Page 14

THIRTEEN

The following Friday, I was bored and frustrated. He didn’t come back to the club over the weekend. Neither have his friends. Fortunately, the police didn’t question me. Since I left The Church before Charles, the police didn’t question me.

After my encounter with Draco, all I could think about was our conversation and the fact that we both knew it was him in the black car that night. Two days later, the news report was released. At the scene, Charles was pronounced dead, and no one knew who drove that night. I had so many questions to ask him. Like why? Should I be scared? But I knew if I saw him, I wouldn’t ask. I wouldn’t bring it up because deep down, I knew whatever he did to Charlie had to do with me, and in his way, he wanted me to know.

“Hey,” Rachel says after grabbing her purse off the rack. “I’m about to go to the haunted carnival with the girls. You wanna come?”

“I don’t have a ticket,” I reply, my stomach doing tiny flips, wanting to go because he’ll be there, and, for some crazy reason, I want to see him. And there is no way I would show up at the haunted carnival by myself.

She gives me a once-over, the corner of her mouth lifting in a grin. “What you’re wearing will get you in without a ticket?” she teases. I look down at my outfit, my masquerade bunny mask almost smacking her in the face. “You can wear the mask at the carnival. It’s the only carnival that allows the fairgoers to wear them.”

My head snaps up. “You’re kidding?”

She snickers. “I am kidding. Take the mask off; keep the leotard and fishnets. Throw on ripped jeans and trade the heels for sneakers. We leave in five.”

She moves to walk out the dressing room and I blurt, “You’re serious?”

She pauses and turns around with a gleam in her eyes. “You want to go have some fun, don’t you?”

“Who doesn’t?”

I haven’t been to the fair since I was seven. Chris wanted to impress my mom by inviting me to the fair in town when we first moved to Stockbridge, but I never went to the haunted carnival side. My mother was annoyed because she hated doing something that she didn’t like. The fair was one of them.

“Good, you can hitch a ride with me. I’ll tell the others we’ll meet them there. You’re not afraid of haunted houses, are you?”

I smirk. “What do you think?”

“I think you’ll be alright.”

The parking lot is full. Hank closed early to install a new stage and pole, so he could have two dancers on stage instead of one at a time. He said it would double the money, as if he didn’t already skim fifty percent off the take every time. That’s why the girls fuck regulars at the motel so they can keep one hundred percent. I can’t blame them. If I needed money that badly and I was giving my pussy out for a buck to some stranger, I wouldn’t want to share fifty percent with anyone.

“The girls like you, you know,” Rachel says as she parks her electric BMW. I like to think of her as the head stripper. The mother of a girl never had that. She gives shit advice when it comes to making money.

I glance at her, and I’m sure she can see the surprise on my face. “Oh.”

“Yeah, I mean. It’s not like we’re all BFFs, but we all have the same goal, right?”

I nod, agreeing not to disagree. “Make money until you have enough to stop?”

“Pretty much. I know you keep to yourself, but the girls know you’re not out to take money from them. You could have easily taken some of the regular living in the motel and all, but you haven’t.”

I’m not sure if I should be flattered or not. I guess that makes sense. I can’t tell her the truth about my past or that I’m against pimping myself out for sex.

“What’s your plan?”

“My plan?” I ask confused.

“Yeah,” she says, looking at the others through the windshield as they wave at us to hurry up.

“Same as everyone else, I guess. Make enough money and move on.”

“For what?”

I shrug, not wanting to tell her it’s a stupid question, but I get why she’s asking. She wants to know, like everyone else, why I’m still staying at the hotel. “I don’t know. A car. A place to live.”

“You could have both right now.”

She wants to know why I don’t sleep with any of the regulars to make more money and get out faster.

“It’s not my thing to sleep with men I don’t know,” I say truthfully. “To be honest, I don’t feel comfortable.”

She snorts. “You sound like a virgin.”

If you only knew…

Yeah, well. You’ve seen me dance.”

I hear her laugh as I get out of the car; at the same time, she walks around the front of the car. The distortion of the flashing neon lights caught my attention, giving the impression that it’s malfunctioning.

The haunted side of the carnival is more intimidating than I remember. The speakers emit haunting and distorted music. The fog curls around the bottom of the ticket machines.

As I follow Rachel to the automated ticket booth with the flashing sign warning that tickets are almost sold out, my nerves are frayed.

“Hurry, or you won’t be able to get a ticket,” she says, walking briskly to the line.

I slide my prepaid card in the slot. The machine spits the ticket out, and I follow Rachel and the four girls from the club waiting for us to get in line.

