Page 18 of Headless Hollow

“Hello, Pumpkin,” a metallic voice said as I leaped back, landing on my ass. It didn’t matter how fast I pushed myself along the floor. The mask came for me like it was floating off the ground in the inky darkness. He twisted his head from side to side, and an irrational blood-curdling scream ripped from my throat. My back slammed into the wall, and yet I still tried to push myself through the concrete.

I was gulping air, and my brain was screaming to run, but he held up a silver container with a small plastic mask on the end. I’d seen these before. They usually held oxygen, but I doubted that was what was inside this one.

“Put it on and breathe it all in, or I kill your friend. Then I kill that man you’re fucking. I will have a lot of fun with him.”

“What is it?”

“Take it. Breathe it. You don’t get to ask questions.” Hands shaking out of control, I took the container and put the mask over my face and the elastic behind my head. “Good, now tighten it so there is no leakage. We wouldn’t want you to get the wrong dose, would we?” There was no way to know if he was seriously asking me the question, so I said nothing and pulled on the elastic buckle until the mask was tight. “Now turn it on.”

I licked my lips, not wanting to do this, but what choice did I have? Closing my eyes so I didn’t have to stare at the eerie floating mask, I turned the valve. With one sniff, I knew this was Isoflurane. The clinical scent, like I’d just walked into a dentist’s office, gave it away, and I knew what he was planning. This was how he got everyone. How they all died, not showing any signs of struggle. Tears trickled down my cheeks as my eyes got heavy from the sedative.

“Good, Pumpkin. Now go to sleep, and everything will be alright.”

I didn’t think everything was going to be alright. I didn’t think I would live to see tomorrow, and all I wanted was to kiss Branson’s lips one more time and to tell him that I loved him, and I always had.

Eleven

Izzy

I jerked awake with a gasp, my mind and heart racing as my body struggled to function. It was dark, and I was cold, and…lifting my hand, I stared at the smudge on my palm and tried to make sense of my surroundings. Dirt. I was lying in the dirt.

Pushing myself up onto all fours I looked around and didn’t understand any of what I was seeing. It was as if I’d been dropped in the middle of a forest. Large trees were standing thick and tall all around me, with very little moonlight breaking through the canopy. A twig snapped, and I flinched from the noise, but nothing else moved. I needed to get the hell out of here…wherever here was.

It was a herculean effort, but I managed to get myself upright and then swayed on my heels. This morning, they were sexy when I was with Branson, now I wished I’d never worn them. The question was which way to go. Nothing looked like a clear path, and it was pitch dark. Swallowing hard, I took one step and froze.

“Hello, Pumpkin.” The Horseman moved out from behind a large tree, his mask glowing brightly. He took a step in my direction, and I took one back but stumbled and almost fell on my ass as my heel sunk into the dirt. He snickered as he crossed his arms, showing off the massive knife in his hand.

“So this is it? You’re going to kill me now?”

He laughed, and the sound was twice as eerie, not being able to see his face. “No, not yet. First, you need to run.” He bent over and grabbed a small bag I hadn’t noticed and tossed it at my feet. “I’m even going to be generous and let you change your shoes. Not that it will make a difference, but it will give you the illusion of a chance.”

Keeping my eyes on him, I reached for the bag and felt around before opening it to make sure there wasn’t something like a snake inside.

“What did you do to my friend?”

“Brianna is perfectly safe, and not a single hair on her pretty head has been harmed. If she remains that way totally depends on you.”

“What the hell do you want from me?” Opening the bag, I looked inside and my sneakers were the only thing in there.

“You’ll find out soon enough. Put the running shoes on, Pumpkin. Time is ticking on your friend.”

Removing my white lab coat, I tossed it down on the ground and stood on it. My heels were set aside, and I managed to pull out the sneakers without having a full-blown panic attack.

“How are you killing everyone,” I asked, trying to keep my mind busy and on something I understood. His reasons would probably never make sense to me, but how…I lived for the how.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said again, and I pictured him smirking under the mask.

“You don’t have to do this,” I said, pulling on the second shoe and tying the laces tight.

“I know, Pumpkin. It’s not a matter of having to do anything. I want to do this. I’ve planned this for a very, very long time,” he said and shrugged, showing off his wide shoulders. If he wasn’t planning on killing me and hadn’t killed so many other people—including people both Branson and I cared about—this would be strangely hot. A much younger version of me would’ve loved this insane man and the fact that he wanted to hunt me through a forest. The adrenaline racing through my veins and an ending that would be addicting and tantalizing to the dark and rebellious nature of my youth.

But I was grown up, and this was not a game. This man was holding my good friend and colleague hostage and planned on removing both our heads. I needed to be smart, and I needed an escape, but I had no idea where he was keeping Brianna. Even if I managed to slip away from him right now, it would mean certain death for her.

I tossed the bag down on the ground, my thin blouse blowing with the breeze. “Tell me one thing.”

He cocked his head to the side as if analyzing me. “I will answer your question if I can.”

Guess that would have to do. “How do I get you to let Brianna go?”