AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Solve the riddle,” clown girl said. She motioned to the sign. At her instruction, the man in the half white mask tossed down a rope with a noose on the end.
“You have five minutes. For each additional minute you waste of ours, my friends get to take a life.” She held out her palms to indicate the shotgun and bow.
“I already don’t get it,” Margo stressed, moving past us to get a better look at the sign.
“Don’t you worry, I’ll keep track of time,” clown girl chirped.
Ignoring her and our audience, I nudged Ciaran so we could get closer.
“Any ideas?” I asked.
“I already figured it out.”
“Are you going to say what it is?” Mel questioned dryly.
He ignored her and looked down at me. “What do you think?”
Of course, he wasn’t going to just say what the answer was. Why on earth would he do that? I eyed the symbols that had been painted in red—the kind of red blood tended to be. There was an eye with a line through it, and an ear with an X. The gap between them was where the end of the rope hung.
“I think we know this,” Gracelyn said, moving up behind me.
“We do?”
“Yeah, you and that one kid used to play a game like this when we were little, but I can’t remember how it goes.”
I almost asked if she had me confused with someone else. I didn’t know what she was referring to.
“Three minutes,” clown girl called down.
“Ciaran,” I implored.
“Puppet,” he retorted teasingly.
What an asshole. I tried to pull my hand free of his, but he simply firmed his hold, pulling me into his side.
“Aww,” clown girl cooed, cocking her head like a curious dog. “He likes you.”
Ignoring her, I studied the picture, raking my brain for what it meant. “It’s…”
“One minute,” was sang from above us.
“The eye can’t see… ear can’t hear…” What was I missing? My mind raced in circles, homing in on those two things. I didn’t want anyone else to die if we could prevent it, not over a dumbass riddle.
“Is it about the senses?” Selena questioned.
I read it again and nodded. “I think you’re right.”
Eyes. Ears.
“Mouth?” I guessed.
“Yes! The mouth can’t speak,” Gracelyn rushed out.
“Good job, Gracie,” Kyrous praised, sounding like he had actual emotions for once.
“You’re not done yet…” clown girl stated.
The half-masked man gave the rope a swing to emphasize what she meant.
“Who the hell do they think is putting that around their neck?” Mel laughed.
He lifted his hand and pointed right at where I was standing.
“Not fucking happening,” Ciaran ground out, pushing me behind him. I bumped into Grace and Mel, who both latched onto my body as if the rope was going to reach over here and grab hold of me all by itself.
“Thirty seconds, lovelies,” clown girl called out.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Leonard chanted, shaking the gate behind us to try and reopen it.
I wasn’t going to just stand here and hope one of my best friends didn’t get killed if I could ensure they didn’t.
“Ciaran—”
“No,” he said bluntly, leaving no room for arguing.
I glared at the back of his head. “You don’t even know what I—”
“Shut the fuck up, puppet. No one’s fucking touching you.”
“Did you just—?”
“I agree with him. Shut up, Lana,” Mel reiterated, giving me a shake.
“Know what? I’ve got the perfect solution.” Ciaran turned and pushed me backward again, right into Maverick’s awaiting arms.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Keeping you safe,” Maverick replied good naturedly, holding me in a bear hug from behind.
“Not you, him.” I aimed another glare at Ciaran.
Paying me no heed, he grabbed Abby by the front of her romper and began dragging her forward.
“No!” she screamed, trying to get away from him. Her feet tangled together, causing her to trip.
“Get off her, you little shit.” Leonard tried to swoop in and save the day, being blocked by Charon and—surprisingly—Margo.
“It has to be one of us,” she tried to reason.
“You can’t do this!” he yelled.
“Already done,” Ciaran called back.
He released Abby’s romper and grabbed a fistful of her hair, easily thwarting all the swings she took at him as he wrapped the end of the rope around her neck. “Think of it as sacrificing yourself for the greater good.”
“Fuck you!” she screeched, the sound ending in a garbled mess.
Without delay, two of the masked figures began to pull. The noose tightened as she was lifted and ultimately dragged onto the platform.
She struggled relentlessly, screaming bloody murder as her arms and legs were pinned down.
“Hold still now,” clown girl advised as the person in the orange LED mask crouched down, a glistening blade in their hand.
Abby’s mouth was forced open by his companions. An audible snap carried down to us as her jaw was shoved out of the place.
“Oh, god no,” Leonard cried out, turning away so he didn’t have to see what was happening.
