Page 55 of Boys Who Taint

Where do I go? Back to the party, back to Grey?

No, I don’t want him to get hurt.

But can I keep running from the inevitable?

A branch hits me in the face, but I ignore the sharp pain as I dart through the trees and head back to the street beyond. Because if I ever go back to the party, if I ever tell anyone about this stalker of mine, I doubt Levi will ever get the punishment he deserves, and I will never get the sweet taste of revenge.

But if I stop, this ghost who’s been haunting me will definitely catch me.

I glance over my shoulder to take a second guess, but that masked stranger is right behind me, wearing that same hoodie with a black balaclava pulled over his mouth and a white mask to cover half his face … in his hand is a knife.

But it’s his eyes that haunt me the most. His lenses are a shimmery bright red. Hauntingly demonic.

And getting closer and closer to me.

I don’t stop running until I’m all the way back on the Spine Ridge University campus. I don’t know where I’m going or how long I can keep running. How long my legs will keep me going until they cave in on me … how long it’ll be until he gets his hands on me.

I swallow down the nerves and head inside the main building. If I’m going to have to hide out somewhere without anyone seeing us, this is the safest option. For now.

The front doors are closed, but that doesn’t stop me from finding a fire exit on the left side of the building. I crank it open and run inside. But before the door closes behind me, a foot is wedged inside, keeping it from closing.

When I glance over my shoulder, I trip over a chair and fall to the floor.

My ghost steps inside, his gleaming knife a warning of what’s to come.

Panic seeps into my bones.

I crawl up and dart off toward the nearest staircase, which leads up to the big auditorium hall, where hundreds of seats lead down the steps that I can use to my advantage to escape him.

At least for now.

There are multiple doors in here, which means there’s at least one way to get out, so I ram the door shut behind me and head down the steps.

The bright lights above flicker as harshly as my heart as I try to keep my cool while heading down the steps. Two more doors are near the stage, but the moment I climb on, the whole auditorium is cast into darkness.

The silence is deafening, and all I can feel is my own heart quaking in my body at the prospect of what I’m about to face.

The sound boxes in each corner of the auditorium crackle with noise when, finally, a whispery voice emerges. “Not fast enough …”

Oh shit.

“I have you right where I want you …” he whispers.

“Where are you?!” I yell through the darkness. “Show yourself!”

The voice laughs menacingly. Not at all like anything I’ve ever heard before.

“How much are you willing to beg?” he whispers.

The microphone beeps through the crackling boxes, and I turn to gaze at the exits.

A bright light is turned on right above my head, blinding me.

Turning up the crank on the adrenaline spiking my veins.

My breathing is erratic. Unhinged.

I can’t see a goddamn thing …