Page 13

twelve

Manhunt Horror

Blade

S inner and her friends are fucking tripping balls, while me and the boys are only on a mild trip, nowhere eating close to what they did... on purpose . Yes, we enjoy playing games and getting high, but we also need to have some mental clarity to make sure we know what we are doing.

Saint gets up and offers to help, giving me a knowing, impatient look as Nixon and River work to start the fire. Riley is still completely smitten with Melanie, so I think he’ll want her when the time comes for her to meet her end. He rocks her against his lap as I keep my gaze fixed on my mask and knife in my bag, just feet away.

"So, what exactly are the rules of this game?" Finally removing her mouth from Riley's and addressing those of us nearby, Melanie asks.

Sinner simply stares off into space, losing herself in the iridescent velvety sky that’s hovering above us and giving the impression of swiftly swirling water. Fuck, I love shrooms. Once the fire is going, Saint returns, hands River, Sinner, and Melaine new drinks, and this time takes a seat even closer to her. The four of us observe as they sip them without hesitation, unaware that they’re laced with a flavorless, odorless substance that will make them forget everything that transpired here tonight.

“It’s easy. Have you ever played manhunt before? ”

“Yeah, but not since I was a kid,” Sinner says while still dazzled by the vibrant colors all around her, as if she has never seen anything like it.

“Well, our version is a little different; there will be two of us trying to find all of you guys. And when we find you, we get to choose what we want.” Saint smirks as he speaks; his voice has a sinister tone, but no one notices because of the drugs.

“Like something dirty?” My little sinner inquires, finally looking at us and licking her lips as the drugs begin to make her horny, just as we had hoped.

“Exactly.” She shivers from the sensation as I croon in her ear while nipping roughly at her lobe.

When I pull my mouth away from her ear, I catch a glimpse of jealousy in River's eyes, and all I do is smirk, irritating him.

"Wait, what if they don't want this?" He chimes in, trying to come to their defense.

"Do you ladies want to play?" Saint inquires, specifically to Scarlett and Melanie, but primarily to Scarlett.

"Yeah, I do!" Melanie shouts with enthusiasm. In anticipation of her response, we all turn to face Scarlett.

"I do too, River. It sounds like a lot of fun, and that's what we need right now." She continues, attempting to reassure him that everything will be alright.

She's too gullible, which is going to be the fucking death of her…literally. At least we have her consent, but to be fucking honest, it doesn't matter if she consents or not.

"Fine, I'm in too. Who's going to be hunting us?" Riley, Nixon, Saint, and I exchange glances before turning to face the group of unwitting victims, sly grins forming on our lips as our hands itch to grab our knives.

"Me and Saint will be the hunters first." I take a cigarette from my pack and hand it to my brother, watching my little sinner's eyes light up as if she is seeing something she has never seen before.

She smiles, her eyes hypnotic as she sweeps them across my face slowly. She moves slowly toward me while licking her lips and tucking her hair behind her ear, as though in a trance.

"Can I have one of those?"

"You smoke?" I ask her, taking another one from my pack, lighting the end as she sticks the filter between her shiny, luscious lips.

"On occasion. I kind of just feel like smoking one right now." I light the cherry with the lighter, creating a lovely orange glow as I watch her puff on the cancer stick.

As she blows the smoke into the air, a smirk appears on her lips and the flame on the zippo goes out.

"You know, those things will kill you . You need to be careful," Nixon remarks in a mocking manner while prodding the fire's hot coals with a long stick.

"Nowadays, anything will kill you. It's getting pretty ridiculous," Melanie chirps as she takes another swig from her beer bottle.

The drugs are running wild through Scarlett's veins as she sits next to me, rocking back and forth and keeping her eyes glued to the stunning sky above. Her wild, large eyes dart back and forth quickly as she tries to remember how to blink. This should be fun.

Scarlett

This trip is unlike anything I’ve experienced in a long time. I recall meeting Carli and Melanie at a frat party when I first started college. Everyone was tripping on mushrooms, so I took some and ate them with Carli, and the rest is history. I clung to her and Melanie all night that night, and we had one of the best trips of our lives. This almost compares to that… almost .

