“You have to sign a waiver for that, though,” Austin adds.
“I’m not signing shit,” Becky mumbles to herself.
“Silence was once an insane asylum that was shut down back in 1984 due to a patient being killed. She died by strangulation. She managed to get out of her straitjacket and hung herself by the straps.”
“God,” Becky whispers.
“Afterward, the place was bought by the Thompson family. Over the years, they have added new attractions to Silence, but the part that makes it stand out from all the other haunted houses in Texas is the fact that it is actually haunted.”
“I should have stayed home,” Becky whines.
Austin continues, “Silence sits on a hundred acres and has over 200,000 square feet of attractions. That does not include the original underground tunnels that the staff used to transfer dead bodies from one building to another …” She pauses for a second and then looks up at the back of Cole’s head. “I wonder if we get to walk in the tunnels.”
“You can’t be serious?” Becky asks.
“I mean, wouldn’t that be awesome?” Austin goes on. “If the tunnels were the blackout attraction?”
Cole and I both chuckle.
“What?” Austin finally directs her attention to Becky. “Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. Bonfires and ghost stories. Some apple cider with a little rum. Scary movies and haunted houses.”
“The only part I want to participate in is the one where we get drunk off that apple cider and rum.” Becky smiles at her.
“We’re here,” Cole announces as I pull up to a wrought-iron gate.
We enter, and buses line the long driveway to an opening. Men in yellow vests holding flashlights navigate the long line of cars. One guides me to a parking spot in the middle of a field that is quickly becoming full. We exit and turn around to see what looks like an abandoned castle that’s been painted black and has boarded-up windows. The tallest part stands at five stories high in the center with an even taller clock tower. Red lights on each side of the building make it glow.
To the right is another gate and the ticket booth with a Ferris wheel and roller coaster in the distance. You can hear people screaming from here as it takes a loop.
“It has a carnival?” Becky observes.
“It has a scarenival,” Austin corrects her. “I read it on the website as well. It has a maze, a mirrored fun house, and …”
I tune her out and remove the tickets from my pocket before handing them to Cole. I had only purchased three, so Becky is gonna have to buy her own once we get up there.
Austin has moved on in conversation and is now talking to Cole about what she wants to do on Halloween in two weeks when Becky groans at her cell going off.
“What?” Austin asks her.
“My sister is here.”
Great!
She quickly types away. “With her boyfriend,” she adds, not pleased with the situation.
“Do they wanna join us?” Austin asks her.
Cole throws me a look of sympathy. This was supposed to be the three of us. With my newfound idea to seek revenge, I don’t mind Becky tagging along, but now I’ve got her bitch of a sister to deal with.
Fucking fantastic!
“Yeah.” She sighs heavily. “She’s gonna meet us over by the wristbands.” At least she sounds about as thrilled as I am.
Cole takes Austin’s hand, and they lead us through the crowd to the ticket booth. We fall into line, and Austin shivers. “It’s freezing.” Her teeth chatter as she wraps her arms around her chest. “The news said it wasn’t gonna get below fifty-five tonight.”
“It’ll be warm inside,” he tells her.
“I hope.” She laughs, rubbing her hands up and down her long-sleeve shirt.
“Probably be cold as death,” Becky mumbles.
“Here.” Cole pushes Austin away so he can unzip his black hoodie.
“No. You’ll be cold,” she protests.
He wraps it around her shoulders and yanks the hood up over her head. She looks up at him with a smile on her lips.
He snorts at her statement. “I’ll be fine, sweetheart.” Then he pulls her back into his side, and she snuggles into him.
It’s sickening how cute they are together. But I can’t deny that I’ve seen my friend turn into a different person since she came along. A better version of himself. But I can tell he’s been a little off and in a funk lately, and Austin knows it too. She watches him closer and makes sure to give him more one-on-one time when I take Lilly out to a movie or shopping for some new toys. I think she’s afraid of losing him to the darkness that he was in when she entered his life. I’m not sure how far he is from that at the moment, but I know it won’t take much to push him over the edge.
