As the shadow came crawling at us faster than human limbs allowed, I scrambled to press Robin back into the elevator. Based on the sheer volume of my screams, I didn't know who was more passionate about terror, me or the actor rushing us. Meanwhile, Robin had forced my flight response into that of a fight and was shuffling us forward. Heart pounding as the figure closed in, I balled my fists and clenched my teeth preparing to do God knows what. We stepped out of the elevator quickly, just as it confronted me. And before I knew it, the screeching thing was in the elevator and clawing at the doors as they closed. My fists loosened and my lungs deflated instantly.

"Rule one in Robin's How to Survive a Horror Movie Guide," Robin laughed, letting his hands fall from my arms now that I wasn't trying to walk over him backwards. "Never stay in the elevator."

A sigh of relief exploded from my chest, and to my surprise, I laughed looking at the now empty hallway. "Noted. What's the second rule?"

Just then another screech came from across the room, and I jumped back into him, gripping his arm.

"Don't die." Robin replied over the noise, that giddy smile still plastered on his lips. With that he wriggled his fingers under my hand, detaching it's vice-like clamp from his bicep, and started to lead me through.

Seeing clearly was difficult. The further you walked into the room, the darker it got. There were chains hanging from the ceiling along with the same plastic dismembered body parts that were hanging outside.  A soundtrack of rattling chains, screams, and pleas was loud enough to split my ears and disorient me. The room reeked of musty leaves and old plastic. Purple lights weaving a path along the floor were the only help in knowing where we were supposed to go. Lining the walls were chain-link fences and barred doors, where more shuffling and shadowy figures could be seen skulking behind.

About the time I was beginning to relax, we turned the first corner. A hand shot out and snapped at my ankle.

Stopping Robin in his tracks, my eyes froze on the face of the screaming actor. He was dressed up like a prisoner with gory makeup and what looked like bruises around his neck. The actor was screaming so frantically that it took a moment to register what he was trying to say.

"Get out! Run! He's coming!"

Robin's grip tightened on my hand and he directed me away from the fake fence. In a matter of seconds I was back in front of him and being urged forward.

"Uh, just don't look behind us, okay." Robin laughed, holding me by my shoulders and walking down the path as quickly as possible, "And try to hurry." 

Of course... I looked behind us.

The prison guard was zombified, in the most gruesome, horrific looking makeup I had ever seen. His clothes were tattered and in his hand was a nightstick with barbed wire poking out of it. He was waving it through the chains, walking slowly. His mouth was stretched into an overblown smile revealing all his sharpened teeth.

Every fence rattled and the sound of sirens cracked through the room. The warden took off laughing hysterically as he chased us down the path and to the edge of the room. I was screaming my head off as we ran, Robin right behind me laughing. He seized my hand into his as we approached a pitch-black wall.

"There's no exit!" I cried, looking at the balloon-like walls.

He swung me forward, "You have to push through. Go first, I'm behind you."

Oh god. I stepped in, squished by the black walls on both sides. I couldn't see anything in front or behind me. It was a darkness I had never experienced and didn't want to experience ever again.

"Is this a bad time to mention, I'm a bit claustrophobic?" I cried out, trying my best to walk on the uneven floor. It felt like I was walking forever. Every second was hell.

"Is this a bad time to mention that I don't remember how far away the door is?" Robin laughed back to me, closer than I thought.

If the walls weren't so compact, and I hadn't been terrified, I would have decked him. "I'm going to kill you!"

He shouted back, "You'll have to make it out first."

After walking for some time without being jump scared, (believe me, the anticipation was scary enough) my hand hit what felt like the exit door. I pushed with all my might and it gave. Breaking out into a well-lit stairwell, I cried out in relief.

"Oh, thank god!"

Robin was quick to follow, letting the door close behind him with an echo. He was grinning at me, "Not too bad right? One level down, eight more to--ooof!" 

