Page 31 of Hide n' Seek

As much as I didn’t want to turn into the murderer my father was, I needed to get away from them. Moving in a group as big as this would only slow me down.

I was here to win. Nothing else mattered.

Beyond the blaring music from the rides and screams of terror that filled the night every few minutes, I could hear the pounding of shoes hitting the pavement, scurrying to get away.

We were calling too much attention to ourselves.

My chances,all of them, running right past me while I yet again entertained my brother.

“Are you listening to me, you little shit?”

I jerked back, not realizing that I’d zoned out until Dylan’s brightly lit mask filled my vision. His eyes were slitted behind the mask, glaring at me.

Ah, so now he comes out to play.

“Who needs to behave now?” I asked and quickly hooked my fingers under the chin of his mask, flipping it up hard enough to slam back against his face.

Before I could see his reaction, I made a hard right, leaving the group behind.

“You fucking—”

I knew he couldn’t keep his temper in check any longer, nor would I be able to keep my lips sealed.

Unlike him, I didn’t give two fucks about how this looked. If anything, Iwantedthe others to see. I wanted them to realize how fucked-up Legacy families were. That we were nothing special. That we were above nothing and no one.

This wasn’t the genetic lottery—it was a fuckingcurse.

If people finally understood what it meant to be in here… maybe then the fantasy of winning the game would finally fall apart.

Blue flashed across my vision. It was so fast I almost missed it… but it was there. My gaze followed the hint of blue, lingering when I caught sight of her slower friend.

My little rabbit.

I didn’t let Dylan’s presence hinder me. They could just fuck right off. I took off running toward them, hope burning in my chest.

I could win this. I just need to get this one kill, and I’ll have completed half the battle.

There was a shout behind me, followed by the rapid footsteps of Dylan and his friends. One of them let out an excited holler that caused my stomach to drop.

I won’t let them take this from me.

The rabbits took off toward the haunted house, teal hair trailing behind them in the wind. The structure was tilted with a large sign hanging on by just its right corner. It looked just as menacing as the other rides, but was like a beacon, calling me to come take my prize.

“I knew you had it in you!” Dylan yelled from behind.

“Fuck off!” I shouted back.

The rabbits disappeared into the haunted house, I wasn’t too far after them.

I pushed back the tattered cloth separating the fairgrounds from the haunted house, my heart pounding in my chest so fast the adrenaline was making my fingertips numb.

The fairground lights had been just bright enough that they forced me to a standstill as my eyes adjusted to the intensity of the darkness. I blinked a few times, willing the teasing shapes that hid in the darkness to disappear.

I walked further inside, following the single hallway leading through the ride—and hopefully straight to where the rabbits were.

The noise from the fairgrounds fell away with each creaking step.

After all the noise outside, the silence was almost deafening. The contrast so intense it made me uneasy, nearly looking over my shoulder.

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