Escape, or die

by Whistle-78

When sisters Eve and Lucy Cartwright, along with Lucy's Fiancé Rob are invited to an escape room scenario at the old and abandoned Smith's Grove asylum by a man the girls met at college, they are hoping for plenty of good scares. But what they don't realise is their host has an ulterior motive and that the scares are in fact all too real and they end up in a fight for their lives.

A Few Miles Outside of Haddonfield, Illinois

The tall man with short, wavy locks that resembled the red, flickering flames of a fire stood in the descending darkness, his cold, hazel eyes studying what remained of the destroyed transport vehicle along with its dead occupants, which included its driver and a prison guard. The long, pointed shard of glass that had been instrumental in slitting their throats fell from his large, strong hand, dropping with an almost musical tinkle to land at the roots of the tall, spreading elm tree that had efficiently stopped the car dead in its tracks.

Idiots! The man inwardly sneered. So, the incompetent staff at Smith's Grove thought they only needed one guard to control him, did they? Well, he had shown them just how very wrong they had been in their shallow thinking. It would take a lot more than 2 men, even armed, to keep him down. There were women out there who desperately needed his attention; and now, he was out and free to give it to them. So boy, would he. If they did not let him, they would die. It was as simple as that. He would not let them go until he had given it to them completely. Now, all he needed was a cover story, and he already knew what he was going to do. Its ok ladies, he thought. I can feel you're longing and I am here to soothe your pain away. It had been far too long, and too many women had suffered the terrible pain only he could relieve during his absence. But now, finally, he was back.

…

Russellville, Illinois

Three Months Later

"LUCY! HEY, LUCY!"

When Lucy Cartwright heard her sister Eve shouting up the stairs, at first she ignored her. She felt she had 2 good reasons to do so: first, because Eve was the big sister, she thought she could shout for Lucy whenever she liked. Second, Lucy was half-way through a true crime documentary she had been looking forward to watching for ages and, now that she finally had the time to sit down and watch it, she was fascinated and hooked. It was about dangerous men, and right now the silent serial killer Michael Myers had just strangled Annie Brackett in her car. Bracket had not been much younger than Lucy was now that fateful Hallowe'en night in 1978. Lucy was 22 and Eve was 25. Brackett had been only 17 when she died. The police footage documenting the aftermath of Michael Myers' killing spree was grainy and not very clear, but Lucy could see enough. More than she wanted to, perhaps.

"LUCY! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!" Eve shouted again, and Lucy felt a stab of irritation. "I'LL SHOW YOU, OR CHECK YOUR PHONE!"

"IF IT'S THAT URGENT, YOU COME UP HERE, EVE! I'M BUSY!"

The moment she said it, Lucy wished she had not, because she knew that was exactly what her big sister would do. Sure enough, within 2 minutes her door had been flung open. Her sister had not even knocked. This also always annoyed Lucy. Hadn't Even heard of privacy and the importance of respect for it?

"What?" Lucy demanded as her big sister slumped onto her bed. But in spite of herself, she could not stop the affection she felt when Eve lowered a huge tray of snacks onto her bedside table. Despite Eve's constant use of the I'm the older sister card, the 2 were very close. Their parents had moved to England three years ago, and while the sisters visited them over there whenever they could, it had, perhaps understandably, created distance between the sisters and their parents. However, that distance had only served to strengthen the bond between the siblings.

"Hell yes! Is this the dangerous men documentary?" Eve asked eagerly, her vivid, dark brown eyes now fixed on the screen. Now, the narrator was talking about one of the most dangerous criminals and insane asylum escapees of all time. Possibly even more dangerous than Michael Myers himself. Jake Dyer. A man who was seriously mentally disturbed and whose crimes were equally disturbing as his pathology.

"He gives me the fucking creeps," Eve declared while shivering. "I hope to fuck they catch him soon!"

Lucy nodded in agreement. Jake Dyer claimed to have the ability to know when a woman was desperate for sexual attention and relentlessly pursued them until they surrendered to him. He abducted and chained them up in his house. If they did not resist, by all accounts he gave them pleasure. He was always "gentle" as he raped them and even let them go at the end of the night. His victims never saw his face; when he pursued a target he always covered it with a plain black mask. But if a woman did resist him, she died. Dyer claimed this was because the pain of them being desperate for sex but not letting him make love to them was too much, and he could not let them live with that pain; to do so would be cruel. So he killed them, in very violent and bloody ways. He said that he viewed it as an act of mercy - to save them. Dyer had escaped from Smith's Grove mental hospital about three months ago, and it was still constantly on the news, the reporters and law enforcement urging females to be exceptionally careful and if they even saw him to call police on 9-1-1 immediately. According to the FBI, Dyer was considered one of the most dangerous men in the world.

"Yet he doesn't see things that way," the presenter was saying now. "Dyer believes he's doing a great kindness to women, hence why he's always gentle and even tries to pleasure them. According to him and the mental health professionals who have treated him, he doesn't see what he's doing as wrong. He claims that knowing a woman needs sex and then not letting him make love to her breaks his heart, which is why he doesn't allow them to live if they refuse and fight him. He states he can't let them go with that need still burning within them. It hurts him too much."

Staring at Dyer's pale, emotionless face on the screen, the oddly gentle yet predatory look in his cold hazel eyes made Lucy want to run, even though it was only an image on the TV screen. For a second, she was struck with a thought so horrible she did not dare voice it. God, he looks familiar. Almost like… She shook that off immediately. That was impossible, silly even!

"That is seriously disturbing," Eve stated, a visible shudder shaking her slim body.

Lucy nodded in agreement, picking up a can of coke and a slice of cake from the tray. "Tell me about it! I think I'd rather meet someone like Michael Myers than him! At least Myers would just kill me and be done with it!"

Lucy then reconsidered her statement. "Although earlier in the show, they explained that Myers needs a reason to kill," she said. "He doesn't just kill for the hell of it. The authorities are pretty sure Annie and those guys died because they were Laurie Stride's friends, and she was his target? As for Dyer, what do you think made him that way?"

Eve shrugged. "Perhaps he saw his mom reject his father's sexual advances too often? Or perhaps a girlfriend rejected his? Did Myers ever catch Laurie?"

"No, he's still looking for her now, if what I've read is true." Lucy shivered. "Poor woman."

They watched the rest of the documentary in a companionable silence, in spite of the fact Lucy had not wanted to be interrupted in the first place. Rob had texted her while they sat, mesmerised by the show, but she had not yet replied, instead flicking her phone into silent mode. He could wait. Rob Milton was her boyfriend of 2 years, and they were planning to marry in a year.

"So," Lucy said eventually once the documentary was over and the snack tray was half-empty. "What did you want to show me in the first place?"

"Remember when James told us to not plan anything in our diary for Halloween this year? Well now we know why! Oh my God! I can't believe he's managed to secure this for us!" She held up her phone and Lucy glanced at the screen. It was true. Their friend, James Maddison, who they had met only 2 months ago, had told them not to plan anything for Halloween this year as it fell on a weekend and he had a surprise for them. He had told them this three weeks previously. The Email read as follows:

Dear Rob, Lucy and Eve,

I'm writing this Email to finally tell you why I asked you three weeks ago not to book anything for Halloween weekend. This Friday the thirtieth, I have managed to book us an escape room scenario at the recently abandoned Smith's Grove Asylum. I paid so it would be just the 4 of us, private tour. We'll then stay in a nearby hotel for the weekend. Eat loads of crap food and chill. How does that sound? See you the day after tomorrow. Get your bags packed and I'll meet you all at Lucy's at 6 and drive us straight there. It starts at 7. Looking forward to a good and scary weekend.

List of 1 items

• James

List end

"How the bloody hell…" Lucy stared at the Email, feeling part excited, part astonished. When they met James three months ago at college, they had learned he was not a fellow student. Rather, he was there to do some sort of work experience as a teaching assistant and office worker, basically whatever jobs the college needed doing on any particular day. He had just been standing there in the main hall when they arrived on campus, and he had started chatting with Eve and Lucy immediately. Then, he joined them for coffee a few days later, and shortly afterwards the girls had introduced him to Rob. Somehow, they had just, to use an old word, clicked.

