Page 16 of Horror and Chill

I follow her back into the office; the door clicking shut behind me. She drops into her massive leather chair and gestures for me to sit on the velvet chaise across from her desk.

“I’ll get right to it,” she says, folding her hands on the desk. “You’re one of our top earners, and your creepy, horror content always pulls the best engagement. So…Kylo, Chad and I came up with an idea to have a Behind the Lens calendar. On top of each one of our best being featured each month, we want to do monthly themed video shoots.”

I blink. “A calendar?”

She nods. “BTL is doing a holiday-themed print and video calendar. Twelve months, twelve top creators. Special edition release. High-budget visuals, glossy packaging, custom merch tie-ins. And yes, before you ask, full creative control.”

“Okay, and you want me in this calendar?” I ask, kind of shocked.

“I want you for October.”

I sink into the cushion a little more. “Okay. I’m in. But I want to explore some alternate holidays before I commit to the obvious Halloween.”

Lorna tilts her head. “Done.” She spins her laptop around to show me a digital mockup of the calendar layout. Each page will have a stylized QR code that links to a short scene. “We’re doing full-length shorts, bonus pics, bloopers, and Q&As for each model. It’s not just a calendar. It’s a campaign. You'll need to pitch me your concept by the end of the week. Costumes, mood, props, music—whatever you need, we’ll source it.”

I nod slowly, the wheels already turning. “I’ll have it.”

She studies me for a second. Not just the surface. Deeper. Her voice softens.

“You okay, babe? I mean, really okay? That was assault, no matter how you spin it. You don’t have to be fine.”

I pause, her words settling over me like a weighted blanket. She’s not wrong. It was an assault. It should’ve wrecked me. But it didn’t. That’s not how it feels.

“I’m okay,” I tell her honestly. “But not in a fragile way. I’m not curled up in the dark, scared to breathe. I’m mad, Lorna. Furious.”

My whole life was rules and shame and punishment for stepping out of line. I spent years clawing my way back to myself. My channel is mine. It’s the one place I get to write the script, and he tried to take that. To rewrite it without my consent.

I glance at her shelves: props, old cameras, a copy ofWitchcraft Todaywedged between a mannequin head and a stack of vintage VHS tapes. Her space is chaos, but it’s her. It feels safe. That makes it harder to lie.

I press my palm to my chest, steadying my breath. “He didn’t break me. He pissed me off. And I don’t plan on rolling over and letting him win.”

She leans back in her chair with a wry smile. “Not funny,” I say before she can open her mouth.

“I know it’s not,” she says. “But I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because you remind me of me.”

I raise a brow. “How? You’re smart. Gorgeous. Tough. You’ve got three men tripping over their own dicks just to breathe the same air as you. And you’ve built something amazing.” I motion to the office.

She taps her desk. “Wasn’t always like this. Let me tell you a story.”

And she does.

She tells me about her parents. About the doll dresses. The rules. The way her father tried to keep her a child forever. About the bullying. About the shame. She tells me how she ran the second she graduated. How she met Kylo. How she started camming solo. How Rowan and Abel were subscribers—her old high school bullies who didn’t recognize her until their ten-year reunion.

“I went for revenge,” she says, eyes gleaming. “And ended up falling for them. They felt awful once they knew. And yeah, we’re in love now. But it took a hell of a lot to get there.”

She stops.

Then adds, “You’re running from something too, Agatha. Don’t think I don’t see it. You’ve got that same look I used to have.”

I swallow hard. My throat feels tight, but I smile through it. “Thank you, Lorna.”

She waves a hand. “Just don’t waste your anger. Use it. Burn it down if you have to, but make sure you rise with it. Don’t let him rewrite your story. You didn’t survive just to break in the woods.”

I nod, the fire already building in my chest. “I made it through hell already. I won’t flinch for a ghost in a mask.”

“That’s my girl. Just don’t forget to email me your concept,” she adds with a grin.

“I won’t.” I get up, calmer than I’ve felt in days.