4. Githany #3
Heat blazes in my cheeks as I switch my gaze back up to his face.
My train of thought halts when a creeping sensation overtakes my skin. The pressure swirling around me tightens. His presence is more than a cocky scare actor. It’s an actual presence.
My tongue protests as I fight to swallow in an undetectable manner. He’s not a ghost. Haunted dolls and creepy relics are one thing. I’m not equipped to deal with whatever this guy is.
Breathe. Move away. Play it cool. Get out of this building.
“Nice mask,” I offer as coolly as I can manage. Realizing I’ve been separated from my group seeds uncertainty in my gut. My movements are robotic as I step around the clown.
He moves behind me, leaning close enough that his green nose slides in my peripherals.
“Lost lucky girl starts with moon-shimmered skin, but blue skin now means that we’ll see you again.
” His voice is deep and smooth, a perfect match to his body.
My friends disappear into the darkness of the hallway without me.
Laughter follows me out. His laughter. Even with his eyes hidden beneath the mask, I know his gaze is on me.
I can’t stop myself from looking over my shoulder to catch one more eyeful. The lime-green graffiti painted across his chiseled abdomen glows. The words drip down, as if the painter was rushed. “Laugh, baby, laugh.”
He’s still laughing when I push into the next room. I barely register the spooky new theme. My focus is frozen downward.
On my wrist, where the girl had hold of me, my skin is turning blue.
Hunt
My fear reserves are sky-fucking-high just an hour in.
I love Halloween. It’s the best time of year to find people who actually want to be scared.
They go looking for it. Teenagers visit haunted bridges and abandoned buildings hoping to encounter something scary.
Couples snuggle up with their popcorn and raging hormones to watch the most gory flicks they can find.
Masses flock to haunted houses and pay to have strangers make them scream. I wish it was Halloween every day.
A large group of girls flee through the exit. Their screams were absolutely delicious. The things I could do with all seven of them tied up in the woods. Scared and splayed. My needs are begging to be sated in more ways than one this evening.
The fantasy adds to my high. What a rush.
“Hunt needs to know something.” The voice comes out of nowhere.
My teeth cut my gums on instinct. Madness and his sneaky games. “One of these days I’m going to rip your throat out for pulling a move like that. What are you doing here?”
“We saw someone. A girl. We need her.” His hands twitch. Madness sometimes sees things that aren’t there.
“You’re imagining things.”
“She was real this time.” His tone is that of a petulant child.
I throw my head back. Even in my mask, my exasperation must be obvious.
“She was,” he insists. “Caught her talking to a ghost.”
That has my attention. “She could see them?” A chill prickles up my spine.
Madness jumps from foot to foot. “Not too long. Clock started ticking. Tick-tock, tick-tock.”
“What happened?”
“Ghost got her good now she’s turning blue.”
Blue. Excitement fizzes in me. “How much time?”
“We don’t know. Clock ticks faster since we’re nearby.” He taps his wrist.
“Give me something, Madness. How long do we have?”
“Not long.” Madness drops, pressing his ear to the floor. “Can you feel them? Ghost girl is losing her humanity. Tonight.”
Humanity is a debatable topic more often than should be normal. “What is she?”
Madness flattens the rest of his body to the ground, slowly stroking the floor. “Something that dead things are interested in. Feel them in the ground? Wiggling beneath us. All from her.”
The subtle tremors beneath my feet send anticipation rocketing through my insides. This presents a very rare opportunity. “You think we can have her?”
He nods. “Don’t let her leave, Hunt.”
An unexpected desperation shoots through my veins. “Tell me what I’m looking for.”
He laughs, moving to all fours and backing away until the shadows devour him. The glowing pink Xs of his eyes are the last thing to vanish. “Ghost girl, turning blue. How are we to forget you?”
Madness’s riddles always burn me up. This one is clear enough. We’ve been gifted a prize on this All Hallows’ Eve.
I’m forced out of my spinning thoughts when another group enters my room. Damn, I need more time to process what Madness said. My chainsaw comes to life. The foursome racing toward the exit gets the sloppy version of my act.
Turning blue. What does it mean?
Two bloody shins later, the foursome is finally limping outside. It’s not my fault they didn’t move in time. Madness got me riled up. It triggered my monster. My movements are too quick when I’m this excited. If I don’t tone it down, I’ll be severing heads.
Talking to a ghost. Imagine, here. On Halloween.
A group of five boys in matching navy jackets get even less caution than the last group. A gnarly gash slices the shoulder of a wailing idiot in a Scream mask. The arm hangs limp as his friends usher him out.
That one was too far, I admit. He might end up losing that limb. They halt the house again, leaving the lights off while they clean up the mess at the exit. Red flashing beyond the curtain signals an ambulance has been called.
Dammit, Hunt. If they shut us down before she gets here, it will be all your fault.
A hand shoots from the darkness, fisting my shirt and hauling me into the corner. “Why the hell do I smell so much blood?”
Gator props the pig mask on top of his half-shaved head.
The shoulder-length side of his black hair falls forward, casting a shadow over his human features.
I always forget how many piercings his human shell has.
Snake bites beneath his lower lips, a bull’s hoop through the septum, a chain across the bridge of his nose, and two bars in his right eyebrow.
“Accidents.” Shit, I sound like Madness now.
“Multiple? Did you kill any?”
My gaze flicks to his mouth. Even though I can’t see it right now, I know there’s also a bar in his tongue.
He tracks the motion, green eyes glowing in the darkness. “Fuck, Hunt. I offered earlier, you stubborn prick.”
My body is flushed from the terror and wounds my chainsaw induced. Blood singes my nostrils. Raw fear and pain consume my brain. “There’s a girl.”
“Shut up.” Gator drops to his knees, unbuttoning my jeans. “I’ve seen her. But if you don’t get it together, you won’t get the chance.”
The room pulses around me. “It’s hard tonight.”
Gator reaches for my cock. “It sure fucking is. You have one minute to come and then you and Madness both owe me when this is done.”
“Fine.”
“And you’ll pay your debts at the same time,” he clarifies, emerald eyes flickering up at me.
My cock jumps. “Who’s taking care of you in the meantime?”
“Please. I can actually control my sexual urges. And I’m saving every bit of cum for her.”