Chapter 8 – Reflection
We all grab some food since we have no danger of pissing, shitting, or regurgitating now. There's a lot of emotions displayed here. Lots of age groups. I see a kid that can't be more than twelve years old, but he's laughing like this is a comedy instead of a horror film. It makes me wonder if that's what Edward was like at that age.
While I certainly don't wish to ever go through all the attractions again, I can appreciate the whole operation now. I may be having nightmares tonight involving chainsaws and being separated from my friends though.
"What's the verdict, Bella? Not so scary, right?" Mike goads as he inhales a burger.
"You're one to talk. You almost got eaten by the couple's children."
He scoffs. "Please, I could've defended myself if it was real."
"But seriously, Bella, you survived didn't you? We can't volunteer here and not see the whole process."
"I'll admit, when I wasn't scared out of my mind, it was cool seeing everything put together. It's amazing that all this," I wave at our surroundings, "is what came out of all their minds. It's sick, it's twisted, but at the same time, handled beautifully."
Jess asks me how terrified I really was.
"I was on edge the whole time, shaking in Alice's arms. Also, sorry about your ear drums, Alice. I'll stick to makeup thank you very much."
I only experienced Level Seven twice: when I got separated from everyone and when Edward chased me out of the Asylum. Now, I can finally relax.
Jess and Mike leave shortly afterwards and Alice and I go hang out in the barn while we wait for the end of the night.
"So, you and Edward?"
I roll my eyes. "Coincidence. He got you and Mike too."
"Maybe, maybe not. But I meant you and Edward outside of all of this."
"He's an alright guy when he's not being an ass about my lack of taste in gore and horror."
"Let's say you don't intend to volunteer here again and I don't either. We don't keep in touch with Rose either. Edward doesn't make a move on you to get your number or connect with you in any form. All ties with Field of Screams operations and personnel are completely severed. Are you going to make the first move?"
"The first move?" I whisper to myself, looking down in my lap.
In all honesty, in the few relationships I've made, I've never made a major first move like that before. It's kind of sad. Edward definitely makes me feel something. There's no denying that. The question is if that feeling is fueled by this innate desire to prove him wrong like my initial quest to prove I have the skills to meet his expectations or fueled by this sliver of romantic desire to know him on a more personal level?
Something whacks my shoulder, scaring the shit out of me.
"Fuck, Emmett!" I shriek at his looming body and chainsaw in hand. Alice giggles. Traitor. She had to have seen him sneaking up behind me.
"You're alive! It's a miracle! Hallelujah!" A kiss that reminds me of a dog lands on my cheek. I push him way forcefully, not wanting slobbered on.
"Yes, I survive. I'm never going in again though!"
"We'll see…Pumpkin," he winks, walking away with a mysterious smirk on his face. Great, now the other Cullen calls me Pumpkin.
I never get the chance to response to Alice's question because she heads over to her area to help removal. Looking at all these actors in good lighting and not acting put them all in a new perspective. They look scary, but aren't terrifying. It's similar to seeing a huge, muscle man in the streets, thinking he's going to be this badass, but he's actually really sweet and polite.
It's the whole package that brings it all together.
"You know, I pulled Mike out of your group on purpose. I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to pick you out with all the guests that walk through every night, but I did so I avenged what Mike did to you when you were six," Rose says as I'm wiping the last of her makeup.
I give her a pointed look. "What did you do?"
She laughs like I've lost your mind. "Oh, that's between me, him, and Emmett and confined within the walls of the Den. Remember the story? Those who escape the Moores are too traumatized to remember what occurred?"
He did look scared when he caught up to us. It's water under the bridge, but it's nice Mike got a taste of his own medicine times a thousand.
"May I steal this seat, Mrs. Moore?" he so politely asks with his tattered face. He even gives us a little bow.
"Why certainly, good sir." She gets up and whispers in my ear that she wants details later.
"Go ahead, ask," I say, getting started on him.
"Was it everything you imagined? Did it exceed your expectations?"
"Eh," I play it off like it was nothing. He doesn't need to be more smug.
