Page 54 of Hide Me Darling

Just as I near the carousel, the music abruptly stops, and the lights dim until they fade into darkness once more. I pause, my heart racing, trying to make sense of the eerie sequence. Before I can gather my thoughts, another melody begins to play, this time from a different corner of the carnival.

I follow the new music, my footsteps light and deliberate as I navigate through the empty tents and rides. The lights guide me, promising answers just out of reach. But as I approach the source of the music, it too falls silent, leaving me standing in the quiet darkness once more.

After it happens a third time, a chilling realization dawns on me: I'm being manipulated, moved around the carnival like a pawn on a chess board. Each musical cue, each flicker of light, is designed to lure me exactly where they want.

I pause, my senses on high alert, scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. Another burst of music and lights draws me towards another corner of the grounds. This time, I ignore it, heading in a different direction instead. I want to see what they will do when I refuse to play the way they expect.

Creeping through the carnival rides, I’m moving around the center when the lights suddenly blare to life around me, momentarily blinding me after the intense focus on navigating the shadows. A chilling laugh pierces the air. I whirl around to see a figure perched on a table several yards away, his red neon mask making him look like the devil. His knife glints menacingly under the lights.

His deep modulated voice makes me suck in a sharp breath, taunting and menacing. "Little shadow, you aren't playing along like a good girl," Cain drawls, the words dripping with malice. My heart races, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I stand my ground, defiant.

"I'm not your good girl. I don't want to play this game," I retort, but even through the voice manipulator in my mask I can hear the strain. "Those girls deserve justice."

His laughter rings out again, a sound that seems to echo endlessly through the empty carnival grounds. "They will get justice, darling, but not tonight," he replies calmly, the edge of his knife tapping ominously against the table. "Tonight, we play."

I scan the surroundings cautiously, wondering where Abel is hiding, but Cain’s next words answer me before I even ask. "It's just you and me tonight, darling girl."

"I'm not playing your games anymore," I declare firmly, my stubbornness flaring as I narrow my eyes at him.

"Is that so?" he taunts, and in an instant, darkness envelops us. The lights, including the eerie red glow of his mask, vanish. My breath catches in my throat as I strain to see through the impenetrable blackness.

Then, Cain’s mask lights up again and before I can react, he lunges toward me with startling speed. Instinct takes over, and my body springs into action, fight or flight propelling me. He won’t get to me easily this time.

Chapter 26

Hydessa

Irun, sprinting away from him as adrenaline fuels my legs and I dash through the maze of attractions, heart pounding in my ears. The chilling laughter echoes behind me, urging me to push harder, faster.

The carnival begins to feel like a labyrinth closing in around me. I dart between games and booths, rides and creepy statues, the sound of my own ragged breaths mingling with the echoes of his laughter. It seems to come from all around me, almost as though it’s being played on the speakers spread through the carnival. Each shadow seems to reach out, threatening to ensnare me as I navigate this random maze.

I dare not look back, fearing what I might trip over while Cain chases me through the darkness. Behind me, his taunting voice follows, a reminder that I’m now playing a game that only he knows the rules to. A game I told him I didn’t want to play and ended up trapped in anyway.

"You can't hide forever, little shadow," he calls out.

A sudden burst of music and light from a nearby ride momentarily distracts me, but I force myself to ignore it, moving in the opposite direction. My feet stumble and I think I’m going to fall. My heart lurches as I spread my arms out for balance, gasping for breath. But I recover and keep going, my pulse is racing as I take one corner after another.

Another ride erupts, this one even closer. I have to shield my eyes from how bright it is, and I growl under my breath as I veer sharply in the opposite direction.

When another ride lights up and I once again shift to go in the opposite direction, I curse my own stupidity. I’m being herded, just like the prey I am.

Spotting the darkened open door of a nearby attraction, I make a split-second decision and duck inside, moving swiftly through the entryway. The darkness envelops me like ink, swallowing me whole as I press deeper into its depths. There is no moonlight to rely on here, just my hand against the wall as I try to find a place to hide.

This is what I’m good at. Being out in the open is too vulnerable.

I strain my ears, listening for any sign of Cain’s approach, but the silence is now absolute. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I lean against a cold wall, my chest heaving as I struggle to slow my racing heart. Sweat beads on my forehead, trickling down my temples as I try to calm the trembling in my limbs. Pulling the mask from my face, I shove it into my pocket.

As I stand there, the space around me gradually becomes clearer as soft lights begin to fill it. Startled, I glance around, but all I can see is my own reflection staring back at me—not just once, but multiple times.

Panic grips my chest as I realize I'm trapped in a hall of mirrors. Casting multiple reflections of myself in every direction. Each mirror reveals a slightly different angle, creating an unsettling illusion of infinite hallways stretching out before me.

My heart hammers against my chest as I reach back toward the door I came through, desperate to escape this maze of distorted reflections. I twist the handle, but it refuses to budge no matter how hard I push and pull. With a sinking feeling, I realize the door is locked.

He trapped me. How could he have even predicted that I would run in here?

Cautiously, I assess my surroundings, feeling a rising sense of dread. The mirrors taunt me with their endless reflections, each one a reminder of my vulnerability in this twisted maze.

I move cautiously forward, my footsteps echoing softly around the hollow room. The dim lights above cast an ominous glow, but the shadows seem to dance and flicker, distorting the reflections around me that warp in and out. I resist the urge to panic, knowing that clear thinking is my best chance of finding a way out.

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