Read Online Darkness Falls (Darkness Series Book 3) by J.L. Drake - Free Book Online
Authors: J.L. Drake
Ads: Link
around at the holding room for the actors. It was small, but it gave them a moment to rest before they went back into the rooms to play their part. My mother sank a hefty amount of money into Halloween, and she went all out for her haunted houses, but to someone who scares easily, no matter how much she denied it…house six was the worst.
“Anyone see the blonde in house six?” I called out. “Any idea where she is in the maze?”
“Third room,” a guy dressed all in back, head down, holding a cloth to his face growled.
I hurried down a tiny hallway and slipped into the room that was a riddle. It was empty, and I quickly turned a handle, which made a door pop open. That was when I saw Emily, back pressed to the wall, fingers madly scratching along the fake window to find her way out.
“Em.” I made my way down the hall, but she couldn’t hear me over the loud music. The moment I touched her hand, she screamed. I covered her mouth and whispered in her ear, “Open your eyes.” She did, and when she saw it was me, she lunged into my arms. She was shaking, but she seemed all right. “You okay?” She nodded, but I could see she was beyond terrified.
“Get me out of here.” Her eyes were wide. “I don’t like this.”
I moved her through the last room, where I shook my head at the actor who was about to do his performance. Emily’s grip on my hand almost made me sad that she got so scared.
Once outside, she sagged against the wall and took a moment to regroup, then she started to laugh.
“Should I be worried?” I asked, worried she might be losing it.
“No.” She leaned forward, hands on her thighs. “But I think I may have hurt one of your actors. I elbowed him in the face.” She cupped her mouth as she laughed harder. “Oh my God, Seth, that was so fucking scary.” She stopped, and her face fell a little. I started to hold her, but she held up her hand to stop me. “I just need a moment.”
“Okay.” I leaned beside her and made sure she was all right. I wanted to kill the ass who tempted her to go in there. “Why did you go in?” I had to know.
She took a deep, trembling breath and let it out. “If I tell you, Seth, you can’t judge or be worried, because really, I’m fine.” I waited for her to go on. I could see she was wondering how I was going to react. “I’m not sure how to explain this.”
“Try.” I pushed her because I needed the answer.
She looked up at me and pressed her lips together. “Have you ever watched a horror movie, and the suspense has you so wound up, you just need that release of the person jumping out of the bushes so you can let go?” I nodded. “Since Lasko died, I’ve had that feeling. I’m wound up so tight, I just needed a good jolt to the system to feel better, to feel release. I thought going in there would give it to me, but instead I ended up seeing Lasko’s face, hearing the way he said my name. That poor guy,” she pointed at the house, “he just reminded me so much of him. Christ, even his eyes, and the way he looked at me, even the way he tilted his head. It’s like he was reading my thoughts.” Her hands started to rake through her hair. “He was in every room, and at one point he came up behind me to block my path, and I freaked out and ended up elbowing him in the face.” She squatted down and covered her eyes. “It was stupid to have done that. I should go apologize.”
I bent down in front of her. “First, this is not the only time one of those guys has been hit.” I chuckled. “They kind of know it comes with scaring the hell out of people. Second, he wasn’t supposed to follow you room to room, so that’s just taking advantage of the situation. And third,” I removed her hands so I could see her beautiful face, “I know how you feel about being wound up so tight inside because I feel it too.”
“Really?” she whispered.
I moved a piece of her golden hair off her face. “Really.” I stood and held out my
“Anyone see the blonde in house six?” I called out. “Any idea where she is in the maze?”
“Third room,” a guy dressed all in back, head down, holding a cloth to his face growled.
I hurried down a tiny hallway and slipped into the room that was a riddle. It was empty, and I quickly turned a handle, which made a door pop open. That was when I saw Emily, back pressed to the wall, fingers madly scratching along the fake window to find her way out.
“Em.” I made my way down the hall, but she couldn’t hear me over the loud music. The moment I touched her hand, she screamed. I covered her mouth and whispered in her ear, “Open your eyes.” She did, and when she saw it was me, she lunged into my arms. She was shaking, but she seemed all right. “You okay?” She nodded, but I could see she was beyond terrified.
“Get me out of here.” Her eyes were wide. “I don’t like this.”
I moved her through the last room, where I shook my head at the actor who was about to do his performance. Emily’s grip on my hand almost made me sad that she got so scared.
Once outside, she sagged against the wall and took a moment to regroup, then she started to laugh.
“Should I be worried?” I asked, worried she might be losing it.
“No.” She leaned forward, hands on her thighs. “But I think I may have hurt one of your actors. I elbowed him in the face.” She cupped her mouth as she laughed harder. “Oh my God, Seth, that was so fucking scary.” She stopped, and her face fell a little. I started to hold her, but she held up her hand to stop me. “I just need a moment.”
“Okay.” I leaned beside her and made sure she was all right. I wanted to kill the ass who tempted her to go in there. “Why did you go in?” I had to know.
She took a deep, trembling breath and let it out. “If I tell you, Seth, you can’t judge or be worried, because really, I’m fine.” I waited for her to go on. I could see she was wondering how I was going to react. “I’m not sure how to explain this.”
“Try.” I pushed her because I needed the answer.
She looked up at me and pressed her lips together. “Have you ever watched a horror movie, and the suspense has you so wound up, you just need that release of the person jumping out of the bushes so you can let go?” I nodded. “Since Lasko died, I’ve had that feeling. I’m wound up so tight, I just needed a good jolt to the system to feel better, to feel release. I thought going in there would give it to me, but instead I ended up seeing Lasko’s face, hearing the way he said my name. That poor guy,” she pointed at the house, “he just reminded me so much of him. Christ, even his eyes, and the way he looked at me, even the way he tilted his head. It’s like he was reading my thoughts.” Her hands started to rake through her hair. “He was in every room, and at one point he came up behind me to block my path, and I freaked out and ended up elbowing him in the face.” She squatted down and covered her eyes. “It was stupid to have done that. I should go apologize.”
I bent down in front of her. “First, this is not the only time one of those guys has been hit.” I chuckled. “They kind of know it comes with scaring the hell out of people. Second, he wasn’t supposed to follow you room to room, so that’s just taking advantage of the situation. And third,” I removed her hands so I could see her beautiful face, “I know how you feel about being wound up so tight inside because I feel it too.”
“Really?” she whispered.
I moved a piece of her golden hair off her face. “Really.” I stood and held out my
Similar Books
