Chapter 2
TWO
Della
There was a wide gap in the wooden fence up ahead with a narrow-paved road in between the posts. Just past that by a few hundred feet, lay my destination. I froze when I heard scuffling and a thud, and then silence. Had I been listening to a crime?
I let my breath out slowly, hoping no one would notice before a brief rush of adrenaline entered my bloodstream. Maybe I was about to have to use my knife for real? Maybe I’d be able to take charge of my fate for a change? Visions of being the master of my own life for once ran through my head before I came back to the moment.
Ashley would come looking for me if I took too long. Suddenly, I remembered to turn down the volume on my phone. While I was at it, I also shut off my flashlight, shaking my head at my stupidity.
The few streetlamps in the area illuminated the path enough my phone wasn’t needed and the tree branches above cast plenty of shadows to hide in if necessary. My device had been a beacon saying, hello, I’m right here .
I could’ve darted down between the attractions and trailers, but I didn’t want to risk making any noise that would give me away. The crack of plastic, or the snap of a stick would be like setting off a fire alarm in a library—it’d be immediately noticed. If there was somebody up to no good nearby, they’d be listening for aberrations in the background noise.
Belatedly, I realized what a dumb choice it was, trying to take a shortcut to avoid passing through the theater group. As someone who watched more than their fair share of spooky movies, I should’ve known much, much better. If my dumb ass got killed tonight, it’d be entirely my own fault.
Uncertain what the best course of action was, and burdened by an impatient bladder, I chose moving forward. I just had to make it to the bathroom and then back to Ashley.
Everything went perfectly until I stepped over the curb and onto the pavement. The sound of a rotting acorn snapping into pieces under the heel of my sandals sounded like a gunshot. So much for stealth .
Startled by the noise, I grabbed onto the edge of the fence and whipped my head to the side.
There, in the parking lot, were more members of the circus group. Several individuals were dressed in cloaks, bent over a body lying on the ground. Some type of liquid was covering the asphalt, the exact color impossible to determine in the reflection of the dim light of an overhead lamp.
Their makeup was incredible. They looked like zombies with their yellow skin and waxy, bulbous eyes. I almost wanted to complement them but then a figure stepped out of the shadows. He didn’t match his friends, wearing what must’ve been a very expensive suit with a long coat entirely inappropriate for the hot weather. He didn’t seem uncomfortable wearing the garments, in fact, he appeared perfectly at home in them, not even breaking a sweat; as if it weren’t a rented costume and something he put on comfortably every day.
Sensing his eyes on me, a chill shot down my spine. He ceased all movement, to the point he seemed inhuman. All sounds ended as if he’d commanded the silence with merely a thought.
On some level I could sense he was attractive—so alluring I felt a pull toward him, sucking me into his orbit. Unable to tear my gaze away and trapped like a deer in headlights, my confidence wavered. What we were waiting for, I didn’t know, but we’d both simply stopped. The same as everything around us. My heart thudded in my chest.
Then, without warning, the spell broke, and I ran.