He did not even really have much of a history, at least not that he had shared with his new friends. He simply had told them when they asked that he had been homeless most of his life, living and working in the streets until he saw an advertisement for a job at the university, which he applied for and got. Lucy had been the one to write up that very advertisement. After all, she was one of the senior editors of the university newspaper and she was working upon a Master's in advertising after earning her Bachelor's in journalism. Her face had appeared in local papers about a year back, honouring her for when she won a national award for one of her articles. That picture of her still made her cringe.

"Just because he's on work experience doesn't mean he doesn't have money," Eve countered. "For all we know, he's rolling in it." Lucy frowned. It just didn't add up, but she did not think anything of it.

…

Pulling out her phone, she called Rob once Eve had left the room. "Did you see the Email?" she asked excitedly, her enthusiasm brimming over.

"Yeah. Sounds exciting," Rob replied, although he did not sound nearly as thrilled as she and Eve were at the news. "But, how did they set it up so fast? Smith's Grove was only abandoned three months ago when that guy Dyer escaped, right? In all senses of the term, he's one sick fucker."

Lucy nodded. She knew of course there were some men who laughed at what Dyer did, thinking it was hilarious, but not Rob. He was very protective of both Cartwrights and women in general - a genuinely kind man, considerate, funny and, not to mention, damn good looking! These were only a few of the many reasons Lucy loved him so much and looked forward to spending the rest of her life with him.

"I was wondering the same thing. What is it? Some kind of escape room attraction? How's that supposed to work? Like you say, I really do wonder how they set it up so quickly."

"No idea, darling," Rob replied. "But your friend James must be a lot richer than he looks. You notice he always seems to be wearing torn and or second hand clothes? Must have money stashed away somewhere, though. Maybe that's just how he wants to look."

"Yeah, I wondered about that," Lucy answered slowly. "It doesn't add up, does it? A man who doesn't even buy himself new clothes having enough money to afford this?"

"Hmm," Rob said after a moment's hesitation. "Who knows, L? Guess we'll find out on Friday."

"I'm just looking forward to spending the weekend with you," Lucy said.

Rob chuckled affectionately. "Me too, love. Sorry I haven't been able to stay with you this week - I had to help mom out."

"Of course, I totally understand, but I do miss you."

"I miss you, too, sweetheart."

Knowing that Rob's mom had been diagnosed with cancer a few months back, and that this week she had been particularly unwell, Lucy understood why he had not been able to spend as much time with her. She saw Rob's devotion to his parents as a reflection of his character and a sign of how well he would treat her should she ever fall ill. Wanting to do their part, Lucy and even Eve went over to visit whenever they could, bringing food and anything they thought my cheer up the Milton's, but it was not easy with college and the fact Rob's family lived over an hour away from them. But they all did what they could. Teresa and Josh Milton were 2 of the kindest people the sisters knew. Certainly kinder than their own parents had been to them, even before they had moved across the ocean, effectively abandoning their only children.

"How is Teresa doing?"

Rob's tone was pensive when he replied. "Same, I'm afraid - no change one way or the other, but I guess that's good news in its own way."

"Give her and Josh our love, please?" Lucy insisted.

"Of course. Will do."

After a few more minutes of conversation, Rob heard his mother calling for him, so he had to hang up, leaving Lucy in a tangle of emotions. Of course, she was still very excited about James' plan to bring them all to do the escape room challenge at Smith's Grove for Halloween, but she was worried about Teresa. Prior to calling, she had been hoping to hear that Rob's mother's condition was improving. Also, there was Rob's noticeable lack of enthusiasm regarding the adventure, which Lucy could not understand but it still bothered her.

That night, Lucy opened Google and typed in "escape room Smith's Grove." It was indeed true. It had only taken them 2 months to set it all up, and it appeared to have been a huge success. People came from all over the state wanting to stand exactly where men like Michael Myers had stood. The old concrete block where he had been chained was still there, and people could buy pictures of themselves chained to it. For an extortionate price, of course. Apparently, the powers that be had decided that, due to the fact both Myers then Dyer had escaped, albeit decades apart, their security protocols were not strong enough. As a result, the other patients had been moved to a secure facility called Glass Hill. By all accounts, Myers had not been caught since the kills in 1978. Wow. Myers and Dyer both on the loose. That was scary indeed!

She saw the cost of a private ticket and her eyes widened. How the hell had James been able to afford to pay for all 4 of them? But again, she shrugged it off. He obviously had, somehow, and she supposed she should just be grateful for it.

…

"I'm really looking forward to this," Eve gushed as they packed their overnight bags later that night. "I'm so excited!"

Lucy looked over at her older sister and rolled her eyes. "Eve, for fuck's sake, just tell James you like him and be done with it! Your whole class can see it!"

"Wait, what?" Eve stammered, her face turning the bright red of a ripe tomato. "I…"

"Don't try to deny it," Lucy retorted, grinning now as she poked her sister's shoulder. "He seems like a nice guy in the three months we've known him, and if you want to be with him then just tell him! Life's too short! This weekend's as good a time as any, right?"

Eve could not argue with the truth of that statement. Life was too short. Sadly, Rob's mom was living proof of that.

…

Fourth Woman in 2 Weeks Goes Missing Just Outside Haddonfield

Sarah Howls, 24, is the forth woman in the last fortnight to vanish without a trace. The last people to see her said they saw her getting in to a car with a male who they believed to be her boyfriend. But police haven't found any trace of this male and urge anyone with information to come forward. Of more concern, every woman who has gone missing over this past fortnight was seen getting into a car with their boyfriend. The chief inspector of the Haddonfield police department, Adrian Webber, is pleading for anyone with any information to call them immediately, no matter how small it may seem.

…

Rob read the information in the newspaper in front of him then the news article below it on Dyer and felt his stomach turn horribly. Who the hell was behind the disappearances? It was only women who were disappearing, as well, it seemed. That did not sit at all well with him. He was going to keep a much closer eye on Lucy and Eve until whoever was behind this was caught. Dyer? Fuck, he hoped not! He loved Eve just like the sister-in-law she was about to become and he would die before he let anything happen to her or Lucy, who he loved dearly and who he could not wait to be his wife.

So why his mental alarm were bells growing louder and louder about this escape room thing James had set up for them? Because James did not have his email address, Lucy had forwarded him the Email, but James had put his name in it. For some reason, that made Rob even more uneasy. Was he simply afraid to go out of fear something would happen to the 2 women he loved most in the world besides his mother? Or was there something else to his worries? Was he just being paranoid, or…?

Heaving a sigh, Rob went to make himself a coffee. Were they being too quick to trust James Maddison? They had only known him for three months after all and Rob was still certain something about the man did not add up. Why and how had he suddenly appeared at the college the girls were at? Work experience? In his thirties? That made Rob really suspicious. Then there was the fact the tickets for the 4 of them had cost a small fortune. Just like Lucy, Rob had Googled the Escape Room Smith's Grove page, and it looked legit. But still, there was an unpleasant feeling in his stomach he could not shift. Should he suggest to the girls they shouldn't go? But they were so excited, and he was not sure he could bring himself to do that. They would be so disappointed, maybe even resentful of him. The only way he could honestly justify that course of action with a clear conscience was if he found them something better to do for Halloween, the three of them, and he did not think he could. He had checked all the other major attractions, and of course they were all fully booked by now, what with Halloween being only 2 days away.

Of course, there was always the possibility he was being too judgemental too fast. James had never made a single move to hurt either girl and seemed to genuinely like them. Neither had he had any negative or suspicious interactions with anyone else at the university, for that matter. Not that Rob knew of, at least. None of the girls from the university were among those who had gone missing in the area. And James had been friendly enough to Rob when he had met him, but…

Rob picked up his coffee from the machine and sat down on his sofa. His mom was asleep now, and the little house they shared was quiet. Just then, the door softly creaked open. It was Josh, returning from his late shift in a gas station.

"Hey, Dad," Rob greeted his father with a warm if tired smile and stood as the older man took his seat in his somewhat worn but extremely comfortable old armchair, intending to get a cup of coffee from the kitchen for him, as well.

"It's ok, Son," Josh informed him with an equally tired smile. "You don't have to get me anything, but thanks."

