12. Aria

12

ARIA

E xcitement bubbles through me as I slip into my sexy pirate costume for the Halloween carnival. It's my eighteenth birthday, and I can't wait to celebrate under the glow of jack-o-lanterns and twinkling lights.

Smoothing my hands over the short dress, I admire how it encases my curves. No guy has come near me since the masked man incident last year. It wasn't until the next day I found out whoever he was beat up Tyler. He got what he wanted without me trying to avoid men. I wonder if he'll show up tonight as promised.

A pang of nostalgia tugs at my heart as I notice the old photo on my dresser. It's been two years since Jared left without a word, disappearing from our lives like a specter in the night. I often wonder where my stepbrother ended up, if he's happy, and if he ever thinks about me...

Shaking the thoughts away, I touch up my makeup and head downstairs. Mom's waiting to take me to the carnival.

"Ready?" she asks, eyebrow raised at my costume.

"Yes," I reply. "What time do you leave tomorrow?"

She smiles. "Early, about two in the morning, to catch our flight. We won't wake you, sweetheart."

I slide into the passenger seat of Mom's car. As we pull out of the driveway, I catch Mom glancing at me from the corner of her eye.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," she says. "Just... be careful tonight, okay?"

I roll my eyes. "Mom, I'm eighteen now. I can handle myself."

She sighs. "I know, I know. It's just... after everything that's happened..."

The unspoken words hang heavy. Aaron's death, Jared's departure, the masked stranger last year. I told her about it when I got home, and she was not happy. She wanted me to call the cops, but I told her it was probably someone just messing about for Halloween.

"So, tell me about your trip," I say, changing the subject. "What are you and Liam planning to do in Florida?"

Mom's face lights up. "Oh, we've got so much planned! There's this little beachside restaurant your dad's been raving about..."

As she chatters about their itinerary, I watch the familiar streets of our town roll by, decorated with pumpkins and fake cobwebs. The carnival lights appear in the distance, and my excitement builds.

Mom pulls up to the entrance, the car idling. "Are you sure you don't want me to pick you up later?"

I shake my head. "Lisa's giving me a ride home. You guys need to rest before your early flight."

She nods, pulling me into a tight hug. "Happy birthday, Aria. I love you so much."

"Love you too, Mom," I murmur.

She calls as I exit the car, "Remember, we're leaving at two AM. We'll try not to wake you!"

"Have a great trip!" I wave as she drives away, then turn to face the carnival, my heart pounding with anticipation for the night ahead.

Laughter and music drift toward me, beckoning me toward the entrance.

"Aria! Over here!" Lisa's voice rings out, drawing my attention to her and her mermaid costume shimmering under the neon glow of the carnival lights. Kevin stands by her side, dressed as a vampire.

"Hey guys!" I hug them both. "Can you believe this is our last Halloween as high schoolers!"

Lisa sighs. "I know, it's bittersweet."

"And you're the first of us to become an adult!" Kevin points out.

"Yeah, how does it feel turned eighteen?" Lisa asks.

I laugh. "No different than when I turned seventeen."

Lisa claps her hands. "Well, let's make this night one to remember." She loops her arm through mine. "Let's go and get some cotton candy before the lines are too long."

A giggle escapes me as I allow Lisa to pull me forward, Kevin trailing behind. The aroma of fried dough and caramel wafts through the air along with the shreiking laughter of kids and clinking of game booths.

Once we've all gotten our cotton candy, the flickering lights of the haunted house entrance beckon us closer, the ominous fa?ade promising a real scare.

Lisa is vibrating with excitement. "We've got to go in! I heard they went all out with the scares."

A shiver runs down my spine, but I can't pinpoint why I'm uneasy. Haunted houses have never been my thing—I've always been too jumpy for them.

"I don't know..." I hesitate, chewing my lip. "What if it's too scary?"

Kevin rolls his eyes. "Don't be such a scaredy-cat." He flashes me a crooked grin. "I'll protect you from the big, bad ghosts."

Lisa loops her other arm through his, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Yes! We'll be the bravest monster hunters this haunted house has ever seen."

Peering up at the staged manor, with its boarded windows and peeling paint, I can't shake the feeling that something isn't quite right. A shiver snakes down my spine, and I instinctively wrap my arms around myself.

But Lisa's pleading gaze and Kevin's teasing smirk win me over. "Okay, fine. Let's go be monster hunters."

"That's the spirit!" Lisa drags me toward the entrance.

The line moves quickly. Before I know it, we're being ushered into the dimly lit foyer. Cobwebs drape from every corner, and the floorboards creak ominously underfoot. Despite the cheesy decorations, I can't calm my racing pulse.

I link arms with my friends as we venture deeper into the shadows. Eerie sounds bombard us from every direction—ghostly whispers, rattling chains, the distant wail of something inhuman.

I jump at every sudden noise, tightening my grip on Kevin's arm. He chuckles, unfazed by the theatrics.

"See? Nothing to be afraid of," he murmurs.

Nodding shakily, I force a tight smile. "Y-yeah, it's not so bad."

But as we round the next corner, something makes the hairs on the back of my neck prickle.

I gasp as thick, acrid smoke billows around us, stinging my eyes and burning my lungs. Hacking coughs tear through our little group as we instinctively huddle together, desperately trying to find our bearings in the haze.

"Lisa? Kevin?" I choke out, reaching for them in the darkness. My fingers brush against some fabric, and I cling to it like a lifeline.

Just as my eyes water, a strong arm snakes around my waist, yanking me backward with brutal force. A strangled scream tears from my throat as I'm wrenched away from my friends, their muffled shouts fading.

This is too real, too intense—surely this isn't part of the haunted house experience? My heart thunders in my ears as I thrash against my unseen captor, terror flooding my veins.

Before I can summon another cry for help, something sharp jabs into the side of my neck. White-hot pain lances through me, and I let out a garbled whimper, my struggles growing weaker by the second.

A strange tingling sensation spreads from the injection site, rapidly numbing my senses. The smoke-filled room tilts and blurs.

Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision as my eyelids grow impossibly heavy. I try to fight it, desperate to stay awake, to understand what's happening. But the pull is too strong, too insistent.

A single thought graces my mind as unconsciousness claims me—this was no ordinary haunted house prank.