Chapter 22: The Staff Member Pulled Aside the Heavy Black Curtain

"Step right in."

The staff member pulled aside the heavy black curtain. A chilling gust of wind rushed out. Clara Whitmore squinted, barely making out a dim passageway stretching into the darkness.

Screams echoed from within. Sloane Bennett clutched Clara's wrist so tightly her nails nearly drew blood.

"Maybe we should turn back?" Clara eyed her pale-faced friend.

"No way!" Sloane jutted her chin stubbornly. "We already bought tickets!"

Clara had no choice but to let herself be dragged forward.

"Ahhh!"

A blood-smeared monster lunged from around the corner. Sloane shrieked and hid behind Clara.

Nearby, Grant Holloway whipped his head around.

Had he just heard that familiar name?

"Grant?" Paige Lawson timidly tugged his sleeve. "I'm scared..."

Grant absentmindedly patted her shoulder, his gaze still searching the shadows.

Eerie red lights flickered along the passage. Paige clung to Grant like a limpet, eyes squeezed shut.

"Is...is it gone?" Her trembling voice muffled against his chest.

"Gone." He gave a perfunctory pat to her back.

This level of horror couldn't even frighten a child.

His mind flashed to Clara's first haunted house visit—she'd been so unfazed she'd discussed prop-making techniques with the staff.

The memory made his chest constrict.

"Grant?" Paige noticed his distraction.

"Let's keep moving." He shook off the thought.

Meanwhile, Sloane faced her greatest challenge yet.

"AHHHHH!"

The zombie rising from a coffin shattered her nerves. She bolted like a startled rabbit before Clara could react.

Clara stared at the empty space where her friend had been.

"..."

Shaking her head, she turned—and met the pleading eyes of the coffin actor.

The NPC blinked, his fake tongue flopping out comically.

Clara sighed and helped tuck the prop back in place.

"Thanks," the actor whispered.

Alone now, Clara soon got lost in the maze-like corridors. Three identical forks—one completely blocked off.

"Terrible design..."

A blaring alarm cut her off mid-sentence.

She froze.

Spoke too soon.

Panicked visitors stampeded toward the exit. The narrow passage became a suffocating crush. Clara struggled to breathe, forced to slow her pace.