Rob sat down again, looking at his father with concern. He looked not only tired, but as if he had aged years in the past few months. "Are you ok, Dad?"

Josh Milton sighed heavily and looked at his son. "I'm fine. How's Mom?"

"She's asleep now," Rob said quietly. ""She wasn't in bad spirits today. It appears today was one of her good days, thank goodness. I hope and pray she has more of those than bad."

Josh nodded. So did him. "Has the doctor said anything new?"

"Just to keep doing as we are," Rob gave his father a tired smile. "Keep giving her the pills and being there for her for both the good and bad days. That's all we can do, Dad." Rob sighed. He would take her place if he could, and looking at his father's sad face, he knew he was not alone in that sentiment.

"But what's on your mind? I can see something is troubling you. What is it?" Josh asked.

"It's ok, Dad," Rob said. "I'm just thinking."

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm here for you. I'm sorry if it hasn't appeared that way lately due to my long shifts and your mother's illness, but I always have and always

Will be here for you. I love you."

Rob stood, walked over to his father, and hugged him. He saw his father's brief look of surprise before Josh was hugging him back tightly, tears in both their eyes. They did not hug much these days, Rob now realised with deep regret. "I love you, too, Dad," Rob blurted out, his voice cracking a little. "You and mom, so, so much."

"I know, Son," Josh murmured, briefly squeezing Rob's hand. "So talk to me. What's the matter?"

Rob slowly sat down again and looked across the coffee table at his father. "It's just…" he began softly. "I've been thinking. A friend of the girls, James Maddison, who they met at College three months ago, has booked an escape room visit at the abandoned Smith's Grove asylum for them this weekend. For Halloween and all that."

Josh nodded. "And?"

Rob heaved another deep sigh. "I don't know, Dad. Something about it just doesn't add up. Hell, something about this guy James doesn't add up."

"What do you mean? Have you met him then?"

"Yeah. I've met him twice, the girls introduced him to me when I went to pick them up from college one day. Shit," Rob paused, running his hands through his hair. "I don't know dad. Something about him feels… Just… Well, off. He suddenly appears at the college one day claiming he's doing work experience doing random jobs for the college. Teacher's assistant, admin, you know that stuff. He's in his thirties, though. Then there's the fact he always wears ripped clothes, and… I don't know, he just looks shifty. I can't put my finger on it but my alarm bells are getting louder and louder! It's driving me mad!"

"Have you mentioned it to the girls?"

"Yeah, but they say I'm just suspicious because I haven't spent enough time with him. Sure, they agree some of his life choices seem a bit strange, and apparently he claims to have been homeless for years, but they put it down to how he's chosen to live. These tickets to Smith's Grove Escape Room are really expensive though, and he's booked us private ones! How, if he has no money? Or, if he does, why not spend it on proper clothes? His car's an old banger too."

Rob pulled out his phone, opened Google and loaded up the Escape Room's page, handing it to his father. There was silence for a few minutes while Josh studied it intently.

"Hmm." Josh looked thoughtful for a second. "You always have had good instincts when something doesn't feel right to you. Yes, these tickets are really expensive." He handed his son back his phone. "Have you suggested not going?"

"Shit, Dad, I want to, but it'd break the girl's hearts. You should've heard Lucy on the phone when she called to tell me about it - the only time I've heard her more excited was when I proposed to her! I could only do that with a clear conscience if I found the three of us another of the major attractions to go to instead, and of course they're all booked up this close to Halloween. Even three weeks ago when I was looking. I didn't trust it when James first told them not to make plans for this weekend. They've been looking forward to it all day since they found out. James only emailed us this morning because he said he wanted to keep it a surprise."

"You sound suspicious of that, too?"

"God, I don't know, Dad!" Frustrated, Rob stood up and began to pace the room exasperated. "I just… I don't trust him! But Eve and Lucy are convinced he's trustworthy. I think Eve really likes him, actually."

"Which can play a powerful part in trust," Josh said knowingly. "Do you want me to talk to them?"

Rob smiled faintly at him. "No thanks, Dad, they'd probably say we were being sexist or something, overprotective men, you know. Especially Eve if she does want him."

At this, Josh grinned a little. "Perhaps. I take it then you wouldn't let them go with him alone?"

"No! Absolutely not! Now I will be overprotective and they can call me a sexist bastard all they like, but it won't change my mind! Not a chance in hell!"

"I thought so," Josh replied, smiling fondly at his son. "You're a good, kind man."

Rob smiled back. "Oh stop it, Dad."

Josh chuckled. "You know," he said eventually. "Can I change my mind about that coffee? I'll get it though." Placing his hands upon the plush upholstered armrests to push himself up from the chair's comfortable confines, he began to stand.

"No you won't," Rob said firmly. "Sit down. I'll get us both one."

When Rob returned a few minutes later with the hot drinks and handed one to his father, he noticed Josh was also staring at the newspaper's headline.

"Grim, isn't it?" His dad remarked. "Thanks."

"Yeah," Rob replied, sinking into his couch with his own drink. "They're all women. 4 in 2 weeks. That doesn't sit at all well with me."

"I don't think it does with any decent member of society," his dad said. "But surely you're not telling me you think the disappearances of these women and this escape room thing are linked, are you?"

"Jesus that was the very thing I hoped you wouldn't think of. Yes, I am! That's my darkest thought and fear about the whole situation."

"But why? Why would this James guy or whoever he is use an escape room to get at Eve and Lucy? If that was the case, he wouldn't have invited you, too, would he? And he wouldn't have taken three months to get to know the girls. Whoever this guy is," Josh jerked his head at the newspaper. "He's targeting women when they're out alone. They're last seen getting into a car with some man who witnesses believed was their boyfriend. It's the same M.O. for all of them. So, why would he make it different this time? Not to mention making such a big effort? He's met you, after all, Lucy's Fiancé. So targeting Lucy would be a lot more difficult for him now he knows you exist and are protective of her."

"But what about Eve? What if she's his target? I just don't know!" Rob began to pace fretfully again. "But… Fuck, Dad! Something just doesn't feel right! Maybe he thought it would look seriously strange if I wasn't there, and it would! I'm Lucy's fiancé, after all!"

"So, with regards to your thoughts that this James guy doesn't add up, are you implying he might have something to do with these missing women?"

"If I had any proof of that whatsoever, I'd have gone to the cops already. That's exactly the thing I'm trying not to think! It could be just an innocent; truly fun surprise and I'm over thinking it! But Jesus, I really don't want Eve and Lucy to go! I really, really don't!"

Father and son looked at each other in silence. They both knew Rob was deeply unsettled by both James and the escape room thing. Smith's Grove had only been abandoned three months ago, and already they had made it into a hugely successful escape room attraction? That was not beyond the realm of possibility, Rob supposed. No. He thought it was more his suspicion of James himself than the escape room that bothered him so much. The attraction was real and looked

Every bit like a legitimate enterprise. No, it was the man taking them against whom Rob had very loud alarm bells ringing.

What the fuck are you up to, James? He thought as he got ready for bed, hearing the aching rasp of his mom's laboured breathing from the next room, which clutched at his heart. I don't trust you. What's your game? Rob Milton got no sleep at all that night.

…

"THERE'S THE DOORBELL! Eve shrieked, her face glowing with excitement. Lucy felt the same way. Rob, who had arrived an hour ago, had tried half-heartedly to persuade the girls one last time they should not go and that something about James did not add up. This, following his inability to sleep the night before and the conversation with his father, made him incredibly uneasy. But the girls just were not hearing it.

"Come on, Rob," Eve pouted teasingly at him in response to his serious concerns. "Are you just suspicious because you and Lucy know I like him? Are you just being overprotective?"

"No," Rob replied, not returning her playful manner. He wanted her to know he meant every word he was saying. "No, Eve, I'm not. I'm serious. Something about this guy just doesn't add up. I've been telling you both this since we got the Email 2 days ago."

"Ignore him," Lucy told her sister, giving her fiancé a playful poke. "He's just being overprotective, new man around for you and all. I'm sure it'll be just fine." Once again, Rob did not return her smile. He was sure of anything but.

