ARIA'S POV
I'm half-asleep leaning against Ray's arm by the time we finally step outside into the cool hush of the street.
The air smells like dew and stale beer. The street looks almost abandoned now. Neon lights are off. Music's faded into the background of the city. It's past four in the morning, and even Halloween seems to be calling it quits.
Amber yawns so big her jaw cracks. "I feel like my bones are made of jello."
Ray leads us down the sidewalk, his arm draped protectively around my shoulders. "We'll get you home," he says.
"Please," I say. "My feet are plotting to kill me."
"I'll carry you," Ray offers.
"Not in your gladiator skirt, you won't."
Ray lets out a huff of laughter. "Why not?"
"Because I'd die of secondhand embarrassment if you flashed the entire street."
We reach Ray's Camaro parked at the curb, dark blue under the streetlights. Amber wrenches open the back door and half-falls into the seat with a dramatic groan.
"I might never get back out of this car," she mutters.
Ray slides into the driver's seat while I collapse into the passenger side, my corset digging into my ribs as I exhale.
He shoves the key into the ignition and turns it.
The engine makes a horrible chugging noise and dies.
Amber mumbles from the back, "No. Nope. Don't you dare die on us, car."
Ray curses under his breath. "Come on, baby, don't do this to me."
He tries one more time. The engine sputters, then gives up completely.
"Shit!" Ray slams his palm against the steering wheel.
Amber sighs. "We're cursed."
I glance at Ray. "Babe… what the hell?"
"I dunno," he says. "Battery's probably dead. Tre might have cables. Lemme go check."
He reaches for the door handle.
I grab his arm. "I'm coming with you."
Ray gives me a sideways look. "Aria, it's four in the morning."
"So? I have to pee anyway."
Amber groans from the back seat. "I'm not staying out here alone. I'll come too. But then I'm lying down somewhere. I'm serious."
Ray sighs. "Fine. Let's go."
We climb back out of the Camaro. The air feels colder now, settling into my bones. The street is eerily quiet. Far off, I hear a siren winding down, but that's it.
Ray threads his fingers through mine as we cross the sidewalk toward the frat house. His gladiator skirt swishes faintly as he walks.
Amber's trailing behind, clutching her little maid apron like it's a security blanket. "I'm so tired I'm hallucinating."
I grin at her over my shoulder. "Same. If I start seeing unicorns, just let it happen."
Inside, the house is dark. Only a couple lamps glow dimly in the living room.
Amber collapses onto the couch with a sigh. "Okay. I'm not moving. Tell me when we're leaving."
I snort. "We'll tell you when Ray fixes his piece-of-shit car."
Ray shoots me a look. "Rude."
I stick my tongue out at him. "Facts."
Amber pulls a throw pillow under her head and curls up, one leg draped off the couch, her maid costume rumpled.
Ray leans over and kisses my cheek. "I'm gonna go see if Tre's awake."
"I'll be right there," I say. "Bathroom first."
Amber waves a hand weakly. "Go. I'm staying right here."
I slip away down the hall toward the bathroom. As I push the door open, I glance over my shoulder and watch Ray start up the stairs, his gold circlet glinting faintly in the low light.
Amber's eyes are already fluttering shut on the couch.
The bathroom smells like leftover beer and vanilla soap. My reflection in the mirror startles me for a second—not because I look bad, but because I look surprisingly okay for four in the morning. My mascara is a little smudged under my eyes, but not in a total raccoon way. My lips are still glossy, and my hair, though slightly messy, still spills around my shoulders in long black waves.
I tilt my head and smirk at myself. "Not bad, Seung. Not bad."
I splash water on my face and sigh. The cold water snaps me awake just enough to remember how much my feet hurt.
"God, I need new hobbies," I mutter to myself.
When I finish, I step out into the hallway. The house feels oddly still.
"Amber?" I call softly.
No answer.
I shrug it off. She's probably half-asleep already.
Ray hasn't come back down yet. I figure he's still knocking on Tre's door.
I wander back toward the living room, planning to plop down next to Amber until Ray gets back.
