Page 43 of Unmasked

Every cell in my body hums. Time for phase two.

CHAPTER 32

Mallory

“I-I think we should g-go.” I tremble as I look around for the skeleton creep, my voice shaking. His threatening words ring in my air. “You’ll pay for this.”

“It’s okay, Mallory. You put that jackass in his place. He’ll leave you alone now.”

I’m not convinced.

I stand there, pressing my aching, swollen knuckles against a cold bottle of beer. Fear rolls through me, afraid the skeleton asshole is going to ambush me.

Mandy puts her arm around me. “If you’re really that scared, we’ll leave.”

I nod, relief flowing through me. “Probably for the best.”

The barn lights flicker twice before turning off, plunging the space into darkness. I scream, wrapping my arms around Mandy as I tremble.

“It’s okay. Probably just a prank.”

The lights come back on, and relief flows through me.

I glance up at the rafters as they flicker again.

I gasp as a body in a skeleton suit falls, blood drippingfrom his costume. A rope around his neck suspends him from the rafters. His body sways, slowly spinning in a circle.

Screams erupt around the room.

I stand there, wide-eyed and in shock. The front of his body faces me, and I scream at the sight of the large rake protruding from the skeleton guy’s chest. “Oh my God.” My hands fly over my mouth, nausea churning inside me.

Mandy starts screaming, her nails digging into my skin through the fabric of my shirt as she panics.

Blood drips from the skeleton guy, landing on the cheek of the one girl standing closest to the body. She releases a bloodcurdling scream that makes my ears ring.

It’s pure panic and chaos as people run to the door, their screams of fright echoing around the barn.

“Let’s get out of here,” Mandy yells in my ear.

The front entrance is blocked from the mass of people pushing and shoving, trying to escape. Some of them fall and get trampled on.

My eyes dart around, carefully avoiding the dead skeleton guy, looking for another way out.

Spotting the side entrance, I grab Mandy’s arm and tug her toward it. “Come on.”

It’s chaos at that exit, too. People are panicking and pushing one another, trying to escape.

The crowd jostles me. I lose my grip on Mandy’s arm as someone slams into me, knocking me back. My wide eyes are locked on Mandy, who is carried forward from the crowd’s momentum.

Before I hit the floor, strong arms catch me. I look over my shoulder to thank whoever it is but freeze at the sight of the red purge mask.

“M-Masked m-man. Is it you?”

Instead of answering, his hand clamps over my mouth, pulling me deeper into the barn.

The lights go out, plunging everything into darkness.

CHAPTER 33