Eve flung open the door and smiled coquettishly at James as he entered their living room. It was an obvious attempt at flirting, and Lucy could not help grinning at her sister and her obvious crush. He could be good for her. Eve had not had a boyfriend since her last had brutally dumped her by text message. Hopefully, at last there was a reason for her to get over the bastard. James smiled back and hugged Eve close to him for a little longer than was strictly acceptable for friends. Lucy smirked again, although she noticed Rob was looking far from happy.

"Oh cheer up, grumpy face!" Lucy teased, nudging her fiancé lightly. "It'll be fine. Aren't you looking forward to this? You love horror as much as we do. It's one reason I fell in love with you. One of many, of course."

This time, Rob could not resist a small smile tugging at his lips, but it was for her, not because he was looking forward to or feeling any more at ease about this evening.

Lucy looked over at Rob and rolled her eyes behind her older sister's back. It was clear to them both that Eve had a thing for James. She should just get on and tell him, was Lucy's thought. Rob, on the other hand, would be a lot happier if she kept those particular feelings to herself concerning this guy.

"Hey, guys," James announced with a broad smile. "Sorry I'm a bit late. Shall we get going now? It starts in 40 minutes and it'll take us 30 to get there."

The others just nodded, picking up their weekend bags. James took Eve's, the very definition of a gentleman, then he took her hand. Rob could not resist glaring at him.

"You really don't like him, do you?" Lucy asked very quietly as they headed out towards Maddison's beat-up old banger of a car.

"No," Rob said bluntly. "I don't. Nor do I trust him as far as I could throw him. I'm only coming tonight to protect you 2. Please don't say we don't need it, just let me have my way on this, L. Please."

Lucy sighed, but she was unable to prevent a small smile from curving up the corners of her mouth as she nodded at her fiancé. Eve just looked so happy with James, and he seemed so good for her, too! Nothing would make Lucy happier than seeing her sister happy, and she knew that she would have felt the same even if she were single and alone because she loved Eve. That love was reciprocated, too, she knew - even after her own bitter breakup, Eve had been genuinely happy seeing Lucy and Rob together, as if her sister's relationship gave her hope for her own future and she derived joy just from witnessing Lucy's.

Seconds later, they were in the car as James drove them towards the darkly looming edifice of Smith's Grove.

…

Eve's first thought when they finally reached it was that the asylum looked as it always had in the documentaries about it and its most infamous inmates. No changes at all appeared to have been made, at least not to the exterior of the structure.

"They didn't want to change anything," James explained as if reading her mind, his own bright, baby blue eyes shimmering with excitement and anticipation. "Said it would take away from the realism of it. The whole idea is to escape the asylum, just like Michael Myers and that Dyer guy did."

Or die, Lucy thought with a shudder. But she still was not having second thoughts about their adventure, no way. Was she?

"COME ON!" Eve shrieked as she danced away from the vehicle, her excitement infectious, and it shattered Lucy's lingering trepidation. No. This was going to be a lot of fun had by all. Even Rob would enjoy himself once they got into it, she was sure.

James smiled at Eve's excitement and retook her hand. Rob tensed at the sight, and Lucy gently took his arm. "You're not her father or big brother, Rob," she murmured. "She's an adult. Just because you don't like him doesn't mean she can't."

Rob looked angry for a second, then he seemed to crumple a bit and just sighed. They followed the other pair into a reception area which contained nothing besides a registration desk. The room was not decorated at all. The only sound they heard was the soft, low hum of the refrigeration from a vending machine. It made Lucy's stomach rumble with hunger, making her wish she had eaten more for dinner. She glanced at the prices listed on the machine, but at the sight of 10 dollars just for a sandwich and 5 for a piece of fruit, she decided that perhaps her hunger was not so bad. Certainly not enough to warrant paying those ridiculous prices!

"Hi, guys," announced a man in a white T-shirt with SG Escape written across the chest in what looked like blood. Lucy shivered a little at the sight, even though she was sure it was fake - the effect was good. "I'm Scott, and I'm your guide tonight. It's just me as you booked for a private event. If you'd like to follow me?" he invited after James had confirmed his name was the one under which the booking was made. "I'll give you your briefing."

They entered a small, dimly-lit room and sat down in theatre-style chairs. It was clear the room could hold at least 20 people, and it looked eerily empty with only the 5 of them in it.

"Ok," Scott said as he stood in front of them. "So, you'll enter what used to be a cell block of the asylum, block A, which held the most dangerous criminals in the world. There will be clues scattered all around it, and your job is to find them all. When you put them all together, they'll give you a code which will enable you to escape the cell block. You'll key it in to a pad on the main door. You have ninety minutes in which to get out. You will each be equipped with a radio to communicate with each other, a headlamp, and a notepad on which to jot down your clues."

He walked over to an equipment stand and handed each of them a helmet, checking they were the right size for each person. The radio and light were built into them.

"This is seriously cool!" Eve exclaimed enthusiastically. "I feel like James Bond or something!"

Scott chuckled at her excitement as they all checked to make sure they could hear each other while he typed something into a computer, presumably to put all the radios on the same channel. He then handed them small notebooks. On the front of which was written CAN YOU ESCAPE BEFORE YOU GO INSANE? They all grinned at the terrible joke, considering they were in a mental asylum. That, of course, was the point, but it was cheesy as any dad joke.

"By the way," Scott told them in a sinister tone. "Don't be surprised if you hear the occasional…" Interrupting him were insane, bloodcurdling screams which came through their helmets. With a thin squeal, Eve automatically grabbed onto James's arm, clinging tightly.

"Whoa!" Lucy gasped, catching her breath. "Virtual reality?"

"Perhaps," Scott smiled darkly, his voice dropping even lower. "Or perhaps the inmates are still here…"

The effect was good, Lucy had to admit as she and Rob finally set off, the other 2 right behind them. Scott led them into cell block A, and before the guide could join them in the long corridor spreading to either side of them, the door clanged shut with a horror movie bang! "Good luck ladies and gentleman," his voice said over their radios before there was total silence.

"Why don't we go right?" Eve suggested. "You guys take left? We'll communicate all clues to you and the other way round, okay?"

Lucy hummed in agreement. She could not deny the whole thing was well done, and she thought even Rob was starting to feel the excitement now. So they split up, 2 going left, 2 going right.

…

"I can't see a thing," Rob complained. It was pitch black in the cell block. When both he and Lucy flicked on their headlamps, they were pleasantly surprised to see how far the beams penetrated into the darkness surrounding them. They reached the first empty cell, which was, of course. Open. As Rob pushed the door, it creaked loudly and a cackle of mad male laughter seemed to come from right behind them. They both spun around simultaneously, headlamps piercing the gloom like bright blades, but there was no one there.

"Oh hell!" Lucy gasped. "There must be concealed speakers in the walls or something. Jesus, that scared me!"

Rob silently nodded his agreement. "Horror attraction" was the right definition for this place alright. They certainly had taken time and great effort, no doubt at great expense, as well, building the effects. The couple entered the cell, their lamps illuminating what looked like blood smeared in dark swaths across the walls and ceiling. It was, of course, pitch black in the cell, so Rob trained his head torch across the walls, Lucy the floor. Neither of them were exactly sure what they were looking for, how these codes would show themselves, but they were determined to figure it out. And the bloodstains must contain a clue, otherwise why would they be there?

"Hey!" Eve's excited voice came over their helmet radios with crystal clarity. "Found anything yet? Isn't it cool? Those sound effects are brilliant."

Lucy pressed her microphone on button to reply. "We haven't found anything yet," she informed her sister. "You?"

"We're just looking around at the moment," Eve informed them, and Lucy was having trouble trying not to giggle herself, hearing what sounded like a hint of a suppressed giggle in her sister's voice. Oh yes. Eve and James alone in the dark? Looking around? Whatever, she thought with a smirk. Sure, Eve.

"We've only got ninety minutes, remember?" Rob chimed in. "We should probably start soon."

"Spoilsport," Eve retorted, and this time there was no doubt she had just giggled. Then, her radio clicked off. But in the few seconds before it did so, Rob and Lucy were sure they had heard calm, slow breathing. They glanced at each other, then Rob rolled his eyes, dryly quipping, "Three guesses what they're doing. Not clue hunting, that's for sure."

