Page 6 of All Hallows' Haunt
“Alright, since the girls are being wimps about the rides, let’s get their blood pumping with some good ol’ fashioned terror.” Shawn thought he was fearsome, but the more I listened, the more my headache grew.
“I think you’re the only person actually scared here,” Vera said, linking her arm with mine. “I mean, we were all there to see you shriek like a little baby and sacrifice her to the super scary clown that drips sex appeal.” Vera threw me a wink on her last point, and we walked away from him and Cody. Aimee saddled up beside us, letting the boys follow.
As predicted, their conversation turned into bickering about football again. We strolled the brick avenue and maneuvered around groups of people idly waiting at food stations and pop-up games. This path looked similar to the one we took to get here.
“So, where are we going?” Cody called from the back. Their conversation left them at a distance.
“Clowns, you know, because Shawn is scared!” Vera teased him again.
“I’m not scared, dammit!” Shawn’s patience started to wear thin, and he grew irritated with being the ass of the joke. As his voice settled on the breeze between us, a loud boom came from behind the guys. I flinched at its sudden arrival, but a body barreled over me a moment later. “Fuck my butt!” Shawn screamed, shouldering between us and running ahead. “Why the fuck do they keep doing that?” He bent over, panting, just several feet in front of us. I sighed at his theatrical display.
“Tell us again, Shawn,” I teased. “You’renotscared, right?” Served him right for throwing me to the ground last time. Whatever haunted house we were heading to, I dreaded going through it with him.
“Whatever, let’s just go.” Shawn huffed as we regrouped and kept moving through the crowds. When we were in better earshot, I heard him mumble, “I fucking hate clowns.”
We walked until the brick, patterned road turned to black asphalt. The maintenance building sat between two newer roller coasters. Steel barricades zigzagged through the usually empty service road. The line waned to a few groups at the entrance, and Aimee’s eyes lit up as she took in the roving lights and gory circus-like decor on the building front.
“You have a thing for clowns?” I whispered in her direction.
“No,” she said as she blushed. “I’m just hopeful that someone is working tonight.”
“Aimee, you know one of the guys working?” Vera’s voice was raised higher than I liked with the boys still flanking us.
“Kind of, but not really.She’smore like a friend of a friend.” Aimee’s face deepened, and I didn’t push that topic further.
“Well, here’s to hoping your friend of a friend is working and she makes Shawn shit himself,” I said, pointing a thumb over my shoulder in his direction. That earned me another grumble, but it just egged me on.
The steel barricades split the road, and we filed into the line starting on the right side. The walk was somewhat steep, and the short stone wall fell away to a grassy hill. Dew on the green blades shimmered in the artificial light as the breeze shook them. Conversations reached us as we approached the waiting guests. I picked up on fragments about other rides and attractions here.
“—and those cinnamon rolls were fantastic—” That was the clearest piece, and I made a mental note to stop by one of the bakeries here before we called it a night.
Cody moved to stand beside Vera, who in turn leaned into his side. They were cute together, but neither took the chance to push that opportunity. When she made eye contact with me, she smirked. Her side-eyed glance confirmed everything.
Shrieks came from the front, followed by laughter and sounds ofswooning?
CHAPTER5
Everett
I leanedagainst the wall inside the entrance as James counted the next guests inside. He clicked the tally counter in his hand, and as the curtain closed behind them, he wrote the number on a sheet of paper.
“What’s the count so far?” I asked. He loosened the distressed tie around his neck before cracking the joints and sitting back.
“Looking at eight-seventy-five.” The pen clicked against the metal clamp of the clipboard as he tapped it rapidly.
“Those good numbers?”
“It’s opening night, and I expected them to be higher. They’re not bad for just a few hours. I think by the end of the night, we’ll reach our goal.” James looked out to the shortened line and back to me. “Ready to crowd work again? Last round and then we’ll get you inside somewhere.”
“Works for me,” I said, rubbing my hands together. I likely wouldn’t see the girl, Sienna, again tonight—or ever. Despite that fact, my mood shifted back to normal while rotating scares. I glanced at the crowd one last time, and I cocked my head in disbelief.
“What’s wrong?” James asked.
“I’m not entirely certain, but I think I just saw her,” I muttered more to myself. It was brief and just a flash among the faces. I was almost positive I saw Sienna’s pulled-back auburn hair and the red makeup with writing across her nose.
“Saw who, dude?”
“I don’t know,” I lied. I knew.
