The white van sped into Bingeman''s parking lot screeching to a halt in front of the entrance, most park goers didn''t notice the man scramble out of it under the glow of jack-o''-lanterns and the flickering lights of the Halloween Haunt event. The man felt his pockets before cursing under his breath and turning toward the fence, he quickly glanced back to make sure he wasn''t followed. His eyes shifted a violet colour and he floated over the fence, touching down gently on the other side.


    "I can lose her," he muttered to himself, racing deeper into the park. The air was thick with the scent of candy corn and plastic masks, but he didn''t have time to take it all in, he scanned the area for anywhere to slip away. He weaved through the crowd, each step quickening as he caught sight of a woman—her eyes flickering with recognition—approaching him.


    "Exorcist," he whispered, breaking into a jog.


    He ducked into the haunted house, he hardly noticed the actor''s attempts to scare him and he pushed past them. Nothing was more scary than the idea of what would happen if he was caught. Shadows danced along the walls, as he noticed a small side door tucked away, a chance to escape. Clutching his chest, he stumbled through the exit and into the faux graveyard beyond.


    "No!" His voice was a desperate rasp.


    A breeze stirred the silence, and he spun towards the sound of rustling leaves. A young woman with raven hair materialized from the darkness, her face obscured by the moonless night.


    "Sorry," he felt her eyes locked on him. "I just got a little turned around."


    She leaned close, lips brushing his ear as she murmured words and his eyes began to glow. Moments later his exorcist pursuer pushed her way into the graveyard—the man lay lifeless by the graves, a look of fear permanently embedded on his face.


    ---


    "I''m just saying it''s weird that Lust stopped killing isn''t it?" Rob''s voice cut through the night, filled with disbelief.


    "We talked about this before we got here Rob," Zack replied, his pale eyes scanning the park''s entrance. "Tonight we are just focusing on having some fun like normal university students."


    "Right," Rob nodded, arching an eyebrow. "Normal young adults,"


    "Exactly, we can do this," Zack said with a dismissive wave.


    Deb turned to Ahmed, who hadn''t budged since they disembarked from the city bus. "You okay?"


    "Yeah, it just feels colder than normal," Ahmed confessed, his gaze fixed entrance to the Halloween Haunt.


    "I think I have some gloves in my bag, they are pink but they''ll work," Deb offered, holding up her bag.


    "Deb, I''m fine. I can handle a chill," Ahmed replied, but his eyes never left the entrance as he held up a hand to stop her.


    "Just one more thing before we go in and then I will stop," Rob whispered to them all, pulling up his list of suspects on his phone. "I think Ahmed is a reaper."


    "Me?" Ahmed''s brow furrowed. "Because I see dead people?"


    "Could be," Rob said, scrolling through his massive list of supernatural creatures tied to death. "I mean they are supposed to cross the dead over."


    "Rob," Zack rolled his eyes. "Let''s just go inside, please."


    "Fine," Rob sighed as his friends seemed less than amused by his idea. "For the record though, I think normal is boring."


    They teased Rob about his reaper theory as they joined the queue, Ahmed still seemed on edge, like something was lurking just out of sight.


    ---


    Across the city, the street lights lit up the small bedroom, where Ethel slept. Jake sat at the foot of the bed, his gaze never leaving her as she slowly came to. His loft, clearly lived in by a bachelor, had transformed into an infirmary of sorts.


    "Ethel," Jake began, he started as he watched her stir, "You''re ok, I brought you back to my apartment. I didn''t know where else to go."


    She shot up from the bed, turned to face him, and sighed. Her dark hair flowed over her shoulders. "How long have I been out? I need to use your phone,"


    "You''ve been asleep for almost two weeks, it was really touch and go for a while. I''ve never seen a body heal like that, not a single scar," He seemed totally in awe of her, reaching for his phone to offer it to her.


    "Thank you, I saved my life," Ethel offered a smile as she took the phone, their fingers briefly touching. They held it for a moment before he released the phone to her, Jake''s face turned bright red.


    "I''m sure your family is worried about you," he said, trying to change the subject.


