PRAISE FOR

  BIRTHDAY PARTY DEMON

  “In Birthday Party Demon, Tina’s sweet sixteen sleepover turns as sour as green, ectoplasmic vomit. Wendy Dalrymple expertly combines teen friendships, forbidden love, and demonic possession in this nostalgic 90s pink horror romp. You’ll want to slap on some Wet n Wild, dust off your Ouija, and join the fun.”

  -Angela Sylvaine, author of

  Frost Bite and Chopping Spree

  “Dalrymple hosts a sixteenth so scary and sweet, you’ll never want the sleepover to end. Friendship, fashion, and fear meld together into a demonic whirlwind that perfectly encapsulates the anxieties of being a teen. This nostalgic foray into the '90s left me wanting to buy inflatable furniture and holy water.”

  -Stephanie Sanders-Jacob, author of

  Pyramidia

  "Birthday Party Demon delivers! Whether this is your first foray into teen horror, or a nostalgic trip down Fear Street, this book has the chills, creep outs, and chaos you’re looking for. Old school thrill seekers will enjoy buddy-reading this book with the next generation of horror fans."

  -Joanna Monahan, award-winning author of

  Something Better

  "Dalrymple delivers a pink horror exorcism you’ll be totally bummed to finish!”

  -Damien Casey, author of

  The Nine Teeth of the River Styx

  "A nonstop nostalgic ‘90s nightmare, Birthday Party Demon is a Lisa Frank-tinted thrill ride from beginning to end. I couldn’t put it down."

  -Robbie Dorman, author of

  This Book is Cursed

  "Birthday Party Demon is a 90s-drenched fashionista nightmare well worth losing yourself in. It's a perfect ode to the very real anxieties of teenagerdom, tightly-paced and scary fun with a demonic candy coating."

  -T.T. Madden, author of

  The Familialists and The Cosmic Color

  "Birthday Party Demon reads like if your favorite deadite found a creepy, glittery scrunchie, then RSVPed yes to your super sweet sixteen. Dalrymple throws a fun, loud, sparkly party with the best of them."

  -William Sterling, author of

  String Them Up

  An uninvited party guest is about to crash Tina's Sweet Sixteen…

  Tina glanced up at Lacey and nearly screamed again, but the sound caught in her throat. Her friend’s floating body slowly rotated like a chicken on a rotisserie until Lacey was facing them again. Her hair hung in her face, but it didn’t obstruct their view of her eyes. Her entire expression was sinister, a sneer set on her bloodless lips, the color drained from her suntanned skin. But it was the eyes that were most terrifying. They glowed.

  “Lacey?”

  Laughter echoed through the room, dark and sinister. Tina and Eve screamed again as their friend’s mouth opened to reveal rows of sharp, shiny teeth.

  “There is no Lacey,” she said, her voice deep and husky. Inhuman. “Only Zozo.”

  Copyright © 2025 by Wendy Dalrymple

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact info@madaxemedia.com.

  The Totally Freaked! series is an original creation of Mad Axe Media.

  Book Cover & Interior Design by Joey Powell

  Print ISBN: 979-8-9906858-2-6

  EBook ISBN: 979-8-9906858-3-3

  Contents

  Dedication

  Fullpage image

  1. Chapter One

  2. Chapter Two

  3. Chapter Three

  4. Chapter Four

  5. Chapter Five

  6. Chapter Six

  7. Chapter Seven

  8. Chapter Eight

  9. Chapter Nine

  10. Chapter Ten

  11. Chapter Eleven

  12. Chapter Twelve

  13. Chapter Thirteen

  14. Chapter Fourteen

  15. Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Fullpage image

  To Mr. Stine:

  Thank you for inspiring generations of spooky young readers like me.