Lucy laughed. "I thought the same thing! But it's harmless, darling; let's leave them to it. We could always… Well, copy them, if you want?"

"Sorry, babe, but you've got to be joking! Not here, no way! Let's find these clues and get the hell out of here. We can make out later."

"You know," Lucy replied, playfully swatting his arm. "Eve's right. You are a spoilsport."

…

Eve shrieked when the horrifying scream sounded in her helmet and automatically whirled around, looking around nearly hysterically, the beam of her headlamp bouncing maniacally off the walls and ceiling. But of course, there was no one there. She looked back to see James smirking at her in amusement, her headlamp illuminating his short, chocolate-brown crewcut. "Shit!" She declared with a slightly tremulous grin. "That scared the ever living hell out of me!"

Silently, he simply took her hand again and led her deeper into the asylum as they kept their eyes open for the clues. This was proving to be an even more incredible experience than she had anticipated, and it was even better getting to be alone with James, Eve thought.

Half an hour later, Lucy and Rob had found 2 codes compared to Eve and James's one. Some were scrawled on the cell walls, and Lucy had found hers on a piece of paper hidden under one of the thin, dingy mattresses.

…

"Ok," Rob said after a while. "So, I'll admit it, this is actually pretty cool."

"Told you so," Lucy giggled as she poked his arm again.

They headed off down another corridor as Eve reported to the group that she and James had just found another clue. Yet again, Lucy and Rob heard slow, calm breathing behind her voice.

"They're going to find them all if we're not quicker," Lucy grumbled.

Rob rolled his eyes at her. "You're the one who's supposed to be really good at this sort of thing, so get looking, Miss Investigative Journalist Detective Holmes."

As they set off once more, Lucy thought she saw a shadow lurking behind them, like someone was following them, and her breath caught in her throat, a cold shiver running down her spine. She had noticed similar shadows behind her out of the corner of her eye during the past few weeks, but she had dismissed them as mere figments of an overactive imagination. It was still somewhat disquieting, though, especially in a creepy place like this. Had Eve and James maybe caught up with them? She thought hopefully. But, when she hurriedly turned around to look, the darkness was total, devoid of any sign of anything or anyone.

…

"Wow, its cold down here," Eve remarked, shivering. James tightened his grip on her hand and drew her closer to his side. Eve was about to snuggle into the warmth of his firm body, but then something caught her eye. Looking up then with a sharp gasp, she stared in thrilled disbelief at the small sign on the door directly ahead of them. Or, more accurately, she stared at the name printed upon the sign.

Jake Dyer

"Whoa! This was his cell?" Eve asked James excitedly, and he nodded in reply. "He is one of the most dangerous men in the world, that's for sure! Especially to women." He just nodded again. Eve noticed he had become quieter and quieter the deeper into the cell block they went. But, she just figured he was enjoying himself, just like she was. A smile dancing around the corners of her mouth, she decided now was the time to tell him. Perhaps it was not the most romantic place, not by any means, but she wanted him to know how she felt. Maybe they would even finish out this weekend as lovers! She would not mind that at all, especially after how her crummy ex-boyfriend Ethan had text-dumped her, the bastard.

As they walked the final few feet up to the heavy steel door, Eve could have sworn she heard slow, deep, measured breathing behind them. She spun around, but of course no one was there. Damn sound effects! But wow they were well done. She wondered if they had even been able to implement visual effects into the experience, too. Because a couple of times as she and James had walked, Eve felt almost certain someone had been following them. But, of course, every time she had turned around to look behind them, there was no one there. It had struck her as a little odd that they had not been given VR glasses if there were visual horrors programmed as well. Unless they, too, were built in to the helmets?

"James," she whispered quietly as they entered Jake Dyer's former cell. "Can I talk to you about something?" He simply nodded again. Eve could not lie; his silence was becoming slightly unnerving. Never before had he struck her as a quiet man prior to tonight.

"Are you ok?" she gently inquired, stepping closer to him. His eyes were fixed on her face and his baby blue gaze was intense. Had he guessed what she wanted to say to him? Could that explain his silence? After a moment, he gently but firmly removed her helmet, effectively cutting her off from communicating then he removed his own. Butterflies shot up from Eve's stomach into her throat. This was it, the moment of truth; she was sure of it.

"Eve," he said quietly then, closing the distance between them and gently pressing her back against the cell wall with his surprisingly muscular body. "It's ok, I know what you want to say to me. I know you need me, so just be my good girl and let me make love to you. I've felt your pain for a very long time. I know you need my love and attention, so just let me love you."

Eve gazed up at him in confusion. That was not the response she had expected, not at all. But if he wanted to make love to her, she was not about to stop him. She had desired this with him for at least the last 2 months. However, she had been too shy and nervous to say anything to him.

Gently, James pushed her onto the hard cell bed with its thin mattress, and her desire turned into ice in her veins, the first stirrings of horror and fear kicking in when she heard and felt the hard, cold metal close around her ankles, then the soft clicks of the locks snapping into place. Her legs were now spread wide open and she could not close them. Then, handcuffs were applied to her wrists, just as cold and unyielding at the ones on her ankles. How the fuck? There was no way there would be chains on Dyer's old bed, would there?

She gazed up in confusion and mounting terror at James who had just straightened up, holding 2 items in his hands that made her blood run cold. A knife and a box of condoms. His bag was at his feet. He had insisted that he needed to take it into the asylum with them as it had their booking information in it, even though he had told the other three to leave all their belongings in the car.

Before she could even fully digest what she was seeing, James stepped forward, closing the cell door. He then reached up to his own face. Eve gasped, fighting off a scream as James pulled and his dark brown beard peeled off his face. A fake! A moment later, he reached into his mouth and pulled out some cotton balls, then up his nose to remove some strange pieces of plastic. Without these in place, the contours of his face shifted subtly but noticeably. Last, he plucked the contacts from his eyes, revealing a piercing hazel gaze that seemed terribly familiar. He must have worn this disguise for the last three months, and no one had noticed! Of course not, she thought, why would they have? There was not much to it, and it had been very effectively done.

Rob's words crashed through her head. "Something about him doesn't add up, I don't trust him, work experience in his thirties?" Ripped clothes? No money? Beat up car?" With another thrill of horror, Eve realised that if she screamed, even if Rob and Lucy heard it, they would just dismiss it as one of the sounds emanating from speakers hidden everywhere around them. She had heard enough screams, laughter, creaking doors and chains herself to know they must have experienced similar. Slowly, the man who just seconds ago had been James Maddison turned around to face her.

She would know that face and those cold, stabbing hazel eyes anywhere, even without the fiery copper waves to frame it. Even without the news reports or TV documentary she had watched with Lucy what felt like a lifetime ago. It was the monster, Jake Dyer, who stood before her.

"It's okay, Eve," he murmured, his mellifluous tenor voice hovering just above a whisper as he unzipped then kicked off his dark denim jeans and white briefs, giving her a clear view of his erection even in the dim cell lit only by their discarded headlamps. "I feel your pain, and I am here to soothe it," he lowly continued as he attempted to seduce the girl by lightly tracing a fingertip up from her ankle bone to the gentle contours of her knee. Her skin was so smooth and soft, and his cock twitched hard in response.

Jake Dyer bent his head towards Eve's pale, bloodless face, his thin lips hovering just inches above her mouth. A deep sense of fear rose up within her chest, and she had to fight off the sudden urge to vomit as his lips grazed hers. Lifting his head slightly, the man spoke to her again, his voice filling the small room and assaulting her sensitive eardrums like a swarm of angry hornets. "Be a good, obedient girlfriend by letting me pleasure you until I am satisfied that your pain has disappeared, then I will free you."

His large, strong hands settled on the young woman's perk breasts, his fingers firmly kneading them through her shirt and bra while he crooned, "In the meantime, you're not going anywhere until I say so, my darling Eve. I know you crave sexual release, so I am here to fulfil all your needs." When the young woman whimpered, Jake added, "Shush now, and just be a good girl for me, because I would rather not have to use this … " He held up the knife before her face, her wide eyes following the path drawn by its thick, sharp blade wickedly gleaming in the low light before he set it down within arm's reach.

