Free Exsanguinate by Killion Slade

eyes or stared at me longer than comfort allowed.
    I needed an immediate distraction or I wasn’t going to go through with this. Why was I so afraid to meet this guy? Hadn’t he been my fella online for over two years now? Hadn’t he been the gentleman I’d shared so many secrets with on those late night gaming sessions?
    What in the hell were you thinking, Cheyenne – why are you doing this to yourself?
    Forward movement. I took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other. I didn’t want to stand around looking like a doorknob when he showed up. Even if I was a little late, that would be okay. I wanted to make the impression I was cool, calm and not desperate to meet him. No matter how much I was.
    Just keep moving.
    If I had to sit and wait, I knew I would explode. It was time to do the haunted house, face my fear, and get it over with. High on endorphins, I figured now would be as good a time.
    No guts, no glory
    Who the hell said that anyway, I wondered.
    A crooked wooden sign hanging over the top of a dark doorway read Screepy Haunted Caverns . I crept into the spooky corridor. Aware of the fact I was alone, with no boyfriend to hide behind, this would have been a perfect opportunity to cozy up to Roxas to break the physical ice. My nerves edged at the anticipation of meeting him.
    The cavern was black as pitch except for tiny glow lights on the floor to guide us through the creep show maze. The line moved pretty fast through the twisting corridors.
    One of things I liked the most about Halloween Scream Nights was how Global Studios could take innocent rides and walkways and turn them into a haunted house. You never knew if the haunted houses would be inside buildings, outside, or in the middle of the bathroom. Their ingenuity always amazed me.
    This year they turned the line queue for the water boat ride into a Screepy Caverns haunted house with all its dark twisted passageways. This was perfect. As soon as I got out of here, I’d be able to see Roxas. One safety feature I realized was missing: the red EXIT lights along the ceiling.
    Hmm … weren’t the rides supposed to let you get out if you wanted?
    Walking in from the entrance, I also didn’t recall seeing any legalese signs stating cautions. If you have any heart conditions, are pregnant, or if you are under such-and-such a height you shouldn’t participate in this intense event.
    The screams in front of me, echoing off the walls, told a different story.
    A woman so frightened at just the howls ahead dashed back out of the line and knocked me over. I fell against the wall, twisting my ankle in these shoes. I asked for help from the couple behind me, but the shrieks in the cave were too loud for them to hear, and they seemed to be wrapped up in their make out session with each other. Dressed up as a mermaid and Triton, the couple behind me continued snogging. From my vantage point, Triton’s mighty sword was ready at the helm.
    A pregnant lady in front of me dressed in a nun’s outfit saw that I had fallen, and she helped me stand. I smiled and thanked her, but she was anxious to get back in line to view the carnage.
    The coarse wall from the rock surface had torn into my skin. My hand came away wet with blood when I brushed the dirt and rubble from my arm. It hurt to touch it, so I used my costume to help brush off most of the damage. My ankle throbbed.
    I need to get rid of these shoes.
    I limped back into the line, keen to observe people acquire their next junkie gore rush.
    Questioning what I was doing here gave me pause to consider my sanity … again. How many other people did this kind of crazy research for the sake of science? I knew there were ghost hunters and paranormal investigators, but it seemed they liked getting the hell scared out of them. Me, I just wanted to code a program. Why didn’t I just hire someone to tell me what was scary? I supposed then it wouldn’t be complete enough experience for gamers to believe.
    I couldn't