A scream has us all turning around to look. A guy lifts a girl dressed as a naughty nurse with fake blood covering her costume and throws her over his shoulder. She screams out again playfully and slaps his ass over his jeans while his hand slides up her short skirt to grip her ass.
When we all turn back to face the line, a blonde stands before us with big blue eyes and her hands on her narrow hips. Demi Holt is the spitting image of her sister, and both girls look just like their mother. I’m pretty sure all three use the same amount of bleach, shade of makeup, and brand of perfume. Neither girl knows who they really are. All they know is who their mother has told them to be.
Such a waste of a good piece of ass.
A guy by the name of Seth stands next to Demi. What are the odds?
“Hey, guys,” he greets us, shaking Cole’s hand and then mine. “Didn’t know you were gonna be here.”
“You know them?” Demi asks with a look of disgust on her face.
If Becky can be a bitch, Demi can be a fucking mega bitch. They’re not close. They’ve always disliked one another, and somewhere over the years, it’s turned to hate.
She looks the same as when I saw her three months ago. Her bleach blond hair is down and in soft waves. Where Becky wears a lot of makeup, Demi barely has any on tonight. Her blue eyes are narrowed, and her usual plump lips are now thin and coated with a shiny gloss.
Seth nods, answering her question. “We attend the University of Texas together. English Lit.”
“Forgot you guys went there,” Demi mumbles.
Liar. She knows where we go to school. She just doesn’t care. About anyone. Another quality she and her sister share.
“I want some popcorn,” Becky announces, looking over at the popcorn cart to the right of us. “It smells amazing.”
“Then get some,” Demi tells her, tossing her hair over to one shoulder. Seth goes to place his arm around her, but she pulls away from him. He doesn’t seem upset in the least.
I wonder if he’s ever tried to fuck that stick out of her ass?
Becky’s face falls. “I left my purse in the car.” She holds up a twenty-dollar bill. “All I have is enough to get in.”
“Why?” Demi asks.
“I didn’t wanna carry it in here. Not after Austin said I may have to run or crawl for my life.” She shivers at that thought, and Austin laughs.
“Just go and get your money,” Demi suggests, rolling her eyes.
“We parked too far away. I don’t wanna make you guys wait for me.” She sighs. “It’s fine.”
Gotta give a little to get, I tell myself. “I’ll get it for you.” Becky looks at me with wide eyes. Austin gives me a soft smile, but Demi looks at me suspiciously as if she’s on to my plan. “Anyone else want some?” I ask, not taking my eyes off Becky’s. I am trying to be nice tonight.
“I’ll get my own,” Demi announces while everyone else tells me, “No thanks.”
Walking over to the popcorn stand, I stand behind the only other two people in line. I’m not a fan of the shit. It gets stuck in your teeth, and they never give me as much butter as I like. So I pull a piece of gum out of my pocket and pop it in my mouth.
“Still her little bit
ch boy, I see.”
“Excuse me?” I turn around to Demi standing behind me in line with her arms crossed over her chest. Her blue eyes glare up at me.
“Gotta say, I admired your lack of empathy. Until now.”
“What are you talking about?” I growl. Demi knows nothing about me.
She pops her right hip out. Her blue eyes drop to my tennis shoes and slowly run up over my jeans and T-shirt before meeting mine again. “Men always think with their dicks,” she says.
I give her my back, dismissing her. She’s a child. And someone I don’t like, so I’m going to ignore her the rest of the night.
I get the popcorn and return to my friends, not bothering to wait for Demi. Becky gives me a mumbled thank you. I return it with a smile, and she looks up at me suspiciously. Yeah, baby. I’m feeding you full of bullshit, and I’m gonna cram it down your throat until you choke on it.
We get our wristbands that allow us into the first attraction and make our way over to the black building with a banner that reads Fright Night on it. As we walk through the entrance, Austin sneaks up behind Becky, places her hands on her sides, and screams in her ear. Becky jumps so fucking high she could have dunked a basketball had she been on a court.
“I think she pissed her pants.” Seth laughs, throwing Demi’s now empty bag of popcorn in the trash can as we pass it.
