Page 25 of The Wishing Game

"Uh, I," I stammer, my eyes wildly seeking a way out. "Do you know where the restroom is?"

"Sure. It's right behind the stage." She points out to the back. "But don't take long. The event's about to start."

I nod awkwardly, standing up and doing my best to wade through the throng of people without jostling my frail arm. Up close, I'm even more surprised by how real these costumes look. Why, the fur feels like genuine animal fur! I jostle my way through the crowd, but as I near the other end of the room, I stop, shocked at one girl's costume.

She has a beautiful white fluffy tail that sways in rhythm with the music.

"Is it mechanical?" I can't help but ask.

"Huh?" Her brows shoot up.

"Your tail." I point to it just as it moves in a slow circle. "Wow," I whisper.

"What are you on about?" She frowns, staring at me strangely.

"How do you move it? Do you have a remote control for it?" I ask as the fluffy end brushes against my right hand. It's so soft and cute! Oh my, I'd love a purple one...

"Shut the fuck up,human," she sneers at me, and I belatedly realize that she wasn't inviting me to pat her tail. She was swatting me away.

A yelp escapes me as I jump back, blinking furiously in an attempt to understand what I'd done wrong. But even as I open my mouth to apologize, the girl glares at me belligerently.

"Uhm, I'll just...go?" I put on a fake smile as I slither my way back, putting distance between us. A little hopping, dodging, and ducking, and I make it safely to the end of the stage.

Was I rude? Sometimes I may mess up the words in English, but I didn't offend her—or at least I don't think I did. I release a weary sigh as I step away from the rest of the crowd.

Maybe I just came across as a creep because we were both in a crammed space and she wasn't sure of my intentions? Although the situation rests heavily on my mind, I decide my focus should be on finding an escape. But still, I don't like that my intentions were misconstrued...

Shaking my head, I continue walking, ignoring all the other cute costumes around me—even the purple ones. There's a small corridor in the back, which is eerily empty. The restrooms are on one side, but the corridor extends farther. Assuming that the emergency exit should be located at the end of the hallway, I venture deeper.

I walk for a few meters before I realize that the lights have gone out.

A sliver of fear goes down my back.

Well, damn. If I go back, I'm going to get killed for my organs, but if I go farther, I may get killed for a different matter altogether.

For a moment, I falter, stranded in the darkness. I sway lightly on my feet, a little dizzy—not sure if from fear or from the alcohol. Damn it, I shouldn't have had three cocktails either. Who knows what they put in them...

Squeezing my eyes shut, I decide to take my chances with what I may find at the end of the corridor. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to find an exit.

As I walk farther, the music becomes only a soft ringing in my ear as silence slowly envelops the hallway. Everything is so dark, I can't even see where I'm walking.

"Luce?" An echo travels down the corridor and I stop, slowly turning back as all the hairs on my body stand up. The same voice calls my name again, and pure terror grips me as I make to run.

But I barely take another step before I bump into someone.

"Ah!" I scream, reeling backward and falling down. "Don't hurt me," I whimper, squeezing my eyes shut and defending my face with my right arm while my left one hangs limply to the ground.

SIX

Aspark of light erupts in the darkness, slowly illuminating the entire hallway.

"This area is off-limits," a harsh voice says.

I squint my eyes as I try to make out the figure in front of me.

The color of his eyes is the first thing I notice—a deep swirling amber. I blink, unsure I'm seeing it right, and the next time I look at him, his eyes are just a regular warm brown. He straightens his back as he regards me skeptically, rising to his full height and towering over me. Good grief, how tall is this man? He must be well over two meters—that makes him over sixty centimeters taller than my slight frame.

"I-I'm sorry?" I whisper, forcing a smile. With that size, he could crush me with one hand. It's better to get on his good side.

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