Page 72 of Massacre Monday

Despite a glowing sconce dotting every other ingress, the lights are dimmed and cast scarlet flames up to the boxed ceilings. Thick wooden doors line the halls. All of them are shut tight, not allowing sound or sights to seep through. At the end, I spot a double window covered with heavy velvet drapes, and I march toward it, checking out the rooms for any indicator of a bathroom.

But there’s none. Only engraved numbers on brass plates labeling each blank entry.

Once I reach the end, my stomach drops when I see it leads to more identical hallways to the first. I need to go back downstairs or try a different way.

When I turn to retreat, my body freezes.

Arms wide, as if holding the walls upright, a muscular man in a full black tuxedo topped with a terrifying wolf mask lowers his head and blocks the path to the stairs. My pulse skyrockets, watching his chest rise and fall rapidly, like he’s already run a marathon and is about to pounce.

The snout lifts into the air and he lets out a haunting howl that rattles the mirrors standing on console tables nearby.

“Who’s that I see walkin’ in these woods…” As he speaks, he prowls toward me. With a stumble, I back into the window, my hand smacking against the paneling, grasping at nothing.

“Why it’s little red riding hood!” His laughter is familiar and terrifying.

It’s Ryan. RyanfuckingCardell.

Lifting a finger, I point directly at him like he’s a dog. “Stay there. Don’t come closer!”

Ignoring my frantic yelling, he continues. “Hey, there, little red riding hood… You sure are lookin’ good.”

When he takes another step, the lights surrounding us dive deeper into darkness, now barely glowing above an ember. Heartbeats thud in my guts, which feel as if they’ll fall out as my fear heightens. The only things I can hear are my panicked pants and his steady footfalls on the carpet.

“You’re everything a big, bad wolf could want.Awoooooo!”

With his final call, I turn to my right and take off in a sprint.

twenty-five

Dry breaths formin my open mouth while I pant, looking around for a place to hide or run. Do these passages lead in a circle? Can I get back to where more people are?

I shed my mask so I can see better and toss the wig to the side. My brunette hair flows down my back as I race toward the end of the next hall. If only I could find a weapon…

Shattering my thoughts, his sing-song voice cracks from behind me. “What big eyes you have… The kind that drive boys mad…”

Lamps along the walls flicker off and on for only a moment, escalating my terror when my eyes meet the pitch black. When the dim red glow resumes, I make it to the end, relieved that it turns left, just as I suspected. If I keep going, surely, I’ll make it back to the landing.

“What full lips you have… The kind to lure someone bad…”

His steps behind me are steady, not filled with any haste, but enough so that he’s too close for my comfort. As I make a turn, I grab a console table that holds a large mirror and flip it over to block his path or slow him down.

Clearly, this was the wrong move. He speeds up to a sprint and leaps over the pile of furniture while howling madly.

“What a big heart I have. The better to love you with…”

Love? He’s talking aboutlovenow? Is he crazy?

Yes. I’ve established that.

Keep moving!

The end of the hall approaches as if I’m running in sand. Visions of the window before the next turn crawl closer and closer. My heels aren’t helping me grip the floor at all and make me question why I even wore them.

I should never have come here. What was I thinking? Of course, Ryan would be here. This isn’t how I thought things would go.

You can make it! Hurry!

Perhaps my body confuses all the adrenaline rushing through it with wanton need, but as my heart pounds harder, part of my brainwantshim to catch me. That’s why I came tonight, right? To give myself up to someone…