Page 10 of Welcome to Carnage

“We’re going to have to participate or hide well.”

A gunshot goes off, signaling the start, and screams follow.

“Fuck! Run!” I shout.

Luna’s eyes widen, and she laughs as masked men run around the corner toward us. My heart rate picks up, and I sprint in the opposite direction, knowing Luna will follow.

My feet pound against the ground, my lungs screaming for air. I can hear footsteps and laughter behind me.

This is crazy. Of all the years I’ve been to the town Halloween Carnival, this is the first time I’ve been caught up in the masked chase. It’s a game of tag, but it’s wild with the masks. People can’t tell if it’s a stranger or their friend behind the mask, so they keep running. It’s exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

I glance behind me and find I can’t see Luna anywhere, but it’s havoc behind as screams pierce the air. The adrenaline pounding through my veins is crazy.

I approach the House of Mirrors, hoping to lose the chasers there.

Glancing behind, I don’t see any sign of Luna.

Shit.

I run into the House of Mirrors, weaving through the maze of reflective surfaces.

But then I feel someone grab my waist, and I scream, trying to pull away. “Let me go!”

Whoever is behind me doesn’t say a word. Instead, his grip tightens on my waist.

“I said, let me go!” I demand.

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll scream,” I say.

The man chuckles. “Go ahead, scream. No one will hear you.” My heart skips a beat as his Ghostface mask has a voice distortion fitted, adding to the creep factor. And yet I feel my thighs dampen as his grip tightens.

My heart rate is through the roof as I realize this isn’t part of the game. This man is serious, and I wonder if I’m in real danger. He pushes me against a wall, leaning in close to my ear. “You know what? I’ve been watching you all night. I knew I had to catch you.”

A shiver skates down my spine. “How did you know I’d be part of the chase?”

“I didn’t, but I intended to chase you regardless.”

My stomach churns.

His words hang in the air, a thinly veiled threat. I swallow hard, my throat dry as dust. “Why?” I manage to ask, my voice a mere whisper.

He leans in closer, his breath hot against my ear. “Why not?” he replies, a dangerous edge in his voice. I can’t see his expression behind the mask, but I can feel his eyes on me, burning into my skin.

“Who are you?” I demand. My heart is pounding like a drum, but I refuse to let him see my fear.

He chuckles again, a sound as cold as ice. “Aren’t you having fun, Avina? Don’t you want to play the game?”

He knows my name, but that’s not exactly difficult in our small town of Carnage. I shake my head, but his grip on my waist tightens, pinning me against the wall. “This isn’t a game,” I whisper.

He laughs. “It’s always been a game. And you’re the prize.” His hand slides up my skirt, his fingers tracing a path that sends shockwaves of fear coursing through me.

“No,” I whisper, my voice weak as his fingers inch higher. “Stop.” I mean it to sound assertive, a command, but it comes out as a plea instead.

“This is just beginning.” His fingers move further up my thigh. “You belong to me.”

Horror slices through me, not because this man has me cornered, but because I’ve never been more turned on. It’s sick and twisted.

---