The ride shot off, my head bouncing against the back of the car and then veered right, swinging us around the bend so hard, we both fell over into Will. Alex squealed, and I didn’t know if the squeaks of the wheels on the track were just a sound effect or actually real, but it felt seedy and cheap—kind of corrupting—and I rubbed my thighs together, sort of liking it. We pushed through the double doors, and I felt the fog thick in the air and heard blocks of metal and chains clanking.
I felt Alex and Will both jump a couple times, followed by disgusted sounds from Alex, so there was more to see than to feel in the tunnels, but I expected it. I’d told them in the car on the way here not to narrate for me. We’d just all enjoy what we could.
A whiff of air hit my ear, followed by a bark, and I jerked, laughing.
“There’s speakers and sensors in the back of the car,” Will figured.
Other sounds drifted out—chainsaws, potions boiling, screams, and bat wings cutting through the air—and Alex inched into me, forcing me into Will. She pushed farther into my space, and I heard a whimper and guessed an actor was on her side of the car, taunting her. I laughed at her fright, feeling a little superior that I wasn’t affected as easily.
We wound through more tunnels, both of them absorbing the darkness and creepy characters in bloody costumes or masks that I didn’t see, but as soon as I’d relaxed, the car stopped.
“What is that?” Alex asked.
“I can’t see anything,” Will replied.
Okay. Guess I’d just wait.
We sat there, and I couldn’t hear any other voices around us, so they must have considerable space between the cars.
“Will, what is that?” Alex blurted out. “Right there!”
And then, all of a sudden, I heard growling. Like a feral wolf, frothing at the mouth. Was that a sound effect?
“Ah!” Alex cried out, and I tensed.
Weight hit our car, jostling the front of it, I listened as the low growling got closer and closer.
And closer.
The deep rumble of an animal, and my toes curled and my body instinctively tried to crawl into a ball, but I couldn’t with the bar over my lap.
The growling came closer and closer, the breath falling on my face, and I knew someone was standing on the front of our car and leaning down right into my face.
It was breathy and scary and vicious, and my heart pounded as he taunted me.
Alex and Will either whimpered or laughed, and if I could see him, I might’ve been scared out of my mind, but like this it was just…frightening enough. A tingle shot between my thighs, and I clenched them as I breathed hard.
The cars started moving again, and I felt him linger for a moment longer before jumping off.
“Oh, he liked you,” Will teased.
My pulse still raced, and everything was warm. I rubbed my hands down my thighs and tongued one of my fangs, wondering what was wrong with me that it was kind of a turn on.
Did I like fear?
Or did I only like it because I knew I was safe?
The ride ended, and we left the car, taking our drinks with us. I uncapped my beer, taking a gulp to cool down and clear my throat, suddenly parched.
Tossing it in the trash, we headed for the maze next, and I took Will’s arm this time, since Alex didn’t want to lead, and I refused to take up the rear.
Actors reached though walls, grabbing at us, while others stood in the passageways, lurking still and quiet for some good jump scares. Hands grabbed at my arms, and I scurried to Will’s other side, laughing, only to be attacked on that side, as well.
Of course, there were things I missed that made those two jump, but I could feel the tight space of the walls and low ceiling and smell the cold air and soil. It felt like we were underground, but I knew we weren’t.
We rounded a corner, and Will halted, quickly backing up into me and stepping on my toe.
“Ouch!” I snapped.