The Haunted House

Chapter Five: The Haunted House

My body hurt. Every time I moved, the rust on the chains cut my skin and I could see specks of red being added to the cuffs. The collar made it impossible to turn my head and my neck ached from the stiffness. I had sat down thinking it would help, but there was no comfortable position. It didn't help that the monsters had been moaning since the witches left last night.

I didn't have access to a clock, but the sun had set a while ago and seven o'clock had to be near. At some time during the day, the Crane sisters had come back, snapping their fingers and adding special effects. Cobwebs showed up in corners and candles flickered on the windowsill. I wasn't sure if all the rooms were the same, but my room had fake, bloody body parts strewn about. At least I hoped they were fake.

My mind wandered back to all the times I had gone to this haunted house over the years. I remembered walking through the rooms, screaming and laughing at the monsters. I never noticed the chains or the beaten demeanor of the monsters. I didn't realize the clawed hands weren't reaching to try and get us, but were reaching to try and been seen. How many of the monsters' loved ones walked through the rooms, passing by their missing child, brother, or sister?

Well, I was going to find out.

A little while later, a clock chimed seven times and the house came alive. Shadows danced from a light source that couldn't be seen. Rats and bats seemed to inhabit different corners of the house. An eerie soundtrack started playing throughout the house. Not that they needed it since the monsters were making their own spooky soundtracks.

I could hear moaning, growling, hissing, groaning, and all kinds of other noises. Chains were clinking and claws were scraping against the wooden floor. I stood up just as I heard Brunhilda's voice in my head.

Showtime, she said in my head.

I had always been on the other side of things. Walking into a room not knowing what to expect. Screaming at first and then laughing when you realized the danger wasn't real. I didn't know if I was going to be convincing enough. And I didn't know what would happen if I wasn't.

I got my first visitors shortly later. They were a young couple, college-aged I guessed. They walked into the room and the lights went out. The girl screamed when the light flickered, highlighting my face in an eerie way I was sure. I wasn't sure what to do, so I did nothing. My chains burned and I let out a growl. I saw the couple flinch. The chains around my feet and collar turned cold again, but the ones around my wrists grew hotter. I flung my arms out, which made it look like I was trying to grab them. My chains tugged against my skin and I groaned. The girl screamed again and then giggled as her boyfriend put his arm protectively around her. The lights turned back on and they left, letting my chains return to their normal state.

People continued coming in and my chains continued to burn and tug until I learned what I had to do to keep them from hurting me. After about my tenth group of visitors, the chains remained normal and I was completely on my own. I growled and hissed, flinging my arms out when they were near. I was careful not to touch them, fearing what would happen to me if I did. I played my part in the "show," acting like the monster they thought I was. While on the inside, I felt my humanity shrinking away.

It was stupid, but a small part of me hoped that someone would come in and be able to see past my blue skin and grotesque features and recognize me. But as each group came in and left, thinking this as nothing more than an ordinary haunted house, my hope shattered. My stature became hunched, my movements slowed, and my growls were half-hearted.

Since I was the newest thing to be added to the haunted house in three years, I had a lot of traffic. People always came because it was one of the best haunted houses in the area, but having a new "wicked creature" didn't hurt. People came in and examined me, like I was a science experiment, which maybe in a way, I kind of was. They commented on things like my "makeup" and "authenticity." Little did they know I was 100% authentic.