Page 128 of Haunted Spurs

"Oh, I'll dare, Selly. I will absolutely dare. But first..."

Without warning, Ron steps back. He leans down, grabs me behind the knees, and with a grunt of effort, lifts me entirely off the ground.

He throws me over his shoulder like I'm nothing but a sack of grain, my stomach pressed against the hardness of his muscular shoulder.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" I shriek, pounding my fists against his back, my face dangling toward the dirt. "Put me down, Willers!"

"Rules of the game, sweetheart," he laughs, his masked voice vibrating against my chest as he starts taking long strides toward the rendezvous point. "The captured prey must be physically carried out of the woods. Enjoy the ride."

I huff, outraged but unable to hold back a smile.

We are almost at the edge of the woods when a harsh, anger-filled noise catches my attention.

Hanging upside down, I look up.

Through a break in the fog, in a small clearing to our left, are two figures.

They aren't running toward the finish line. They aren't even pretending to follow the rules of the reality show.

Lucien and Melusine.

He isn't wearing the mask anymore; he's gripping it in a fist, dangling by his side. He is furious. He literally has her cornered, shoving her against the crumbling remains of an old stone fence.

Melusine isn't backing down. On the contrary, she has her hands planted on his chest and is screaming something I can't hear because of the distance.

Lucien drops the mask in the mud. He grabs both of Melusine's wrists, pinning them above her head against the stone. He leans forward, his face a millimeter from his adopted sister's.

I really don't think beating them is going to be as hard as I expected.

ELM HOLLOW GAZETTE

Local News, Mild Scandals, and Absolutely Essential Truths

by Francis Grande

(Reporter, Official Pie Contest Judge, Honorary President of the Chit-Chat & Chardonnay Club)

🔥 FRONT PAGE: THE QUEEN IS BACK (AND SHE BROUGHT A COWBOY)

Hold onto your hats, Elm Hollow, because the history of our little town just got its darkest, hottest chapter yet. The craziest, most talked-about, borderline-illegal reality show in television history, Haunted Spurs, has come to an end. And, against all odds favoring the twins or the athletes, the one hoisting the trophy—and claiming the prize—was none other than our very own Queen of Darkness, Selene Dusk.

It was a victory steeped in fog, adrenaline, and, judging by the noise complaints from the neighbors, an amount of late-night moaning we haven’t heard since Aunt Tina's infamous killer bee scandal.

Our gothic author proved that, somewhere between the chapters of her upcoming bestseller, she learned how to navigate the dark better than anyone else. And, obviously, she didn't do it alone. Right by her side was the now-inseparable (and decidedly underdressed) Ron Willers. If anyone still had doubts about whether their relationship was strictly a "professional agreement," please go rewatch the footage of the grand finale: you don't win a reality show like that without a level of chemistry that should require clearance from the fire marshal.

Gazette Verdict: Selene, you got your cowboy, you got the prize, and, judging by the rumors going around, you also got total control of the Miller estate. Darlin', we are officially terrified of you and hopelessly in love with you.

🎃 THE PANIC CORNER: LUCIEN AND MELUSINE, THE DRAMA THAT NEVER ENDS

While Selene and Ron were celebrating, the rest of the cast was busy trying to pick up the pieces. Lucien and Melusine didn't win the reality show, but they definitely won the award for "Most Awkward Family Drama of the Year." Their elimination was a mix of screaming, tears, slaps, and a final kiss that made Mayor Nino go pale. It seems their relationship is about as twisted as the plot of a Dusk novel.

Gazette Verdict: We love the dark side... we'll be keeping a very close eye on this one.

📱 ELM HOLLOW SOCIAL FEED

Trending now: #TheQueenOfDarkness #HauntedSpursWinners #SellyAndRon #LucienAndMelusineGate #EmersonNeedsAJob

🤳 @AuntTinaTok (Live post-finale reaction video - 8.9M views)