The Stepbully She Craves

Chapter 6

Fog starts filling the room and ominous music begins to surround us. “There’s no way out now, ladies,” an evil voice warns through the speakers. “You’re at the mercy of what lurks behind these walls. Should you make it to the other side, you can consider yourselves lucky. But I have to warn you: the monsters within these walls love young, ripe females, so good luck.”

The door leading us to our impending doom slowly creaks open and we’re greeted by darkness. I’m about to lose my shit, thinking maybe I should wait until the next group of patrons gets let in so I can exit now and won’t have to go any farther. But when I turn toward the girls, they’re all jumping in excitement, ready to be scared to death, so I decide not to be a spoilsport. I told them I would do this with them, and I will. With my head down.

“Okay, so remember, girls: we all stick together. You can be in the middle, Pipe, and the four of us will protect you. Are we ready?” Lex’s eyes land on mine.

I can’t believe I’m the only one who’s a nervous mess. No, I’m not ready to enter, but the sooner I get inside, the sooner we can be done with this place. And then never again. There’s no way I will ever agree to go through a haunted house again.

“Yes, let’s get it over with.” I nod.

Lex leads the way. Ava is on my left and Mercy is on my right, with Samantha bringing up the rear. I’m surrounded on all sides, protected from the monsters. But the moment we walk into the first room, I jump. A spotlight clicks on, and a guy dressed as a priest appears in front of us. He gives one final warning of his own about health conditions and to be careful not to anger the dead, and then blesses us with a big wooden cross dripping with blood.

“I hope you make it out alive, girls. It would be a shame for five beautiful ladies to die so young. In the name of the spirits and the unholy ghosts that live behind these walls, I bless you,” are his parting words before he vanishes out of thin air and we’re all alone again.

Okay, now I’m beyond freaked out. These people are not messing around. This place is legit terrifying. No wonder it’s won all of the most frightening haunted experience awards. People can just disappear. Oh God. I should never have agreed to come. I’m not going to be able to sleep for weeks.

Mercy squeezes my hand and leans into my side. “Just remember: it’s all fake. They are just people like Cord and the guys. They’re all in costume and the blood is ketchup. Think of it like we’re on a movie set for the next thirty minutes. It’s all just special effects.”

Thirty minutes?! Now, I’m not only freaking out, but panicking. I didn’t know it took that long to get through this place. I thought we’d be out in five minutes, ten max. But thirty? That’s a half an hour. Why didn’t anyone tell me it would take that long to get through this place? Because they knew if they did, I’d never agree to come. I should have sucker written across my forehead right now. Shit. I’m going to be scared out of my mind for thirty freaking minutes.

The room goes dark again and then the spotlight comes back on, this time shining at a door on the far side of the room. I guess it’s our turn to enter the next room. I keep my eyes trained on the back of Lexie’s head and my feet moving forward as she leads us to the door. It feels like I’m being led to my doom. Maybe if I just focus on her the entire time, I won’t be so scared.

A loud scream comes from our right and I nearly jump from my skin, my heart plunging into my stomach. We all turn toward the sound, and there’s a girl dressed in street clothes, who looks like a visitor, being tied up. Her eyes are wide with horror. She’s pleading with us for help, to get her out of this place. “It’s not what you think. It’s all real. You have to get out. Get help. Please help me! Please!”

The guy who has her in his grip tapes her mouth shut and her screams become muffled. “No, pretty girl, you’re ours now. They can’t save you. No one can. You should have read the fine print before you signed the waiver. No one’s safe behind these walls.”

The guy turns in our direction. “You, little girls, better watch out. Our monsters are hungry tonight. And this one won’t be enough to feed them.” After he drops that bomb on us, he leads the struggling girl who’s fighting to get out of his arms through some hidden passageway. I’m about to pull out my phone and call the cops, but Sam stops me. I thought the form we signed was a health waiver—in case anyone has a heart attack, we can’t sue them, but according to that girl, we all signed our lives away.

“It’s all an act, Piper. Relax. That was not real. She was paid to do that. Cord would never let you come here if he thought you’d actually get hurt. Okay? Think about it.”

I swallow hard and nod. She’s right. My brother wouldn’t work at a place if they actually did kill people. Shit. I am so not cut out for this stuff. It all seems so real to me. Just like scary movies. I believe everything on the screen really happened. Like right now, there’s an irrational part of me that truly thinks that girl is a victim and not a paid employee. I grip Mercy’s hand even tighter and follow Lex as she leads us through the door.