As I gaze at the night sky, everything appears to be stunning. The stars appear enormous as they flicker, as if dancing in the darkness. The sky itself looks like I can reach out and grab it, but deep down I know it's too far away. Everything seems to be moving slowly, and my hearing is incredibly sharp. The leaves rustle as if they were right next to my ear, but they aren't.

As Blade bumps shoulders with mine, a shiver runs down my spine as he tries to jolt me back to the group and out of the delusion that I’m actually running when I’m not. For a brief moment, as I stare at the water, it appears to be snowing, with heavy flakes falling quickly, piling up so high, and posing a threat to engulf us all and bury us alive. But when he wraps his arm around my back and grabs my thigh with a firm squeeze, the terrifying vision of all the snow fades and everything returns to normal.

"You alright, Scarlett?" He beams a smile, and the full moon's dazzling light catches the gleam in his eyes. His voice rings loudly in my ears, and his breath is as hot as the fire in front of us as it tickles the skin on my neck.

"Yes, I'm fine. Is it snowing, or was I seeing things?" I ask timidly, kind of already knowing the answer. Everyone laughs, not at me, but with me, as I chuckle at my own statement.

"It's basically August, Scar," River laughs, finishing his beer. "You're seeing shit, baby."

I cover my face with my hands, trying to contain my embarrassment as everyone breaks out into a fit of laughter around me. Blade tugs on my wrists, yanking my hands away from my face, wanting to see me. A drink is thrust into my hands from Nixon, and I take it with a smile, noticing it's a bottle of water.

"Drink up. You don't want to get dehydrated, trust me. It happens easier than you think." Heeding his advice, we all opt for water while Riley messes with the fire and the brothers get to their feet, clearly ready to start this game they've been talking about.

As I chug the water from the bottle, a wave of heat overwhelms me. As I gaze out at the lake, I hear a voice from behind me tell me to jump in. These damn hallucinations. Still, I get up, put down the water bottle, and begin to move in the direction of the lake, grabbing Melanie's wrist as I go.

"Where are you going?" Saint asks, his voice dripping with intrigue.

"For a quick dip. I feel like I'm burning up," I answer with my back toward them.

"Well, why don't you take those damn clothes off and go in the water in your bathing suit?" I hear Blade ask intriguingly, sending a nervous chill to my bones.

"I didn't wear one."

Someone approaches from behind me and tugs on my shirt, attempting to pull it up. I shriek and try to run for the water as I panic about the marks on my body, hearing a rip as I manage to escape the hold.

"What the fuck was that?" Riley laughs, and as I jump in the water and turn to face them, I see him standing there, holding a piece of the fabric from my shirt.

"You ripped my shirt?"

"I was trying to take it off."

"I didn't want it off!" I argue before submerging my head in the water in the hopes that he didn’t rip a part where any marks are visible.

However, by the time I come up for air, the drugs have fogged my mind, eliminated all logical thoughts, and transformed me into a person who doesn’t give a fuck about what’s going on around her. Melanie swims up to me while the guys chat among themselves, grinning mischievously. She keeps watching Riley while talking to me.

"Girl, what do you think about the guys so far?"

"I don't know. They're alright, I guess." I look over at Blade and Saint with a subtle shrug.

"Stop playing, Scarlett. I can tell you've got the hots for those brothers, but because River is here, you're being weird about it."

“Well, it is weird, Mel. River and I-"

"You guys broke up months ago, and his ass has already moved on over and over , if you know what I mean. So why can't you?" Her statement stabs me in the heart as she smiles at me with narrowed eyes.

I didn't know River was already fucking other people, but I'm not surprised. I didn't give him any, so of course he ran to the girls who would.

My attention is drawn to Blade, who maintains a sinister grin on his full lips. Even though I’m submerged in water, my body trembles, and heat accumulates between my thighs. There's something about those two... but what?

"So, are you going to play their game when they find you?" she asks, winking amusingly.

"Fuck it. Why not, right?"

"That's my girl!" she exclaims, wrapping her arms around me. We swim back toward the shore, eager to see what all the fuss is about. I mean, it's just adult manhunt, right? How exciting can it really be?