Haunting-Adeline
Mark tries to brush off my story with a laugh, the sound choked andbroken. “Zack, please, we weren’t speaking of your girlfriend.”“Mark, the last thing you want to do is lie to me.”Just as Mark opens his mouth, a li le door in the room springs open andout crawls the biggest fucking nuisance of the night.“For the love of God, please leave me alone,” I snap. Mark and hisfriends turn to find the doll straightening, a determined gleam in her eye.Her face brightens. “God has nothing to do with this, silly.”
Chapter 29The Manipulatorthink if I don’t go sit the fuck down, I’m going to collapse. You’ll haveto peel me out of this mud.”“II point towards a bench. “Go ahead and relax. I’m going to gothrough the House of Mirrors real quick.”“Fine by me, it’ll take you forever to get out of that thing, and it’ll beme to go.”The House of Mirrors has always been one of my favorite places. It’s anelaborate maze of mirrors, and very difficult to find your way out of. It’sone of the biggest buildings at the fair, and they fill every inch of it withmirrors.The fair will close in about a half-hour. It’s pushing it, but it should bejust enough me to get through it if I concentrate.The house is painted all black—no array of colors, flashing of lights, orsmoke. I’ve always thought it was trippier like this. Some mes it feels likebeing in a silent room, le with nothing but your thoughts as your ownimage haunts you.It takes all of five minutes before I’m thoroughly lost. I keep my handsheld out before me, preven ng me from running face first into one of themirrors.I did that a couple of years ago and my nose was bruised for a week.A few minutes pass by with nothing but the company of my ownreflec on. My heart rate is pumping erra cally, my breathing uneven withexcitement. Despite the pounding in my chest, this is where I feel most…normal.Off in the distance, I hear a faint shuffling of feet. Not very many peoplecome in here, especially this late, but there’s plenty of people who like totake on the challenge.
- Page 277 and 278: The girl gets off on fear. The mome
- Page 279 and 280: “If you were my li le girl, I wou
- Page 281 and 282: I groan, the feel of her ass diggin
- Page 283 and 284: Releasing her face, my hand dri s t
- Page 285 and 286: Chapter 26The Manipulator’m seeth
- Page 287 and 288: if I had to guess on what type of m
- Page 289 and 290: "Now, of course, when my father tol
- Page 291 and 292: told John he didn’t give a shit w
- Page 293 and 294: I open my mouth, ready to pry, but
- Page 295 and 296: “Because you’re not listening.
- Page 297 and 298: "You trauma zed me."He leans down a
- Page 299 and 300: “Or what?” he challenges. I sig
- Page 302 and 303: Chapter 27The Manipulator’m just
- Page 304 and 305: worse and probably end up leaving.
- Page 306 and 307: me. He makes it a point to stay on
- Page 308 and 309: My phone vibrates in my hand, and I
- Page 310 and 311: “How did you even come into conta
- Page 312 and 313: preparing for it.“He hasn’t sai
- Page 314 and 315: “How can you even choose?” Daya
- Page 316 and 317: more minutes to come up to the fron
- Page 320 and 321: Chapter 28The Shadowucking imbecile
- Page 322 and 323: “Loca on?” Jay asks, keyboard c
- Page 324 and 325: Walking into this house feels like
- Page 326 and 327: not en rely wrong. Except I’m onl
- Page 330 and 331: Con nuing on my wayward path, I con
- Page 332 and 333: A er a few minutes, I’m out of br
- Page 334 and 335: Another growl pings through my mout
- Page 336 and 337: took it all the way, and every mors
- Page 338 and 339: “You’d be okay with other peopl
- Page 340 and 341: When I brush my finger ps over them
- Page 342 and 343: “You like being a bad li le girl,
- Page 344 and 345: “Zade, please,” I whimper, my v
- Page 346 and 347: him sliding in and out between my f
- Page 348 and 349: “You motherfucking ass—”He in
- Page 350 and 351: She takes a deep, calming breath.
- Page 352 and 353: Chapter 31The Shadowhat took you so
- Page 354 and 355: “You uh, told them to stay down t
- Page 356 and 357: The air whistles, my only indica on
- Page 358 and 359: “You can only access it through a
- Page 360 and 361: He admits he’s never seen their f
- Page 362 and 363: Sibby is s ll too blind with bloodl
- Page 364 and 365: He was a rich man who came from old
- Page 366 and 367: Now I just have to figure out how t
- Page 368 and 369: Savior’s looks like the type of c
- Page 370 and 371: Dan and I mingle for the next sever
- Page 372 and 373: Interes ng that they believe they c
- Page 374 and 375: four government poli cians.This isn
- Page 376 and 377: His hand ghtens further while my br
Chapter 29
The Manipulator
think if I don’t go sit the fuck down, I’m going to collapse. You’ll have
to peel me out of this mud.”
“I
I point towards a bench. “Go ahead and relax. I’m going to go
through the House of Mirrors real quick.”
“Fine by me, it’ll take you forever to get out of that thing, and it’ll be
me to go.”
The House of Mirrors has always been one of my favorite places. It’s an
elaborate maze of mirrors, and very difficult to find your way out of. It’s
one of the biggest buildings at the fair, and they fill every inch of it with
mirrors.
The fair will close in about a half-hour. It’s pushing it, but it should be
just enough me to get through it if I concentrate.
The house is painted all black—no array of colors, flashing of lights, or
smoke. I’ve always thought it was trippier like this. Some mes it feels like
being in a silent room, le with nothing but your thoughts as your own
image haunts you.
It takes all of five minutes before I’m thoroughly lost. I keep my hands
held out before me, preven ng me from running face first into one of the
mirrors.
I did that a couple of years ago and my nose was bruised for a week.
A few minutes pass by with nothing but the company of my own
reflec on. My heart rate is pumping erra cally, my breathing uneven with
excitement. Despite the pounding in my chest, this is where I feel most…
normal.
Off in the distance, I hear a faint shuffling of feet. Not very many people
come in here, especially this late, but there’s plenty of people who like to
take on the challenge.