Total pages in book: 15
Estimated words: 13634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 68(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 45(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 13634 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 68(@200wpm)___ 55(@250wpm)___ 45(@300wpm)
There were a bunch of boxes scattered around, Halloween decorations spilling out of them like someone had been rifling through them in a hurry. The light above flickered as if it needed to be tightened or changed, giving me a more ominous feeling than anything the actual haunted house attraction had.
“Shit.” I turned around and made my way back toward the door, but when I pushed down the handle, nothing happened. I started yanking and pulling, my heart beating a little faster as panic started taking over.
I was locked inside.
I let go of the handle and took a minute just to calm myself and breathe. It wasn’t like I was lost and wouldn’t be found. I was at a carnival in the middle of a haunted house. Surely, an employee would come by at some point.
I pressed my ear to the door and couldn’t hear much of anything except distant screams and laughter. Had I wandered so far off that I wasn’t even close to the exit? Why hadn’t anyone stopped me? Why hadn’t there been anything blocking patrons from entering a staff-only area? Not even a sign of warning in the hall or on the door itself.
I tried the handle again and then resorted to beating on the door with my fist.
Only when the back of my palm was sore did I stop, take in a steadying breath, and pull my phone out.
First, I tried calling Bethany, but I knew she wasn’t going to answer. She probably couldn’t hear her phone through all the noise.
I tried a couple other people, but nobody else answered, either.
“Fuck,” I cursed and looked around, seeing if there was at least a window.
Nothing. Not a damn thing.
My panic turned to irritation and then rose again to anxiety. I had my back to the door as I looked around for something to use to pry the thing open, but then I heard a soft click.
I glanced over my shoulder, saw the door was now open, and got excited as I took a step toward it. But that excitement was short-lived as I watched in confusion as it slowly began to close.
I made a squeak of urgency as I lunged toward it, but my effort was thwarted as I tripped on an errant box. I braced myself for impact, but right before I hit the ground, an arm gripped me around the waist and righted me from behind.
I cried out and spun around, pushing away from whoever had a hold of me, my instincts still screaming for me to reach the door before it locked in place once again. But when my gaze landed right on a hard chest covered in black, I slowly lifted my eyes to stare into a terrifying skull-face mask.
The eyeholes had dark mesh covering them, so whoever was behind the frightening mask could clearly see me, yet I couldn’t make out who he was. But I knew who it was. It was the man I’d seen earlier. The one who towered over all the others in the crowd.
He’d been with his entourage then but was now alone, smelling of leather and a sweet kind of smoke. He had leather gloves on his hands, and that hood was still in place. But despite all his clothing, I could clearly tell how big he was. Muscular. Powerful.
Now, my instincts made me take a step back.
He came forward.
Although my heart was beating pretty fast and hard, I tried to keep my breathing even. I didn’t want him to see I was terrified. But it was an instant reaction. I retreated another step. Then one more.
He came closer, following me, his enormous body stalking like a wild animal.
When the door stopped me from retreating further, I held my hands out, my cell phone still gripped in one of them.
“I’ll scream for help.” I knew it wouldn’t do any good. There was too much noise in this place. No one even heard me banging on the door.
His hand struck like a snake as he grabbed my phone, and I cried out, trying to get it back, but he was fast. He had a hand gripped around my throat a second later, tucking my cell in his pocket with the other.
“Shhh,” he said. “You could scream….”
But they’ll probably think my screaming is just part of the attraction.
For long seconds, we were at a standstill. Me just staring into his skull mask, his hand around my neck, my heart like a racehorse behind my ribs.
“I saw you staring.” His voice was low and deep—deeper than anything I’d ever heard before—and I watched him reach behind his back. I’m sure he felt as much as he heard my gulp when he pulled out a knife, revealing a blade that was matte-black, the grip big enough to fit his large hand.