Chapter Eight

SCARLETT

T he fall air is crisp and fresh as I suck it down into my lungs in an attempt to slow my heartbeat. The front of me is exposed—very exposed—showing way more skin than I'm used to. The thick, red cape hangs from my shoulders straight down to the ground, keeping at least the back of me warm. A cold breeze brushes over the areas of my exposed flesh, leaving a ripple of goosebumps in its path. I can't fucking believe I'm doing this. A shiver runs down my spine as I keep walking. I'd like to think it's just from the cold, but part of me knows it's from the anticipation of what's to come.

I can't fucking believe I'm doing this .

I found a box on the passenger seat of my car this morning. Inside was the same Little Red Riding Hood costume I'd coveted at the costume shop and a note. It didn't say who the gift was from, it simply read:

Hell House

7 P.M.

Wear this and nothing else.

The note didn't need to be signed. I knew it was her—Morgan. Somehow I just knew in my bones that she left it for me. I should be horrified that this woman seems to be stalking me and breaking into my car to leave me presents…but I'm not. I should have called the cops or at least told Kyle and let him deal with it. But instead, I put on the costume and parked outside the haunted house on the outskirts of town at exactly 6:55. I can't believe I didn't even put on underwear. I know it's what the note implied, but still, I've never walked around bare like this before in my life. I'm just not that kind of girl. Rubbing my thighs together, I can't help but feel exposed and slightly aroused by the fact that anyone could lift up my skimpy little dress and see all of me. I'm both horrified and turned on by this new version of myself.

Part of me knows that I shouldn't have come tonight but I can't shake Morgan from my mind; especially after the dream I had about her last night. I woke up covered in my own cum. I didn't think that was even possible for women to do in their sleep. I thought it was just a teenage boy thing. Shame rocked through me when I realized why I'd woken up damp and sticky. I'd hurriedly stuffed my soiled sheets in Sam's washer and practically ran to shower.

There was also a part of me that was strangely disappointed to see my perfectly normal stomach. It was completely clear of any marks as I looked into the bathroom mirror and undressed to shower away the evidence of my naughty dream. Deep down, my fucked up subconscious wished she had actually carved me up while fucking me. Evidently my mind wants this woman— badly . So, against my better judgment, I'm here.

Hell House looms dauntingly in front of me. Gray clouds infused with the last burning embers of sunlight frame the building, giving it an ethereal glow. Screams of horror emanate from within. From the outside it simply looks like one of those old mansions that once housed some well-off family, but has since fallen into disrepair. Once a year however, it is transformed into a haunted house known across the country for its over-the-top stunts. The liability waiver that guests are required to sign before entering went viral a few years back and that only helped to make the place even more packed. I've never been here before because I've always been too scared.

But I'm sick of being scared.

I approach two very large men who are dressed as some type of demons guarding the front door and my heart rate kicks up. A nervous lump of anxiety forms in my throat and I try my best to take a few deep breaths and calm myself.

They're just people, just like me, in costumes. No one can really hurt me inside a haunted house, right? This is just for fun .

Peeking through the slightly open door behind the bouncers, strobe lights flash and illuminate nothing but dark smoke. A woman's scream rings out, causing me to jump. Fear flows through my veins like fire, whispering for me to turn around and head back to my apartment to wait for Kyle to come home, just like I usually would be doing on a Friday night. But some unseen force propels me forward and I continue up the steps towards the door.

"Did you sign the waiver online?" one of the demons at the entrance asks while inclining his head slightly to the side. The sinister look of his mask doesn't fit with his down to business tone. Everything about this place is unsettling and yet, the fear and anxiety is doing something to my body that I've never felt before. It's as if everything is too hot, too tight, too much, and yet I don't want it to stop.

"Yes," I manage to squeak out between stuttering breaths.

They check my name on their computer to confirm I filled out all the paperwork before placing a stamp on my hand.

"Welcome to Hell," the second man says, swinging his arm towards the open door and granting me entrance. There's a hint of laughter in his voice and I'm certain he thinks I'll be running out of here crying in exactly five minutes. He might be right.

The main door leads to a darkened and eerily silent main hallway. On either side is a series of baroque ornate doors, all closed. There's smoke pooling around my ankles and white strobes flashing all around me. Deafening silence surrounds me. I try my best to acclimate to the darkness. My heart pounds, my breathing is ragged and rapid; anxiety is twisting my insides like constricting snakes. My body is screaming for me to get out of here but I can't. I can't explain it but I know she's here. I know she's behind one of these doors waiting for me. My goddess is waiting to play with me, and that thought has desire leaking down my thighs.