Austin covers her mouth to muffle her laughter. “Sorry …”
“No, you’re not.” Becky pulls away from her.
“I don’t even know why you came,” Demi growls. “You hate anything remotely scary.” Then her blue eyes slide to mine before looking away.
What was that for?
“Watch what you say and where you look. For it may blind your sight and take your voice,” a creepy man sings while he stands in a corner and gestures to a hallway on his left.
We enter a makeshift room no bigger than the entryway to Cole’s house with black walls and ceiling. Creepy Halloween music plays softly through the hidden speakers. The girls are standing there, waiting for us to pack ourselves inside. Cole walks up behind Austin and places his arms around her chest. Seth pulls Demi into his side, and she looks like she wants to push him away but won’t due to the cramped space. Becky stands next to me awkwardly, biting her lip nervously.
We all stare at a girl who sits in a white clawfoot tub against the opposite wall. Water black as night, not allowing you to see through it, fills the bath, coming all the way up to the sides. She’s wearing a dirty, cheaply made replica of a straitjacket, and the wet fabric clings to her small frame. You can tell she isn’t wearing a bra ’cause you can see her hard nipples poking through the thin fabric, showcasing a set of big tits.
A man who looks to be about our age kneels beside the tub. He gently runs his hand down the back of her wet, dark hair. “Did you learn your lesson?” he asks her sternly.
Her body shakes uncontrollably, her lips are blue, and her eyes are red from crying. She has tears running down her face, leaving black streaks in their wake. She turns to look at us; gray eyes meet mine, and she whispers. “Help … me …”
He grips a fistful of her hair, and a scream erupts, cutting off her words. Rising to his feet, he bends at the waist and shoves her face-first into the black water. It splashes us, and the girls jump back, but Becky is the only one who screams in surprise.
He holds her under the black liquid surface as she thrashes around, water continuing to splash onto the floor. He yanks her back up, and she gasps for breath. He lowers his face down to hers, pulling her head back by her hair as she openly chokes and weeps. His other hand grips her chin tightly. “You will either learn, or you will die,” he says simply.
“Please … don’t—”
“The choice is always yours.” He shoves her head into the water once again.
A door to the left opens, and Cole pushes Austin through it, entering a hallway. She’s trying to look over his shoulder at the girl still submerged. Once we’re through the door, it slams shut behind us.
“I wanted to see how long she could hold her breath.” Austin pouts, disappointed.
“Long enough,” he tells her.
The hallway curves to the right, and we follow it. It’s narrow and only allows you enough space to walk single file. Cole grabs Austin’s hand, taking the lead, so I take up the back. She rolls her eyes and then bumps into his back when he takes another turn and comes to a stop.
We’ve reached an opening. A man stands before us in a white lab coat covered in blood. His arms lie against his chest and cross at his wrists. He lifts his eyes to us, and a light that he has around his forehead shines on us. “Separate,” he demands.
The main hallway splits, leading to the different doors. Cole drags Austin through the one closest to them. Demi and her boyfriend go through the second one, leaving me and Becky alone. She bites her bottom lip nervously, and I refrain from smiling.
I can do far worse things to you than anyone in this haunted house could possibly think of, baby.
I gesture for her to enter. “After you.”
She sighs heavily and then enters. It’s dark, but the light that comes through the seams in the makeshift wall is enough for me to see where the hallway leads us.
“Where do we go?” she asks, and her voice shakes with fear of what is to come.
She thinks something is gonna jump out at us, grab her, and drag her to hell. I laugh at that thought. Honey, I’m the closest to hell you can get.
A scream erupts from the left, behind the wall, and she jumps, bringing her hands to her pounding chest.
“Here, let me get in front of you.” Reaching out, I place my hands on her shoulders and push her behind me. She grips my upper arms and doesn’t let go. Another sound to my right has my head whipping in that direction. It’s a door, and a light shines from the room on the other side of it. A man dressed in all black stands there. You can’t see his face through the black mesh mask over it.
Becky shrieks, pressing her body into mine. “Please don’t touch me,” she begs.