I cut him off with a very swift, and hard, punch to his arm. "You could have prepared me!"

"That's what the elevator was for," He grinned, rubbing his arm. "Besides, Desi said you would never come along if I told you."

"You talked to Desi about this?" My jaw dropped.

Robin nodded, giving a little shrug of his shoulder, "Well, I didn't want to put you in a bad situation if you really didn't like it. She said you'd be a baby, but that you would have fun. And judging by the smile on your face, she was right."

Moving around me and heading for the stairs, Robin gave me a twinkling look over his shoulder. His eyes dropped pointedly to my mouth, before walking down the steps.

Not wanting to be alone, I followed him. My hands lifted to my face, where I was surprised to find myself smiling a little. A little chuckle followed, thinking of how scared I had been when walking to the elevator. Then the smile dropped.

"Did she really call me a baby?" The comment settled in my mind, and I skipped down a few steps to catch up to him. "I am not a--"

Without warning, Robin popped open the second door and stepped through. Latching on to the back of his hoodie, my fingers fisted the material into a tight wad. I had expected the racket of the last room, but this one was completely different. It was silent. More silent than seemed possible for such a large building. 

The room was dimly lit by green lights, and there were boards creaking under our feet as we walked along the path. Off to the sides, I could see what looked like cracked and peeling wallpaper. Electric candle-lit sconces flickered dimly on the walls where portraits of severe looking people lined the hallway. It was just bright enough for me to make out the features and watch the eyes of the paintings follow me as I walked.

"Okay, I am a baby." I whispered into Robin's clothes, wanting to burying my head into the space between his shoulder blades. "A giant baby, and is it just me or are those eyes are following us?"

He snorted, speaking over his shoulder, "It's just a gimmick. They're holographic."

I peeked out again to look at the painting beside us as we walked. It stared menacingly at me as we passed. Then, before I was out of view, it winked at me.

Straightening up out of my crouch, and dropping my hands from Robin's hoodie I exclaimed, "It just winked at me!" 

Rushing back to the portrait, I had forgot my fear and was laughing incredulously. Moving my head from side to side to meet the eyes again, all that I found were two dark holes where the eyes should have been.

The randomness of it made me crack up. Turning to Robin I pointed at the painting, "I'm not kidding! Someone just winked at me!"

Robin was standing in the middle of the hallway, his back turned to the room as he widened his eyes at me good-naturedly, "The paintings are flirting with you?"

A smile tugged down at the corner of his mouth, and he chuckled, "That's one way to process fear."

Giving him a deadpan look, I went to retort. That was until I saw the white gauze of a skirt fluttering from behind him. Two lace-gloved hands rose up over his shoulders. I felt like Scooby in every episode of Scooby-Doo when he points out the ghost to Shaggy. My mouth stuttered, my tongue grew thick, and all I could do was make this squealing noise as I pointed behind him.

Robin looked over his shoulder and jumped, a scream escaping him as he rushed back toward me. The ghost was swaying in the hall, her mouth hanging open as she moaned and stretched her hands out toward us. Her body was blocking the path, so we would have to sneak by her. The only downside of that is we knew we'd have to press up against the walls to do it, and who knows what would happen then.

"Right," Robin's shoulder bumped into mine, and he took a shaky breath. The sound was completely vindicating. That was until he shoved me forward, "Now would be the time to start flirting with her. Seduce us to safety, Leah."

Gasping, not to mention totally betrayed, I darted back to safety and shoved him toward her instead, "You do it!"

The bride raised a bloody knife and grinned at us, letting her head fall to the side. I clamped my mouth shut, and Robin made an oop noise that nearly had me erupting into laughter. He was still standing in front of me, looking at her with raised hands.

Robin gestured to her, clearing his throat, "So...uh, this your usual haunt?"

