12. Tess
TESS
As the lazy carts of the kiddie sleighride coaster circled overhead, one thought played on a loop in my head.
I’m so fucked.
I couldn’t see a thing from my hastily chosen hiding spot: behind the splintered old boards at the base of the ride. But that didn’t mean the clowns wouldn’t be able to see me.
When the warcries had gone quiet, I wanted to believe it was because the freaks had slunk off to some far corner of the park, acres and acres away from the sleighride coaster I was hiding behind.
But my body knew better. My ears strained to listen for my hunters over the hum of the electric box and the circling carts. It was only a matter of seconds before their roaring picked up again, this time echoing off in separate directions.
Splitting up. Divide and conquer.
I swallowed hard at the thought of what their victory would look like.
This was a terrible fucking hiding spot.
They knew this park like the back of their hands, and instead of giving myself a fighting chance, I’d dawdled by the fence for five minutes dreaming about a life that wasn’t even mine beyond the tree line.
It was too late to change it now, though. Besides, it was entirely possible I was overestimating their abilities.
How many guys did I know who swore they could score a point on Serena Williams? Who was to say that these fuckers were any different?
This might be the easiest $20k I ever make.
But as boots drew closer, it was hard to hold on to that confidence. Muffling my breathing with a hand over my mouth, I peered out between the cracks in the slats, trying to figure out which one of my hunters had followed my scent.
The dark of night combined with the blinding lights on the rides made it impossible to see more than a silhouette: tall frame, broad shoulders, purposeful footsteps as she surveyed the section. Could be any one of them, really.
A shiver tickled down my spine as I realized just how little I knew about the freaks who were stalking me around the park. How long had they been here? Did they really live here like the rumors claimed?
Are they even real? Or am I losing my fucking mind?
My mind cycled through the litany of questions on a loop, seeking comfort in the repetition. The image of rosary beads popped into my mind, but I pushed it away. I didn’t believe in magic anymore.
Still, my mind nearly settled when a shadow crossed over my hiding spot, blocking out what little light was seeping in between the planks of wood. I gripped my jaw tight, holding my breath and praying despite myself for the shadow to keep moving.
But God had never answered my prayers before, and he wasn’t going to start now.
Instead of safety, my faith was rewarded by wood splintering under metal, my shelter chipping away before my very eyes. I scrambled back into the shadows, desperate for some other way out, but my haven had quickly become a cage.
Backlit by the flashing lights of Carnival Chaos, I couldn’t make out who my captor was until she stuck her head into the shadows, dropping her ax as her hand closed around my bicep.
Blade’s blood splattered mask tilted to the side as she let out a bone-chilling cackle. “Looks like you’re all out of luck tonight, Trinket.”