I nod to the guy and push open the door, leading us into a new room. A woman lies on what looks like a hospital gurney. She wears a dingy gown that has been torn. Her wrists and ankles are strapped to the bed with brown leather straps and blood drips from the restraints. She tries to sit up, but the straps across her chest and stomach prevent any movement. A man stands next to her, his back toward us as he faces a white table.
“Okay, Beatrice. Do you know why I have to do this to you?” he asks.
She stares up at the ceiling, no longer struggling. The only movement is her chest rising and falling slowly. “Because I survived,” she whispers, and Becky stiffens against me.
“Very good,” he praises her. “But why did you do it?” he asks.
She swallows, and whispers, “Because the voices told me to.”
I look at the dirty floor and see a bloody razor blade by the bed. The blood running from her bound wrists suddenly makes sense. She’s suicidal. She told him that voices told her to kill herself, and now she’s being punished because she survived.
He walks to the head of the gurney and stands, wearing the same black costume as the man out in the hall sans mask. She arches her back, looking up at him longingly as though they’re lovers. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna make them go away.” He snaps a brown leather belt between his fists, and she opens up her mouth for him. Her hips rise, and she moans as if it’s turning her on. He places it between her teeth and runs his knuckles gently down the side of her cheek. She lets out a muffled groan, and then he reaches over and grabs two paddles, pressing them to her temples. The lights flicker on and off as her restrained body thrashes in the bed.
Becky buries her head into my chest. “Jesus, this place isn’t scary. It’s fucked up.”
I smile. Yeah, it is. I like it.
I grab her hand, and we exit the door to the right and come to a new room with two more doors. Austin and Cole come through the one to the le
ft. Demi and her boyfriend to the right. Austin is smiling like a kid in a candy store. Demi looks bored.
A door opening to the right has Becky jumping back, causing Demi to laugh at her expense. We follow each other into the next room. The floor and all four walls have tiles that once were white, but now are brown and have been stained with blood on them.
A small woman stands with her nose to the far wall, her back to us. She’s completely naked. Scratches run up and down her back and thighs. Blood trails down them and pools at her feet. Her blond hair is tangled and dirty. A man stands behind her holding a hose. He turns it on and sprays her, and she screams as the water hits her skin and splashes us. Smoke instantly fills the room so you think it’s steam from the hot water. Becky grips my shirt as it quickly engulfs the space, making it hard to see. I cover my mouth and push through a door just as Becky lets go of me. The lights shut off, leaving us in complete darkness, and a small body runs into my back. “Shit.” I hear her hiss.
“Here.” I reach back and take her hand. Putting my free hand on the wall to the right of me, I slide it across the area. It curves to the right, and I follow it, pulling Becky behind me. She doesn’t say anything or try to pull away.
My hand comes to a new wall, and it’s right in front of me. “What the fuck …?” It’s a dead end. I sigh. Silence meets me. No more music plays from above, and I don’t hear any screams off in the distance. “Cole?” He doesn’t answer. “Austin?” Still nothing. “Guess it’s just us.” I turn around to head back to where we came from and run right into her. We both trip over our tangled feet and her back hits a wall. “Becky,” I breathe. My body is up against hers, pinning her in place. Her heavy breathing fills the silent hallway. I have to remind myself why I hate her so much and how this is just a game I intend to win.
My hands grip her wrists, pinning them down to her mattress. She arches her neck, and I kiss my way up the soft skin to her ear. “I love you,” she whispers.
I pause and pull away to look down at her. Blue eyes fill with tears, and she sniffs. “I love you, Deke—”
“I love you too, Becky,” I interrupt, then kiss her.
I make love to her, showing her just how much she means to me. Her face is flushed, her hair a wild mess, and her lips swollen. She looks absolutely fucking perfect. “Tell me again,” I order, pushing my hips forward. She no longer belongs to that fuckface David. He went off to college and dumped her like the ass I knew him to be. Cole is busy playing with his new toy, Austin. Becky is all mine, and she fills the hole left in my heart from my three dead friends. She makes it go away. I’m never gonna let her go now that she’s all mine.
DARE SERIES COLLECTION Page 57