Sera walked into the foyer, followed by nine other people. The door closed behind them, and a small light came on to illuminate the floor around them. "Awesome," Kathleen whispered in her ear.
"This is ridiculous," a disdainful voice said from behind her. "How old are we?"
Sera bristled at Michelle's condescending tone and tried to push away her disappointment at having to go through with her. "Oh no," Danielle whispered.
A man stepped out of the shadows, startling them all, and causing Sera to take a step back. He wore a vampire costume and was covered with so much makeup Sera couldn't tell who he was. "I see you were brave enough to enter. I must warn you that not all of you will make it through alive. If you wish to leave now, please, be my guest." Sera bit back a smile as she recognized Jack's voice. She never expected to see him so dressed up for Halloween, and she found it charming.
"How corny," Michelle sneered.
"I see we have a disbeliever," Jack continued. "They are usually the ones who don't make it. Now, follow me to your death."
He walked away from them and toward the kitchen. They followed him down the dimly lit hall, past the swinging doors. "Welcome," he announced. "To the kitchen of death."
They stepped into an elaborately decorated death scene. On the kitchen table lay a torso with blood dripping from its neck and stumpy legs. A man stood by the sink holding a bloody knife; blood covered his white apron. "Have you brought me presents?" he asked, lowering the knife.
"Yes, master," Jack answered.
"You have done well. Come forward my children, and see what I have for you."
Sera cocked an eyebrow at Jack as he grinned down at her, his hazel eyes twinkling merrily. "Cute costume," she whispered.
"And you're looking lovely tonight," he said low. "Now move before I have to drink your blood."
Sera laughed as she moved forward, a little thrill of excitement flowed through her. She loved haunted houses. "Come." The man with the knife gestured them closer to the sink. They crowded around the sink to stare down at a bloody, decapitated head. "This was my brother. He stole my girlfriend; now I need a new one. What about you, sweetie?" he asked Kathleen.
"I love a man who knows how to protect himself," Kathleen replied laughingly.
"Oh, baby!"
They all jumped as the head in the sink uttered the words and opened its eyes to look at them. A few of the girls screamed and jumped back, and then everybody began to laugh nervously. "I need a girlfriend too," the head cried.
A shrill scream filled the air as a figure dressed in white came rushing at them. Sera yelped and stumbled into Danielle. "They're mine!" she shouted as she charged at them. "You can't have them!"
One of the men broke out laughing, and the terror fled Sera's body. "Come now!" Jack cried. "We must leave this room if we are to survive."
"This is awesome!" Kathleen enthused.
They moved through a pitch-black hall, bouncing against the walls as they felt their way along. Spider webs brushed annoyingly against her face, sending chills down her spine. The walls suddenly turned to mush, and Sera jerked her hand away as gunk enveloped her fingers.
"Ugh," Danielle cried. "What is this?"
"Brains," Jack replied. "Of those who didn't make it through."
"Well, it better not stain!" Michelle yelled from the back.
"Bitch," Jack muttered.
"You can say that again," Kathleen announced.
Jack laughed as Sera grinned. Suddenly, she bumped into something solid. "Sorry," she apologized when she realized it was a body.
Light suddenly flooded the room. Sera yelled and jumped backward. The body was hanging from the ceiling staring down at her. "Help me," it cried as it grabbed at her.
"Shit!" she cried, her hand flying to her chest as Michelle laughed shrilly.
"Scared?" she taunted.
"Help me," it called again as she brushed past it and back into the shadows.
"We are about to enter the basement of torture," Jack announced.
A light flickered on. Sera eyed the rickety stairs before her, wondering if they would support her weight and the others. She swallowed as she followed Jack down the stairwell. An eerie feeling began to envelop her as the stairs rocked a little but held firm beneath them. The group followed behind her until they were all standing at the bottom. The only source of light was the bulb from above, and it was impossible to see anything beyond the ten-foot beam.
The light went out, and darkness descended. A chill went through Sera as Kathleen grabbed her arm. "I don't like this," Kathleen whispered.
Sera had to admit she didn't like it either. She wondered where Liam was in this blackness and wished he were with her. Something brushed against her arm, and she stifled the scream rising in her throat. Kathleen suddenly gripped her arm with enough force to leave a bruise.
"What the hell?" someone asked from the back.
"Something touched me!"
A large, hairy hand grabbed Sera's arm, and she screamed when a few other people did. A dim light suddenly came on. There was absolutely nothing around them. No hint of movement, and no place for anyone to hide. A shiver racked through her as she bit down on her bottom lip.
"Can we go to the party now?" a girl in the back asked nervously.
"Only the survivors will party," Jack taunted. "The dead will be dinner."
"Great," Kathleen mumbled, releasing Sera's arm.
They followed Jack into a dimly lit side room. In the middle of the room stood a man in surgical scrubs. A woman was lying on a medical table with blood pooling around her. The doctor looked up and pulled his mask down as he smiled at them. His teeth were gaping holes.
"Oh, more victims. I need practice!"
The young woman sat up. Blood flowed from her mouth, and her teeth hung grotesquely out. "Help," she begged. "Make him stop!"
The dentist came closer to them, a set of pliers in his hand. "I need more teeth for my collection!"
He held up
