Page 6 of Deadmen's Captive

“Ah, I see.” He closed the notebook and put it away. “Best get back to your room, miss. And take it easy.” His tone had changed completely, from concerned to… well, I wasn’t sure what that was.

“Aren’t you going to write down what I said?” I asked.

He shook his head. “The mask… it’ll just be a prank. Nearly Halloween, isn’t it? Happens every year. You’ll see them a lot around campus.”

“Them?” I asked, my heart starting to return to its normal rate at the thought that it was just a seasonal prank.

He nodded. “The Reapers.”

“Who are the Reapers?”

He sighed. “I’m sure you'll find out soon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to start my rounds. Have a good evening.”

I felt a shiver of dread as he disappeared into the shadows of the corridor, leaving me alone once again. I hesitated for a moment before making my way to my room, past the rows of identical doors lining the dormitory hallway. What if he was still out there waiting for me? Despite the assurance that it was just a Halloween prank, I couldn't shake off an unsettling feeling. The masked figure seemed too real, his approach felt too predatory for a simple prank.

As I walked down the corridor, my thoughts began to spiral. What did the watchman mean by ‘Reapers’? And why did he seem so dismissive of them? Was it just some sort of college ghost story designed to freak out the freshmen?

My heart pounded in my chest as I reached my door. I fumbled with my keys, struggling to get the key into the lock with shaking hands. When the door finally swung open, I quickly stepped inside and locked it behind me. For a moment, I just stood there, back pressed against the door, listening for any sounds of movement outside. When none came, I let out a shaky breath of relief but I still checked the windows meticulously before plopping down onto my bed. My heart was still pounding in my chest, but the familiar surroundings brought some comfort.

My mother had decided I’d need ample funds for makeup and shoes while I was at university, so I received a monthly allowance and the first month’s had nearly all gone on charity shop hauls and making my room my very own sanctuary. Some pretty floral art prints, and a muted tie dye bed set brought colour that wasn’t too overwhelming to the bare beige room, and I’d knotted colourful scarves around the metal bedhead with some fairy lights. Right now, though, I felt restless .

I got back up and stuck my head out into the corridor. On the opposite side of the corridor, my new friend Kate’s door stood propped open, heavy metal music blasting through it. I crossed over and stood in the doorway looking into her room. Her taste led more towards a dark rock vibe, and as my eyes fell on the leather jacket chucked on her messy bed, the girl in question came out of the tiny bathroom identical to mine. We might not have been able to afford the swanky student houses on the other side of campus, but we'd managed our own rooms and ensuite bathrooms, which I counted as a major win. Privacy had been non existent growing up,and being able to lock my own door was luxury to me.

“Going out again?” I asked, taking in her little black dress, and the skyscraper black leather heels with silver studs. Her black hair was loose, ringlets tumbling down her back, and her green eyes were ringed with eyeliner making them pop.

She nodded. “Just a few drinks and then probably clubbing afterwards with a few of the girls from my business course.” Her eyes narrowed.”Are you ok? You look pale.”

I nodded. “I’m fine. this weird guy followed me back from the art room wearing this freaky mask and it spooked me, but apparently it’s just a prank these guys pull every year.”

Kate sat down on her bed, putting on dangling silver earrings. “Skull mask?”

“Yes! Don’t tell me you’ve heard of these guys too? Is this a regular thing every halloween?”

She shook her head, her expression becoming serious. “It’s not a prank… Well, it is, but not really. And it’s not just Halloween. It’s the Deadmen’s Club.”

I frowned. “The night watchman guy said they were called Reapers.”

Kate nodded. “It's the same group. Most students call them the Reapers because of the skull masks, but their real name is the Deadmen’s Club. They’re an elite secret society here on campus.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What, you mean a bunch of Hooray Henrys freaking out the lower classes? And if they’re so secret, how come everyone knows about them?”

“The club isn’t secret, but what they do is. There’s stories of course, but most of them aren’t true. At least, I hope they aren’t. They're supposed to be into some really dark shit, I’d stay away from them if I were you.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve had more than enough darkness tonight,” I said, perching on the edge of her dresser and watching her pull her jacket on. “Are you going to be in late then?”

She turned and looked at me appraisingly. “You could come, you know. I didn’t ask cause you always say no, but it would be great to have you along. You can get to know some more people. The girls I’m going with are really nice. Want to come this time? I can wait while you get changed.”

“Really?” I considered it for a moment. I wasn’t sure if I was in the mood, but then, I wasn’t sure I wanted to stay in my room by myself all night.

“You know what, I will. Give me ten minutes. Actually, give me twenty. It’s nearly seven and I need to call my mother, or she worries.”

She didn’t worry, but I didn’t trust her not to show up on my doorstep. I had been allowed away from home on the proviso I called every day at seven, and that I sent her appropriate pictures for the Instagram account she insisted on maintaining for me. Social media wasn’t my thing, but my mother was adamant I needed to keep in touch with my friends from school and college and to demonstrate the life she’d designed was still going on. I swear half my free time was spent staging photos for her. I didn’t care about any of the girls I’d known at school or college. They’d been handpicked by her, daughters of her society friends, and we’d had nothing in common. But I needed to be perfect and to my mother, being popular was perfection. How she intended to make me popular here, I had no idea.

It was actually half an hour later by the time we left the building, Kate tottering on her ridiculous heels, me in lower boots with denim flares and a crochet top that left my back and midriff bare and would have given my straightlaced mother a heart attack if she could see me. My blonde hair hung in loose waves down my back, tickling my skin. I'd like to say it was perfectly styled, but I hadn’t had time for that, and I’d just undone the french braid I’d had it in all day, and Kate had quickly put on a little makeup for me. Some necklaces and bangles and I was ready to go.

Kate had called a taxi and she gave directions as she got into the back. It was only as I climbed into the cab, that I could have sworn I saw the deep sockets of a skull watching us from the darkness of the surrounding trees, but then it was gone, making me wonder if I had just imagined it.

Chapter Two

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