Page 81 of Haunted Spurs

"Knock it off," I hiss, desperately trying to use my usual icy tone. But the result is disastrous. I hide behind the mug, taking a sip of the burning hot coffee.

Their conspiring, crystal-clear laughter fills the kitchen. And, for the first time in years, I discover that getting ruthlessly teased by friends... isn't actually so bad.

25

Sequin-Covered Freddy Krueger, Stage Ravens, and Blind Knots

Ron

A camera operator with a massive Steadicam strapped to a harness passes an inch from my nose, walking backward to capture our expressions, while a boom operator swings the long directional mic mere inches from our faces. The massive production floodlights cut through the damp morning fog, illuminating the dirt clearing in front of the estate's barn entrance.

We are officially on set. And it is absolute chaos.

I try to concentrate, I swear to God I try. I should be focusing on the cameras, on the game, on the adrenaline of the competition, but... the truth is that every single particle of my body is tuned to one single frequency: Selene.

She's standing right next to me. At a distance that is not even remotely as close as I want it to be.

She is unbearably beautiful wearing just a white camisole, dark leggings, and a dark cardigan. Her hair is down, full of waves... I want to run my fingers through it. She truly looks like the Moon Goddess...

I can still feel the delicious burn of her nails scraping down my back. The memory of her broken voice screaming my name in the dark sends all the blood rushing straight to my brain, destroying any attempt at clarity. I move my arm just a fraction, brushing the back of my hand against the fabric of her sleeve. An imperceptible touch. A purely physical necessity. She doesn't pull away.

"FRESH MEAT! FRESH MEAT!"

A high, harsh squawk shatters the tension.

From a perch mounted atop a production light, Pedro, Mayor Nino's myna bird, flaps his black wings. He's learned the script perfectly and repeats it with incredibly bad timing.

"Shut up, Pedro, you're ruining my dramatic entrance!" a voice screeches through a megaphone.

All the contestants turn toward the center of the clearing.

Standing atop a stack of old hay bales is Aunt Tina. Or rather... a completely insane, glamorous version of an '80s nightmare.

She's dressed up as Freddy Krueger. But, being Aunt Tina, the hideous red-and-green striped sweater is entirely covered in sparkling sequins. She's wearing the iconic brown fedora on her head, but on her right hand, she sports a glove equipped not with rusty blades, but with incredibly long, mirror-polished silver claws.

"My dear condemned!" she starts, spreading her arms wide and flashing her fake blades. "Welcome to your first, true, terrifying challenge on Haunted Spurs!"

Mayor Nino, standing behind the boom operator, signals her to speed it up by rolling his hand in the air.

Aunt Tina blatantly ignores him.

She continues, her tone projected and theatrical. "This morning you will face the trial of the Butcher's Lasso! It is a challenge of survival, pure sensory deprivation, and above all... extreme, blind trust in your partner."

She lowers the megaphone and flashes a diabolical smile.

"As you know, we required that each pair have at least one cowboy or cowgirl. And indeed, for this challenge, the official cowboy or cowgirl of your pair will have to physically execute the trial! Blindfolded and deprived of sight, you will have to rely entirely on your partner's guidance."

She flashes the fake blades under the floodlights.

"The rules are simple. The barn behind me has been set up as a veritable slaughterhouse of horrors. Through fog, obstacles, blood, and a few... unexpected distractions... the cowboy must find a hidden lasso, retrieve a bale of hay by securing it with a perfect knot, and drag it out. The clock is ticking. But beware! The cowboy will be blindfolded. Every step, every movement, and every decision will depend solely on the voice and touch of the other member of the pair."

I smile under my breath. Aunt Tina is a fucking evil genius. This challenge is going to be a blast.

"Alright then!" Tina booms, pointing a claw right at us. "Cowboys and Cowgirls, step forward!"

Being the official cowboy of my pair, I step forward without hesitation, raising my hand with a grin. The idea of having to rely completely on Selene is already pumping adrenaline through my veins.

To my left, an argument breaks out.