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I pad back down the hallway, napkins clutched in one hand, feeling more awake after the cold splash of water.
As I reach the living room, the air feels strangely… heavy. Like the silence itself has weight.
"Amber?" I call again, softer this time.
Still no answer.
I round the couch, expecting to see her curled up asleep.
Amber's still lying there, one arm draped off the edge of the couch. At first glance, she looks peaceful, eyes closed, chest rising and falling in the gentle rhythm of sleep.
But something flickers at the edge of my vision. A dark stain spreading across the front of her costume, soaking into the ruffles of her maid apron.
I blink, thinking my eyes are playing tricks on me.
Then I see it properly.
Blood.
A wide, dark blossom of it, glistening wet under the low lamp light.
It's seeping down over the cushions, trailing along the floor in thin, red rivers.
My entire body goes cold.
"Amber?" My voice cracks.
She doesn't move.
I reach out, my fingers trembling as I touch her shoulder. She feels heavy, limp.
"Amber… wake up."
I try to shake her gently. Her head lolls sideways. That's when I see the gash across her throat.
A deep, clean slash, skin pulled apart, blood oozing in slow pulses.
My stomach heaves.
"Oh my God." My voice comes out a whisper, torn from my chest. "Oh my God, Amber…"
Footsteps thunder on the stairs behind me.
"Aria!" Ray shouts. "What's wrong?"
I stagger back as Ray comes crashing into the room, Tre right behind him, both of them wide-eyed and disheveled.
Ray's face drains of color the second he sees Amber.
"Holy fuck," he breathes. "What the—"
Tre stops dead in his tracks. "Jesus Christ."
My vision blurs with hot tears as I look from Ray to Tre and back again.
"She—she was just sleeping—" My voice breaks. "I was gone for two minutes!"
Ray grabs me by the shoulders, spinning me away from the couch. "Don't look, babe. Don't look at that."
But I can't help it. I'm staring over his shoulder, fixated on the blood soaking through Amber's costume, the way her mouth has fallen slightly open as if she's still trying to speak.
Tre's shaking his head, running his hands over his buzzed hair. "What the fuck… what the fuck…"
I'm shaking so hard my teeth chatter. "We have to call someone. We have to call 911—"
Ray fumbles in his gladiator belt for his phone, pulls it out, and tries to turn it on. The screen stays black. He curses. "Fuck. My phone's dead."
Tre digs his phone out of his pirate pants pocket, his hands trembling so badly he nearly drops it. "I'll call. Holy shit…"
Amber's blood is dripping off the couch now, tiny drops hitting the hardwood floor.
The sound is deafening.
DRIP.
DROP.
DRIP.
Ray pulls me into his arms, pressing my face against his chest.
"Don't look," he whispers, his voice shaking. "Don't look, babe. Please."
But all I can see is that bright red stain, and the way Amber's eyes stare glassy and unfocused at the ceiling.
Tre's voice quivers as he speaks into his phone. "Yeah—yeah, we need help. Someone's dead. She's—she's bleeding—there's blood everywhere—"
He pauses, frowning.
"What? No, I'm not fucking kidding! This isn't a prank—"
I blink, barely processing. "What are they saying?"
Tre lowers the phone slightly. "They think I'm messing with them. They said people keep calling with prank murder shit tonight."
Ray lets out a sound that's half growl, half sob. "Are you serious?"
Tre barks into the phone, "Listen to me, I'm not fucking joking—"
There's a pause. Then Tre pulls the phone away from his ear and stares at it.
"They hung up on me." His voice cracks.
Ray's jaw clenches. "Call them back!"
Tre dials again, his fingers trembling.
I cling to Ray, my fingers digging into the fabric of his costume.
This can't be real.
We were just watching a movie.
We were joking about BuzzBalls.
Amber was laughing.
And now she's dead.
Tre shouts into the phone as soon as someone picks up. "Do NOT hang up on me again! Someone is DEAD. Her throat's slit. There's blood fucking everywhere—"
He listens, breathing hard.
"What do you mean it'll take a while?" Tre demands. "What the fuck—"
Ray grabs his arm. "What? What are they saying?"