Since I never made friends in high school, I always feel awkward around them. They laugh and talk about their weekend. Guys they fucked. Who sucked in bed. Which one of the regulars as a bigger cock than the other. I guess that’s how they make themselves feel better under the circumstances.

My phone goes off in my jean shorts’ pocket.

Rose: Where are you? I’ve finished my drink at the bar.

Athena: Haunted Carnival with Rachel and the other girls.

Rose: Be there in ten?

Athena: I’ll get you a ticket. They’re almost sold out. Call me when you get here, and I’ll meet you out front.

Rose: See you in fifteen. :)

“That was Rose,” I tell Rachel. “She’ll be here in fifteen.”

I swipe my card and purchase a ticket for her.

“We’re going to have so much fun,” Rachel says excitedly after the other girls walk ahead.

It depends on what you call fun.

By the time I hand over the ticket to the park attendant using a tablet, the girls have already made their way to the first haunted house.

The man wearing a ghost face mask motions for us to step forward. The security guard, wearing a staff T-shirt, raises a brow with a smirk playing on his lips and waves the metal detector wand closer to my chest than he should.

“What’s so funny?” I ask derisively.

His brown eyes meet mine. “Nothing. It’s my job to check.”

“You should take your job more seriously.”

His gaze remains fixed on my chest. “Oh, I do.” His eyes lift. “Very seriously.”

You never know what you might find.”

“I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.”

He slides the device close to my crotch, producing a beeping sound. I roll my eyes, but then he pauses and presses the mic near his ear. My eyes widen as I notice two men wearing robes, masks, and an upside-down cross approaching.

“You need to come with us,” he says to the security guard man, wiping his smirk off his face.

“W-what did I do?” he stammers, lowering the wand. He looks at me, then back at the cloaked men. The park must hire some type of undercover security to ensure that guests follow the park’s rules, and that includes the employees.

“Come with us,” the one on the left wearing red demands.

The man nods, handing the wand to the one wearing a black robe to the right, and then follows them to a gate right off the exit that reads Park Personnel Only.

I glance at Rachel. “What was that all about?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. It was fucking weird, right? It was like someone was watching.” She looks around. “I don’t see cameras.”

“It doesn’t mean they’re not there,” I mutter, knowing from experience being in the psych ward. They had cameras when you think they didn’t.

Rose makes it to the entrance by the time another security guard walks over to continue screening guests.

“What I miss,” Rose says once we all pass security and hand our tickets over.

I tell her about the security guy with the wand.

Rose scoffs. “What a creepy asshole.”

“He knows where we work,” I gather. “It’s a small town, and I’m wearing most of my outfit from the club.”

“Still a creep in my book,” Rose points out.

It’s the only reason I could come up with as to why he did it. I don’t think he is stupid enough to pull that shit with just anyone.

When the fog clears as we walk deeper inside the carnival, the masked park attendants are selling food. Other novelty items are scattered about, resembling zombies. There is a kissing booth sign to my right with the letter S replaced with the letter L that now reads Killing Booth.

There is a maze of mirrors to our right. The entrance resembles the wide mouth of a clown, emitting smoke from its nose.

A slight cold breeze causes goose bumps to erupt over my skin. A wave of dizziness hits me, causing my vision to narrow, warping the entrance. Followed by a sense of familiarity, laughter, like I’ve been here before, and just as quickly, the sense of awareness is gone.

“Hey, do you want to go inside?” Rose says her voice sounds strange for some reason.

I swallow, trying to quench my anxiety as my vision clears. “Yeah,” I reply.

The mirrors are so close together after we walk inside that my breath fogs the mirror.

Our reflection multiplies as we move through each mirror, trying not to bang my head. Rose keeps a close distance behind me. I go left and right through the maze like I’ve done this countless times.

“Have you gone on this before?” Rose asks behind me.

“No.”

“Are you sure?” she asks when I don’t miss a turn.

“I’m sure.”

I’m not sure about anything. It’s like my feet are moving while my mind is trying to keep up. It doesn’t make sense how I know which turn to take at the right time.

Rose questions, “How did you know which way to go and make it to the end?” when we reach the end.

“Lucky guess.”

“Yeah,” she says unconvincingly. “Lucky.”

As we walk deeper into the park, the crowd grows thicker. High school and college kids are everywhere. Some students are arranged in groups. Some in pairs of two and three. If you’re a teenager, this is the spot to be on a Friday night. As far as I know, the town doesn’t have much to offer besides house parties, the carnival, the motel, and the strip club.

There is a sign with arrows pointing in different directions. The rides, food, games, Circle of Freaks circus, and haunted houses. BenThe sign directly beneath the haunted house reads, “NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THIRTEEN.”

