"Alright gang! I have everyone's tickets. This haunted house is kind of like a strategy game. You chose a path that you think will get you out of the maze, but if you chose the wrong path, you'll go deeper into the maze until you get so deep you get escorted out. Got it?", Ino explained and then went around handing out everyone's tickets, "Stick closely with your partner. You need to work together.", Ino winked as she handed Shikamaru their ticket.
"Well, at least we'll be out quickly.", Temari scooted closer as the group moved closer to the entrance of the haunted maze.
"What makes you say that?", Shikamaru blandly countered.
Temari looked up at him worried, "W-well, you're smart. I'm decently right behind you. we got this, right?", she asked worried.
He looked at her in question then a huge grin grew on his face. He leaned closer to her mockingly, "Are you scared of haunted houses?", he teased.
Temari narrowed her eyes and poked the lowered man's chest, "Listen here, crybaby. I am not liable for any of your injuries tonight. Got that?"
Shikamaru laughed and nodded, backing away, "Just don't hurt me too bad."
The first of the group went in and right on entry the loudest scream roared. Temari jumped slightly, letting out a deep exhale, "I knew there was something at the entrance I should prepare for."
Shikamaru smirked at her, "You know, I think I should be calling you crybaby tonight."
Temari hit his arm with a glare and then her eyes grew worriedly wide when the usher guided their group in.
Temari was nervous and stood frozen in line. Shikamaru noticed she wasn't following so he looked back at the frozen girl. He let out a large sigh and took her hand abruptly, pulling her close to him. Her arm wrapped around his and their hands interlocked, bringing her as close as possible to him, "Don't worry, you can use me as a shield so you can get away first.", he reassured jokingly and she let out a nervous chuckle.
She nodded and walked with him inside. Like she knew from the previous group, the jump scare was right at the entrance. She squeezed her eyes shut as she jumped out of fear and buried her head into Shikamaru's arm.
He was barely affected by the first armature scare, but enjoyed the closeness of the ocean like smelling woman. After the first scare, he pulled Temari back so she'd look at him, "You know I'm going to need you to help me make decisions, right?"
Temari looked at him frightened and took a deep breath in and out to calm her nerves. She squeezed his hand tighter and put a little more space between them, "Alright. I can do this. I can do this.", she repeated under her breath and Shikamaru smiled at the girl as they walked down the first hallway.
"What are you smiling at lover boy?", Temari's shaky voice tried to tease.
Shikamaru let a small snicker escape, "I just didn't expect you to be so clingy.", he joked.
Temari narrowed her eyes and started to release his hand, but they were met with their first choice of right or left. Her eyes grew back to their wide nervousness and she tightened her grip on Shikamaru's hand which made him laugh.
Temari scowled at him, "Shut up."
Shikamaru wiped away a tear and cleared his throat, "Alright princess, right or left?"
Temari tried to peek through the right's curtains and a scary face jumped at her which made her scream and jump backwards into Shikamaru's chest to hide. Shikamaru chuckled and Temari stuck a sharp hand out to his left, "That way."
Shikamaru held her close, but made sure he was still going first, "Alright, left it is. Here we go."
Temari grabbed his hand and trailed behind him slightly so he was reaching behind him, as he lifted the curtain to a white light on strobe mode flashing violently, showing random creatures who would idly move closer with each flash.
"N-nar-ra...", Temari's voice shook and he tightened his grip on her hand to reassure he was still there to protect her... at least that's what he told himself.
He tried to fasten their pace to the other side of the room to their next selection, but the flashing lights made it hard to see.
"Temari, we have an issue. We have to pick before we leave this room! Right or left?", he ushered desperately.
Temari didn't open her eyes she had squeezed shut behind him.
The group of scary figures were hurriedly coming at them, "Temari!", he forced more frantically and Temari shot her eyes open to see their situation. She quickly pushed Shikamaru to the right entrance which led them to a closed off pitch-black hallway before they entered their next room. The cracked door for their next room allowed light in so they could dimly see each other. Shikamaru reached for the door but Temari grabbed his arm and pushed it back down, "Wait! We need to discuss."
They couldn't see much, but they could feel the tight space they were in. Shikamaru turned around to where he could feel the tiny body next to him, "Okay, discuss.", He said calmly.
"The first room wasn't so bad, but I chose this one out of impulse. I also had my eyes closed the whole time through that last room we were in. We need to start looking for clues to the way out of here."
Shikamaru noticed the only indication out of the small dark hallway they were currently in was the light coming from the cracked door, meaning they couldn't go back once they chose, "Okay I agree. But that means you need to keep your eyes open from here on out. We can't risk missing anything."
"Okay.", she said, trying to reassure herself, "I should go first in case I close my eyes out of habit, so you can see it and yell at me. That way you can also make sure we both don't miss anything."
Shikamaru nodded, "Sounds like a plan... after you madam.", he joked and creaked the door open for her.
The light allowed them to see each other more clearly and Temari gave him a nervous look while holding both her hands to her chest. He smiled at her reassuringly and took her hand, "Right behind you."
Temari treaded carefully into the whitened room that was set up like a mental hospital. At the end of the room were two openings again. Suddenly the room shook and barred windows showed up on the wall as dead looking arms started reaching out for them eagerly. Temari screeched and Shikamaru brought his hands to her hips to hold her closer in front of him.
"The hands!", she screeched as she pushed herself closer into Shikamaru as the walls started moving closer, bringing the reaching hands closer and closer.
"The hands?", Shikamaru yelled over the loud growling coming from the actors of the haunted house.
She looked up at him, "There is writing on some of them. I think I saw a 'T' on one of them."
Shikamaru looked at her frantically, "The walls are moving in on us quickly, the hands might be telling us which way to go."
"Or which way to avoid.", Temari added.
Shikamaru groaned out of frustration and let go of Temari, "We have to check all the hands before it closes in on us."
She nodded hesitantly then allowed him to let her go. They frantically searched the hands as they moved further down the room, "I have a L over here"
"And I found an 'E'!"
"It has to be left!", they yelled in unison, not finishing the other hands.
Temari grabbed his hand and ran to the left side. When they got to the end of the room, one of the hands waved at them and Shikamaru knew they were screwed.
"Shit!", Shikamaru yelled as they were enclosed in a dark room again, waiting to enter their next trivia room.
"What? What's wrong?", she asked frantically, grabbing for his hands again.
"We picked the wrong room.", he muttered exasperated.
"But I read a hand that said go before we came in, so it has to be the right one!"
Shikamaru scoffed as he leaned against the wall, "And I read a hand that said don't before we came in..."
Temari gasped then dropped her head into his chest, "Why did I agree to this. We have only been into two rooms and I'm scared out of my mind."
Shikamaru chuckled and rubbed her back reassuringly, "Just think, once we get out of here we can drink our worries away."
Temari laughed and lifted her head, "Then let's get the hell out of here!"