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Myheart skips a beat. “Forwhat?”
Lisa’sface pales. “I—Ican’t say,” she stammers, shifting uncomfortably again.
“What’sgoing on?”Ipress gently.She’sstarting to freak me out.
Beforeshe can respond,Lisafreezes.Followingher gaze,Ispot one of the masked men staring directly at us.Hishollow eyes seem to bore into me, and my blood runs cold, my body unsettled down to my bones.
Withoutwarning,Lisasprints away, disappearing into the crowd and leaving me alone.Whatthe hell was that?
Itake a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.Theenergy here feels different now, tinged with something darker.
Iscan the room forIsabel.Wherethe fuck is she?Myanxiety is growing.Ineed to find her and get out of here.
Then,IrememberIcan’t leave before doing whatIcame here to do.
Atthat same moment,Icatch a glimpse of my best friend at the top of the stairs, giggling as she’s led away by a guy in a sharp suit, wearing the same mask as that group.Igasp under my breath.Fuck.Ihave a bad feeling about this.Iwant to follow her, to make sure she’s okay, but she doesn’t seem to be in danger—yet—andIdon’t want to ruin her night.
Aguy stumbles into my path, almost spilling his drink.Hiseyes are glassy, his smile lopsided. “Hey,” he slurs, leaning in closer thanI’mcomfortable with. “Youneed a refill?Ormaybe a dance?”Heseems to be dressed up asPennywise, but his face makeup is all smudged.
Itake a step back, shaking my head. “No, thanks.”
Hefrowns, clearly disappointed, but before he can say anything else,Islip past him.
Thehallway is less crowded, andImake my way to the back door, my heart lifting slightly whenIspy the night sky through the glass.
Butjust beforeIreach the patio, my eye catches on the slightly ajar basement door.Yes.Thisis exactly whatI’vebeen looking for.Theperfect opportunity to snoop around.
Hesitatingfor a moment,Iglance back at the party and make my decision.
Iopen the door wider and start descending the stairs.Thesteps creak under my weight, the air growing cooler asIdescend.Igulp down the lump forming in my throat.
WhenIreach the bottom, it’s almost pitch-black and silent, save for a light beaming from the far corner and the distant hum of machinery.
Anarrow corridor stretches out before me.Mypulse quickens asIwalk down, the walls seeming to close in around me.
AsIapproach the end, the light becomes brighter, almost blinding.Ishield my eyes with my hand asIstep into a large room.Thewalls are covered with monitors, each displaying different parts of the gathering above.Thereare dozens of them, and the sight stops me in my tracks.
Isquint, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness.
“Hello?”Icall out, my voice echoing in the emptiness.
Noresponse.Istep further inside, and a shudder ripples through me whenIrealize how isolatedIam down here.
Theimages flicker on the screen, showing people partying, but there’s something unsettling about watching them from this hidden vantage point.Everyfew seconds, the snapshots switch, showing different rooms, some empty, but others displaying footage that makes my stomach churn: men and women, in various stages of undress, engaging in intimate acts.
Icatch sight of a hallway through the monitor, doors lining both sides, some open, others completely shut.Thewalls are a deep crimson, covered with intricate, almost hypnotic patterns that twist and turn, adding to the disorienting effect.
Myeyes narrow on a specific screen.Thecamera captures a bedroom where a woman is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking distressed, while a man stands over her, talking animatedly.Awave of nausea surges through me.It’sLisa, the womanImet upstairs.
Shedashes out of the room, her movements desperate as she tries to find an exit, but she’s moving too slowly, her stepsuneven.Theman behind her is gaining ground, his strides purposeful and unyielding.
Thescreen flickers for a second, andIswear under my breath, willing it to stabilize.Whenit does, my stomach drops.There’sa dark stain spreading across the back of her costume, trickling down from her neck.Blood.
Myheart races asIwatch her struggle with the doors, her fear palpable even from this distance.Iwant to shout out to her, to warn her, but my voice catches in my throat.Therealization sinks in that something is seriously wrong here, something beyond the eerie atmosphere ofHalloweennight.
Themasked man emerges from behind her.Inone hand, he holds a length of rope, and in the other, a large knife.Hisbody language is cold, seemingly devoid of any humanity.What.The.Fuck.Is.This.Place?
Theimage switches.