    "My family is dead," she responded coldly, staring down at the phone.


    "I''m so sorry, I didn''t know." Jake looked embarrassed by his mistake. Ethel moved from the bed to let him know it was ok.


    Her legs buckled, and Jake caught her before she hit the ground. "Careful, you haven''t been on her feet in over a week" he pleaded, easing her onto the bed. She nodded as he helped her move back to her original position. He placed the phone next to her.


    "Call who you need to call, I''ll go make you some food," he said as he left the room.


    ---


    Meanwhile, Jessica Lopes strolled through the Blackwood building where Ethel had met her apparent end. With each step, she inspected every inch, breaking down the fight in her mind. Her phone pressed between shoulder and ear, and she spoke with Deb, her tone laced with concern.


    "How is the haunt?" Jessica asked.


    "Honestly after everything I''ve seen, it''s kind of boring," came Deb''s voice through the line.


    "Still, doesn''t it feel nice," Jessica paused, eyeing a flash bang that hadn''t gone off. "You know, to not have some creature trying to kill you,"


    "I guess so. It is nice to be here with friends," Deb said, though the static on the cut the last part off.


    "Alright. Call me if you miss the last bus," Jessica ended the call. She pocketed her phone and squatted down to inspect the flashbang. As she turned it over, wiping away some scorch marks, revealing an emblem—the exorcist seal. "Deb," she muttered to herself, collecting the evidence. She stood, taking one last look at the inside of the building. She knew if Deb kept disobeying the code, her life would be at risk.


    ---


    Zack''s reflection warped in the funhouse mirror, his head seemed far too big for his body. He blinked, and for a heartbeat, his eyes flashed an unnatural bright pink before fading back to their usual shade. He took another look in the mirror trying to make it happen again but the dull pink glow was all that emerged.


    "What''s up with you?" Rob asked, looking into the mirror that Zack seemed transfixed on.


    "Nothing I just thought there was something in my eye," Zack explained, taking a step back.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Your eyes look fine to me," Rob shrugged before following Zack out of the funhouse.


    As he left Rob noticed someone familiar in the park, "Hey, Kristian is that you?" he called out. He found Kristian transfixed by a poster on the wall, his gaze locked onto the image of a raven-haired woman whose eyes seemed to pierce through the paper. "Dude, you okay?"


    Kristian remained silent, his body rigid like a statue. Both Rob and Zack seemed confused by his weird behaviour, as they wandered up next to him.


    "Earth to Kristian," Rob tried again, waving his hand in front of his face. When there was no response, he reached out to nudge Kristian''s arm. "Come on, man. You''re starting to freak us out."


    Without warning, Kristian''s fist shot out, punching straight through the poster. His expression didn''t change; he simply turned and walked away, leaving Rob and Zack staring at the jagged hole in the wall.


    "I think you need to call John, he seems to get Kristian better than anyone," Rob muttered to Zack, but when he turned around Zack was gone too, "Seriously!"


    Meanwhile, Deb navigated the twists of the horror maze, until she came to yet another dead end. She rounded a corner to head back and gasped as Zack suddenly stumbled into view, seeming a little off.


    "Deb," he began, his voice distant as if he were speaking from far away, "Why did we break up? We were so good together. I miss you... I need you..."


    His hand clasped hers and she didn''t pull away, unsure how to feel about this sudden confession. His grip loosened, Zack''s eyes cleared, and he jumped back from her.


    "Where... What... I''m sorry—" he stammered, then darted off through the maze without another word.


    "Zack?" Deb called after him, but he was already gone.


    Deeper in the maze, Ahmed was beginning to feel frustrated, "Excuse me, do you work here?" Ahmed''s voice wavered as he addressed a raven-haired woman ahead of him. He had lost sight of Deb after a particularly pushy ghoul forced them down different paths.


    The figure turned slowly, revealing a slab without a single facial feature. Ahmed stumbled backward, his pulse racing. "You''re what I''ve been feeling."


    "Everyone will pay for what they''ve done," the faceless woman whispered, her voice echoing in the still night air before she vanished through the wall of the maze.