Tre covers the mouthpiece for a second, eyes wide. "They said there's been a ton of prank calls and real accidents tonight. Cops are spread thin. They'll come when they can."
My chest constricts. "So… what, we're just supposed to sit here?"
Tre says into the phone, "Hurry. Please. This is real. She's really dead."
Then he lowers the phone, shaking. "They said stay put and not touch anything. And… it might be a while."
Ray lets out a shuddering breath. "How did someone get in here?"
"I don't know!" I say, my voice high and panicked. "The door was locked—"
And suddenly I remember the back door.
How it was open earlier.
My knees nearly give out. "Oh my God. The back door. Ray—the back door was open."
Ray's eyes fly to mine. "What?"
"When I went to get napkins. It was open a little. I closed it. I thought it was nothing."
Tre stares at me. "Someone was fucking IN HERE?"
Ray spins in a circle, looking like he might punch a wall. "Fuck. Fuck!"
Amber's body is still leaking blood onto the floor. The smell of it is metallic and sharp, mixing with the lingering scent of weed and spilled booze from earlier.
I cover my mouth with my hands. A sob catches in my chest, sharp as glass.
Tre edges closer to the couch. His voice cracks as he says, "Is she… is she really…"
Ray reaches out an arm to block him. "Don't. Don't touch her, man. We'll get fingerprints everywhere."
Tre backs away, shaking his head over and over. "Jesus Christ. Jesus fucking Christ."
I'm shaking so hard I feel like my bones are rattling. My eyes keep darting toward the doorways, half-expecting someone in a black hoodie to step out of the shadows.
Ray pulls me tighter. "Babe, listen to me. You're okay. I've got you. You're okay."
I choke on a sob. "No, I'm not. She was my friend. She was right there."
"I know," Ray says. His voice breaks. "I know, baby."
Tre rubs his face. "We need to check the house. What if whoever did this is still in here?"
Ray clenches his jaw. "I'm not leaving Aria alone."
"I'm coming with you," I say hoarsely. "I'm not staying here by myself."
Ray opens his mouth like he's going to argue but stops. "Okay. We'll check the rooms. Tre, you with us?"
Tre hesitates, glancing at Amber's body one more time. "Yeah. Yeah. Let's go."
I can barely stand. Ray's arm around my shoulders feels like the only thing keeping me upright.
We start moving cautiously through the house, checking each dark corner, each shadowy room.
But even as we search, all I can see is the dark red stain blooming across Amber's chest.
And all I can think is—
How the fuck did this happen?
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Ray's arm stays locked around my shoulders as we move through the silent, darkened house. Tre's a step ahead of us, shoulders tense, his pirate hat long abandoned somewhere behind him.
My heart's pounding so hard I can feel it in my teeth. Every creak of the floorboards makes me jump.
We reach the bottom of the stairs, and Tre glances back at us.
"Ready?" he mutters.
Ray nods tightly. "Let's go."
We climb the stairs slowly. Each step feels like it's going to echo through the whole damn neighborhood.
At the top, the hallway is dark except for a faint glow spilling under one of the doors.
Chloe's voice filters out, laughing about something, followed by Austin's deep rumble.
For a split second, it almost feels normal. Like we're just creeping upstairs to crash a drunken gossip session.
Tre raps his knuckles on the door. "Yo."
Inside, Chloe calls, "Go away! We're talking!"
Ray leans in, voice low but urgent. "Chloe. Open the door."
The door swings open. Chloe stands there, hair a bit mussed, angel wings drooping slightly, still in her costume but barefoot now. Austin looms behind her, shirt off, hair damp from sweat.
Chloe crosses her arms. "Jesus, you guys look like you've seen a ghost."
Before Ray can answer, the door across the hall creaks open. Josh steps out, his sailor costume rumpled, hair wild, blinking blearily.
He's holding his sailor hat in one hand, clearly having just come from Tre's room.
"What's going on?" he asks, voice scratchy.
Ray opens his mouth, but nothing comes out.
Tre clears his throat, his voice rough. "We… we gotta come downstairs. Now."
