Page 24 of Horror and Chill

He’ll know.

There’s no better time than now since the mask is already on.

It’s time to show him what happens when someone talks back.

I climb the stairs slowly, one hand trailing along the banister. My legs are bare, my thigh is still a little raw from the scene with Kira, but I like the way it stings when my sweater brushes the skin. It’s oversized, worn thin from a thousand washes, the sleeves hanging past my fingers and the hem barely covering my hips.

Underneath, I’m wearing nothing but a pair of plain black panties. Cotton and high-cut.

I step into my film room and lock the door behind me. Moving over to the ring light, I set it to a low dim and lower myself to the floor. My back is pressed against the mattress, legs spread wide and bent just enough to tilt my hips. The camera will see everything I want them to and nothing more. The faintest trace of my new piercing shows through my panties.

My heart is racing, but not with fear, with defiance.

I boot up the website, adjust the frame, and click the button that sends the notification out into the world.

Live Now.

The little red dot glows in the corner. The chat starts slow, then pings to life.

User259:Holy shit.

DaddyVoid:That mask.

CrimsonMouth:SHE’S LIVE AND ARMED

I keep my hands in my lap, fingers curled loosely. I don’t shift or touch anything. I just breathe. Let them look and wonder.

“You liked watching me run,” I say from behind the mask. “Liked the way I gasped when you touched me. But you never said your name.”

I hold the silence for two beats, then. "What kind of monster forgets the introduction?"

Another pause. I inhale through my nose, slow and sharp, just enough to let the breath hit the mic. "That was rude."

The chat stalls for half a second.

DarkRoomDoll:Wait what?

GoreSlut420:Girl who u talking about?

DaddyVoid:Is this about the dude in the woods??

SnackPackSlut:I thought youknewhim??

The scrolling picks up, fast and messy now, like ants after blood. Everyone's speculating, typing over each other, trying to make sense of the tone shift.

CrimsonMouth:She’s talking abouthim,isn’t she

ChurchofAgatha:That guy from the chase scene?? Wasn’t that staged?

CreepCreepCreep:Bro she’s giving Final Girl energy rn, I’m scared and hard

I don’t answer. I just tilt my head a little more, like I’m listening through the screen. Like I’m waiting for something.

And then it happens.

A new name appears.

PurpleTights:Next time I’ll have better manners.