A bang against one of the doors to my left shatters the silence, causing me to leap to the right. My hands fly to my chest and I stumble backwards. My back falls against a door and it flies open. I fall backwards through the doorway and into another world entirely.

Turning on my heels, I take in my surroundings. It's empty in here but not silent. There's shrieks and screams of terror being pushed out of speakers. It's still dark and smoky in here but everything has a blue tinge to it. Jagged shards of mirrors line the walls in awkward angles.

Moving closer to one of the shards, I notice it's one of those strange mirrors that distorts everything. My face is unrecognizable in it. My reflected self looks terrified but thrilled to be in a sexy costume alone in a haunted house. My black hair is braided into two long strands that fall out from the hood of my cape and frame my small chest nicely. The tight, white, corset style bodice of the dress accentuates my curves, while the short green skirt flows out from my waist making my hips appear round and full. My lips are painted a shade of red to match the cape around me. I completed the look with thigh high black boots that have a chunky heel. The reflection is a version of me I've always wanted to see but have never been brave enough to pursue—not until now. Not until her. I like this version of me reflecting back through these creepy-ass mirrors.

The exit suddenly slams shut behind me with a loud crack. I spin rapidly, flinging my head back and forth, the cape whipping around my body, as I search for the person who slammed the door. But there's no one there. All I see is the thousands of distorted images of myself, grotesque figures that are me and yet not, their eyes piercing me with a fearful gaze. No one else is here.

This place is too creepy. I need to find Morgan and get out of here.

Where the hell is everyone?

Stepping further into the room, I notice that it seems to narrow into a mirrored hallway. A hall of mirrors. Shit. I step closer and closer, biting my bottom lip until the metallic taste of blood floods my tastebuds. The hallway in front of me is completely mirrored; blue and purple strobe lights flash on and off, causing a refracted light effect and distorting the length of the hallway. I can't tell where it ends. I move forward, watching off to the side as hundreds of me move forward in sync with my motions.

Movement at the other end of the hallway catches my attention, drawing my eyes upward. A figure stands at the far end of the mirrored tunnel. She strides right into my line of sight, her hypnotic blue eyes staring straight at me. Morgan is wearing a skin tight skeleton suit which hugs her delicious figure tightly. To match, her face is decorated like a sugar skull mask. Black and white paint contours her features; crimson sequins rim her eyes, glimmering in the strobe lights. The sight of her causes my mouth to go dry and my pussy to pulse with desire. Her tits bob and sway as she saunters closer to me. She's definitely wearing nothing underneath her skin tight bodysuit as the hardened peaks of her nipples grab my attention. I rub my legs together to try and elevate the throbbing between my thighs.

"Hello princess," she purrs at me from across the hall of smoke and mirrors separating us. "I'm so very glad you came." Her voice is smooth and sweet like honey.

"I knew it was you." Is all I can manage to say as she transfixes me with her gaze.

"Of course it was me. It will always be me. You're mine and I absolutely do not share. If someone else were to request that you meet up with them without any underwear on, I'd be forced to disembowel them and shove their innards down their throat." She steps closer, making my breath stutter against the confines of my chest.

Who the fuck says things like that?

But I can't deny the way she makes me feel. She steals the air from my lungs, hell, from the entire room. It's like everything else ceases to exist when she's around. As she gets closer to me her scent wraps around me, the magical mix of vanilla and jasmine that she seems to emanate. I want to taste it, I want to taste her .

"I'm yours?" I ask. Her lips tip into a devious smile as possessive fire rages in her eyes.

"Of course you're mine, princess. Don't you feel it? This pull between us? Fate has brought you to me." She steps into my space, the warmth of her making me practically melt where I stand. Her hand reaches out to push the hood from my head, her hand trailing down the length of my braided pigtail. "And tonight I'm going to ruin you."

Her words are wicked and cause my stomach to flutter in anticipation. "Ruin me?"

"Uh-huh." Her hand tightens on my braid as she pulls, dragging me against her. She's so soft and warm; my body immediately responds to her touch. Having our skin this close, our breasts pushing together, makes me completely desperate for her to touch me, kiss me, take me. Her hardened nipples skim against mine, teasing me in the most unbearable way. "You, my love, are dressed as a sweet little good girl, so clearly you're the hunted," she pulls my hair again, making my scalp tingle. "And I'm the hunter."