I burst out laughing, and the bride screeched into the hallway. The lights flickered sporadically, and the paintings slammed open and shut against the walls. Actors were crawling out of the windows slowly. Groans and screams echoed from every turn. Robin and I raced forward, laughing our heads off, racing around the ghost and toward the exit as she chased us down the hall with a bloody knife. Shadowy hands clawed at us and scraped the walls. My heart soared when I saw the exit door but dropped the minute another ghost stepped in front of it.

Digging my heels into the carpet, my feet shuddered to a halt. Robin stopped as well, both of us a few feet from the door. This ghost was wearing a tattered suit, approaching us with a leering smile. But this wasn't the right kind of creepy. This didn't feel like fun or games.  I moved away from the ghost, who was edging closer, and bumped into Robin.

"It's fine, just acting." Robin whispered, but even I could tell he wasn't sure about this actor. There was a tension in his voice, and a rigidness to his shoulders that made me second guess what was about to happen. This guy was certainly doing his due diligence in creeping us out.

The ghost behind us in the dress edged in, still moaning. The hall had quieted down and it was now just the four of us. She pushed Robin forward, but I resisted moving, not wanting to get closer to the other ghost by the door.
My stomach turned, and tightness gripped my chest like a cold hand. The creepy ghost skulked in.

He began mirroring my movements, following me as I crossed from side to side, and a genuine unease took hold. At first, I thought I imagined it, but after a few minutes it was clear he was targeting me. Flashing my eyes up at Robin, he took in my expression and nodded. I tried to move behind him, not sure what else to do, or how to get by without getting too close to this guy. But when I moved to skate behind Robin, the actor reached out, and grabbed my arm, making me shout.

Robin was quick to detach the ghost from my arm. He pushed me behind him, tucking me against the wall. My coat slid against the wallpaper, and I tucked my arms in against my body.

Meanwhile, Robin was speaking jokily, "Okay, good job. But that's enough, just let her through." 

The actor must have moved closer, because Robin stuck out his arm, tone immediately dropping into warning, "Dude, seriously. Drop it."

"Matt," A tense voice spoke from beside us, and I realized it was from the other ghost. She ground out, "Knock it off. You're being a jerk."

The male ghost, Matt, spoke for the first time, laughing, "I'm just giving her a little scare. Come on out, I won't bite."

I happen to lock eyes with the ghost bride who is already staring at me. I gesture with my hand to ask if it's really okay. She shakes her head at me with a serious look. A different feeling of fear makes my stomach turn.

"No, I'm good." I call out from behind Robin. Matt moves to grab at me again, trying to taunt me out of my hiding place.

"Back off." Robin's other arm wrapped around to guard me as he pushed us toward the door.

"What you her boyfriend or something?" The ghost scoffed, "What are you going to do about it?"

"Can you not be a dick and let us pass?" Robin responded angrily, still trying to diffuse the situation and edge me to the door.

There was a heavy thud and I felt Robin jolt into me. We crashed into the wall as the female ghost shouted this time, "Matt!"

There were footsteps and rustling as she fumbled for a light. Bright fluorescents blinded me. She spoke again, this time much closer, "Oh my god, you're bleeding. Are you okay?"

Bleeding? I shot out from behind Robin to find him pulling two fingers away from his nose. Blood dripped over his lip. The girl ghost said something into her walkie-talkie, but I was too busy staring at Robin to process it.  Robin looked at his fingers, eyebrows raising with a painful noise.

"Don't let me punch him." Robin grunted, squeezing his eyes shut. His hand balled into a fist at his side, as he hung his head forward, attempting to stop the bleed. "Don't let me punch him. Do not punch him."

I thought he was talking to me at first, but then I realized he was mumbling to himself. This was exactly what he warned me about. Scandal, bad publicity, violence, anything that would cause a commotion for him and tarnish his reputation further. I could see the headlines now: Robin Moore Punches out Scare House Actor! or something ridiculously dramatic like Horror Star Brutalizes Young Performer.

"Are you okay?" I went to check on him, before I felt a hand close on my wrist.

