They’re not slowing down.
They’re closing.
And this time, I don’t hesitate. Because now, the guys following me are on my side of the fence, running at me.
There’s no sign of Soren. I know he’s not far away, but they’re closer.
And I have no doubt they’ll take what they want if they reach me.
SOREN
She wanted to be chased.
She wanted to come to the Anything Goes.
And here, I can bring her darkest fantasies to life.
The plot twist that she didn’t see coming?
We’re not going to be alone here.
That adds to my excitement. But at the same time, she’s going to be in more danger than she ever realized.
I tried to keep her away, but she insisted. Always stubborn—never really understanding the full risk she puts herself in.
I could have chased her around the woods behind the apartment. Let her run wild for five minutes and then snuck up on her, pinning her against a tree and fucking her hard.
That would have been cute—a little trite, but cute. It would have done the job. Something she could tell friends. A spicy little tale to regale them with on a night out.
But I don’t play on easy mode. This serves more than one purpose—three, if you count the part of me that’s been itching to be scratched for months now.
It was fulfilling, dealing with those creeps at the dive bar. Especially rearranging the one guy’s face. And then taking care of the stupid bitch that was sending messages on behalf of Ivy’s ex, as well as the ex himself. For some, that would have been the grand finale—the piece de resistance. I’ve certainly earned some brownie points from Ivy for that one. The way she looked at me when I handed her the art piece crafted from his tattoo—it did things to me. Still does when I recall it.
But the darkness in me craves more.
I reach behind me and pull out two weapons—a rifle and a revolver. The shotgun is loaded with tranquilizers. I’m not a monster. I’m not in the Anything Goes to enact some lunatic murder spree—although I certainly wouldn’t be the first one.
This is about creating an experience for Ivy. The others arecollateral—and they’re certainly not good people. But I’m hardly going to end their lives for a spot of entertainment. The revolver is just in case things get out of hand. I tuck it into my waistband.
She doesn’t stand a chance against the guys chasing her. Againstme.
It helps that she hasn’t been here before. She has no idea about the tunnels that spider out across the Anything Goes. That would make things even more interesting.
But she’s on a course she can’t read, regardless. I’m hoping she picks the woods, but there are several other places that she might end up running into—the amusement park, the gothic graveyard, the junkyard run by lunatics, the dilapidated corn maze—there’s even an abandoned shopping mall. All of which I’d be more than happy to chase her through.
I head in the direction she ran. She has no idea what she’s getting into, and that’s part of what makes this all the more thrilling.
Running, in the dark, in a strange neighborhood that’s clearly full of danger.
Five of them are already on her.
They’re unkempt—their cadence off-kilter—adding to the terror of the chase. The ambiguity of what they’re trying to do.
If any of them reached her, she wouldn’t stand a chance.
And there are many more of them waiting for their shot.
They start to get closer than my liking. It’s my time to act.