“Look babe, I’m sorry, okay? It was an honest mistake.”

June huffed, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. “You had one job, Eddie. You promised me you had it covered!”

“I did! Or at least I thought I did…” I pleaded fruitlessly. June wasn’t having it, avoiding eye contact as she marched down the dirt path, deliberately staying a step ahead of me. Her bright red cloak swayed with her every movement, catching the chilly October air with ease.

“Really? So when I told you the group theme was fairy tales, you genuinely thought that costume was a slam dunk?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say slam dunk…”

“Yeah. Clearly,” June rolled her eyes. I felt the wind get a bit colder. Despite the argument, I had to admire her commitment to her own costume. Having bare legs on a chilly night like this couldn’t be easy, but she went the extra mile. The cloak was the centrepiece of course, but she also managed to find the perfect frilly white dress and brown leather boots, not to mention a nice prop wicker basket. She was a damn fine Red Riding Hood.

We heard festive sounds break through the quiet of the field before rounding a copse of thick, dark trees, giving way to the rows of tents and throngs of costumed attendees.

“I think that’s them up ahead,” I noted, pointing to the trio standing by the entrance as groups drifted in and out of the fair.

“Yeah, you can tell by the matching costumes,” June snidely remarked, forcing me to withhold another sigh, lest I make her even more upset.

“Hey, it’s Red Riding Hood!” Brendan greeted June, decked out in a leather vest and pastoral green clothes, a satchel with a fake vine slung over his shoulder.

“Oh my god, June, you look so goooood!” Kayleigh gushed, rushing over and hugging her longtime friend. She herself was in a cheap pink dress with a blonde wig that extended down to her ankles.

June smiled for the first time that night, embracing her friend. “Oh my god, you too! Your costume is amazing!”

I thought her costume looked pretty cheap, but I knew voicing that opinion at this point would likely get me killed.

Shauna stepped forward, probably annoyed at not being the centre of attention for a whole 15 seconds. She’d modified a tight, form-fitting silver dress by gluing a bunch of fake feathers to it and put on a bunch of makeup. It was barely even a costume, more just an excuse to wear a tiny dress. She eyed me up and down, raising her brow.

“Wait a minute,” interjected Brendan, who’d finally gotten a good look at me. He pointed at June. “Red Riding Hood…”

His finger then moved to Kayleigh, “Rapunsel…”

Then to his girlfriend Shauna, “The Ugly Duckling…”

“Jack and the Beanstalk,” he said, clumsily redirecting his finger towards himself. “And…?”

All eyes were on me. Most were confused, but June was visibly annoyed. I felt their gazes burn into me, ferociously judging my black wig and prop sword.

“...Aragorn,” I muttered begrudgingly.

June buried her face in her hands while Brendan burst out laughing. “Dude! That’s Lord of the Rings! That’s not a fairy tale!”

“It’s fantasy! I thought that counted!” I argued, but the jury was stacked against me. June had made her disapproval known already, and the other girls were just as disappointed. Shauna rolled her eyes while Kayleigh let out a subtle but deliberate sigh.

Brendan continued to laugh as he clapped me on the shoulder, like I was a child to him. “Never change, Eddie, never change. Unless you have a costume that actually matches the theme, that is.” I held my tongue, hoping for the brief humiliation ritual to be over so we could get on with the fair.

“You guys want to get some cider?” Kayleigh asked, mercifully moving the conversation beyond my blunder. A chorus of agreement signalled our entrance into the fair, and what would turn out to be the most terrifying night of my life.

The fair turned out to be a dud. Well, for me anyways. The girls were taking dozens of photos of our group, but I quickly realized that I was always being kept at the edge of the photos, no doubt so I could be cropped out before they were posted. I guess I didn’t look medieval enough to pass for any other sword-wielding man from a fairy tale in their eyes. Or too medieval? I still don’t know.

I extended a few olive branches to June throughout the night, but progress was slow. A candy apple or a slice of pumpkin pie can only go so far to resolve an argument. She seemed far more keen to enjoy Halloween with her friends than spend any time with me anyways. Not only did it feel like shit for letting her down, but as the night went on I grew more and more certain that I wouldn’t have any shot of getting laid later. Every glance of her thighs in that sexy little costume drove me mad, and knowing I wouldn’t get the chance to enjoy it was killing me.

It was approaching the end of the night, with scattered clouds beginning to block what little moonlight we had, that an announcement came over the loudspeaker.

