Page 20 of Headless Hollow

“Who says it was for sport?” That gave me pause. I’d always assumed this was a sick game, but if it wasn’t, then why was he doing it? “I wanted to get your attention, but you kept fucking all the wrong people.” Jesus…did I know who he was? “Look what I’m willing to do for you to see me and not look right through me.” The mask glowed and reflected off the old tree. His hand skimmed down my body, and I shivered as he grabbed my hip. “I’m going to have so much fun making you scream.”

“But I don’t know who you are,” I said, and he growled, the mechanical sound worse right beside my ear.

“Exactly, but you will.” He pushed himself away from me, and I slowly turned around to face him. My eyes darted along either direction of the path, looking for the horse and rider.

He pointed in the direction of the bridge. “You’re mine. You always have been. You just didn’t see it.” Every person I knew all the way back to middle school flashed through my mind, and no one, not a single face, stood out as someone who wanted me. “Run, Pumpkin, and this time, I want to hear you scream.”

“I’m not doing this again,” I said stubbornly. “Tell me what you want.” He moved so fast that I could only suck in a breath before my back was pressed up against the tree with the knife to my throat. The blade cut in, and I sucked in a deep breath, sure that this was the end and I’d pushed him too far. I whimpered as he fisted my hair and yanked my head to the side.

“Keep your eyes closed, or I slit your throat right now. You already know I can and will do it.”

His personality seemed all over the place. I couldn’t pin it and it made him extremely dangerous. More so than what I ever thought possible. The warmth from his tongue touched my neck, and I shivered and held back the urge to look to see who it was. He teased the side of my neck and then licked a line all the way up the cut he’d made before sucking on the spot.

“Fuck you taste so good.”

A gut reaction sent my knee up to nail him in the crotch, but instead of my target, I hit something hard. Pain and numbness radiated down my leg. If he hadn’t been hanging onto my hair, I would’ve crumbled. It hurt so bad, and tears stung my eyes.

“I had a feeling you might try something stupid like that. How do you like my metal jock strap?”

“Asshole,” I said through clenched teeth.

“Now, now, Pumpkin, let’s not be like that.” Releasing me, he took a step back, and I grabbed my aching knee and rubbed at the spot I knew would be sore for days. “You will run for me, or it won’t just be your friend that I kill.” I glanced up at his masked face and could almost picture a sadistic grin that matched his mask. “You’ve already seen the lengths I’ll go. Why not your sweet parents, or how about your precious Branson,” he snarled, the hate palpable.

“Don’t you dare hurt them,” I said.

“Then don’t give me a reason to. Do as you’re told. Run. Scream. And when I catch you, and I will catch you, I’m going to fuck you.”

I licked my lips, and my hand went to my throat as he pointed with the massive knife toward the bridge. There was no point in arguing with him. I sprinted away down the path, and when I looked back, the mask was gone, and I could no longer see him standing on the trail.

My lungs hurt, and my legs shook as I ran over the wooden bridge, my feet echoing. I kept my eyes peeled for the other horseman to appear, but he never did. All I could hear was my breathing huffing out in time with my strides. The canopy was thicker here, and I had to slow down, which increased the panic of being caught.

I hated to admit it, but he was partially right. There was something thrilling in the unknown, and the terror-induced adrenaline running through my body. Rustling in the trees caused me to trip over my own feet as I jumped to the side and landed face-first on the trail. Breathing hard I searched the forest and screamed as two eyes stared back at me through the trees. I couldn’t see what it was, but I bolted upright and took off again.

“That’s it, scream for me, Pumpkin.” I could hear him now. He was running somewhere beside me, and with each twig that snapped and leaves that moved, my fear and anticipation spiraled higher. The two sensations danced together, and I hated myself for not leaving this part of me behind when I graduated high school. I was a professional and in a new relationship with the person I’d always wanted, and yet…there was something about this insanity that called to me.

Bursting out of the thicker trees, I took one step into the small valley and let out a blood-curdling scream as I was tackled from behind. The two of us went down in a heap, and all the air was pushed out of my lungs on impact. He roughly flipped me, his face looming over mine as he held my hands above my head. I sucked in a ragged breath, the thumping of my heart loud in my ears.

“You liked that, didn’t you, Pumpkin?”

“No,” I said.

“Liar. You were made for me, and I’m going to prove it to you.” Keeping me easily pinned even as I thrashed around, he undid the button and zipper on my pants.

“I don’t want you to touch me,” I growled, trying to yank my hips away from him.

“Is that so? That’s not what you said in your diary with the kitty cover. Page eighty-two, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I keep having the same dream. I’m running through the forest, and a masked man is chasing me. When he catches me he does all sorts of things to me.’ Would you like me to go on?”

My mouth dropped as I stared at the mask with a renewed sense of horror. “I threw all my old diaries away. How do you know that?”

“I’ve already told you. It’s always been you.” The distraction was all he needed to slide his hand down my pants and into my panties.

“Stop,” I growled as his finger circled my clit. His hand surprisingly stopped, which shocked me, but there was a thread of disappointment that I pushed aside.

“You have to decide what is more important to you.”

“You mean I have to choose between the death of those I love or being raped?”

“No, you have to choose between the death of those you love or continue to cling to this version of yourself. The one that is a cover for who you really are and what you really want. Look around you. There is no one here to see you, no one to hear you scream but me. I’m offering you every depraved fantasy you’ve ever dreamed of. Is that really a hardship for the lives of those you care about?”