  Tina, Lacey and Eve were friends. Best friends, to be precise. Since the second grade, the trio of girls did absolutely everything together. From sleepovers to selling Girl Scout cookies, first crushes and first heartbreaks, they were there for each other until the end. But the summer after ninth grade, something seemed to shift in the dynamic of the three best friends. The teens were drifting away from one another thanks to team sports, new friends, and changing interests. Tina was the first to notice that, with the onset of high school, their friend group had begun to unravel.

  On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Tina dragged herself out of bed and padded down the hall toward the kitchen. Her mother, Mary Anne, was dressed in a smart pantsuit for work, her hair perfectly feathered and set with maximum hold hairspray as she stood over the stove. Tina yawned and slid behind the kitchen counter as her mother turned to her with a smile.

  “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

  “Morning.”

  “Got any plans today?”

  “Nope,” Tina said. “Nada.”

  “I bet you thought I forgot,” she said. “What do you want to do for your sweet sixteen birthday party this year?”

  Tina’s mother placed a plate of fried eggs and toast in front of her. The late July morning was already blistering hot and Tina was not even remotely hungry yet. Her stomach flipped as she gazed down at her plate, the gelatinous egg whites and runny yellow yolk glinting and jiggling in the bright sunlight. She pushed the plate away and made a gagging sound.

  “Nothing. I’m too old for birthday parties.”

  “Don’t you want to do something with your friends?” Her mother asked. “You could go see a movie or get pizza.”

  “I don’t think Lacey and Eve want to hang out with me that much anymore.”

  “Don’t be silly. You three have been inseparable since you were eight-years-old.”

  “Well, we’re not little kids anymore. Lacey is super focused on softball and Eve has been hanging out with the goth kids. I don’t think I fit into their lives anymore.”

  Her mother popped her morning pill and swallowed it down before continuing her thought. “I know! What if you all have a sleepover? You three always had the most fun at your sleepovers.”

  “We’re definitely too old for sleepovers.” Tina groaned. It was like her mother wasn’t even listening.

  “Christina Louise Martin, you call your friends and invite them over! You’ve been moping around all summer. I won’t let you be a Debbie Downer another moment longer. Now, eat your breakfast.”

  “Fine.”

  Tina grabbed her fork and begrudgingly dug into her breakfast. She knew her mother was right, but still, she dreaded making the call. The truth was, it hurt for her to see her friends grow up and move on, but there was something else even bigger than drifting friendships that was bugging her. Tina had a big secret that she couldn’t tell her mother or her best friends or anyone, and it was eating her alive.

  She finished her breakfast, rinsed her plate and padded to her bedroom, the one place in the world where she felt the most like herself. For her birthday the year before, Tina and her mother had decorated the room to look like a hot pink paradise, complete with posters of all of her favorite singers pinned to the wall. She flopped on her bed as Jewel, Gwen Stefani, Tori Amos, and Mariah Carey stared down at her, gorgeous pop princesses she aspired to be like. With a pit in her stomach, Tina rolled over and grabbed her see-through neon phone and punched in Lacey’s number, a series of seven digits she knew by heart.

  “Yo.” Lacey picked up after the first ring. The sound of snapping bubble gum and rap music beatboxed in Tina’s ear. “I was just gonna call you.”

  “How did you know it was me?”

  “My step-dad got caller ID.” Lacey snapped her gum and turned down the music. “Hold on, I’m gonna call Eve on three-way.”

  “No, wait!”

  It was too late. The line was already beeping. After a moment, Eve’s husky voice sounded in her ear. “What’s up, witches?”

  “I was telling Tina that I was thinking of her,” Lacey said. “It’s her birthday tomorrow.”

  “Oh yeah! We should do something,” Eve said. “It’s gonna be a full moon. Wanna go hang out in the cemetery? We can do gravestone rubbings and, like, cast spells or some shit.”

  “No thanks. Cemeteries creep me out,” Tina said, twirling the turquoise phone cord around her finger. “I do want to hang out with you guys, though.”

  “What about the skating rink? We haven’t gone together in, like, a bajillion years,” Lacey said. “My softball team goes every Friday and we have a blast.”