Turning around, I saw Matt smirking at me, like he had proved something by punching Robin without warning and in a dark room. The actor winked at me, and it clicked. He had been in the hallway; he had been the one in the paintings. Heat rose in my cheeks and flushed the back of my neck.

I heard Robin whisper one more time, "...Don't punch him."

But I had absolutely no qualms facing down the media... and absolutely no tolerance for bullies. I promised Robin I would have his back at that meeting, and I meant it.

Glaring at the actor, I balled my fist tightly and rammed it into his nose as hard as I could. He dropped like a sack of potatoes just as security burst through the door.

---

We sat in Robin's car, bags of ice on his face and on my knuckles. It was dark out and we were staring at the road, the haunted house still running behind us. I tried to wiggle my fingers and winced at the shooting pains.

"I can't believe you got us banned." He said, voice sounding a little congested. No doubt his eye was starting to bruise a little, and he shook his head. I hoped he didn't have any auditions coming up and felt a twinge of regret at the possibility.

The incredulity in his voice made me snort. A response that made him chuckle, then wince as he said, " What were you thinking?"

I frowned at my aching hand and wrist. It hurt so badly that I immediately burst into tears after it happened. The security team was gob smacked by the sight of us: Robin leaning against the wall talking to himself while blood gushed from his nose, me bawling on the floor holding my hand against my chest, Matt passed out, and the girl ghost standing like a statue at the center of it. 

Thankfully, the female ghost was there to vouch for us. She assured security that my punch was provoked out of self-defense, and even went so far as to give me a hug and apologize to Robin. While she hugged me, she said thank you, and that Matt needed a good wake up call. That eased the guilt, but it didn't stop my hand and wrist from throbbing. It also didn't stop security from escorting us out the back and off the premises.

Grimacing, I huffed, "He was a creep... He grabbed me and he punched you. Without warning, I might add, which was gutless."

"You mean you were defending my honor?" He smirked at me, trying to wiggle his eyebrows but wincing at the pain.

"Rule three of surviving horror movies," I mocked his voice, smiling at him, "Hit back."

"Be still, my beating heart." He teased, setting his ice bag in the cup holder. "I guess that makes ghost guy 0, and Leah 1."

This made me laugh, and I nodded, pumping my bruised fist in the air victoriously. Robin mirrored me, with a grin.

Buckling himself in and starting the car, Robin started the heater and turned on the radio for our drive back. Reaching up I clicked my seatbelt into place and settled back into the seat. Readjusting the ice bag, now mostly melted, I sighed and pushed the hair from my face. Now that the adrenaline was gone, fatigue was starting to set it fast and hard.

"I guess I really did learn something today," I noted quietly after we had driven for a while. Robin looked at me expectantly and I lifted my hand proudly, "I throw a mean right hook."

"Easy there. That was more of a dirty jab... and you could have broke your hand." He flashed me a bright smile, and Robin lifted his fingers up off the steering wheel in a calming gesture, "Learn proper form before you enter the ring next time."

"Well, Dirty Jab was my nickname in high school." Leaning back into my seat, I shrugged nonchalantly, if not a little flirtatiously, when I added: "Maybe I'll teach you about that next time."

Robin laughed so hard that we had to pull over when his nose started to bleed again. He drove the rest of the way home with a wad of tissue up his nostril.

——

Hi all! 

I know, I know, my posting schedule is so out of wack ahaha! I have been busy and also restructuring my time a bit so things are moving around.

**Quick add in since I finally figured out how to dedicate a chapter! This chapter is dedicated to User swim_read_repeat. I am so grateful for your support and the hilarious comments you leave. They always make my day! 

Also, a big shout out to @RavenSpiritLin who is also one of my newest readers. I am so happy you decided to give my book a chance!  

Okay, enough gushing ^v^ ~~~

Anyway! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter (:  Please vote, comment, and share if you did!

With love,
e.g.