Removing a hand from its place upon Eve's breast, he purposefully lowered it to the hem of her denim skirt, deliberately pushing the stiff material up to her hips. She struggled against the chains until the metal cuffs clasped around her wrists and ankles chaffed her soft skin so badly that she had to stop due to the pain it caused while he pulled her floral panties to the side.

A look of regret crossed Dyer's rugged features as he climbed up onto the mattress to claim what he had already deemed as his. "I had to chain you up, my darling," he gently soothed as he rolled up her shirt and tenderly nipped at the skin between her navel and her pubic area. "It wasn't by choice, but if you had resisted me, that would have broken my heart beyond repair."

When Dyer's mouth crept down to her clit, a quiet cry of despair escaped Eve's trembling lips. Dear, God, no … please … she silently entreated.

"Hush, my darling, be still," the man who used to be James Maddison firmly demanded, "I'm going to give you some oral stimulation now."

Because of the metal cuffs and chains that bound her to the bed, Eve had no choice but to obey Dyer's command as his lips latched onto her sensitive clit and gradually drew it into his mouth. Despite her best efforts not to react, Eve felt a very slight tug low in her belly.

Dammit! She mentally cursed. Did Scott even check Dyer's bag? Eve scoffed. Bullshit. Maybe Dyer had paid someone at Smith's Grove to orchestrate this entire event, and they agreed, which made Eve suspect that they had known Dyer's true identity all along.

Frustrated and angry at the situation in which she now found herself, the young woman grunted at the very moment Dyer slid his tongue inside of her pussy. She hated him for his actions, even if he was too mentally ill to consider them as being morally wrong. Eve suddenly thought of his other female victims. She never imagined she would experience the same horrors they had faced, yet here she was, chained to a bed and at the mercy of Jake Dyer himself. If only she had never gotten into the car with him … she thought miserably.

Dyer softly moaned as his tongue continued to delve in and out of Eve's defenceless pussy and back and forth across her clit. Eventually, the slight tug inside of her belly became more persistent and impossible to ignore. NO! She inwardly screamed, but her hips had already started matching his rhythm while her body searched against her will for its release.

Dyer's fingers tightly clenched Eve's tight ass, and before she knew it, she was shaking uncontrollably. He leisurely lapped up her feminine juices as she drifted down from the high of her orgasm, too stunned to even recognize the sound of ripping foil and what it meant for her until he climbed atop her and began pushing his condom-clad cock into her wet, tingling pussy.

"Thank you for coming for me, my sweet darling," Dyer cooed. "You really are a terrific girlfriend. Now I'm going to reward you by making love to you, and you will come for me, again. Do you understand? The pain residing within you needs to be vanquished …"

Eve's eyes widened in horror as Dyer picked up his sharp, gleaming knife. Smirking, he raised its blade to her chest and carefully sliced through her shirt, bra, and down to her panties, leaving the skin beneath the garments unscathed. However, her relief was short-lived when his mouth enveloped her right nipple which was still taut from her orgasm. As he suckled it, his rock-hard cock easily slid in and out of her wet, supple pussy, meeting absolutely no resistance as it did so.

Eve yearned to shout derogatory remarks at Dyer, but one glance at his knife glinting next to her thigh on the mattress kept her completely silent. She remembered reading once that he never desired women to pleasure him because he did not need the sexual gratification it undoubtedly entailed. They claimed he truly believed it was his calling to rid women of their emotional pain by giving them sexual release. Dyer was not just mentally ill, she knew now; he was also a sexual psychopath. And he was holding Eve's fragile life in his evil, diabolical hands.

…

"Told you Eve and James were busy," Lucy remarked with a knowing smirk at Rob as they continued through the cell block. "They've left the escape mission to us."

Rob tried to smile, but his misgivings would not leave him. He was growing more and more uneasy with every passing minute. They had heard nothing from the other pair over the radio for over half an hour now. "Maybe he just wanted to get her alone in the dark," Lucy quipped playfully. "The perfect horror romance."

"You know, babe," Rob replied quietly, putting a protective arm around her. "I'm not sure I agree."

There was that shadow behind them again! This time, they both saw it and looked around. Once again, though, there was nothing lurking in the corridor behind them. At the same time, they heard the sound of steady breathing coming from uncomfortably close behind them once more.

"Damn, those sound effects are almost too real," Rob muttered. "I could swear there was someone following us just then. Not to mention that breathing…"

Lucy's head bobbed in nervous agreement. "Back to what we were talking about just now, what are you saying? You're not still suspicious of James, are you?"

Rob opened his mouth to answer, when an ear splitting scream cut the silence. Lucy felt her blood run cold. That was no sound effect, that'd been her sister's scream - she would know it anywhere! Without another word, Rob and Lucy began to run down the corridor in the direction from which they had heard the awful, ominous sound, foreboding dogging their heels like hounds on the scent of a fox.

…

"Good girl," Dyer groaned again as he ejaculated into her. "I'm nowhere near done yet, don't worry. You're still in pain and in sexual need of me, so I won't stop and you're not going anywhere until you're better."

The next second, he slipped his tongue gently back inside her pussy and was licking and rubbing her clitoris, but Eve was too spent to come again. She knew this meant she probably would never get out of here alive. Ha! As if she would have survived this anyway. This sick rapist wouldn't let her just walk out, she thought despondently. Dyer licked and licked her, his movements remaining gentle and, as much as Eve hated it, she eventually did climax a second time. Without a word this time, Dyer climbed back on top of her and, having put on a fresh condom, gently slipped his cock back into her pussy, beginning to "make love" to her for a second time. This, too, was just as gentle as before, but Eve wanted to punch him in the face. He again also suckled her breasts as he fucked her. Eve was not going to give him the satisfaction of calling it love making. To think she had liked this guy… No, correction. She had liked the man who she mistakenly had believed he was, James Maddison, not the monster he actually was, Jake Dyer.

How had his disguise fooled her and Lucy so completely for three months? A simple beard, hair dye, coloured contacts, and some slight facial prosthetics? But it hadn't fooled Rob, she realised with a stab of horror now. Was that because he was a man and had seen through it but didn't know what was troubling him? Eve knew that if he had known or even truly suspected what was going on, he would have told them. As it was, he only had suspicions which had turned out to be more terrifyingly accurate than even he would believe. Eve knew she had to tell them, somehow. If she ever saw them again. If she stayed alive long enough. If she survived the night.

She shook off that thought as, for the third time, Dyer started to lick and suck at her pussy. Eve could feel herself getting sore now, and she was very sensitive. She absolutely could not orgasm again, willingly or otherwise. She had no chance of stopping him, though she could not even touch him due to the damn cuffs. What else he had in his so-called weekend bag, she wondered furiously. Then, she decided that she didn't want to know…But she was sure she soon would find out... A gag, perhaps?

Now, she was sure she saw a flash of anger flash across the psychopath's face. "Come for me," he growled. "I'm warning you."

"I can't," Eve pleaded weakly. "I'm really sensitive. It doesn't feel good anymore; it just hurts. Please stop?"

But of course, Dyer did not stop. On the contrary, he just softly continued his gentle movements, and she could hear the repulsive grunts and moans of his own sick, demented lust. It just made her even angrier. This was not about a woman's so-called sexual pain, this was about him raping women and worse, until he had enough of them, only then claiming their "pain" was gone. Eve wondered if any woman had survived his relentless sexual torture. It was not about the woman at all. It was about him getting his sexual pleasure until he was satisfied. All done under the guise that he was "helping" her with her "sexual need." It was sick.

Eventually, when Dyer continued gently licking and suckling her, she made a conscious effort to struggle. She knew this would infuriate the psychopath and was immediately confirmed to have been correct in her assumption when he looked up at her, his hard, chiselled features contorted into a grotesque death-glare. But Eve was too angry to feel afraid right then.

