Page 21 of The Games We Play

“Find me before midnight,” he whispers. “And if you choose wrong, our games are done.”

Twelve - Tess

“What?” I stammer. “Whatdo you mean, done?” I frantically search for the switch to flick the mask on. When I find it, I’m alone.

Done?As in, I won’t see him again?

Was this all an elaborate setup by X? These bracelets? What about Ryan?

“What the fuck?” I check my phone.

Four hours.

I have to find him before the Haunted Nights closes and if I don’t, I’ll what? Lose him forever?

This is ridiculous. He’s just a man—someone who broke into my house one night and has continued to do so. But I want him. I don’t know how to explain it. I haven’t even fucked him yet, but he’s coursing through my veins, and I still don’t know who he is.

The plastic of the mask in my hand digs into my palm as I squeeze tighter. I pull it over my face, keeping the lights off, and stride off into the woods. This place is fifteen acres and has four different attractions.He could be anywhere, constantly moving. My best guess is he’ll walk through the haunted woods first, then go to the next attraction. If I run, I should be able to catch him. Besides, this won’t be that hard. The scariest attraction is the clown house, and, well…I’ll deal with that when I get to it.

A group of people are walking along the trail, and they scream when I step out of the trees.

“That’s a sucky costume,” one of them grumbles. When someone dressed as a werewolf—the underworld kind, not the cuddly ones—jumps from the other side and, they scramble on top of each other at the grotesque sight. The wolf looks at me, and I back up a few steps. Its yellow feral gaze locks onto the bracelet on my wrist, and it lunges.

Fuck.

I take off at a sprint, leaving the whoops and shouts of the group behind me. I’m free game out here. This damn bracelet has become a personal beacon offuck with me.

The actor gives off a very realistic howl that follows me down the trail. How many more creatures are out here looking to snatch me up? My hands shake as I try to run, but also remain cautious of my surroundings. I have just as good of a chance of running past X as I do of finding him.

Someone disguised in a Gilly suit jumps up from the ground just as I nearly step on them. I jump back and trip over a root, landing on my ass. The creature grabs my ankle, and I scramble to roll my body and pull myself free. It drags me back the way I came—debris from the forest floor slices into my skin.

“No!” I scream and claw at the ground. Dirt and rocks wedge under my fingernails. I’m drug past the family from earlier, and they applaud the realism.

“That blood even looked real!” one of them praises.

Blood?

I kick at the person again, and the grip on my ankle falls away. I scramble back and race down the path once more. Someone jumps out from behind the tree, his face painted in army paint, and half of it looks like the flesh has been peeled off. Fake blood and gore complete his zombie attire. He grabs my throat, the force of my body propelling my legs forward as he jerks me back. His tongue rakes up my neck, and I writhe in his grip.

“You’ll never find him, Puppet.” I fight against his words. “Why don’t you just stay with me instead? Become one of theundead.”

His deep, guttural chuckle sends goosebumps over my arms. It reminds me of Seth. He drops me, and I fall to my knees, gasping for breath.

“Run, little girl! Run!”

More undead jump out from the trees, reaching for me, trying to claim me as their own. But there’s only one pair of hands I want brandishing me. I just have to find him. My heart thunders in my chest at the chase.

Every snapping twig and pounding footstep is an ensemble accompanying my pounding heart. My shirt snags on branches, but I keep pushing myself as it rips away. I can’t stop; they’re too close. My logical brain says I’m safe. This is all for show. But my body reacts as the prey I am and I can’t get caught.

I’m at the end before my brain registers it, sprinting into the back of someone loitering outside the attractions. I look up to find a mutilated pig head staring down at me. It swings a bat that would put Neegan’s to shame and stalks in my direction. There are flashes from cameras behindthe pig as it screams a high-pitched squeal, and I cover my ears with my hands.

A familiar scraping sound comes from behind me, and I whirl to see the actor from earlier sliding along the blacktop. He slides up to stand before me, his nose almost touching the mask on my face. I reach up to remove it, but his hand grabs my wrist to stop me.

“X?” I whisper. He tilts his head and glances at the bracelet on my wrist.

If you get it wrong, our games are over. His threat lingers in my mind. This person’s touch doesn’t turn my blood to fire like my stranger.

“Tess!” Ryan shouts over the crowd. I spot him at the entrance of the haunted woods, weaving through the crowd and searching. Fake blood is smeared across his face, and his clothes are torn. Looks like he didn’t get off scotch-free.

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