The Masked Haunting

Nineteen minutes and 12 seconds. The numbers tick down, my dream disappearing with every passing second. A chance to live my best horror movie life—but at this rate, I’ll be lucky if we even make it in time.

Nineteen minutes and 11 seconds.

Tripp lingers at the candy rack in the gas station.

Nineteen minutes and 9 seconds.

Claire walks to the register but turns around before purchasing anything.

Nineteen minutes and 2 seconds.

If the countdown reaches zero, the driving directions will disappear, and we’ll lose our chance at a night in a haunted house.

Stretching across the front seat, I hold the horn down; the sound billowing like a foghorn through the parking lot. Immediately, glares from my friend and boyfriend assault my face. They continue shopping unbothered at the gas station.

They’ve never cared about spooky season, maybe I should’ve just done this alone. There were no rules that said I had to bring people with me.

Astrid runs from the bathroom to the car. “Sorry, I tried to be quick.” She glances at the gas station. “They’re still inside?”

“Yeah.” I bite my lip, holding my breath. We already have snacks in the car; we didn’t even need to go inside.

18 minutes and 29 seconds.

Finally, the door from the gas station opens, Tripp and Claire meandering their way over to us.

“Was that necessary?” Tripp scolds, sliding into the driver’s seat.

“We don’t know how far it is.” I answer as he begins to drive, but the movement of the car does nothing to ease the tension building in my body.

“You’re going to feel really stupid if this place sucks.” Tripp rolls his eyes, biting into a chocolate bar. “No one’s even heard of The Midnight Apparition Experience.”

“You’re just scared,” I tease, earning me a laugh from Astrid and Claire in the back seat.

Tripp’s jaw twitches, his grip tightening around the steering wheel. The car slows ever so slightly.

“It was a joke.” I whisper gently, rubbing his shoulder.

But he shakes me off, driving below the speed limit. No one else notices, but they never do when Tripp throws his little fits.

It’s probably all in my head. He could be trying to drive safely.

“Of course, what’s more fun than a haunted house?” Tripp adds, his voice light, playful, but his jaw twitches and his grip tightens on my leg.

I never should have invited him. Tripp isn’t anti-Halloween per se. He’ll put a pumpkin on the porch and give out candy, but that’s it. He’s never even gone to a haunted house with me, not once, and I go a few times a year.

“What do you think it will be like?” Astrid asks from the back seat.

“With how detailed the invitation is, I bet it’s high-tech or set in the future.” A small pang twitches in my chest. I’ve always preferred the classic haunted house with cobwebs and candles, but I’m sure it’ll be great.

“Just as long as there are no clowns,” Claire adds, leaning forward to offer her bag of sweets to Tripp and me. “If there are, will you protect me, Trippy?”

“Of course! Those clowns don’t stand a chance against me.” Tripp smiles wide at my best friend through the rearview mirror.

At least he’s being nice to them. Maybe he really is trying to make the best of this.

We turn left down a dirt road, Tripp slowing down even more.

8 minutes 26 seconds left.

“We’ll all help each other,” I add. “No one gets left behind.”

The car jostles along the rocky path. Trees thicken around us. These woods are right out of an old-school slasher movie.

The screen flashes red, a warning appearing at the top.

“Can you drive faster?” I ask.

“Can you make the road smoother?” Tripp snaps, “It’s weird how excited you are. It’s just a silly haunted house.”

“You didn’t have to come,” I mumble under my breath. It was supposed to be a girls’ weekend, but Tripp begged me to join. Now he has this attitude.

He hits the brake, and the wheels skid against the rocks.

“I can still turn around,” Tripp snaps. “It’s probably better anyway; wouldn’t want you to feel tempted by all the spooky actors.”

“Tripp, come on, we are going to miss it.”

But he doesn’t drive; instead, he pouts like a child.

“It was just a silly reel…” One sexy reel with a man in a Halloween mask walking through the woods to be exact–all I did was like it. I didn’t comment or anything. It’s not like Tripp hasn’t liked a few questionable photos.

The clock flashes faster, the red screen glowing.