"I SAID STOP, DAMN IT!" She shouted at him. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A WOMAN SAYS NO? OF COURSE YOU FUCKING DON'T, YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT A WOMAN'S SO-CALLED 'PAIN' YOU'RE JUST A RAPING BASTARD WHO USES IT AS AN EXCUSE TO RAPE A WOMAN UNTIL YOU, NOT HER, HAVE HAD YOUR PLEASURE! UNTIL YOU DECIDE YOU'RE DONE, NOT BECAUSE OF HER 'PAIN' OR 'SEXUAL NEED' IS GONE. YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A SEXUAL PSYCHOPATH AND I'LL BE DAMNED IF YOU'LL HURT ANOTHER WOMAN EVER AGAIN!"

Without a word in response, Dyer climbed back on top of her and this time, after shoving on his condom, he slammed his penis into her. Now, Eve really did feel pain, but not the kind Dyer spoke of. He fucked her so hard she felt something inside her tear. It was so bad that she screamed, unable to stop herself. Dyer's skin slammed against hers again and again as he thrust his turgid cock inside her as hard as he could. She knew nothing had changed as far as he was concerned, she still was not going anywhere until he was done, but his gentle "sexual pain" act was over. She had dared to challenge him, so he would not be gentle any longer. She was sure that was as good as resisting him. Her horror only spiked when he picked up his huge knife, but she only had a second to think this before Jake Dyer, while he still fucked her, slit her throat in one quick motion.

…

The arc of blood shot up into the air and spurted as high as the ceiling. Eve tried to speak, but she could only gurgle in her own blood. At that exact moment, Rob and Lucy burst through the door. Dyer had just climbed off the dying woman and zipped up his pants.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" Rob yelled as Dyer turned to face them.

There was a second of silence before Lucy recognised him and, glancing down, saw the beard and prosthetics with which he had fooled them both for the last three months lying on the floor, along with the contacts he'd used to change his eyes from hazel to blue. Now, she was looking into the cold, hazel gaze she'd seen so many times on the TV screen. Every woman's worst nightmare. "Jake Dyer," she breathed in terror.

"L…Lucy."

Lucy looked at her sister's slit throat and horror and ran to her side. "ROB!" she screamed. "ROB, WE NEED HELP!"

But even Lucy knew there was nothing they could do; she began to scream in pure agony as she hugged her dying sister's shackled form close to her. "I… I love you so much, L…," Eve whispered, her eyes clouding over as Death wrapped its clawed hands around her bloodied form. "He's… he's Jake Dyer…" Then she was gone.

Lucy screamed once, twice; the pain was indescribable. Rob, meanwhile, had wrestled Dyer away from both girls and was fighting for possession and control of the knife. "ROB!" Lucy howled again. "PLEASE, NO! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO!"

"YOU FUCKING RAPIST!" Rob bellowed, punching Dyer straight in the face and slamming the heavier man's head against the wall. "I TOLD EVERYONE SOMETHING ABOUT YOU DIDN'T ADD UP! I NEVER BOUGHT YOUR FUCKING STORY! I NEVER TRUSTED YOU AND NOW I KNOW I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET THE GIRLS ANYWHERE FUCKING NEAR YOU! YOU MAKE ME SICK AND YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN LOCKED UP IN GLASS HILL WITH THE OTHER SICK FUCKS, YOU FUCKING PSYCHO!"

"ROB!" Lucy screamed again, cradling her dead sister tightly in her arms. She was absolutely covered in Eve's blood now and just wanted to join her, to roll over and die herself. "ROB! PLEASE, I NEED YOU! I LOVE YOU! STOP! LET'S JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE…"

"You can try," Dyer softly insinuated with an evil smirk which froze Lucy's blood solid in her veins. At the same time, he grabbed Rob by the base of his skull and, with one hard smash, shattered it against the solid, steel-reinforced concrete wall.

Lucy shrieked as the only man she had ever loved collapsed to the ground in a pathetic, broken heap, brain matter that should have been contained within his cranium instead splattered against the cell wall, now tempted to grab the knife off Dyer and slit her own throat. "NO! NO! NO…" She felt as if she was trapped in a nightmare which only kept getting worse. She tried to remind herself that there was a dangerous, calculating, and cruel serial rapist and murderer in this room with her, a depraved creature who just killed her sister and her fiancé and who now was advancing towards her. He had the same gentle, adoring look in his hazel eyes Lucy was sure he had shown to Eve that he was going to promise that if she didn't resist him, he would be gentle. Scrambling to her feet, Lucy glared at him in pure hatred as he began removing the cuffs chaining Eve's arms and legs then pushed her body aside, slipping in her sister and her fiancé's blood in her desperate haste. She had to get out of there! No way in hell was she letting him cuff her to that bed! She was on her own now against this man, and she was horribly aware that she, like the dozens of women before her, like her sister, would not stand a chance if she did not move now, and fast.

But to her horror, Dyer appeared to have pre-empted what she was about to do, as the very next instant he was there, right in front of her, seconds away from grabbing her, forcing her onto the blood-soaked mattress, cuffing and then raping her, all in the pretence of her supposed "sexual pain." Hatred like she never had known before gripped Lucy Cartwright, but she was absolutely terrified, too. Turning, she ran for the door and somehow managed to open it even though her hands were shaking badly. She felt Dyer grab her from behind with his strong arms wrapped suffocating around her ribs, and she fought to resist, kicking back at his shins with her heels as he lifted her off her feet in that dreadful simulacrum of an embrace.

Then, she heard calm, steady, deep breathing at her other side, but she just assumed it was either Dyer or a sound effect. She had heard that so many times tonight, after all, but suddenly, to her shock, she felt Dyer release her. Dropping to her feet, Lucy caught her balance then turned her head a fraction of an inch to the side where she saw him lying on the ground, his own throat slit from ear to ear. Lucy covered her mouth to avoid either throwing up or screaming again - she was not sure which would spew forth from her mouth. Lucy had no strength left to fight and at last did feel herself fall backward, her eyes rolling up in her head until all she saw was white. Or at least that was what she thought at first, until she realised she was still conscious, so she blinked and realised the white that had overcome her vision was still there. It was, in fact, a deathly pale mask.

Lucy felt her terror ramp up even further, if that was possible, her heart pounding frantically somewhere high in her throat, choking her. Now, the breathing and the shadow she had been so certain had been following them since they entered the old asylum, and probably for weeks before, made perfect sense! His mask, the calm breathing and ability to follow in silence, stalking his prey before killing them, and then to disappear like a mist as if he never had been there, were all characteristics of one man. The masked and silent killer, Michael Myers.

Surely, surely not? Lucy thought she must be mistaken, that the shocks and sheer horror of the night had addled her brain. Slowly and as high as she dared, she raised her head. There was no mistaking it this time. Michael Myers was standing right before her. So why wasn't she dead, too?

Frightened beyond all reason, she turned to flee. 2 serial killers in one night? It was too much. As she ran, she cast desperate looks over her shoulder to see if the masked killer was following her. She knew from all her research that outrunning Michael Myers once he had his sights on you was damn near impossible, if not impossible period. But there was no sign of him. This didn't alleviate her worries though, because she also knew all too well that meant nothing either and certainly didn't mean she was safe.

As she ran past reception, she had to cover her mouth a second time. Scott, the staff member who had greeted them, was lying behind the desk, his stomach sliced open. Lucy could not be sure, but she hoped that was not Myers's doing. Her question about whether Scott had known about what was going on which had briefly crossed her mind as she and Rob had run towards Eve's scream did so again now as she ran. Had he been nothing but an innocent staff member of the attraction, booked to work on the wrong night, the final one of his life? Had Dyer killed him, to enable him to rape Eve and Lucy for his own Psychopathic reasons without them being able to call for help? Had he still been alive, would he have called the police upon hearing their screams? Had the sick, raping fucker ensured all help was gone? Or might the man she'd just seen be responsible? Would she ever know the truth? She doubted it - Myers never spoke, and Dyer was dead.

She pushed all of that out of her mind brutally. Just run, L. She thought desperately. Run and keep running, or you, too, are dead. Forcing herself not to look back anymore, that was exactly what she did.

…

One Week Later

Smith's Grove State Hospital, Illinois

Lucy sat in her car just outside Smith's Grove, looking at the bright red CLOSED: DO NOT ENTER sign across the front door and windows and the poison-yellow crime scene tape festooning the building like some sort of profane Christmas garlands. A bit late now, she thought bitterly. Then, she immediately felt bad for it. It had not been their fault; it had been him. That sick fucker, James. James fucking Maddison, AKA Jake Dyer. The mere thought of his name churned in her stomach like rancid mayonnaise. How she hated him! Why had she and Eve been so stupid? Naïve? Quick to trust him? Rob had been right all along. Something about him just had not added up.

