Laughter and shrieks, and then we all stumbled as several chainsaws raced in, chomping at our legs with their harmless, chainless saws. I hopped from one leg to the next, trying to keep hold of Isabella as we all struggled to tear away from our attackers. She grappled for my hand, but all of a sudden, the wall behind me gave way, I fell throu
gh, losing my grip on her arm, and freefell backward onto the hard cement before I heard a door close, and all the screams and chainsaws faded away.
I was suddenly in silence.
I pushed off the cold floor, held out my hands, and walked back in the direction from where I fell. What the hell?
At least, I thought it was the direction. I might’ve gotten spun around as I fell into the room.
“Isabella!” I called out, my hands landing on a wooden wall. I patted around for a door knob or hinges—anything to tell me where I was at or how to get out.
“Jade!” I bellowed.
But everything sounded distant. The cries and yelps. The music beyond the walls and down other hallways.
“Hello?” I said. “How…how do I get out?”
I only fell a few feet. Where the hell was I? My friends were right on the other side of one of these walls.
“Hello!” I shouted. “Help!”
Was I alone in here? I trailed down the walls, feeling for a way out. God, I hope so. I wanted my friends, but I didn’t want anyone else. I was having a blast a minute ago, but now… This changed things. How would I get away? Or find my frickin’ way out?
A clink pierced the silence behind me, and I froze.
“Hello?”
Was I alone? That sounded like a chain.
I shuffled down the wall, searching for the door—if it even was a real door and not a trap door—and a chill crawled up my shoulder. I pulled up my sweater to cover the bare skin, but it just fell down again.
I sucked in a deep breath, belting out, “Isa! Jade!”
But then, behind me, a chain clanked with another like there was wind, but I didn’t feel a draft.
I whipped around, shooting out my hands.
“Hello?” I demanded. “Who’s there?”
Are you going to hurt me?
I don’t know.
Do you want to?
Kind of.
A silvery sting throbbed between my legs, and I clenched my thighs to get control of myself. Fuck.
Safe word. What was the safe word?
Quarter. I let out a breath, relieved I’d remembered it. Thank God.
I took a few steps into the room. Maybe there was a hallway, and it connected to another part of the haunted house. There was a whole line of people outside. Isabella, Jade, and I weren’t the only customers in here.
But then I brushed cool metal, and I jerked back on reflex, hearing the chain chime as it hit another one. Hesitantly, I waved my hands in front of me again, sending several chains swinging. They were hanging from the ceiling?
I let out a little laugh. Maybe it was just a draft, after all.