Page 20 of The Dead Don’t Scream

“Dante.”

“I like how my name sounds when you’re pretending you want me to stop.”

“I’m not pretending.”

His free hand closes around my wrist.

“One tap to check in. Two to continue. Three to stop. Correct?”

The playfulness disappears from his voice.

“Yes.”

“Color?”

I feel his pulse beating beneath my palm.

“Green.”

“Then fight harder.”

He releases my wrist. I drive my elbow backward. Dante dodges it with a laugh, but the movement loosens his hold. I twist free and sprint down the nearest path. He gives me no advantage. His boots hammer the ground behind me. I reach a clearing filled with the remains of an abandoned carnival. A rusted Ferris wheel rises beyond the corn, its empty seats swaying in the wind. Torn red-and-white banners hang from leaning poles. A carousel horse lies on its side with its painted eyes scratched away.

Music crackles from an unseen speaker. Slow. Warped. Wrong. A row of carnival booths surrounds the clearing. Every opening is dark except one. A red bulb burns above its doorway.

The Devil’s Peep Show

“You cannot be serious.”

Dante walks into the clearing behind me.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s subtle.”

“Rhys said the same thing.”

I turn toward a different path. Callum steps out of the corn. The Scarecrow’s tall body blocks the exit. The chain saw hangs silently from one hand. He doesn’t approach. He simply waits. I look over my shoulder. Dante spreads his arms.

“This way, pretty girl.”

“Did the two of you plan this?”

Callum tilts his head. Dante chuckles.

“We planned everything.”

A shiver rolls through me. I walk toward the red light. Dante opens the booth and bows with exaggerated politeness.

“After you.”

“I don’t trust you behind me.”

“You shouldn’t trust me anywhere.”

I step inside anyway. The door closes. The lock turns. And the Devil follows me into the dark.

DANTE