When he removed his disguise and revealed his true identity, Lucy could only imagine how her petrified sister must have felt. Fuck! She should've been there for her. They should never have split up in to pairs… She knew there was no point in regretting it, what was done was done, after all, but it was a damn lot easier said than done. Now, "James's" ripped clothes, lack of money and a full time job made perfect sense. How had the authorities not recognised him? That was what she wanted to know and would do her very best to find out. It was her way of trying to give Rob, Eve and all Dyer's other victim's justice, both for those who he had killed and for those who he had raped and released.

The last week had been a sort of living hell, a waking nightmare that never released its grip upon her, and the memories that haunted her, stalking her in her sleep, were even worse. She had watched silently as the paramedics retrieved the bodies of Dyer, Eve, and Rob. Fortunately, the police had not even considered that she might be behind the three deaths. Dyer was dead, covered in blood and holding the weapon with which he had killed her sister. For the first time in her life, Lucy Cartwright had wanted to be the one to kill someone. Dyer. She wished it had been her own hand that wielded the knife that slit the monstrous rapist and murderer's throat. She knew she was not alone in that dark sentiment, either. Hundreds of women probably did.

One thing which had preoccupied her mind constantly, though, was why Myers had wanted to kill Dyer. She herself had told Eve that it was assumed that Myers needed a reason to kill, so what was his reason for killing Dyer, if he had one? Having thought about it many times during her long, sleepless nights, she finally had come to the decision that it could have been one of 2 things. Michael Myers was a stalker, first and foremost, so he probably seen Dyer's sexual attacks on women as he stalked them himself in contemplation of the kill. Or, and this thought was even worse to Lucy, Myers wanted to get rid of another killer. Maybe he thought Dyer was claiming too many women for his liking, and Myers wanted to keep all of the kills for himself. There even was speculation that Myers got sexually aroused by killing - what might it mean regarding his motives if that were the case?

The irony did not escape Lucy. One man probably got off on the kill, another got off on raping women for their "good," and if they did not let him rape them, he killed them. She wished she had been there to see what her sister had done to anger the psychopath. She would have been freed if she had not resisted in some way. Knowing her sister, Eve probably had shouted one wrong word too many. Eve had never known when to keep her mouth shut. Lucy sighed. If that had indeed been the case, this time her inability to curb her sharp tongue had cost her life.

The manager of the attraction had turned up a mere 30 minutes after the ambulance and made Lucy a cup of strong, honey-sweetened tea as the paramedics loaded the sheeted corpses into the ambulance. Lucy was adamant that she did not want to leave until she had seen her sister's and Fiancé's bodies safely out of that awful place. But, once she had, she kept her side of the deal and did not resist the paramedics from a second ambulance when they gently helped her into it to transport her to hospital herself. She was utterly traumatised. Seeing her sister die right in front of her and Rob's skull shattered would give her nightmares for the rest of her life, she was sure.

Then, the next day, upon her discharge, there was the impossible job of contacting their parents. How did one tell parents who had moved away three years ago that their oldest daughter was dead? Her sister was dead. The first time Lucy had tried to pick up the phone, she had to put it down again as tears once again overtook her. The police had told a neighbour with whom she was friends what had happened out at Smith's Grove, and Shina had proved herself to be an absolute angel, coming over every day with food or just to hold Lucy as she cried.

Lucy forwarded the Email "James" had sent to her and Eve to the police, only then looking properly at the address. She kicked herself for not noticing it before. If she had, maybe it would have been a warning. James dot Maddison at quick mail dot com - a company who provided free Emails to anyone, no phone number, address, or any security required, and an address could be signed up for from a damn internet café. Hence the name. Their slogan claimed one could have an address in as quickly as sixty seconds. She already had sent a very strongly-worded Email to the company regarding their security practices. She was not holding her breath that anything would come of it, but she was furious. If they had not existed, Maddison… Bullshit, Dyer would not have been able to get an address so easily. Gmail, Hotmail, they all were too secure. She supposed that Dyer could have bought a burner phone from any gas station or convenience store for under 50 dollars, but he never had done so as far as she knew. The last thing her Email had been to them, was quick.

Then there were the questions she knew she never would get answered. Had Dyer gone back to reception specifically to kill Scott? Possibly while Eve had been talking to her and Rob on the radios? Or had Myers killed the guide? She never would know. Her only wish regarding Dyer was that she had been the one to kill the raping, killing bastard.

The look on Dyer's face as he had advanced on her to rape her with his badly disturbed M.O. of thinking she was desperate for it and in pain would not leave her nightmares every night. Without fail, she woke up in a cold sweat, seeing how he had looked at her with those strangely gentle hazel eyes just before Michael Myers had appeared and slit his throat. She was now certain it had been Myers who was stalking them since they entered the asylum. Myers must have wanted Dyer's blood to stain his hands.

This was one thing she had not told Shina or the police. She strongly suspected they knew exactly who had killed Dyer. Michael Myers was, after all, still on the loose, and it would make perfect sense if he had come back to Smith's Grove. Lucy privately believed he had done just that, waiting for Dyer to return. She knew nothing could have happened to create animosity between them in the asylum, as Myers had escaped long before Dyer had even been admitted. But still. Why else would he have been there?

Slumping in to Dyer's car, having grabbed the keys which had fallen from his pocket as he fell to the floor in death, Lucy had called911. The police had arrived within minutes.

When she finally got hold of her parents, to their credit they had returned to the States only 2 days later. Now, they all were staying at Josh and Teresa's house. The police had dropped Lucy there after she was discharged from the emergency room, and Josh had told her and then her parents they were to stay as long as necessary. Teresa had given her a weak hug and her whisper of "I'm so sorry," had broken Lucy's heart all over again. This woman was dying herself and had just lost her son, yet all her concern had seemed to be for Lucy and her terrible loss. Lucy adored Teresa and had told her as much, whispering, "So am I - I love you," into the older woman's ear. Teresa had hugged her again, blinking back tears.

The funerals of Rob and Eve had been organised remarkably quickly. It turned out her… their parents had done well for themselves across the pond and had enough money to pay for a private service without it being a financial burden. Getting into the funeral car in the black dress she had bought the day before was, without a doubt, the hardest thing Lucy Cartwright had ever done. She had cried uncontrollably throughout the service and her mom had actually put an arm around her, pulling her close into a tight embrace, her and her father's faces full of guilt.

With a deep sigh, Lucy reached into her bag for her keys. What the hell was she doing here? This wasn't her sister's grave… not in the literal sense anyway. It was just where her life had been prematurely ended. Rob had been buried in Josh and Teresa's huge garden. Lucy couldn't think of a more beautiful place to lay her fiancé to rest. Their parents had Eve's ashes in an urn, and Lucy had only found out why last night when her father had told her that they were flying back to England the next day and they wanted to bury Eve there. As for what the authorities had done with Dyer's body, she did not care. Burned it, she hoped, once more thinking sorrowfully of each woman who he had raped and released, then those who he had raped and killed. Knowing she had to get back home to Josh and Teresa's, she blinked back tears. Being here was not doing her any good at all.

…

"Flight BA025 is about to start boarding from Gate 6. Passengers travelling business or first class on this service, please head to the gate to start boarding at your leisure."

Lucy picked up her hand luggage and followed her parents towards the gate. They had booked all three in business class, and Lucy was fighting back anger. Eve was dead and all they could think about was flying in comfort! But then, she had to admit, Eve would want them to carry on, she would want them to be comfortable and even happy, and she knew that, but still…

While she climbed up the steps of the aircraft then sat in her leather seat waiting for take-off, her thoughts were miles away. As the aircraft flew up in to the clouds, Lucy looked out of her tiny window. Where her life might go now, she had no idea. All she knew was that without Eve and Rob, it would never be the same again.

…

Author's Note:

Thanks to KLeslie who helped me write the fist sex scene for this, much appreciated.