Her lips brush across mine in a seductive dance. "I'm going to fucking ruin you."

Her words cause my mouth to fall open in a gasp. She takes the opportunity to press her lips harshly against mine, her tongue quickly driving into my open mouth. She strikes like a viper, attacking me with such passion that I nearly fall backwards. Her tongue fights against mine, her lips pulsing and urging me to reciprocate. I can't help but give in. I kiss her back, allowing my lips to move against hers, and my tongue to join her dance. I've never been kissed like this, with such need. Her kiss is aggressive and desperate. Her hands fall to my waist as she grinds my body against hers, eliciting a hungered groan from me. She smiles against my mouth, happy with the animalistic noises she's pulling from me. Without being consciously aware of what my body is doing, I roll my hips, pushing my pussy into hers. She pulls back slightly and flashes a wicked smile at me as she stares down at me through hooded lids, her eyes laced with lust and desire.

"So fucking needy for me, aren't you princess?" Her thumb glides across my bottom lip, hooking on the cut I made earlier and opening it again. I hiss at the pain. Everything about this is so similar to my dream, as if she knows my subconscious desires and has planned out how to bring them to life. The thought is unsettling. Perhaps she has snaked her way inside me and knows exactly what I want, what I need.

She pulls herself from me, examining my blood on the pad of her thumb. Without hesitation she brings the digit to her mouth, sucking me from her finger with a growl. "Mine," her voice is low and possessive; her eyes darkening in a way that should scare me, but the need I have for her is too powerful, too potent, too blinding. I want her to take every last piece of me, consume me completely and leave nothing behind. I want to be hers .

"Yours," I nod in agreement.

Stepping into me yet again she grabs my hips fiercely, slamming my core against hers as she grinds against me. I moan in delight, not even caring if others walk in and see us essentially dry humping in public. She leans her head down to my neck and brings her lips to the juncture of my shoulder. She bites down, hard. I scream out but her hands around my hips hold me firm, moving me to continue writhing against her. Each roll of my hips against her brings pulsing pleasure to my core. She feels so good. Her bite turns to a bruising kiss, replacing the pain with intense pleasure. I moan loudly as desire courses through me. Her lips release my tender flesh and her mouth moves up the column of my neck, kissing, licking, and driving me wild. My clit is throbbing angrily. Fuck, I might come before we even get our clothes off. I've never been this worked up before. I'm used to being there for someone else's release. I've never had someone work me up solely for my pleasure. It's maddening and wonderful.

When her lips reach my ear she pauses. "You're going to run, Scarlett," she whispers. I can feel my need for her building, heat moving through my core as I continue to shamelessly grind against her. "And I'm going to chase you. When I catch you, I'm going to strip you naked, tie you up, and claim that pretty little pussy until you scream my name loud enough that everyone on Hell and Earth knows exactly who you belong to."

I pause at her insinuation. This is fun and all but she can't be serious. There are other people around. Plus, I don't even know her last name or anything about her. I'm not about to let some stranger fuck me in a haunted house while others watch. I'm not that type of girl. Right?

"Wha—what about the other people here? What if we get caught? They'll throw us out." I try to step back away from her but she holds me tightly against her.

"There's no one else here. I rented out the entire place. As soon as you entered, the crew cleared out everyone. It's just you and me in here, sweet girl."

I try to wrap my mind around what she's saying. It can't be true, can it? To rent this place out would cost a fortune. But she's right, I haven't seen or heard anyone else since I got here. Maybe we truly are alone.

As if she can feel my unease she quickly reassures me. "Princess," she pulls back, tilting my head up so that our eyes meet. "I mean it. You're mine and I'm not sharing you with anyone. If anyone's eyes dared to look at you while you came I'd pluck their eyeballs from their sockets, throw them to the dirt beneath our feet, and pop them with the heel of my stilettos. The only one looking at you, touching you, tasting you," she punctures each word with a kiss to my neck, causing desire to fill me yet again, "will be me."

"And if you don't catch me?" I ask, secretly hoping the answer still results in her touching me more.

A sinister smirk pulls at her lips. "I will catch you princess and when I do, I will make damn sure you never question the lengths to which I will go to have you ever again." Her words are laced with a potent combination of threat and lust, making my skin tingle and my pussy clench. "Now run ."