“Attention, guests, the Haunted Hayride will be closing in 15 minutes. I repeat, the Haunted Hayride will be closing in 15 minutes.”

“Oh, can we go? I always loved doing those as a kid,” Kayleigh implored.

“I don’t see why not,” Brendan affirmed, as though she was asking for his permission. Shauna was wrapped around his muscular arm, fully in girlfriend mode now that the night was winding down. I certainly wished I could say the same, but June was maintaining her distance.

We made our way over to the line, but we weren’t the only group that wanted a last-minute ride through the neighboring woods in the old, hay-filled wagon. We took our place in line, the others chatting away as the wagon slowly carted out group after group of patrons. I hated how isolating it felt, but at this point there wasn’t anything else I could do without making it worse.

As the line whittled down, we were finally poised to take our spot when the attendant received a garbled message over his walkie-talkie. Somehow understanding the mess of static, he gave the few remaining groups an apologetic frown.

“I’m so sorry everyone, but that was our last ride for the evening. Please enjoy the rest of your visit.”

“What?!” Brendan exclaimed, “Come on, can’t you do at least one more?”

“I’m afraid not, it’s getting late and the horses need their rest. Please enjoy the rest of your evening, sir,” the attendant said before cutting through the disappointed crowd and exiting around the corner.

“Well that fucking sucks,” Brendan stated flatly.

“Seriously? They couldn’t do one more ride? Assholes,” mumbled Shauna.

“Honestly,” June added.

“Yeah, that sucks,” I threw in, hoping to assert myself even the tiniest bit. All I got was an eyeroll from my girlfriend.

“Wanna hit up the corn maze instead?” proposed Kayleigh. The group nodded in agreement, making our way towards the next attraction when a raspy voice called out to us.

“You wanted to take the Haunted Hayride?” We turned to see a different fair attendant beckoning to us. Unlike the other employees, who were mostly teenagers or young adults, this man looked middle-aged, with visible creases on his pale, tired face. He had a tall, slim build, and a head of thin, wiry hair.

“Um, yeah, but they said it was closed for the night,” June answered.

“Yes, the first wagon is closed. But the second wagon is still open for a few more rides, if you were interested,” the man said, gesturing to a second wagon partially concealed behind a large tent. It looked similar to the other one, only smaller.

“Oh, can we guys? Please?” Kayleigh implored, her blonde wig swaying wildly with every minute motion of her head.

“The second carriage can only seat four, however. Someone would have to stay behind,” the old man added.

I felt every eye turn to me at once. The shame built up once again, only to be quickly replaced by anger. All night I’d been dealing with this, and over what? A costume?

“Fine, go ahead. I’m getting a drink,” I muttered before storming off, not giving them the chance to make another derisive remark. I looked back once, seeing their carriage rolling down the path into the woods, the four of them smiling and laughing.

I was sitting at an empty picnic table, nursing yet another exorbitantly priced cider as I scrolled through my phone. I scrolled past a few photos from our first date. Axe throwing, a bit cliche but we had a good time. I smiled, then sighed. I never particularly liked June’s friends, but I was willing to put up with them for her sake. Evidently, the feeling was mutual. It was striking just how easily they could pretend I didn’t exist without June supporting me. I took another sip of my drink, doing my best to get my mind off them.

It was then that I noticed the time. I’d been so busy wallowing I hadn’t even noticed it had been almost 20 minutes. Shouldn’t they have gotten back already? I got up off the bench, making my way to the spot where they departed. There was no carriage in sight, nor any sign of the older attendant. Looking around, I spotted the original Haunted Hayride employee and hailed him down.

“Hey, do you know when the second wagon is getting back for the Haunted Hayride?” I asked. To my surprise, the employee seemed just as confused as me.

“Second wagon? We only have one.”

“No, there was a second. My friends left on it a while ago. It was a bit smaller than the first.”

“Sir, I promise you, I’m the only person responsible for the Haunted Hayride tonight, and we only have the one wagon. The horses are already stabled.”

I felt my stomach drop. “But… There was another attendant. An older man, probably in his 50s or 60s?”

The attendant laughed. “Dude, the oldest person working here is like 25. I think your friends might have gotten scammed.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question, but no words came out. How could they? What could I possibly ask?

“Look, I’ve gotta get an early start on closing. I hope you find your friends, I promise they can’t have gone too far,” the employee assured before walking off at a brisk pace. What the fuck was he talking about? I saw the second wagon myself, it couldn’t have been the same one as before. My angst and frustration quickly turned to worry. I made a decision, if they weren’t back in five minutes I’d go looking for them.

