Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39053 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
“Feels more like they’re setting us up for the nightmares to come,” another half-joked.
As we ventured deeper into the cinema lobby, the decor unfolded dramatically. The stark black and white checkered floor contrasted strikingly against the vibrant splashes of reds and neon greens, crafting a space that was both playful and sinister.
Everyone’s attention was inevitably drawn to the right where the concession stand was. Behind the counter, where snacks should have been, stood two clowns. One wore a mask with a jagged, bloody grin, its hollow eyes exuding pure malice. The other’s face was frozen in a grotesque scream, blood spattered across its exaggerated frown.
One caught our glance and waved cheerfully. Aisha and I, swept up in the moment, waved back automatically. As I redirected my attention forward, I noticed Juno had maneuvered from the front to just a couple of spots ahead of me. I hoped she wasn’t trying to cozy up for my brother’s sake. She’d find no allegiance with me. Ky’s heart, or what he could give of it, was entangled with someone from a rival family—a deliciously messy drama I was all too happy to support from afar.
Raphael, who was proving to be ever observant, pointed out something none of us had noticed: a Now Seating sign looming ominously above us, listing Judicium: 10:15 across every slot.
“Are we heading to that theater next?” a boy with braids inquired.
“Seems like the best move,” Darrel responded.
We proceeded up a subtly inclined ramp, entering a corridor that melded surreal neon blues with stark reds, creating an atmosphere both beautiful and eerie. More posters lined the walls, continuing to depict scenes from the Devil’s Playground: players ensnared in sinister traps or surrounded by the ever-watchful masked huntsmen. The anticipation of stepping into such scenes myself stirred a thrilling giddiness within me. I’d finally get to see my brothers and their gorgeous friends in action.
Perhaps I’d take on the persona of a cheerleader. On better thought, perhaps not. Pom-poms and cheering weren’t exactly what I wanted to convey on screen. The idea of twisting words for fun, however, had an appeal.
We neared a peculiar figure by the entrance of theater six: a girl, her makeup a flawless replication of a porcelain doll, held a toy resembling a puzzle. Instead of collecting tickets, she offered them to us with a wide grin.
I remembered to thank her as I accepted mine, with Aisha echoing the gesture. Hael muttered a thanks like he couldn’t believe he was going along with it. You’d think he was used to my random acts of kindness by now. His prompted the girl’s grin to stretch impossibly wider.
“I think she’s taken a liking to you,” I teased.
“Finally. It’s about time I caught up with you in the admirers’ stakes.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “As if you’ve ever needed help attracting attention.”
His laughter warmed the space between us. “It’s always reassuring to know I meet the Kennedy standard of non-mediocrity.”
Oh, someone was being coy. I told Hael he was nice to look at almost every day—multiple times a day. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t even be a contender for the illustrious harem I’m planning.”
“Woah, woah. A contender? You mean I’m not already grandfathered into the group?”
The girl with the pixie cut suddenly turned around, her face scrunched in disapproval.
“Isn’t that a bit vain? Relationships shouldn’t be all about looks.”
“That mindset is precisely why some settle for simple and boring,” I shot back, my gaze slicing briefly toward Darell to punctuate my point. Unfortunately, he was too far ahead to notice. “And excuse you. Eavesdropping isn’t exactly polite, is it?”
“What’s on the inside counts more,” a girl I assumed was her friend chimed in, completely ignoring my previous comment.
“Of course it counts,” I agreed, my voice dripping with earnestness. “Not just the size, but the skill, too.”
The first girl’s face soured as if she’d bitten into a lemon. “That’s not what I meant. I wasn’t talking about that.”
I snorted. She couldn’t even say dick. How ridiculous. I bet she’d sucked and licked more than a few until she was rewarded with a facial or a few shots of protein. I wasn’t sure why it was then too vulgar to speak about. A couple of the others who had clearly caught our conversation snickered, causing her friend’s frown to deepen.
She dropped her voice, a hint of bitterness seeping through. “Wow, she hasn’t changed at all since high school.”
Was that comment meant to be a whisper?
And honestly, screw her invalid opinion that was wrong to begin with. Sure, I’d always been a knockout, but I liked to think I had gotten more appealing since finishing that four-year bid.
“She’s actually the one that hasn’t changed,” Aisha remarked.
“We went to school with her?” I must have asked that quite loudly, because now the girl looked offended.