Page 114 of The Toy Maker

He was all over me, claiming every inch of my body,even though I wished he was somebody else.My eyes widened at the realization; after everything, I only wanted Jason.

I writhed underneath the stranger, hoping he’d ease off.

Instead, his hand found my throat and squeezed—hard.

Black splotches formed in my vision, and before I could fight him, the others pinned my hands above me.

I gasped, unable to speak. The room spun, and the crowd’s cheers faded away. I squirmed underneath their clutches, hoping that someone would stop the splotchy darkness from closing in on me.

Kitty.

Jade.

Sarah.

Anyone.

But I didn’t deserve help. I was a liar, and a sorry excuse for a friend. I settled into the thick fog, wishing I had the chance to fix what I had done.

And then, I felt a tug.

Muffled screams filled the room. My head pounded.

I stared into the only spot left in my vision and saw hazel eyes gazing back. They were every color at once, and then they were gone.

THIRTY-EIGHT

On November twentieth,Pink Cherrie held their annual Thanksgiving celebration, and as every one of their parties always does, it took my breath away.

For the first time, management waived the no touch policy on the account that every participant signed away their soul for a half hour.

The men from The Cockpit came as a favor to Jason and there was only one rule: put on a great show.

A lot could go wrong.

My eyelids felt as if they had ten-pound weights attached to them. The nervous bustling around me told me nothing about where I was.

I forced my eyes open just in time to see Kitty arguing with the stranger, still on the stage. His eyebrows were knitted together, and her fists waited eagerly by her sides.

It was clearly not a friendly chat.

The curtains were drawn, and I had a wet washrag over my forehead like they were treating the fucking flu. I would have laughed if my whole body wasn’t aching.

Sarah was the first one to notice I was awake. She leaped across the room and grabbed my hand, her voice still very distant and garbled.

My first thing out of my mouth was a slur of curses as I sat up. The room swirled around me, and suddenly I was on my back again.

Sarah grabbed my hand. “If you move around, it’ll only make the headache worse.”

Worse? I already felt like I was dying. My lips were dry, and I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to see Kitty fluttering down the steps.

The next time I woke up, the room was silent. I peeled off the blankets that were encasing my body and dangled my feet off the bed.

The fluorescent lights flickered as I stared at the room. The familiar squeaking of the ceiling fan and messy worktable told me all I needed to know. I was still at Pink Cherrie. But…

When my eyes finally found Jason, tucked into the nearest corner by the bed, I nearly sobbed.

His breathing was soft and peaceful as he slept. The thick black tresses of his hair fell over his eyes like a curtain. His costume was stained red down the middle, and his knuckles were covered in dried blood.