Page 163 of Phobia

I shudder visibly as we pass the welcome sign for Vitriol—the small town just off the interstate that has famously become known as Mayhem Motel’s home. But even that fame isn’t enough to upgrade a single thing.

It looks like a freaking ghost town—which I suppose is apt.

“You look like you’re going to throw up already,” Kane remarks. The car dips as we hit a pothole. I jerk, nearly smacking my head against the glass window.

We pass a green, moss-covered pond a few dozen feet off the road. Weeds nearly as tall as me line the body of water, only broken in segments where geese waddle through, honking and flapping around.

“I feel like it,” I mumble pathetically as I crank my head back, watching the aggressive little things disappear in the distance.

My stomach’s been in knots since the moment my eyelids cracked open to the mid-morning sunlight streaming through my curtainless windows.

I didn’t fall asleep till near sunrise, so exhaustion is already weighing heavily on me. Add that to my undiluted apprehension about where we’re headed, and I’m a pathetic, jumbled mess.

“You should’ve eaten something before we left, but here.” Kane hands over his half-eaten bag of Funyuns. “Eat something now. It might help with the nausea.”

Flicking him a grateful smile, I take it and munch on one, thankful for the obnoxious crunching now reverberating in my skull, drowning out the echoing noise of fear.

“Thanks,” I say once my mouth is clear. “But I don’t think this’ll help much. I was looking into this… motel,” the word sounds far too heavy on my tongue, “last night, and did you guys know we have to sign a waiver before we can enter? Because they, like, touch us and stuff?”

Lenny whirls around in the passenger seat. “Uh, yeah, dude. That’s the whole point.” Collin snickers, shaking his head as he flicks on his turn signal. Even his girlfriend, Brianne, laughs quietly from the other side of Kane.

My face burns with heat, so I turn into my bicep and rest against the door panel. “Guys, for fuck’s sake, quit giving the new kid a hard time.” Kane bumps against my side, making me glance up.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” He seems genuine, which makes me smile out of sheer gratefulness. Before I can even open my mouth to respond, Lenny’s shouting in a voice much too loud for the small space we’re all trapped in.

“Absolutelynobacking out! For anyone! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we’re all gonna do it together.” He shoots his index finger out, pointing straight at me through the gap in his headrest. “Even you, new kid.”

I lift my head with the world’s most pathetic fake smile plastered on my ghastly face. “Nope—not backing out.” The words make me want to spew the single Funyun ring I managed to choke down.

Kane just snickers beside me.

***

Oh, God, it’s even worse in person.

My eyes catch on the broken, neon, motel sign and the way that singular M is illuminated. The car dips as Collin pulls into the packed parking lot. Not that it’s very big to begin with, but nearly every space is filled with every kind of car imaginable. My eyes rove over the cracked, stained concrete leading to the front entrance, where I’m assuming we all go to sign our souls to the devil if the long line leading to said door is any indication.

Gravel kicks up around us as Collin maneuvers into a tight space near the opposite end and slams the old, maroon Pontiac into park. He fiddles with the keys, wiggling them out of the ignition before he drops them into the center console.

He turns around, eyes immediately finding Brianne’s. “Ready to piss yourself?” She laughs and shakes her head. Her perfectly shaped brow arches in a challenge.

“That’ll be you, babe.” He scoffs but doesn’t bother denying it, which would make me laugh if I didn’t feel like I was about to have a panic attack.

Everyone’s digging through their bags, pulling out their IDs, and I’m just stuck staring at the gray, cloth fabric of the seat in front of me.

My breath feels faint as it rushes in and out of my lungs. Even my blood seems to have stopped flowing in my veins.

“Hey, you good?” Kane asks.

I shake my head. I can’t speak.

This is such a bad idea.

“Jesus, it feels like I’m about to walk toward my death.” I laugh shakily, eyes wide and staring straight ahead. Silence rings out around me, lulling me from my reverie. I glance around the car, finding everyone’s eyes on me once again. The weight of their stares makes my skin crawl worse than the prospect of getting out of the car, so I yank on the handle and shove the door open.

“Well, let’s go.” I don’t know how I manage to talk, let alone move, but everyone easily follows suit. The sun is nearly gone from the sky by the time we make it to the end of the long line that winds around the front of the motel.

Aside from the hushed murmurs of conversation, it’s surprisingly quiet. I thought we’d be able to hear screams from people inside, but there’snothing.Just eerie silence.