Austin frowns. "Why?"
Ray tries again. "It's Amber. Something happened."
Chloe makes a face. "Is this a joke? Because I swear to God—"
Tre snaps. "Chloe. I'm serious. Get your ass downstairs. Now."
Chloe blinks, taken aback by his tone. She glances at Austin, who shrugs but starts pulling on his football jersey.
"Fine," she mutters. "God. Dramatic much?"
Josh blinks at Tre, confusion flickering across his face. "Wait… why do you look like that? What's wrong?"
Ray drags a hand through his curls. "Just… come on."
We herd them down the stairs like sleepwalking cattle. Chloe keeps glancing at me, irritation giving way to confusion as she sees my face.
"Aria… why are you crying?"
I shake my head, unable to speak.
As soon as we hit the living room, the smell of blood slams into me again like a physical force.
Chloe opens her mouth to crack another sarcastic comment—
Then she sees the couch.
Amber's body sprawled there. The blood. The lifeless eyes.
Chloe lets out a strangled scream.
She stumbles backward, colliding into Austin, who catches her around the waist.
Austin's jaw falls open. "Holy shit…"
Josh freezes mid-step, staring, mouth quivering. "No. No, no, no, no…"
Tre swallows hard. "We tried calling the cops. They think it's a prank. They said it might take a while."
Chloe presses both hands over her mouth. "Amber… Amber…"
Austin's face has gone completely blank, like he's struggling to process. "Who… who did this?"
Ray's voice is low and shaky. "We don't know."
Josh lets out a sob that sounds ripped from his chest. "Oh my god. Oh my god…"
He staggers toward the couch, arms trembling. Tre grabs him and pulls him back.
"Don't touch her," Tre says. "We can't touch her."
Josh wrenches away. "She's my friend! She's my fucking friend!"
Chloe's eyes fill with tears, black mascara streaking faintly down her cheeks. She pushes away from Austin and drops to her knees on the carpet, gasping. "This isn't real. This isn't real. You guys are fucking with me…"
I kneel beside her and grab her shoulders. "Chloe. Listen to me. It's real."
Chloe lets out a noise somewhere between a sob and a scream. "Who the fuck would do this?!"
Austin runs both hands through his hair, face pale. "We should check the house again."
Ray's voice is rough. "We just did. Nobody's here."
Josh whirls on Ray, eyes wild. "How do you know?! You don't fucking know!"
Ray snaps back, "We searched every goddamn room!"
Josh presses both palms to his forehead, shaking all over.
And then—
The lights flicker.
A buzzing sound hums through the walls, like the house itself is holding its breath.
Then every lamp, every overhead bulb—clicks off.
Darkness slams down around us.
Chloe screams.
Austin immediately wraps both arms around her as she struggles, sobbing hysterically. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"
Josh spins in a frantic circle. "No, no, no, NO—"
Tre curses. "Fucking power went out!"
Ray fumbles in his gladiator belt for his phone again, but the screen stays dead. "Goddammit!"
Chloe keeps screaming, her hands clawing at Austin's chest. "Turn it back on! TURN IT BACK ON!"
Austin holds her tight, voice shaking. "Baby, it's okay. I've got you. It's okay…"
Josh slides to his knees beside me, his shoulders heaving as he sobs. "Oh my god, we're gonna fucking die. We're all gonna fucking die…"
My pulse pounds so hard my ears ring. My breath clouds in the cold air as I whisper, "Ray…"
"I'm here, babe. I'm right here."
He grips my arm, anchoring me in the dark.
The only light is the faint glow from outside filtering through the curtains. It throws long shadows across the floor, catching glimmers of the blood still dripping from Amber's body.
Chloe presses her face into Austin's chest, muffling her sobs. "Why is this happening? Why is this happening?"
Austin's voice cracks. "I don't know. I don't know…"
Josh rocks back and forth on his heels, hugging himself. "This is like a fucking movie. This is like a fucking movie!"
Tre's voice cuts through the panic. "Everybody shut up. We can't lose it. Whoever did this might still be out there."
