Page 24 of The Games We Play

Anger and rage boil over inside of me. He wanted to keep me. Toplaywith me when it was on his terms. Now that he’s on the losing end, he’s a scared piss-poor excuse of a man.

“You lose,” I say through gritted teeth, and, on impulse, I bash the pipe into the side of his head. He falls unconscious at my feet, his skull dented at an odd angle.

I grin at my triumph and rip a piece of my torn shirt off, wiping my arms and chest from whatever bodily fluid I’m covered in.

Scoffing, I swing the pipe around in a circle by my side as I walk away ontomynext victim.

***

I make it outof the asylum without another fucker touching me. I’m bloody, disgusting, tired, and staring up at the clown house entrance like a bona fide part of this haunted hell. The pipe sways at my side in my hand. Fingers graze over my shoulders, and my blood heats as I lean back into the touch.

“It’s you,” I whisper with full confidence. I found him.

“One more, Puppet.” I spin to confront him, but the crowd of excited patrons stares at me up and down. He’s really going to force me to do this. To take on the clown house…alone. Each attraction has been moredeadly than the one before. Given that psychotic bitch in the asylum tried to shove me out a window, my chest tightens at what is about to happen. Hope they’re ready because I’m done holding back. Something broke inside of me, setting free a part of myself I didn’t know existed. The part that wants to survive that wants to win.

I want to live and show X just who I am. What he thought he could easily get rid of.

I pause when I step through the door and decipher that thought. How long has it been since I’ve cared if I lived or died? I had muted myself to emotions and feelings around me. It’s like I was seeing everything in black and white, dulled until the only thing I wanted was to not feel anything. I had become numb.

A giggle pulls me from my thoughts, and I ready my weapon. Not one, not two, but four clowns step out of hidden doors on all sides. I widen my stance and raise the rusted pipe.

The one on my left has a rainbow afro with a baggy one-piece, complete with a red nose. He’s like the clown that was rejected by toddlers and murdered them instead. I can only assume the one in front of me mimicked ‘It’minus the red balloon. The other two put less effort by wearing band T-shirts and jeans with just clown makeup smeared down their cheeks.

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,” the one with a rainbow afro says. “Let us see how wet you are.” He steps forward, and I swing in his direction.

“Will you scream until you die?” the one behind me picks up. “Cut in pieces for him to find,” he giggles, and it sends goosebumps down my arms.

I spin as they tighten their circle, not sure which one will attack me first.

“Not before we have our fun,”Itimpersonator growls. “Make you moan until you come.”

“No!” I shout, but they laugh in unison. They’re so close now. The largest one steps in front of me, grabbing my throat.

“You are running out of time.” His lips curl into a smile, and the black makeup on his face cracks around the lines. “Find me soon, or we’ll be done.”

“X?” I ask. The four laugh and slip away into the shadows.

I check my phone.Only one hour left? This place has been like a fucking time warp.

“Do you want to play a game?” a voice echoes in front of me, seeming to come from everywhere all at once. I step into the next room and onto the bridge that extends to the other side. The tunnel that makes the walls spin is painted in bright neon colors. I sway on my feet, grabbing the railing, and my pipe falls as I nearly tumble forward. It clanks and disappears under the metal bridge.

Fuck.

The bridge shakes, and I glance up to see the clown who wanted to see how wet I was with the rainbow hair crouched low, blocking my path. Fear seizes my muscles; his bone-chilling smile stretches wider.

He pulls an elongated blade from behind his back and taps it lightly along the railing. The metallic pings tell me it’s real and not a prop for show.

He lifts the blade to his mouth and sticks out his tongue, licking up the sharpened steel. Every instinct in my body is screaming to run, to get out of here.

But I’ve come this far. I refuse to let X win.

“Come on then,” I bait the clown and push to my feet, steadying myself with the handrail. “Get it over with.”

He leaps onto the handrail and walks toward me like a balance beam. If I try to run past him, he’ll easily catch me. There’s no room to avoid him. I’ll have to go through him to get to the other side. He drops onto the metal grate before me, angling his head from side to side, and dances the blade between his hands.

“Eeny, meany, miny, moe. Catch a Puppet, take her home,” he giggles, and I stiffen. “Carve her up and make her moan. Eeny, meany, miny, moe.”

“Do you all speak in riddles?” I hiss.

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