Chapter 12
Olivia
The hayride sways bumpily along the dark dirt road. Trees hang low as their bare branches brush against the tops of our heads. I’m secured tightly between two drunk guys dressed asDumb and Dumberin their orange and blue tuxes while the haystack pokes uncomfortably at my bare legs. The smell of stale beer emanates from the guys’ pores as they lean against me.
When I escaped from the haunted house, it spit me out at the beginnings of a corn maze, but to the right I saw they were loading up the hayride. Callie, Penny, and Shayla still are nowhere to be found, and my phone has no bars to try calling them. I did send a text asking where they were, but it’s sitting in my messages showing as unsent. The hayride seemed like the more relaxing option — especially given how long I’ve been running tonight. It’s already well past midnight, but the place is still packed.
“You here all by yourself, princess?” The one dressed in the blue tux asks.
“No, I’m just trying to find my friends.”
“We can be your new friends.” The one in orange replies.
“That’s okay, I’m just going to enjoy the ride.”
A hand latches to my thigh and runs the length of my leg up to where the long shirt I’m wearing ends.
“We can help you enjoy the ride.” His hot beer breath flutters against my ear and there’s nowhere for me to go. If I jump off, I’ll be lost in the woods, but if I stay, I’ll have this nasty stranger’s hands all over me. I’d rather cut off my own leg.
Suddenly, a deep roar comes from the dark tree line and the one who’d had his hands on me is ripped away faster than a blink of an eye.
“Oh shit—” The one in blue exclaims as he too is yanked off the hayride, disappearing into the mist.
The others on the ride are too engrossed in themselves to notice what’s happened, but fear grips at my throat wondering if I’ll be pulled off next.
When nothing happens for a moment, I think maybe I’m safe, but then the tractor comes to an abrupt stop, causing me to topple over on my hay bale.
“What the—” I utter, before finding myself being torn away from the hayride, and dragged over a strong pair of shoulders into the woods.
“Thought you could escape us so easily, did you?” Talon growls.
My ass is on full display, wind whipping against my backside as my shirt rides up, stuck between my body and his.
“Clearly not.” I grumble, but inside my stomach is lurching into a somersault at having his hands on me again. “Where are you taking me?” My vision is limited to seeing his ass sway and the forrest floor. Moonlight cuts across the trees, casting ominous shadows along the path.
“You’ll see.” He answers, hands firmly holding me in place. Though, I don’t miss the way his thumb rubs against my skin. Anticipation rolls around in my chest as I’m jostled about finally set down in a clearing. We’re surrounded by trees on all sides,with a small bonfire lit in the center. My head swims having had all the blood rush to the top of my skull. It takes a moment for the world to stop spinning all around me. As it does, I note the two figures tied to two large poles sticking out of the ground. Each pole has firewood stacked at the bottom. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it looked like they were burning witches.
“Olivia.” Talon says my name with such familiarity, like he’s always rolled those syllables around on his tongue. It’s a beautiful cadence, his voice. One that I wouldn’t mind hearing forever.
“Please, have a seat.” He gestures to a stump close to the fire. There are several situated in a semi-circle unoccupied and all at slightly varying heights. Smoke blows from the fire up into the air as it casts an orange hue to the space surrounding it. Though, I am grateful for the warmth licking across my bare legs as I settle into the seat.
Upon closer inspection, I note that both the men that have been tied up are also gagged. Unable to do anything but fight against their restraints. Their beady little eyes are full of fear.
“We have a proposition for you. One that will help us and you, if you’re interested.” He says, hands locked behind his back, ever the image of a proper gentleman. It’s a stark contrast to the wild woods that press in from all sides.
“I’m listening.” I lean forward onto my knees, chin cupped in the palm of my hand and elbow propped up on my crossed legs. It’s been a long night and the exhaustion is starting to creep in. Usually, I’d be long asleep by now. A yawn escapes my mouth making my eyes water.
“Something dire has been brought to our attention, and in order to keep this place running, we need to enact the loophole in the contract. You, are the key to that.”
“ME?” I sit back stunned. “How? What contract.”
Talon shuffles from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable with having to ask for help.
“All of us signed a contract to be here. A deal with the devil, if you will. And as it stands, if we don’t meet our quota, we lose this whole place. A piece of land we’ve all come to think of as home. A place where we can be free to be ourselves.”
I finally ask the question that’s been burning inside me since we rolled down the driveway. “This place, is it real?”
Talon drops his head nodding yes as he holds my gaze, waiting for my reaction. “So— the blood, the monsters, everything?”