Chloe lifts her tear-streaked face. "So what do we do?!"
Tre shakes his head, eyes wild. "I don't know. Barricade the doors? Hide? I don't fucking know!"
Ray looks at me, his jaw clenched so hard I can see the muscle jumping in his cheek. "We stick together. Nobody goes off alone."
I nod numbly, but my entire body feels cold, my skin crawling.
In the silence that follows, a drop of blood falls from the couch to the floor.
DRIP.
The darkness in the living room feels like it's pressing down on my skin.
No one speaks for several seconds. We're all just listening—to the drip of blood, to the faint hum of the city outside, to our own ragged breathing.
Then Tre exhales sharply. "Fuck this. I'm checking the power box."
Austin shakes his head. "Dude, what if the killer's out there?"
Tre grabs his arm. "We can't sit here in the dark. We need light."
Ray says, "Tre, don't—"
Tre cuts him off. "I'm not staying in this fucking house waiting to die. Come on, Austin."
Austin hesitates, looking back at Chloe, who's clinging to his arm.
"Baby…" Chloe whispers. "Please don't go."
Austin cups her face. "I'll be right back. I promise."
Tre's voice is tight. "Two minutes. We'll reset the breakers and come right back."
Austin lets go of Chloe and follows Tre toward the kitchen. Ray starts to move after them, but I grab his hand.
"Don't, babe." my voice is low. "Don't leave me right now."
he nod, every nerve in my body screams that we shouldn't follow them.
We listen as the back door creaks open. Cold night air floods the house again.
Chloe's shaking so hard her teeth chatter. "This is so fucked. This is so fucking fucked…"
Josh is pacing in small circles, hugging himself. "We should've left earlier. We should've left. We're all gonna die in here…"
Ray pulls me tighter against him. "Babe, we're not gonna die."
But even he doesn't sound convinced.
A few moments later, a distant shout echoes from the backyard.
"TRE?" Austin yells. "Tre, where'd you go?"
We all freeze.
Another yell. This one ragged, terrified.
"TRE—"
A wet, gurgling sound cuts Austin off.
Chloe lets out a high-pitched sob. "Oh my god…"
Ray's eyes go wide. "Shit."
I start toward the kitchen, but Ray grabs my wrist. "No, Aria!"
Austin stumbles back through the doorway, clutching his side. Blood oozes between his fingers. His football jersey is soaked with dark red.
"RUN," he gasps, voice strangled. "Fucking RUN—"
And then—
A figure emerges from the darkness behind him.
All black. Hoodie pulled up. Mask hidden in shadows.
The butcher knife glints once in the faint outside light.
And drives straight into the side of Austin's head.
The blade sinks through the soft flesh just under his ear.
Austin's eyes go wide. His mouth opens as if to scream—but no sound comes out.
The killer jerks the knife free with a sickening wet noise. Blood spurts across the floor and the wall.
Austin sways on his feet, still staring straight ahead. Then he crumples forward like a puppet with cut strings, crashing to the floor in a spray of red.
Chloe screams—a sound so shrill it makes my ears ring.
Josh shrieks, "OH MY GOD!" and backs away, hands flailing.
Ray yanks me toward him. "RUN,!"
The killer steps into the kitchen doorway, blood dripping off the knife, head tilted slightly as if studying us.
For a split second, everything freezes.
Then we bolt for the front door.
We crash into each other trying to reach the handle. Josh fumbles with the lock, hands slick with sweat.
"OPEN IT!" I scream.
"I'M TRYING!" Josh shouts back.
He wrenches the door open—
And another killer is standing on the porch.
Same black hoodie. Same black pants.
But this one's holding the knife raised high.
Before any of us can react, the second killer lunges forward and drives the blade straight into Josh's chest.
Josh lets out a scream like an animal, high and sharp.
Blood bursts out across the front of his sailor costume. His sailor hat goes spinning off his head, bouncing across the floor.
Josh stumbles backward into Rays arms, gasping, "Fuck—fuck—oh my god—"
The killer raises the knife again.
