Page 6 of Hollow House

A car picked me up a block away from my house and drove me to the outskirts of town. It pulled up to the gate, which was the first time I had ever seen it open. The long, looping driveway was filled with other cars dropping off guests.

Men and women dressed to the nines stepped out and up the stone steps leading into the black brick mansion. My arms wrapped around my torso, self-conscious of my simple black dress as I stepped out of the car.

The second I shut the door, the driver took off.

There was no going back now. I gripped the invitation tightly and climbed the same stairs as everyone else.

No one was recognizable, masks covering most of their faces.

Their outfits, however, told me they were not from town, wealthier individuals.

No one in this town could afford the gems encrusting their bodies.

A man just outside the main door held out a hand to me, and I paused for a minute, confused whether he knew who I was. Was he offering me a hand to enter?

His eyes drifted down, and I realized I still held the invitation tightly in my palm.

I held it out slowly to him, and he grabbed it from me.

His gaze raked over it for a minute, and my breath caught in my throat, wondering if this was a mistake.

Was the entire thing a hoax? That simple piece of paper couldn’t really be my ticket in…

He stepped aside and silently ushered me through the door.

I moved before I could back out.

I stepped inside, immediately greeted by a woman holding a tray of drinks. The goblets had black metal stems, designed to look like a skeleton hand. I smiled, the design a silly little piece of Halloween décor—definitely not as horrifying as I expected.

“Welcome to Hollow House,” the woman said, her voice sweet and soothing.

Her voice was only slightly muffled by the mask she wore. It covered the lower half of her face, black material with a silver design.

I could just barely see the room beyond her. The hall opened into a large space filled with voices.

“Um, hi. Where should I go?” I asked, a bit overwhelmed.

“Welcome to Hollow House,” she repeated in the same muffled voice.

The woman handed me one of the drinks, and I politely accepted before moving on, trying not to overthink the entire interaction.The liquid burned as it passed my lips, and I took a large sip, needing the courage.

I pushed onward, following the others. Each stopped at the entrance to a small room to the side, and I realized it was a coat check. I hadn’t worn one and went to turn away, but a huge mass stopped me, hands on my shoulders spinning me back around.

“That needs to stay,” he ordered.

I followed his gaze down to my purse.“It’s just my purse,” I answered.

“It’s the rules,” he answered firmly. His arms crossed over his chest, letting go of me and letting me decide. “If you want to stay, it needs to remain here for tonight.”

I glanced back at the door, wondering if I should just take this out. It would be easy enough to leave and call a car home. This was my last chance.

But I’d only just begun. I would never escape the small town life if I didn’t take this chance.

I took the bag off my shoulder and passed it over to a petite woman wearing the same mask as the woman at the door. She took the bag and disappeared. When she came back, she nodded to the next attendee.

“No ticket?” I asked, confused.

She shook her head and continued to reach around me to the next person. How would I grab my items later? I was pushed to the back by others filing in after. I tried to regain my focus and spun to follow others into the party. They moved quickly, and many passed by me, my feet moving far slower.

A couple already enjoyed themselves, making out against the wall of the hallway.

The woman’s moan met my ears, and I tried to keep my eyes forward as I passed.

I wasn’t used to such open displays of affection.

Every rumor that floated around about this event all agreed on one detail: Hollow House was a pleasure house, one that held your deepest desires and encouraged you to let go.

I couldn’t blame them for doing just that.

Maybe that was what I needed to do. Let go a little. Get laid.

Certainly the second one.

The moment I stepped foot into the main room, I felt watched. The chilling feeling washed over me, even in the sea of people. Where did they all come from if not from town? There wasn’t a single person I’d met who had been fortunate enough to be invited.

Performers were placed on slight platforms throughout the room. Some did routines with poles. I watched in awe, completely impressed by their strength and flexibility. I went to pull out my phone but realized it was in the purse they confiscated.

I would have to remember all my notes for the article without writing them down.

No problem.I could still do this.

I watched mesmerized as women in tiny gold bodysuits danced around the poles, walking on air and spinning around them. Their core strength held them up, and I could barely tear my eyes away.

“Appetizer?” a man in the same mask as the other workers asked.

Their clothing all differed, other than the black color scheme, but the masks were unmistakably the same.

I guessed that was how they differentiated themselves from attendees.

Each attendee wore a mask covering their eyes, whereas these masks covered their mouths.

It muffled their voices, but I still managed to hear the question.

“Thank you,” I said, grabbing a small skewer off the platter.

The food was divine, and I licked the sauce off my lips as I finished the last bite.

Before I could even search for a trash, a waiter appeared to grab it.

They came out of nowhere and disappeared before I could even question it.

I spotted a few here and there throughout the crowd, but otherwise, they were completely ghosts.

There weren’t signs to direct attendees toward other portions of the house, but I watched a few couples slip from the room, assuming the true party happened behind closed doors.

Further into the room, I spotted a DJ in a similar mask to the workers standing behind a table and playing the music that blasted through the room. The space was dimly lit, with only colored lights along the walls providing the majority of the light, color changing with the music.

A body knocked into me, and I was brushed to the side.

People carried on without noticing me, and the overwhelming feeling that I didn’t belong slammed into me.

Some people chatted in corners, catching up, the masks not a barrier.

I had no idea who anyone was, and the masks made it impossible to recognize anyone.

I knew it was for privacy, especially in a place with such a reputation, but it was irking me.

I took the last sip of the drink in my hands, glancing around for one of the waiters to hand the glass off to. Instead, I found a table in the corner, where I spotted a few more abandoned glasses waiting to be taken.

I walked over and plopped the skeleton hand glass down.

Then, I glanced around the room, trying to calculate where to head next.

If I wanted to write a comprehensive article, one that would shock and delight people, I needed to see everything this place had to offer.

All of it, the more shocking the better, needed to be covered.

My eyes landed on a man standing across the room. The only reason I spotted him was because the chair he sat in was raised above the crowd, on a dais of sorts.

I almost laughed, the chair resembling a throne. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? Royalty?

The picture was comical. This was a house of pleasures, a mansion filled with sins and desires that could make even the most adventurous blush…

A touch to my shoulder startled me, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Why was I still so on edge, even inside, seeing how normal the party actually was?

I turned to find a man a few inches taller watching me. His Armani suit told me he was wealthy, certainly not a local.

“You’re new here,” he observed.

“I am,” I confirmed, not seeing a reason to lie.Many attendees were probably annual invites. It made sense since no one from town was ever invited. The guest list appeared extremely curated. If only I could find out exactly who was on that list…

“Would you like a tour of the offerings?” he asked, a dark look in his gaze.

I recoiled from his outstretched hand. I hated the way the question sounded. Felix encouraged me to let loose, to possibly hook up with someone, but this didn’t seem to be an opportunity I was eager to take.

“No, thank you,” I declined.

He cocked his head, looking me over like I was a mystery to him.“Want another drink?” the man asked.

“No, I am all set,” I assured him.

I needed a different excuse, because the typical polite yet uninterested tone was not working. This guy was persistent.

And not in an asshole type of way. It was more in a way that he wasn’t used to having anyone uninterested in him. His face contorted, trying to make sense of the words coming from my mouth all while trying new ways to ask for my attention.

A presence behind me caught his attention, and as it closed in on us, my entire body tensed. The familiar feeling of being watched returned.I didn’t get a chance for my body to catch up to my mind before my unwanted company opened his mouth.

“She’s yours?”

A look of both horror and surprise flashed across his face, and my heart stopped.