Page 80 of Vile Boys

Shit, I don’t want to put them in danger either.

What do I do?

Prick: Right outside.

My heart almost comes to a stop.

Me: Stop.

Prick: I can see you.

A cold chill fills my bones.

I slowly turn around on my bed and blink at the window.

When thunder strikes down on the earth, it illuminates a ghostly figure standing on my balcony, a golden, demonic-looking mask complete with horns covering half his face. In his hand is a knife that glints in the dark.

My eyes widen.

Oh God.

My phone buzzes again, and I can’t fucking move as I watch the text come in.

Prick: You look a little pale, little rose. Don’t worry. We’ll give you back your red glow. Run. Run as fast as you can, andlet’s see who wins this game.

One look over my shoulder at the man behind my window, just one look, and I’m gone.

I rush through the door and down the stairs of the sorority, trying to get away from him as fast as I can. I don’t know where I’m going. All I know is that I need to be as far away from him as I possibly can.

CRYSTAL

I run straight into the pouring rain, not giving a shit that I’m only wearing a onesie. There’s no time to grab a coat, no time to grab anything.

Because he’s right there, climbing down the steps of the fire escape next to the balconies.

Oh God.

Sheer panic forces me to move as I run toward the main area of the campus in the middle of the night. Hardly anyone is outside, and by the time I do finally come across a student, I can barely speak.

“Are you okay?” they ask, lifting their umbrella.

I suck in a breath, wondering what to say. “Just going for a run!”

“In the rain?”

I pick up my pace even though I must look insane.

If I told them the truth, they’d be implicated.

Mutilated.

Killed.

Just for knowing.

It’s not a question of if but a question of when. And I don’t want anyone else’s life to be in jeopardy.

I turn around the corner of the street but come to an abrupt halt when I see another stranger in a hoodie slowly walking in my direction. In one hand is a phone with open texts, and in the other is a knife just like the guy on my balcony. And on his face is the same eerie gold demonic mask.

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