But Chloe grabs the first thing she sees—a heavy ceramic vase from the hallway table—and smashes it over the killer's head.
The vase explodes in a spray of ceramic shards.
The killer staggers, dropping to one knee.
"GO!" Chloe screams, shoving us toward the stairs.
Ray grabs my arm, practically dragging me toward the staircase.
Josh is clutching his bleeding chest, gasping sobs. "I can't—fuck—oh my god—"
Chloe loops one arm around his waist. "Come on! MOVE!"
We thunder up the stairs, feet pounding like a stampede.
Josh is half-carried between Chloe and me, blood dripping behind us in a red trail across the wooden steps.
Ray keeps glancing over his shoulder, shouting, "Keep going! Don't stop!"
I look back once and see the killer on the porch getting up, staggering through the shattered pieces of the vase.
The other killer is stepping into the living room from the kitchen, knife glinting under the faint glow of streetlights filtering through the windows.
We hurtle down the hallway, Chloe's angel wings bouncing wildly with each step.
Josh nearly collapses twice, his sailor costume soaked with blood, but Chloe and I drag him upright.
Ray shoves open Austin's bedroom door so hard it bangs against the wall.
We all bolt in.
Ray slams Austin's bedroom door shut behind us.
"Help me!" he shouts.
Chloe, Josh, Ray and I shove a dresser in front of the door. Then a desk. Then a chair. Anything we can find.
Ray presses his back to the barricade, panting. "Guys, get back!"
I stumble backward into Chloe, who's sobbing and shaking.
Josh collapses onto the bed, clutching his chest. Blood is already soaking through the front of his sailor costume.
Outside the door, footsteps thunder up the stairs.
Chloe presses both hands over her mouth. "Oh my god… oh my god…"
Josh moans, "We're gonna die… we're all gonna fucking die…"
Ray grabs my face in both hands, his eyes wild. "Babe. Look at me. We're getting out of here. I promise you. We're getting out."
I try to answer, but no words come out.
Something slams against the door.
BOOM.
The dresser rattles under the impact.
Chloe lets out another scream and presses herself against the wall.
Josh sobs, "No, no, no, no—"
Ray grips the dresser harder. His voice comes out low and savage. "Over my dead fucking body."
Another slam shakes the door.
And as the killers pound on the barricade, Josh's blood drips steadily onto Austin's sheets.
And all I can think is—
We're not getting out of here.
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The pounding on the door stops as abruptly as it started.
The silence that fills the room afterward is so thick it makes my ears ring.
We all stay frozen, listening for any sound.
Josh is lying sprawled across Austin's bed, breathing in shallow, wet gasps. His sailor costume is stained a deep, glistening red.
He tries to speak, but blood bubbles at the corners of his mouth.
"Josh…" I whisper, reaching for his hand.
His fingers twitch weakly in mine, then go slack.
Chloe drops to her knees beside the bed. "No, no, no, Josh, baby, please…"
She presses her palms against the wound in his chest, sobbing hysterically. "Don't leave me. Don't you fucking leave me—"
Josh shudders once. His chest rises. Falls.
And doesn't rise again.
Chloe lets out a scream so raw it makes my chest feel like it's tearing open.
"No!" she sobs. "Josh, please—oh my god, please—"
I can't even breathe. Hot tears spill down my cheeks as I grab for Chloe, trying to pull her away from Josh's lifeless body.
Ray wipes at his eyes roughly, then grabs both our shoulders.
"Aria. Chloe. Listen to me." His voice cracks, but he pushes on. "We can't stay in this room. We'll die in here."
Chloe's face twists in anguish. "I'm not leaving Josh!"
Ray shakes his head. "He's gone. Fuck—I'm sorry—but he's gone."
Outside the door, the house has gone deathly silent. No footsteps. No voices.
Just the slow drip of Josh's blood hitting the hardwood floor beside the bed.
Drip.
Drop.
Ray lowers his voice to a ragged whisper. "There's only two of them. We can get out. We have to try."
Chloe wipes her face, trembling. "How?"
Ray points to the window. "We climb out. Shimmy along the ledge to Tre's room. I'll grab his keys. We'll make a run for the SUV."
