Page 8 of Dance of Madness

Fantasy isn’tthis,not really.

Not with an actual stranger. Not with a masked fuckingpsychoin a derelict mansion.

“Let’s see how fucking wet and messy this little pussy got running from me. And I’d hope it’sreallyfucking wet, princess, for your sake…”

He shoves his hand between my thighs, and something in mesnaps.

My hold on reality, maybe.

A gut instinct to survive.

I willnotlet this happen.

Just as he leans over me, I drive my elbow back into his ribs. Hard.

The monster grunts in pain. His grip loosens—not all the way, but enough.

My pulse roars as I whirl and slam my knee up into his crotch.

“FUCK!” He roars madly, groaning as he stumbles back a step. I grit my teeth and send a swift, well-aimedgrand battementinto his balls.

He makes a sound that’s half-fury, half-pain as he drops to his knees.

I don’t wait.

I fuckingrun.

Down the hall. Along another corridor. Past shrouded furniture and musty old portraits, and finally down the stairs.

Cool night air blasts me in the face as I stagger out the front door of Greymoor Manor, leaving it hanging open as I half-fall down the steps into the street.

My ankle is on fire. My legs barely work.

But I flat-out run down the block, catching sight of a cab pulling up at the corner to drop some passengers off. I scream and wave,charging at it like a maniac and probably terrifying the two guys who are getting out of the back seat before I dive inside and slam the door shut.

“Drive!” I choke. “Anywhere—justgo!”

The cab peels away from the curb, tires screeching.

It’s only when we’re half a block away that I look back.

The mansion stands silent. The steps are empty.

The front door is closed again.

No sign of a monster in a wolf mask.

…Just the lingering electric tingle where his hands clamped over my mouth and touched my skin.

I exhale hard, and then start laughing for some weird, deranged reason: quiet, unhinged laughter that has no humor in it at all.

Take something. Leave something. Say the words.

I said the words and got them on video, though I didn't take the fucking book. It was dropped somewhere during that mad, insane chase.

I did leave something behind, though.

My sanity.

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