  Tina flinched. Hanging out with Lacey’s new softball friends was not her idea of birthday fun. “I was kind of thinking we could do something else with just the three of us. Like the old days. It’s dumb, but my mom suggested a sleepover.”

  “Perfect!” Eve said. “We can rent movies and stuff.”

  “I’ll bring snacks!” Lacey chimed in.

  Tina’s cheeks flushed as a smile crept across her lips. Maybe she had been wrong about her best friends after all. Maybe they hadn’t forgotten about her and the promises they made to each other all those years ago. Best
friends. Forever.

  “Okay, cool. See you guys this Saturday then?”

  “For sure,” Lacey said.

  “Bad ass.” Eve yawned. “Later, witches.”

  The line went dead and Tina returned the clear handset to the receiver. Maybe a sleepover would be fun after all. Or maybe it would be a disaster, like in the fifth grade when they dared each other to eat a bunch of Mentos and soda at the same time. Her mom had to rent a carpet cleaner after Lacey barfed her guts up everywhere. Either way, it was too late now. A slumber party birthday it was going to be.

  Tina washed her face, brushed her teeth and picked out what she wanted to wear for the day. She dressed in a pair of pink floral Bongo shorts with a matching t-shirt, pulled her hair into a scrunchie and spritzed herself all over with Raspberry Sparkle body spray. The soft thud of the front door closing told Tina that her mother had left for work for the day, meaning she had the house all to herself. Another long, lonely summer day stretched out in front of her, spent alone with nothing to do but paint her nails and watch talk shows and reruns. Maybe later she would ride her bike to the library or play Super Mario. But at that moment, she had another important task to attend to; one that caused her stomach to clench and her heart to squeeze in her chest.

  She walked to the hallway closet, grabbed a flashlight and gazed up at the pull-down attic door. Tina wasn’t looking forward to what she needed to do, but there was something in that attic that she knew would make her slumber party a hit. When they had redecorated her room last year, Tina stored what was left of her stuff in the attic — sentimental toys she couldn’t quite yet part with. Stuffed animals. Paperback books. Barbie dolls. The things from her childhood that still held a special place in her heart, including her favorite board game.

  Tina held her breath and pulled the cord to the attic door. The door swung open with a creak and dust fluttered into her eyes as she pulled down the folded ladder. She flipped on the flashlight and ascended the stairs, the farty sulfurous flavor of eggs gurgling in her throat. Tina hated the attic and its exposed beams, dusty surfaces, and dark, creepy corners.

  She reached the top rung of the ladder and shined the beam of light to where her box of toys was located. A pair of eyes flashed at her in the dark and she let out a yelp. Her heart beat fast and she let out a nervous giggle as their Santa Claus yard decoration smiled at her with bright, rosy cheeks.

  “Take a chill pill, T,” she said to herself. “It’s only a dusty old attic.”

  Tina grabbed the cardboard box, opened the lid and her hand closed around a rectangular frame. She pulled the object out and her heart squeezed. A framed photograph of Lacey, Eve and herself from their first sleepover smiled back at her, each of the girls donning side ponytails and missing teeth. They had made puff paint t-shirts that year that said “BFF” when they stood side-by-side. Tina was the “B” and Lacey and Eve were both “F’s”. Were they still BFF’s? Her birthday party sleepover would surely tell.

  She wedged the photo under her arm and dug into the box again, her hand closing around the item she came for; a rectangular box. A board game, in fact. She pulled the box out and shined the flashlight on the lid. The word OUIJA illuminated ominously in the light of her flashlight. She ran a hand over the words, remembering the shrieks of laughter that the spirit board brought her and her best friends during so many slumber party nights.

  BANG!

  Tina screamed and shined her flashlight toward the source of the startling noise. Again two eyes shone at her in the light, this time accompanied by a low hissing sound. An opossum stared back at her, still as can be, its mouth gaping open and displaying rows of little pointy, white teeth. Tina tucked the Ouija board under her arm and flew down the ladder as fast as her feet could take her. She made a mental note to tell her mother about the opossum as she folded up the ladder and closed the attic door. That was enough attic time for today.

