I’ve never been inside the gates before, and seeing it now, it’s even better than what I imagined. The gothic manor looms in the distance, rising out of the darkness and fog that has settled over the night. The windows are shuttered, preserving the manor’s secrets and what’s currently taking place inside. On the exterior, ivy climbs up the walls, growing dormant for the winter, but still clinging to the last glimpse of life before the cold fully sets in.
Carnival music drifts from the other half of the property, punctuated by the occasional laugh or scream.
From my vantage point, I can see some of the rides, including a carousel, a small roller coaster, and a chain swing. There’s also what appears to be a Ferris wheel, but instead of the normal seats, it holds cages with bars. When I get a closer look, I can see that they have velvet drapes, some of which are open and others closed. As it makes a slow, creaking rotation, one of the open cages comes into view, and I get a glimpse of a man taking a woman from behind.
The sight startles me, even though I knew I’d see plenty of debauchery tonight. It feels a little depraved to witness something so intimate on display, but I can’t seem to drag my eyes away. I’m so transfixed on the sight, I almost run right into someone else walking the opposite direction along the path.
The attendant gives me a little smile, as if to say it happens all the time.
As we approach the manor, the large double doors with wrought-iron knockers come into view. They’re both closed, but it doesn’t blunt the noise coming from inside. A darker, more deranged soundtrack vibrates through the walls, along with pounding footsteps and occasional shrieks.
This combination seems like it should be a sensory nightmare, but oddly enough, it’s never bothered me unless I’m already at my threshold or close to it.
I’ve always loved fairs and carnivals, and before Romeo’s lightning strike, we used to go together every year.
It’s been so long since I’ve attended one, I wasn’t sure if it would trigger something in me, but I’m relieved that it hasn’t. Everything is so much different here than it was that day, and I know the inside won’t be like anything else I’ve ever experienced.
As we near the doors, two bronzed statues flank the footpath, and I don’t pay them much attention until they come to life and jump out at me.
A scream bubbles up my throat, followed by a laugh when I see the two men smile before they step back into their roles. They look so real, it’s a little freaky.
The attendant opens the door for me, and we step inside what appears to be a cloak room.
“You can leave your coat here if you like.” She gestures at the hooks along the wall. “Do you remember your claim signals?”
“Yes.”
She produces a band I didn’t even notice she was carrying and asks for my wrist. I let her slip it on, and she adjusts it until it’s secure but not too tight.
“If you need assistance or you would like to stop participation for any reason, this sends an alert to our staff. We’ll be able to locate you if you press the button.”
“Okay.” I nod.
I’m expecting her to go over some more rules, but instead, she gestures at the small curtain-lined doorway leading deeper into the house.
“Enjoy your evening.”
With that, she takes her leave, and I draw a breath as I hang my coat and prepare myself.
I pass through the curtain, and it falls shut behind me, plunging the hallway into total darkness.
A chill shoots up my spine as I wonder how Eros will know I’m here, or where to find me. But I suppose that’s the entire point.
The floorboards creak beneath my feet as I use my hand to guide myself along the wall until I reach another door. I fumble around for the knob, a familiar but unnerving melody filtering through the barrier. It sounds like dark circus music.
As I open the door and light floods my eyes, I spill into a mirrored labyrinth.
The sight of it pulls me back to another time and place, when Romeo chased me through the hall of mirrors at the fair. He caught me and pressed me up against the wall, staring at my lips like he couldn’t decide whether to kiss me or keep terrorizing me. That day rewired my brain, linking fear and reward.
Since then, his face has been the one I imagined behind every mask in the horror movies I watched. It threaded that dark desire through my veins and unleashed a craving for fear.
I wanted to be hunted down, captured, and dominated by the villain. I wanted him to spare me from his wrath because his hunger for me was greater than his innate blood thirst.
Just as I’d told Eros,I wanted to be the exception.
As I begin to wind my way through the mirrored walls, the heavy sound of footsteps startles me. But when I turn around, nobody is there.
I pause for a moment as the lights flicker above me before the creak of a door hinge activates my flight response. It propels me forward, driving me to make split-second decisions as I run through the maze, choosing from diverging paths without any real logic.