Haunted house?” Rose asks.

I shrug. “Yeah, why not?”

I keep scanning the area looking for... him. Draco.

I agreed to the haunted houses because behind them are three large black-and-white circus tents. Maybe he works in there as a performer. Or maybe he scares the shit out of people in the houses. Draco doesn’t look the type to operate the rides or sell food. Not the way he looks in his costume.

We come up to another sign that reads, SPECIAL EVENT ONLY, leading to the circus tent area with showtimes beginning tomorrow night.

“Have you been to the circus?” Rose asks.

I shake my head, staring at the entrance to the first tent.I’ve heard about the horror circus. Googled the Circus of Freaks. It says they added a gothic theme a few years back and are expanding.

“I haven’t either. I heard no one knows what goes on inside. I hear it’s a tradition they’ve kept for decades. People aren’t allowed to talk about what they see. You have to sign a legal document and scan your fingerprint before you’re allowed inside.”

“How do they get away with it?” I ask.

“Probably money and lawyers,” she adds. “It’s a private event, and there is a disclaimer.”

“How much?” I ask, feeling stupid for not checking it out first. RemI recall Rachel telling me it was expensive.

I overheard the girls in class say that you have to be eighteen, and the tickets run like fifteen hundred a pop.”

I whirl around to face her. “Fifteen hundred bucks.”

Rose nods, getting in line to the first house. “Yep. Tell me about it.”

“That’s insane. I don’t get fifteen hundred unless I spread my legs. It would take me three days to make that kind of cash dancing.”

She snorts. “And... I’d have to work every night at the bar for two weeks straight to make that much dough.”

“Guess we’ll never see the show,” I mutter darkly.

The line moves forward, and there is a group of guys up front. One laughs obnoxiously loud, causing people to turn their heads.

Blue eyes land on me in recognition. “Hey, I didn’t know you went on dates,” he teases caustically, glancing between me and Rose. His friend laughs along with three girls next to them.

“Hey, Zack,” I say, with a fake smile like we’re old friends. “She beats the competition. You know you couldn’t do it for me the way she does.”

Rose slides her arm through mine, playing along. “Who’s this, Babe?”

“Oh, I run into Zack from time to time at the motel when he visits Simon on his break.” Not a total lie.

One of the girl’s mouths drops agape, looking between Zack and me to see if it’s true. I bet they didn’t know about Zack’s visits to the motel. The girl with the short black hair closest to him glares at me.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Zack says to me in a threatening tone, his jaw tight. I’m not surprised his molars don’t fall out.

“I look forward to it,” I snap.

Dick.

A surge of adrenaline runs through my veins when the actors walk by dressed like zombies with fake blood scaring people in the line. I feel Rose tense when one of the girls lets out a piercing scream.

I blink the memory away with blood. The scent of copper fills the air. The handle of an ax is smooth.

“Hey, are you okay?” Rose asks, concern laced in her tone.

“Huh?”

“I called your name, but you were staring at Zack the whole time, but not really at him.”

I blink and refocus. Zack has his back to us. HisHis friends, with the exception of the girl with black hair, who I assume is his girlfriend, are engaged in a heated conversation with him.ck is staring straight ahead like he’s not paying attention to what she’s giving him shit about because they’re the next group up to head inside.

I glance at the entrance of the house where a clown is gesturing for him to come inside with a long finger. His face painted white with red paint dripping down his cheeks like he’s crying blood, his mouth smiling wide.

His friend steps forward, but Zack hesitates, and the clown rears its head back and laughs maddeningly.

“I’ll deal with you later,” the clown mocks and then laughs harder. The clown abruptly halts, like someone flicked a switch, and his eyes harden. Hostile. “Come inside. I’ll show you a good time, Zack,” the clown says in a dark, malicious voice.

The hairs in the back of my neck stand in excitement instead of fear. “I would love to see it,” I whisper.

“What?” Rose says.

After Zack and his friends walk inside, I glance at her. “Nothing, I’m just anxious.”

“Have you seen Rachel and the others?” Rose asks, scanning the people waiting in line with their friends.

“Not since I waited for you at the entrance. They started with this house. They must be on the other side of the park by now.”

A loud, piercing scream causes me to jump, followed by a loud slam of a door and then more screaming.

“It’s your turn,” the clown says in glee, feeding me fear with his smile.

“It is,” I challenge, looking into his black eyes. “Let’s see who runs first.”

His head tilts unnaturally to the side, and then his smile falls.

I’m sure it’s not the answer he’s used to.

“You both have fun,” he hisses through his unnatural teeth.