Chloe stares at him, mascara streaked down her cheeks. "Are you insane? I can't do that!"
Ray grabs her shoulders. "It's either that, or we wait for them to break down that door and kill us like they did Amber, Josh, Austin, and Tre."
Chloe looks at me desperately. "Aria…"
I swallow hard, forcing down a wave of bile. "Ray's right. We can't stay here."
Ray squeezes my hand so tight it hurts. "I'll go first. You guys follow me, okay?"
Chloe hugs herself, shaking. "I can't leave Josh. I can't…"
"You have to," Ray hisses. "Please."
He moves to the window and unlatches the lock. The cold night air rushes in, chilling my sweaty skin.
He glances outside, calculating the distance. "It's not far. Just keep your weight close to the wall. Don't look down."
But before he can climb through—
The door rattles violently behind us.
Then slams open.
One of the killers lunges into the room crawling over the barricade and making it into the room, arm hooking around Chloe's waist.
Chloe screams and fights, pounding her fists against the killer's chest.
"NO! LET ME GO!"
Ray roars, "Chloe!" and starts toward her—
But the second killer barrels through the doorway over the barricade, knife raised.
I try to grab Chloe's arm. "CHLOE!"
She claws at the killer's hoodie, trying to rip it off. "FUCK YOU! LET ME GO!"
For a moment, she almost breaks free. She twists, elbowing the killer hard in the face.
But then the second killer grabs her hair and yanks her back.
Both killers drive their knives into her chest.
Again.
And again.
Blood splashes across the walls. Across the bed. Across my arm.
Chloe lets out a strangled shriek, eyes wide and glassy. She sags in their arms, blood pouring from the wounds in her stomach and chest.
"No! NO!" I scream. I lunge forward—
Ray grabs my waist and drags me toward the window.
"ARIA, NO!"
I twist in his grip, reaching back toward Chloe.
"Let me go! I have to help her!"
Ray's voice breaks. "Babe, she's gone. We have to GO."
The killers drop Chloe's lifeless body. She crumples to the bed beside Josh, eyes still open, staring at nothing.
I feel like my heart is splitting in half.
Ray pushes me toward the window.
"Go, Aria. Go now."
I clamber out onto the ledge, the brick rough against my palms. My chest is heaving, tears blurring my vision.
Ray squeezes through behind me.
Inside the room, the killers rush forward. One of them slashes at Ray through the open window, but Ray jerks out of reach.
We inch our way sideways along the ledge. Below us, the ground looks impossibly far away.
My bare feet slip on the narrow strip of brick. Wind whips my hair around my face.
Ray keeps whispering, "Don't look down, babe. Don't look down."
We reach Tre's window. "Ray maneuvers around me to open it almost slippin in the process" he tries it—it's locked. He curses under his breath.
I'm sobbing, shaking so badly I nearly fall. "Ray, hurry!"
He slams his elbow against the glass until it cracks, then reaches inside and unlatches the lock.
We tumble into Tre's dark room, landing in a heap on the carpet.
I scramble to my feet, gasping for air. "Where are his keys?"
Ray starts tearing open drawers. "Help me look!"
I rip open Tre's nightstand. Pens, condoms, a lighter. No keys.
Ray flings open the closet. "FUCK!"
I spot a lanyard hanging on a hook beside the desk. My fingers close around it.
"RAY!" I scream. "I found them!"
He spins toward me. His eyes go wide with relief.
"Babe, let's GO!"
We sprint for Tre's door.
Behind us, I hear glass shattering in Austin's room. The killers are crawling out the window after us.
Ray grabs my hand. We bolt into the hallway, flying down the stairs two at a time.
Blood spatters the walls where Austin fell earlier. The couch where Amber lies is a dark, silent mass in the shadows.
Ray yanks the front door open. Cold night air slams into us.
"Run, babe!"
We burst outside.
From behind us, I hear a thump.
The killers are closing in.
Ray drags me toward Tre's SUV. My legs are shaking so badly I nearly collapse.
