cold, but I had stress sweats. The air was thick and almost suffocating, or maybe that was just me. My hands were clammy, and I clenched onto Riley’s arm.
She let out a shaky breath. “I can feel them, too. Just keep walking.”
We walked further into the labyrinth looking path. Metal chains clanged close to us, as if someone had been tied to them and they were restlessly pulling at the chains. None of it was real, I reminded myself. They were live humans with costumes and wickedly good make-up.
I peeked to my left and wished I hadn’t.
One very vile zombie man, his face bloodied and disfigured with his eyes pure white, walked out of the shadow, a mere inch away from me. His mouth was opened, and he snarled right into my face.
My lips parted with an ear-splitting scream. Riley jumped, and she let out a shriek, too. Grabbing my hand in hers, we made a run for it.
At every corner, there was a different horror waiting for us.
A bloody clown. Mass zombies. Ax murderers. A creepy nun with a white face and black, rotted teeth. They were snarling and quite terrifying. Another loud shriek came from Riley and I when they reached out to touch us.
They weren’t supposed to get this close, right?
Wrong.
Riley forgot to mention this Haunted House was supposed to give us the real experience. As in, the actors were going to be touching us and getting really close.
“Holy shit balls!” Riley screamed as a seven feet man with a bloody chainsaw came forward. I pulled her arm and guided us to the other corner. We moved from room to room, stumbling through tiny dark hallways as dozens of creepy arms reached out to touch us.
“Are you scared?” I whispered again. The exit was near, I could see the fluorescent light ahead.
Riley didn’t respond, but I noticed the change in her. Oh yeah, she was freaked out, too.
My heart was pounding like crazy with my whole body trembling. My knees were weak, and I wondered how I was still standing.
We finally walked through the exit and stepped outside through the backdoor. Riley giggled, although I could tell it was forced. She was definitely scared while we were in there. “See, that wasn’t so bad. It was freaky but fun.”
The heavy pressure on my chest was still there, but I finally took a deep breath.
Fun, ha. No.
“You look spooked,” she teased, bumping her elbow into my hip.
“Shut up.” I returned the favor, laying a soft punch on her arm.
We could hear other people screaming from the inside. Poor souls. If I had a choice, I wasn’t going back in there. Once was enough.
“Are you happy now?” I demanded with a smile, turning to face Riley. My heart was still racing a mile an hour, adrenaline and fear still coursing through my veins.
My smile froze and died when I caught sight of what – who was standing behind her. Riley’s gaze went over my shoulder, and her eyes widened, her lips parting as if to let out a scream.
Chills ran down my spine, my heart leaping in my chest.
Someone was standing behind me, just like the creepy mask man was standing behind Riley, too. His arms reached out for her, and my heart thudded so hard in my chest, it hurt.
Bile burned my throat, and I tried to warn Riley. Except, none of that happened.
One second I had my feet planted on the grass and then I felt a pair of hands on my hips, before I was airborne.
He lifted me up, hoisting me over his shoulder. I hung upside down, and I still couldn’t find my voice. My breath stuck in my throat, and my whole body went limp in fear. Riley shrieked and from my position over his shoulder, as he strode away, I found the mask man holding and dragging Riley backward.
No. No. Wait!
The man carrying me marched through the field, taking it toward the back of the Mausoleum.
Oh My God. No one was coming to save her, no one could hear us scream. We were alone and…
My whole body was cold and numb… I couldn’t feel anything, except fear.
I could be molested or… raped.
He was going to kill me.
This was not part of the Haunted House.
This was not an actor.
My pulse thundered in my throat and my vision blurred with black dots as I stayed limp, upside down over his shoulder.
From the distance, I heard Riley scream again, the sound filled with so much terror.