Page 56 of Hollow Forest

A chill crawled across my skin that had nothing to do with the autumn air.

I turned toward the way I’d come, but the opening I’d stumbled through was barely visible among the stalks.

Then the masked man stepped out of the corn.

This time, he approached slowly. My heartbeat thudded against my ribs as I backed away, and he followed at the same measured pace.

“This can’t be happening,” I choked.

His head dipped in the universal sign for yes, and that damned skull seemed to grin at me as I took another step backward. My body still buzzed with adrenaline, but every sensible instinct I possessed warned me that this had gone too far. We were nowhere near the crowd anymore, and this wasn’t one of the paths I had memorized for tonight’s hunt.

My stalker had deliberately driven me away from everyone else.

Maybe I should just give up.

It didn’t have to be forever. I could still kill Ferretti. I would adjust my plan, find another opportunity—

No.

Tonight ended my torment. This was happening. I would avenge my sister.

Because if I didn’t do it now, eventually the temptation would be too strong, and I would embrace a future with the man leering in front of me.

I wanted him. More than I wanted to live. But that wasn’t happening.

I ran.

His footsteps followed, but he didn’t rush me again. He stayed far enough behind that I couldn’t see him when I looked back. Knowing he was still there without being able to see him made my skin prickle. If this was any other night, if I didn’t have an oath to fulfill, this would have been the world’s greatest form of foreplay.

Already, I could feel how damp my panties were.

I tried to ignore that truth as I rounded another bend and found a long stretch of corn ahead of me. The cold burned my throat with every breath. Sweat had started gathering beneath my sweater despite the chill, and strands of hair stuck to the back of my neck. I shoved them away as I slowed to a jog.

Something about this part of the maze felt different. The ground wasn’t packed down by hundreds of feet, and loose dirt shifted beneath my boots while freshly broken stalks lay across the path.

I stopped and looked around. There shouldn’t have been a path here at all. We were beyond the haunted attraction. My stalker had successfully separated me from the living.

A stalk snapped behind me, and I spun around.

He stood at the bend, watching me through the black eyeholes of the half-skull mask.

I pointed a finger at him. “This isn’t part of the maze.”

He said nothing.

I looked behind me to make sure I hadn’t missed something, but when I turned back, he was closer. I hadn’t heard him move.

A shiver ran over me. “Did you do this?”

His voice was pure gravel. “Did…what?”

I backed away until my heel struck something solid and turned to find a wooden post half hidden among the stalks. An arrow had been carved into its surface, pointing to the right.

I stared at it before looking back at him. “What is this place?”

He took another step, and my pulse jumped.

“Run, little doe.”