"Keys, Aria. Give me the keys!"
I fumble them into his hand, vision swimming with tears.
And as he unlocks the SUV, I look back toward the house—
And see two hooded shapes walking slowly towards us, knives glinting in the dark.
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Ray fumbles with Tre's keys, trying to jam them into the SUV door. His hands are shaking so badly he drops them.
"FUCK!" he yells.
I stoop to grab them off the pavement, my fingers closing around the cold metal.
"Babe, hurry!" I shove them into his hand.
Ray manages to unlock the SUV, yanking open the driver's side door.
He shouts, "Get in, babe!"
But before either of us can move—
A blur of black slams into Ray from behind.
Ray staggers forward, smashing into the side of the SUV.
One of the killers grabs his arm, spins him around, and plunges a knife into his side.
Ray lets out a strangled grunt, eyes flying wide.
"RAY!" I scream.
The killer stabs him again. And again. Each thrust jerks Ray's body like a rag doll.
Blood sprays across the SUV window.
Ray gasps, "Aria—run—"
I start toward him, but the second killer steps in front of me.
They don't even raise the knife—just stand there, blocking me, silent, head tilted slightly.
Watching.
Ray tries to fight back, shoving at his attacker's shoulders, but he's already weakening. Blood gushes down his gladiator costume, soaking the gold and white fabric.
The killer grabs Ray by the hair, wrenches his head back, and slashes the blade across his throat.
Blood arcs into the air in a dark red fan.
Ray gurgles, clutching his throat, eyes wide and disbelieving.
Then his knees buckle. He collapses beside the SUV, blood pooling around him on the pavement.
I scream so loud my throat tears.
The killer steps back from Ray's twitching body, blade dripping.
The second killer stands a few feet away, facing me. I can feel their eyes on me through the mask.
I have the sickening certainty that they're smiling under it.
I turn and run.
I bolt down the middle of the street, bare feet slapping the asphalt. The night wind whips my hair around my face, stinging my eyes with tears.
"HELP!" I scream. "PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP US!"
The houses around me are dark. Halloween is over. The block is empty.
I hear footsteps pounding behind me.
Suddenly a hand grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks me backward so hard I nearly fall.
A sharp cry rips from my throat as my head snaps back.
One of the killers hauls me against their chest, an arm locked around my waist. I can feel their breath hissing through the mask beside my ear.
The other killer stands in front of me, knife held loosely at their side, blood still dripping off the blade.
My entire body is shaking so hard my teeth chatter.
"Please…" I sob. "Please don't kill me. Why—why are you doing this? Why?!"
For a moment, neither of them answers.
Then one of them laughs—a high, sharp sound muffled by the mask.
The other killer tilts their head and speaks, voice eerily calm:
"Because we can."
My stomach turns to ice. "Please… please don't…"
The killer steps closer.
Without warning, they drive the knife into my stomach.
Pain explodes through me.
A hot, wet gush of blood soaks the front of my costume.
I gasp, mouth opening in a silent scream.
They stab me again.
And again.
Each blow punches into my flesh, making my body jerk. I feel my legs buckling, my vision pulsing in and out.
I choke on a sob. "Stop… please… stop…"
The killer pulls the knife free one last time. My blood drips off the blade, pattering onto the street.
In the distance, a burst of flashing red and blue cuts through the darkness.
Police sirens wail closer and closer.
The killers freeze.
The one holding me shoves me away so violently that I stumble and collapse onto the asphalt.
Both killers turn and bolt into the shadows between houses.
I try to scream after them, but my voice comes out as a wet croak.
I push myself up onto trembling hands. Blood pours from my stomach, hot and slick under my palms.
I try to crawl forward. My fingertips scrape against the rough pavement.
But my arms give out.
I collapse and roll onto my back, blood pooling beneath me.
The world spins around me, vision tunneling in and out.
Far away, I hear tires screeching, doors slamming, voices shouting.
But it's too late.
I can't feel anything anymore.
My eyes flutter open one last time.
Above me, the streetlights blur into hazy stars.
The night air tastes like blood and rain.
Then everything goes black.