Keeping my hands splayed out in front of my face, I press my back to the wall and scoot to my right, hoping and praying there’s a door waiting for me on the other side of the room. The question is whether or not I can make it there in one piece. I wonder if they can see me. If whoever’s in this room with me is as blind as I am. And if that’s the case, maybe I can make it out of here alive. Maybe I can lock whoever’s inside if I can only…if I can only make it across the room. Something tickles my bare skin, falling from the neck of my T-shirt and catching on my bra. My body tenses again and I bite back my scream. It’s another cricket. It’s only another cricket.
Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, don’t freak out.
“Oh, little girl,” someone coos. “I know you’re in here.”
It’s coming from behind. The floor creaks, and my body freezes in place. Whoever it is, they’re coming closer.
Shit.
“I can hear you,” the creepy voice adds. “Want to know a secret?”
It’s official. I’m going to pee my pants. My fingers toy with the edge of the sticker, but I don’t rip it off, no matter how much I want to.
I need this money. Don’t give up.
“Do you know what happens if I catch you, little girl?” the voice continues. “I get to keep you for one minute. One. Full. Minute.”
He’s lying. He has to be. Roman said so himself, I can’t get hurt. It’s only a mind game. Then again, he didn’t say I couldn’t be touched. He wouldn’t. None of them would allow this, right?
“Oh, little girl.” He cackles. “A lot can happen in one minute?—”
A fresh wave of screaming echoes from the main area, and my head snaps toward it. It’s so loud, I can’t help but wonder if it’s enough to drown out my erratic breathing. Maybe there’s hope for me after all. The last round of girls must’ve just met the crickets, which means I have around thirty seconds until the losers are plucked from the crowd and the screaming will end.
Thirty seconds.
I have thirty seconds.Ish.
Taking full advantage, I rush toward the opposite side of the room, praying there’s only one person in here with me and I’m not running into a trap. A cold sweat breaks out along my hairline, while the cricket in my shirt flutters against my bare skin, leaving me with nothing but the heebie jeebies. But even then, I refuse to withdraw my hand from the wall. Hell, at this point, it’s my only guide to safety. Okay, safety might be a bit of a stretch. This is brutal. But it’s my only hope. I have to get out of here. When my fingers finally find the edge of a cold metal door on the opposite side, I push it open with all my might and slam it behind me.
Wait. They can’t follow me out of the room. Right?Right?!My panic reignites until I catch sight of a dully-lit red button next to the closed door. This is either a really good idea, or a reallyreallybad one. Before I can overthink it, I slam the button with my palm and squeeze my eyes shut, praying I didn’t justmake a massive mistake. Scraping metal grates on my eardrums, and a lock clicks into place, barricading whoever was in the room inside. Leaning against the heavy piece of iron separating me from the person, I clutch at my chest, then rub my back against the door, hoping the cricket that was caught in my shirt is either dead, or at the very least, has fallen out during my race to safety. One thing is for sure. This is insane. This isn’t just insane, this is…ludicrous. Absolutely ludicrous. Crickets?Livecrickets? Then a creepy, stalking I-don’t-even-know-what-he-was in a pitch black room? Yeah, no. Not a fan. When I get home, I’m taking a long, hot shower. That’s for sure.
But first, I need to get through this haunted house.
I look around, grateful for the reprieve no matter how short-lived it might be. It’s not as dark in this hallway. Okay, that’s a lie. It’s still dark, but a red light flickers off the walls in a steady rhythm.
On, off.
On, off.
On, off.
Like a heartbeat. It spills into the hallway through a window on one of the doors, dousing everything in black and stealing whatever little vision I have.
On, off.
On, off.
On, off.
There are two doors. More cackling comes from the one to my left with the red light. Only silence is on the right. I turn my head toward the silence and peek through the small window, hoping to glimpse what’s inside. A nightlight is on the opposite wall. Otherwise? Only shadows. Tiptoeing toward the opposite door, I peek through the second window. Thanks to its placement, all I see is half the room and the corner of a chain link fence. Other than that, it appears to be empty.
But is it really?
Another cackle makes me jump away from the window, and I look behind me, confirming I’m still alone in the hallway. Yup. Not a soul but me. Why doesn’t the thought make me feel better?
Focus, I remind myself.
Both doors seem to be locked from the outside. Each with a matching button I assume opens their respective doors just like the one locking in the creepy—whatever the guy was supposed to be—inside the first room. I simply have to choose which button to push. Which path to take. My body itches to go toward the quieter room. The one with the nightlight. The one missing the cackling and red flashing light and chain link fence. I raise my hand toward the button, when Jagger’s warning echoes through my thoughts.
