests walk inside the house, hehe…”

Oh, that explained why the whole place appeared so quiet and lifeless on the outside. I nodded and asked, “So is Claire the witch’s spirit or something?”

“Nope. She won last year’s contest, so she became this year's host. She spent the whole year observing humans and learning modern technology to invite unknowing humans to join us. Heheh, clever, ain't she?”

Damn, it was hard to imagine that a spirit possessing such a cute doll could claim so many lives and orchestrate this whole thing, but I immediately shook the thought away as I had no right to judge her. 

“Okay, so, that means Claire isn’t really ‘dead?’” I asked. “Where is she now?”

Crowley chuckled and shrugged. “Either she’s finding a new body or having fun spectating everyone. Maybe we’ll see her again. Who knows. Whether or not she wants to participate this year is up to her.”

I grunted and folded my arms. “Oh, I’d love to see her again,” I grumbled.

“Oh? Have you two met before the contest?”

I looked away and frowned with guilt. “I thought she was just a cosplayer,” I muttered. “She was just hanging around the convenience store, handing out QR codes advertising the contest. I thought it was just a normal party…”

“And you fell right into her web.” The torn area resembling Crowley’s mouth unnaturally curved into a wicked grin. “So how are you liking it so far, human?”

I squinted back and gripped my hands. “It’s… inconvenient and frustrating, to say the least,” I grumbled.

“Hah! You’re taking this all in more calmly than I expected! Normally, I’d see humans go ‘Kyaa! I don’t wanna be here anymore!’ and run away screaming their lungs out by now.”

“Oh, believe me, I do want to get out,” I muttered, curling my fists. “But I can’t. Not yet—I need to find my friends first.”

Truth be told, I was certainly on the verge of breaking down, but I knew that wouldn’t get me anywhere—Mom always taught me to think with a clear head, after all. If I wanted to find Ray and Maria quickly, I’d have to steer clear away from panic, no matter how crazy this situation was.

I took a deep breath and said, “I’ve brought them here, and I have to make sure that I look after them.”

“Ah, a human with a sense of duty,” said Crowley. “I respect that.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And what about you? Why did you decide to help me?”

“Heheh, you know, it’s quite rare to see a human so willing to betray their kind. Not to mention, I’ve never once experienced what it's like to team up with humans instead of fellow spirits, and I’m not foolish enough to miss such an opportunity.”

As the scarecrow laughed, he stretched out a crooked hand made of straw and branches. “Let’s make a proper deal: if I deem you entertaining enough throughout our time together, I shall continue to lend you my aid until the contest is over. If not… I shall take your soul. Deal?”

I blinked. “You don’t want me to help you win the contest?”

“Hah! I’m not interested in the reward—I only participated to have fun!”

I looked down at his hand and nervously swallowed.

If I wanted to have the highest chance of surviving here, then I'd most certainly need someone to watch my back, especially if Crowley could see things humans couldn't. The choice was as clear as day.

I took a deep breath and clasped my hands with his, shaking it. “Alright, it’s a deal,” I said.

“Heheheheh, excellent! Nice meeting you… Oh, I’ve just realized I’ve not learned your name yet.”

“I’m Blanche.”

“Ahh, Blanche, a true pleasure to make your acquaintance. Heheh, I hope you won’t disappoint me, partner.”