“I want you here,” I lie. “Who’s going to protect Claire from clowns, Astrid from zombies, and me from spiders if you’re not here?”

This isn’t how today is supposed to go. After six months of waiting, it should be fun.

“Wouldn’t hurt you to say that more often,” he mumbles, slowly hitting the gas pedal.

The path in front of us begins to clear, the road circling into a dead end with three other cars. A small group hovers on the edge of the treeline.

“You have arrived. Please join the gaming area,” the computer voice announces.

“Told you,” Tripp mumbles under his breath. “We even have one minute to spare.”

“You should have trusted him, Mae,” Claire jabs from the back seat. “We definitely didn’t need to rush.”

Didn’t need to rush? We almost missed it. But I fight the urge to point that out. It’ll only lead to a fight.

“Yeah, I guess you were right,” I reply through gritted teeth. Be nice Mae. He’s finally showing interest in something you care about. “Let’s go join everyone!”

Claire and Tripp jump out of the car, making their way empty-handed to the other participants–I guess Astrid and I will get the bags.

“What’s up with them?” Astrid whispers as she shoves the snacks in her backpack and grabs Claire’s bag.

“What do you mean?”

“They just seem…” Astrid’s words trail off, her gaze lingering on my face. “Nevermind, it’s not the time. We’re here to be scared, right? So let’s have a wonderfully terrifying time.”

I smile, unable to wipe the excitement off my face. My uncle took me on my first hayride when I was eight, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Of course, the scariest part of that hayride was an actor in a cheap set of fangs and a cape. But scary or not, a haunted house is always a good time.

The other participants smile as we arrive, and a screen chirps to life at the mouth of the road. Static buzzes on the screen, until a masked face appears.

“Hello, our brave little fools, your nightmare has finally arrived.” A tall man in a deep crimson skull mask announces, his voice husky. My body flutters, but I force my face to stay neutral. I memorize every detail of the masked man on the screen. What is it about a mask that suddenly makes everyone hotter? “You are about to enter more than a haunted house. The Midnight Apparition Experience is a puzzle of sorts. Solve it, and you will have the answer that unlocks your freedom.”

The screen flashes with static, a new man appearing on the screen in a metallic gold skull mask. “Survival won’t be easy. The watch on your arm will track your life throughout your game. If you give in to fear or are caught by an apparition, be prepared to lose your strength. If the life bar reaches zero, you’ll be eliminated.” He pauses, twisting his head to the side with a guttural laugh. “Sounds simple, doesn’t it?”

Static returns. A third man in a silver mask appears on the screen. “You can choose to leave at any point, just announce out loud that you would like to quit or press the button on the side of your watch. A staff member will immediately assist you. All gamers will attend the midnight celebration when the event is over, where only the bravest will be crowned the ultimate survivor.”

The gold and crimson masked men walk onto the screen, their expressionless faces sending a new wave of excitement through my body.

“Are you brave enough to survive?” The gold-masked man asks.

“Smart enough to find the answers you need?” The crimson-masked man asks.

“Will you make it in time?” The silver-masked man asks.

“You have thirty minutes to get to the manor from this location. Anyone who does not arrive in time or who is caught by a scare actor will be eliminated. Be warned, crossing the haunted woods will not be a simple task,” the crimson-masked man adds.

Safety and health guidelines that we already had to sign flash on the screen. My heart races as I look around, watching the excited faces of the other players. I don’t get to take them in or introduce myself though because a hum fills the air, growing louder and louder around us.

“Boo!” a deep voice whispers behind me, everyone turns until we are staring directly into the blood-covered face of a man with a chainsaw.

The group explodes to life, darting into the woods as more bloodied faces descend on us. My legs pump, but Astrid stands frozen, watching a butcher sludge toward her. Tripp and Claire are gone. So much for sticking together.

What is she thinking?

I turn, grabbing her arm and dragging her with me.

The hum of the chainsaw grows louder, adrenaline taking over. I run hard, my feet stomping against the cold ground. Trees shield the sun, the woods growing darker.

What did I get myself into? I hate running.