"You're full of shit." He laughs, jostling his head so much I have to hold his head in place with one hand. "Emmett was boasting all about how he got you with the chainsaw."
"I wasn't scared," I meekly argue. In comparison to walking the Wasteland alone, it honestly wasn't that bad in retrospect.
He hums, but clearly isn't convinced. "I suppose you, Alice, and Mike were just screaming for fun then when I chased you out with that chainsaw?"
"I'm onto your game, mister," I tell him, looking him straight in his gorgeous jade eyes. "You planned that! I don't know how, but you somehow planned to find me and give me the scare of a lifetime. I bet you told Griffin the Goblin to separate me from the others too."
"Pumpkin, I didn't know Griffin stole you, but that was just a coincidence that works out for the best," he says in a tone that gets my blood boiling. "But I had no game. I simply used my superior night vision to seek you out all night. Chasing people out is always an adrenaline rush, but watching your pretty face and tush run out of my territory was a major bonus tonight."
"Tush?"
"Of all that, that's the part you focus on?" He laughs again and begins jostling his head around, making him really look like a crazy person.
"Tush is juvenile, Edward."
"I help operate four scary attractions, Bella. I think that immediately calls for some immaturity."
I roll my eyes, but eventually finish up his makeup. I think he's going to go change and get back into his street clothes, but he grabs my hand and begins dragging me out of the barn. My protests are met with silent ears. He promises he's not going to drag me into the cornfield to kill me, but that puts me on edge then.
We are in the dark, nobody knows where I am, and I'm with somebody I don't really know well. That's how all horror movies start!
We end up in a little office where Masen does all the paperwork. It's…quite a sight. Papers are a scattered all over the room like a hurricane whipped through here. It looks like a crime scene. I think I actually spot what I hope is fake blood in the corner.
"So, you've brought me here to kill me with paper," I observe, taking in the whole scene.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize Masen had the office so messy," he apologizes, rubbing the back of his neck. "I promise that no murders have taken place here."
"Such a shame for you. I know you'd eat that up like candy," I say, walking over to the desk and leaning against it. "Why have you drug me to your uncle's office against my will?"
"Please, like it was against your will. Since you've experienced my family's pride and joy, which you vehemently dislike, I wanted to give you a little token for your suffering."
"A token?" I'm instantly suspicious and cross my arms. "I do not take kindly to possessed dolls or smelly ass brains."
"Scout's honor it's neither of those. You have to close your eyes though."
Against my better judgement I sigh and close my eyes. And this is the part where his accomplice comes out of hiding, whacks me upside the head to knock me out, throw a bag over my head, stuff me in the truck of their car, and drive me to the dessert so they can dissect every organ out of my body and sell them on the black market.
It seems like centuries that nothing happens. I wonder if I'm being punked, but then I hear a creak in the floorboard sending me into high alert.
"Relax," he whispered softly in my ear.
It feels almost like a feather against my lips at first. Then when I don't reject his advances, but respond, he applies more pressure. A kiss is definitely not what I was expecting as gift.
He pulls away first, and I finally open my eyes. Confused, but definitely not mad at him. He has a cute boyish smile on him, making him look younger than he actually is.
"That's not what I was expecting."
"Was it a nice surprise?" he asks shyly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Now he really looks like a little boy. He just needs dirt underneath him to kick around.
"Very pleasant. Much more pleasant than being kissed by Liz's Jack laced lips," I joked. His eyes widen though. Oops, she mustn't have told him about that.
"You and Liz kissed?"
"In my defense, she kissed me."
He stares at me aghast for a moment before getting his bearings. "We're going to be discussing that later. It's besides the point right now. Would you like to have dinner and hangout with me on Monday night?"
I finally realize what's going on.
"Edward Cullen, are you asking me out? On a date?" I jokingly say.
"I'll go get Griffin right now, Pumpkin."
"As long as Griffin isn't with us then yes, I'll accompany you on Monday."
Posted: October 19, 2020
I think I was supposed to post this yesterday, but forgot. Oops. What's Edward got up his sleeve for a date now?