    Ahmed felt something else, a build-up of misery and pain as he slowly turned around. The ground was littered with bodies, their lifeless eyes wide open in silent screams. He let out a cry of terror, and within moments, Deb was at his side.


    "Ahmed! Are you hurt?" she asked, scanning him for injuries.


    "Deb..." His words faltered. "Don''t you see them? The bodies... we need to leave now!"


    "There is nothing there," Deb scanned the area Ahmed was pointing at, worry etching her brow as she gripped his arm, "let''s get you out of here, I just had the weirdest encounter with Zack, we need to find him before we go."


    Together, they hurried through the labyrinth, pushing the haunt''s actors aside until they were finally free from the maze.


    Ahmed stopped by the bathrooms as he tried to catch his breath, he looked back at the maze. "I saw something else too," he insisted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I woman but she didn''t have a face."


    "And you''re sure she wasn''t just an actor?" Deb offered, placing a hand on Ahmed''s shoulder.


    "No, she walked through the maze wall," Ahmed countered with conviction.


    "Ok, I''m going to text the others, something is seriously wrong here," Deb said pulling out her phone.


    Ahmed watched until a murmur from behind the maze wall caught his attention. Ahmed crept closer, pressing his ear to the cool surface, straining to catch the hushed exchange on the other side.


    "Should we really be doing this?" It was a male voice, filled with worry.


    "Like she said, it''s the only way out," replied a female, sounding desperate.


    "Are you ready then?" The man''s voice wavered.


    "Wait, I have to tell you—"


    "I know, I love you too, that’s all that matters." there was a pause and Ahmed tried to see the couple through the cracks in the maze lining.


    "Okay, on three... One... two..." They counted together.


    The sharp crack of a gunshot caused Ahmed to stumble back, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. He turned to Deb, who was texting as if nothing happened. Without a word, he dashed around the corner of the maze.


    "Ahmed, where are you going!" Deb called after him.


    Ahmed looked down the maze but there was no sign the couple ever existed. It had felt so real, the park was playing a cruel trick on him, the only problem was he didn''t know if it was all a part of the haunt or not.


    "Ahmed don''t just run off like that," Deb urged, as she finally jogged up next to him. "this park is really starting to freak me out.


    "You have no idea," Ahmed whispered.


    ---


    Meanwhile, within the dimly lit corridors of the haunted hospital, John strolled beside Kristian, feigning interest as fake blood-splattered walls failed to impress him.


    "Hey Kristian, I had no idea you''d be here," John smiled, stepping over scattered newspapers of fake crimes.


    "Sure you didn''t," Kristian mumbled, not even bothering to look over at him. John huffed but continued to follow him through the fake hospital.


    They entered the operating room, where a body lay draped beneath a stained sheet on a gurney. An eerie calm settled over Kristian as a voice whispered his name.


    "Kristian..." It was soft yet insistent.


    "Olivia?" His voice cracked as he approached the table.


    "I''m here, Kristian."


    With trembling hands, he pulled back the cloth to reveal Olivia''s still form, her eyes snapping open to lock onto his.


    "Olivia!" Kristian staggered backward, his mind reeling.


    "Are you ok? That doesn''t look anything like Olivia," John said, staring down at the blonde dummy.


    "It was her, her eyes opened," Kristian stammered, pointing to the figure on the table.


    "That''s not possible, it doesn''t even have eyes." John patted his shoulder, still concerned about Kristian''s weird outburst.


    "Right," Kristian breathed, his eyes still locked on the dummy, it seemed to turn its head toward him, offering a wink.


    "Come on," John urged. "Let''s keep moving, ok big guy?"


    Together, they moved on, leaving the dummy behind, with one last glance back at it.


    ---


    "Why aren''t they here yet," Ahmed muttered, as he paced by the entrance. "We need to leave as soon as possible."


    Deb nodded, scrolling through articles about the Halloween haunt on her phone. "Ahmed, something supernatural is definitely going on here. There''ve been several mysterious deaths linked to the Halloween haunt, most were ruled accidents."