Footsteps vibrate through the cold ground, as a chill slithers down my spine. We have to keep moving; it can’t be that far if they expect us to reach it in half an hour.

A woman with an axe darts from behind a tree and takes a swing at me. The wind from her axe whistles by my ear.

“Crap!” I jump back, tripping over my feet as the wet mud seeps into my skin.

She chuckles, swinging the axe to my left. The cool metal grazes my arm, ripping my sleeve .

Are these real weapons? There is no way that would be allowed.

Astrid pulls me up, and we dart left, running right into a large wooden wall.

“Poor little mice, trapped and about to die,” the woman rasps, inching closer to us.

We won’t both be able to get around her without her catching us. And I can’t abandon Astrid.

“Up here,” a deep voice booms, a hand grabbing at me from above.

I pull away, staring up at the chiselled face above me. There is no way he can pull me up this wall. My heart sinks. I’ve been so excited, and I’m going to lose because of a few extra pounds and not being athletic enough to climb a wall on my own.

The ghostlike woman laughs maniacally behind me. “Scaredy cat, scaredy cat.”

A hand wraps around my shoulder, my feet kicking as they float above the ground. The hard ledge at the top of the wall bumps against me and I scramble forward, my brain struggling to comprehend what happened.

Did he lift me as if I weighed nothing?

“Are you okay?” A second voice asks.

“Yeah, I’m fi–” The words catch in my throat when my gaze lands on my rescuers. Did the experience recruit mostly influencers? The men watching me belong in a magazine. The first one is lean with a fitted black button up and black pants, his black hair kept short and brushed back. He should be going out on a fancy date, not running in the woods at a haunted house.

The second man is equally handsome but appears out of place next to his friend. His messy brown hair falls around his face. He wears a thick black leather jacket and fitted blank tank top.

“I’m fine.” I mumble. “Thanks. I hope you didn’t pull anything.”

I glance down at my body—a body I’m usually proud of. I love my curves and I know a lot of other people appreciate them too. Anytime I’ve questioned that, all I had to do was go out in a corset and watch the heads turn. But sexy or not, I’ve never had a man lift me like that before.

“I’m fine, but it would’ve been worth it to meet you.” The muscular man smirks, his ice-blue eyes lingering on my lips. “It would’ve made me seem cool and heroic and shit.”

“Don’t listen to him,” the dark-haired man interrupts. “He’s always saying stupid shit, you’ll get used to it.”

The men swing at each other, laughing freely as they wrestle and trash talk each other. The two may not look like they run in the same social circles, but their ease with each other makes it clear they’re old friends. Astrid and I both lean back, the tension and approaching deadline slipping from my mind as I study them closer while they’re distracted.

“Have we met before?” I ask, my brain fuzzy with déjà vu.

The dark-haired man turns to face me, his gaze laser-focused on me like he can see my thoughts. My cheeks burn, the urge to avoid his eyes bubbling inside me, but I can’t break the power pulling me closer to him. I shiver, trapped in his chaotic orbit.

“No, I don’t think so.” He smiles, his gaze tracing my face, leaving a trail of goosebumps on my skin. “I’m sure I’d remember meeting you.”

My heart flutters in response, guilt flooding my mind a moment later. Remember Tripp. “I don’t know about that. I’m Mae, and this is my friend Astrid,” I reply. “We should probably get going.”

“Dane.” The dark-haired man replies, pointing to himself.

“I’m Ledger,” the muscular man adds. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You should both drink some water before we move on.” His words aren’t a suggestion as he hands me a water bottle from his backpack. “We may have a long run ahead of us.”

I pause, the water bottle at my lips. A smirk tugs at my lips. “And what happens if I don’t want to?”

“I wasn’t asking.” He leans forward, twisting the cap off the bottle. His voice lowers to a whisper.

My hand freezes in front of the bottle, my mind urging me to toss it off the wall to see what he’d do. But as I stare at him, a quiet voice in the back of my mind urges me to listen, to play his game.

I bring the water to my lips and allow the cool liquid to coat my mouth, never taking my gaze off of Dane.

My body melts as his eyes fill with approval.

I must be dehydrated or exhausted.