Page 29 of Enter if you Dare: Part One

I nod, biting my lip at the memory. I have been one of his victims—I went to find him, not realizing it had turned dark. He stalked me, found me, and dragged me to his post. That was the first time we were together. I don’t even know if he’s all there when it happens, or if he becomes absent and just acts. “Have you warned Valli?”

“I did,” Noa says. “I explained it as daytime Cave in the cornfield is not the same man as the Cave who hunts down his prey at night. She didn’t look worried, which was concerning.”

I take a deep breath. “She should be at least a little scared.”

He laughs. “I know. That’s what I told her.”

Noa decides to wait when I go take a shower, and he’s been given strict instructions not to touch anything while I’m gone. Once I’m ready, I find him still pacing, and we leave and head out toward the main stunt area where the night’s guests gather. We take the long path, which brings us out closer to where we need to be, and when we arrive, eight guests are waiting, Valli being one of them.

“I like her outfit,” Noa says.

I really like it as well.

Valli is wearing a fluffy type of skirt with mesh leggings and boots. She is in a black jacket of some kind, with her hair up in a high ponytail, and dark face makeup. She looks hot, and I’m not sure I have ever looked at a woman before and had that thought.

Nerves pool in my gut, though I’m not nervous for the same reason as Noa. I’m nervous because I have never been with a woman—the situation has simply never presented itself. With Cave it was easy; he touched me in the cornfield, and I didn’t hate it. I didn’t exactly love it at first either, but from what I have read, that’s normal—and Cave isn’t exactly gentle.

Nixie gives her normal performance, briefing the guests, and they scatter when Nixie tells them to run, the music increasing and adding to the chaotic atmosphere. Each of the guests’ wristbands light up with different colors, and Valli’s flashes from amber to magenta to green—cycling through all three.

Valli peers up, her eyes locking on mine where I stand nearby. I hold her gaze for a second before it makes me feel weirdly vulnerable, and I look away.

Noa materializes beside her—I didn’t even hear him leave. He says something to her, and she smiles and laughs before running off with him trailing behind her.

I know exactly where he will herd her to, so I make my way toward the cemetery, taking the shortcut, even though I know he will drag it out in order to have fun with this. When I reach the edge of the old stone wall that runs along the north border, I settle and wait.

I watch as Valli comes through the gate, peeking back over her shoulder before sneaking inside. It’s dark and only a few string lights glow overhead, illuminating the area. I smile when I see Noa’s shadow, expanding when he rises from behind a headstone. Valli spins and takes a few steps back.

Noa grins. “Run for me,” he declares, and she does.

He gives her a full three seconds before he takes off after her. Valli cuts between headstones, but Noa simply jumps over them, and I lose sight of them for a second.

Her squeals fill the air, and when she cuts back toward the main path, I see her break into an open section highlighted by the string lights. She is breathing heavily and her hair has come loose at the front.

Noa vaults over a bunch of headstones and heads right for her, causing her to shriek and bolt. They disappear around the curve in the path, so I drop from the wall and follow them at a distance.

They come into sight again as Noa runs her through a narrow section, weaving between some older headstones. He lets her hide behind one with an angel on top, while he makes enough noise that Valli can hear him coming. He then goes quiet as he creeps slowly forward. Valli pops her head out and shrieks again when she finds his face right in front of hers. Eventually she comes flying past and flashes a smile at me over her shoulder. Noa grabs me by the jacket as he runs past. “Come on, it’s scarecrow time.”

Once we catch up to her, she’s standing on the edge of the cornfield.

“Tell me what to do,” she says, staring between the stalks.

I hear a rustle and know he’s in there, waiting for us.

Noa steps up beside her. “He is different in there at night. He might be rough, and you won’t be able to reach him like you normally can. You won’t hear him coming—you won’t know where he is until he wants you to. So trust your gut and don’t stop running, not for anything.”

“What if he gets you?” Valli whispers.

“Keep running. Save yourself.”

“Noa . . .” Valli trails off in confusion.

“I mean it, save yourself. I will be an amazing sacrifice.”

“Don’t worry yourself over it,” I say to her. “It seems Noa has a scarecrow kink and wants this experience.”

Noa turns and gives me the stink eye. “Are we ready?”

Valli nods at him.