    "Trust me, they weren''t accidents." Ahmed shook just thinking about what he heard. He glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting to see the faceless woman appear again.


    "I know, but if this is supernatural, we might be the only ones who can stop it," Deb explained, reaching an article about a couple found dead in the park four years ago.


    "No! there is no way—" Ahmed stopped mid-sentence, as a breeze blew past him.


    A faint and chilling, a woman''s voice was carried with it, counting. "One... two... three... four..."


    "Did you hear that?" he whispered, goosebumps prickling his arms.


    Deb paused, listening. "I don''t hear anything,"


    "Four... tonight there will be four" The haunting laughter that followed caused Ahmed to stare at Deb hoping she heard it.


    "Still nothing," Deb admitted, finally pocketing her phone. "You are the only one who can hear them."


    "Great," Ahmed signed, his eyes scanning the festive crowd for any sign of Zack or Rob.


    ---


    Meanwhile, John had emerged from the haunted hospital attraction, a confused look on his face. He walked briskly, trying to figure out how he lost sight of Kristian—the rustling of leaves drew his attention to the haunted trailer park attraction.


    "John," a disembodied voice called out.


    "Who''s there?" John muttered under his breath, his steps faltering as he moved closer to the line for the next attraction.


    "You''re useless, John. That''s why I locked you away," Kyle''s voice sneered from the breeze.


    "Pathetic," Ethel''s whisper condemned, "That''s why I kicked you out of my covenant."


    "Stop it," John grunted, pressing his palms against his ears.


    "You think that you can stop us," Greed''s voice rang through his head.


    "Leave now," the voices commanded in unison.


    "Leave..." John repeated like a mantra, as his eye began to fog over.


    "Are you okay, mister?" A concerned performer stepped forward, jolting John back to reality.


    "Fine," John snapped, too harshly, and hustled past them into the next room, terrified that the voices could return.


    He rounded a corner and came face-to-face with the faceless woman, her aura overwhelming him.


    "God!" His scream was cut off as her cold hands pressed firmly over his mouth, silencing him.


    "Shhh," she hushed, her voice filling his mind.


    "Come find me," she said before vanishing into thin air, leaving John alone, panting heavily, as his whole body shook.


    ---


    Zack was still lost in the maze, racing through the different paths without being able to find the exit. It was like the maze itself was moving, preventing his escape. As he reached another dead end, he stopped to catch his breath. Taking a breath, he thought he heard a voice.


    "Hello?" Zack turned around only to be greeted by nothingness, he could feel a knot beginning to form in his stomach.


    "Zack," the voice came from behind me. "Why didn''t you save me, Zack?"


    Zack felt every muscle in his body tense. "Ethel?"


    "Turn around," she pleaded.


    Hesitating for only a moment, Zack slowly turned. The sight before him snatched his breath away. Danny, eyes glowing like sapphires, had Ethel in a chokehold, her feet dangling inches off the ground.


    "Ethel!" Zack choked out, racing toward them.


    "You''re too late," Danny sneered. "She''s dead, Zack. And it''s your fault."


    Before Zack could reach them, Danny''s claws flashed, and Ethel crumpled to the pavement like a discarded puppet. Zack''s world narrowed at the sight of Danny melting into the shadows.


    "Zack?" Rob''s voice cut through the haze, his hand on Zack''s shoulder grounding him back to reality.


    "Did you see—"


    "There is nothing there, man." Rob''s gaze followed Zack''s blank stare down the darkened passage. "You''re seeing things."


    Zack shook his head. "It felt so real."


    "Come on," Rob urged, helping back to his feet. "Ahmed says we need to go."


    ---


    Meanwhile, Leona and Kenneth stood wrapped in each other’s embrace, their lips locked, oblivious to the onlooker who stared at the perfect couple while they stood in the queue for the graveyard.


    "So you''re finishing the semester and then going?" Leona asked between kisses, her fingers tracing patterns on his back.


    "Yeah," Kenneth murmured against her lips, his arms pulling her closer. "I wish I could stay longer."


    "Then let''s make the most of tonight," Leona said, sealing it with another deep kiss.