  Dusty and hopped up on adrenaline, Tina flew to her room and slammed the door behind her. She placed the framed photo on her dresser and sat the Ouija board next to it, still shaken up by the encounter with the opossum. She scowled at her dust-covered reflection in the mirror over the dresser and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. In two days, she would be sixteen, and Monday marked the first day of 10th grade. After this weekend, she knew everything would change, hopefully for the better. Tina closed her eyes and made a wish. She wanted everything to be the way it used to be — her and Lacey and Eve. Best Friends Forever.

  If only she knew just how long forever could be.

  “What kind of ice cream do you want, sweetie? Chocolate or vanilla?”

  Tina shivered as she joined her mother in the freezer section at Publix that following day. Grocery stores always felt extra cold in the summertime, but standing next to the wall of ice cream, the chill seeped all the way through to her bones. She poked her finger on the door and traced a heart shape into the frosted glass.

  “Neapolitan,” Tina said, rubbing the gooseflesh from her arms. “Strawberry for me, chocolate for Lacey, and vanilla for Eve. One flavor for each of us.”

  “That’s right. I’m so glad the girls are coming over tonight.”

  “Me too,” she said. “Thanks for the idea.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get you a present yet,” her mother said. “If you want, we can go to the mall and get some Glamour Shots done.”

  Tina shuddered, remembering the last time they had professional photos taken at the mall. She was eight, her parents had just gotten divorced and her mother wanted to get some sultry photos for the dating service ads. Back then, her mother had a string of boyfriends, but nowadays she seemed to fill her time with binge shopping and sleeping pills instead. Tina wasn’t sure which was worse. Back then in her mother’s early single days, Tina begrudgingly went with her to get Glamour Shots and ended up dressed in some bright pink and black lace cowgirl ensemble. It wasn’t that she didn’t like dressing up or putting on makeup, but with her stubborn acne and a body she didn’t feel comfortable in, getting “glamorous” was the last thing on her mind.

  “No thanks,” she said. “I would like a new boom box, though. Purple. And a subscription to the CD of the Month Club.”

  “You got it, kiddo,” her mother said. “Okay, so we just need to pick up your cake, some diet soda, and a couple of frozen pizzas. Do we need anything else?”

  Tina shook her head. “Eve is going to drive us to the video store to rent some tapes. Lacey said she was bringing snacks.”

  “Speak of the devil. Isn’t that Lacey over by the magazines?”

  Tina turned to the front of the grocery store, and sure enough, there she was. Lacey Dennison’s short blonde hair was pulled up into a sporty ponytail, a smile set on her pink lips as she flipped through the latest edition of Seventeen Magazine. Her arms were toned and tanned against her white tank top, likely from being outdoors with her softball team all spring and summer. She glowed like an angel, her body surrounded by a soft halo under the fluorescent overhead lights.

  Tina walked over to her, absent-mindedly snapping her scrunchie against her wrist. “Hey, Lace.”

  “Tiny!” She turned to greet her, an exuberant smile spread across her lips. Tina hated the childhood nickname, but always gave Lacey a pass. The two friends embraced in a warm hug, and for a brief moment, the entire world seemed to melt away. Tina couldn’t remember the last time they had seen each other. The last day of school? At that moment it didn’t matter. Lacey’s arms blazed hot as the sun against her chilled skin, warming her from the outside in. Tina breathed in her cinnamon scent and feel-good chemicals rushed through her veins.

  “Happy birthday!” Lacey said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Mom and I are grabbing stuff for the party tonight,” she said.

  “Me too, I was picking up some magazines and Cool Ranch Doritos and then I was going to head over to your place.” She bit her lower lip, her gaze trailing up and down her form. “So, how does it feel to be sixteen?”