The Stepbully She Craves

Chapter 8

He doesn’t give her a chance to respond. He has her thrown over his shoulder and is carrying a kicking and screaming Lexie out of the room through a side door.

I turn towards the girls. “Should we do something? Go after them? Help her? What do we do?”

I’m panicking again, not knowing where Jax is taking her or why. I thought they weren’t allowed to touch you here. I thought it was the one guarantee, that no one is allowed to actually physically put their hands on us. Yet, he just hauled her away. Won’t he be fired for that?

“Um…I don’t know,” Mercy says, sounding just as worried.

“I think we go after her,” Sam states, anger burning bright in her eyes. She starts walking toward the door Jaxon just took her through, but as she gets closer, four clowns block her path.

“Sorry, angel. You’re not allowed to go that way,” one of the four says as they all start closing in on her. “That door is only for the clowns. But maybe …” He pauses, his big red mouth quirking into an evil smile. “You want to clown around? In which case, I’dbe happy to take you back there.”

Sam turns and rushes back to us. “Let’s go. I’m sure she’s fine. She’s with Jax. But I really don’t want to be in here with these creepy clowns anymore. They’re all freaks.”

Oh my God! If Samantha the cold-blooded, nothing-gets-to-me, I’m-a- powerful-bitch is freaking the fuck out, then that means I’m totally screwed. She grabs my hand and pulls me toward the other door. Mercy and Ava are hot on our heels. Why the hell we all wore heels in this place is beyond me. Stupidest idea ever. Along with these costumes, which do nothing but draw unwanted attention. I swear I’m never listening to my friends again. None of this is fun. They aren’t even enjoying themselves. They want out of this place just as much as I do.

We get to the next room and of course it’s even scarier than the last. The whole place is frightening. Hence the name Fright House. Thankfully, though, the girls don’t want to linger and take in every little horrific detail of the room this time. I’m still doubting our decision to keep going, and wondering if we should go find Lexie, but I have to remember she’s with her best friend. She’s safe.

We’re rushing through the room on a mission just to get to the next door, but once again, we get stopped. A man with a chainsaw steps in front of us, revving the thing and causing us all to jump.

“Where are you ladies rushing off to?”

Drake! Oh thank God! I’m so relieved. Maybe he can figure out where the heck Jaxon took Lexie.

“Drake, Jax just hauled Lex away in the last room and we don’t know where they went or how to find her. Can you help us?” I plead, hoping he’ll take mercy on us and drop character so we can figure out what is really going on.

“Sorry, Pipsqueak. We promised we’d leave you alone. But we made no promises about the others.” He steps toward Samantha.

I grip onto her hand and pull her to my side, trying to protect my friend. I’m not going to let him take her like Jaxon took Lex.

“Did you really think that outfit would save you in this place, my little angel?” He shakes his head, his eyes roaming over her sexy angel costume. “Nothing will save you in here. All it does is make you look like a delicious feast for the monsters. A heavenly little morsel that needs to be dirtied up.”

Sam stiffens against my side, knowing that she’s his target. I knew she wouldn’t be safe in here. But I had no idea the guys would take things so far.

I turn, suddenly feeling claustrophobic, and find us surrounded by scary- looking creatures. Lots of them. They’re circling us. Closing in. Somehow managing to isolate each of us. And then she’s gone. I turn in a circle, but Samantha is nowhere to be found and neither is Drake. I let out a shriek, searching for the others, but Ava is gone too. I look to my right and am so relieved when I see Mercy.

The creatures begin to retreat from us and then disappear into blackness and we’re the only two left in the room.

“What is happening, Piper?” Mercy clings to my side.

I shake my head. “I don’t know, Merce. I just want to get out of here.” I’m hoping that we’ll find the girls on the other side of the exit. At least we know they’re with our friends. Well, Sam is with Drake, who may be the opposite of her friend, but I know she’s safe. I have no idea who took Ava though; my view was blocked by the creepy monsters circling me. All of them creating a thick, tall wall and keeping me from seeing anything. I swear it was like having a football team barricading me in, they were so big and tall.

“Yeah, me, too. Let’s go,” Mercy agrees. “I think we should wrap our arms around each other and get out of here as fast as we can. I don’t trust them. Drake said they wouldn’t touch you. Me, they’ll take. I don’t want to be taken, Piper.”

The panic in her voice has me hugging her closer. Next time, I’m going to choose my words more carefully. I know my friends wanted a frightening experience, but I don’t think they thought it would be like this.

“Let’s get out of here, Merce.”

We practically run from the room—as fast as our stupid heels will carry us. When we get through the door, we have to stop. There’s an elevator in front of us. The sign saying one rider at a time. Oh, hell no!