I spent those minutes staring out into the impenetrable rows of dark, dead trees. I could see why the small patch of woodland was perfect for a haunted hayride, just looking at it gave me the creeps. I felt like I was glancing at my phone every couple seconds, watching the time tick down as the woods remained eerily still.

Five minutes came and went, and still there was no sign of the wagon. Taking a final swig of my cider, I stepped off the footpath and began following the wooded trail. The air around me grew colder on my skin, the warm light and muffled laughter of the fair rapidly fading away as I crossed into the forest. I used the weak light of my phone to track the parallel lines indicating the well-worn track of the wagons deeper into the woods.

That was, until a fork appeared.

I could still clearly make out the main wagon path, obviously about to loop back towards the grounds. If I’d already reached the turnaround point on foot, then the ride only should have taken a couple minutes. So where were they?

As panic gripped my chest, something on the ground caught my eye. A second pair of tracks, far fainter than the first, diverging into a break in the trees so small I doubt I’d have noticed if I weren’t actively looking. I stared down the claustrophobic wooded path, my legs feeling unusually stiff. Still, I willed myself to move, following the uninviting trail deeper into the woods.

A few minutes of careful, nervous walking on the unnaturally quiet wooden path had instilled a palpable fear in me. No squirrels, no birds, not even the wind made a sound. The silence was so overwhelming, in fact, that I didn’t think to call out for anyone. I felt like prey, hiding from the very forest itself. I nearly jumped when I actually spotted a shape on the path, only to quickly realize it was the wagon.

I broke into a run, hurrying into view only to find it abandoned. No friends, no horses, no driver, nothing. Just a discarded structure of rolling wood, brought to rest within a dead forest.

“E-Eddie” a hoarse voice called out from beyond the treeline. My heart jumped into my chest as I whipped the flashlight around, spotting a vibrant green shape that clearly didn’t belong in a place like this.

“Brendan!” I uttered, rushing over and kneeling at his side. He was laying against the base of a tree, his costume scuffed and dirty, his eyes were distant and unfocused. “What happened?”

“The hayride… Went into the woods. People… Showed Up. Tried to help… Hit my… head…” he trailed off, his focus dwindling.

“Brendan! Stay with me! Where are the girls? What happened to the girls?!” I pleaded.

“In the… Woods… Go…” he uttered, his eyes finally shutting as he slipped into unconsciousness. I checked him over quickly, and he didn’t seem to have lost any blood. The only injury he had was a large welt on the side of his head.

“Shit… Shit!” I muttered to myself. What did he mean people showed up? And the girls…

My thought process was interrupted by an ear-piercing shriek that echoed through the trees. My nerves shot to hell, I rolled Brendan onto his side and followed the direction of the scream as quickly as I was able.

If traversing the side path was frightening, maneuvering through the uncharted woods was a nightmare. The trees blotted out the sky, locking me in darkness and cloaking the moon. The thickness of the trees made it impossible to move in a straight line, and every turn filled me with dread that I was just going around in circles.

“—et aw—” I heard, distantly, but it was enough. I hurried through the brush, making my way towards the muffled sound.

“GET AWAY!!!” I heard, this time much more clearly. That was Kayleigh, no mistaking it, and she sounded terrified. Another manic dash through the trees finally brought me to a small clearing. Kayleigh was on the ground, frantically sidling backwards before pinning herself against a thick tree.

“Nonononononononono….” Kayleigh begged, tears streaming from her eyes and staining her face with makeup. Her giant Rapunzel wig sat discarded at her feet, revealing her natural blonde hair that flowed down to her chin.

I wanted to rush in and help her, but something in my gut told me to stay hidden. That gut feeling proved accurate when I finally saw what had so thoroughly terrified her.

There was a figure in front of her, one the size of a grown man. It was draped from head to toe in an impossibly long, tattered black robe that slid across the leaves on the ground like a river flowing over rocks. The figure moved with terrifying, unusual fluidity, every motion slow and deliberate. I tried to move my body, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I was utterly terrified.

Then, it stopped. It was situated directly in front of Kayleigh, who was frozen in terror as she stared into the blank space under its hood. Slowly, the figure moved its arm, reaching into its cloak with methodical precision. Somehow, in some stupid way, I imagined it reaching for a gun of all things.

It didn’t produce a gun, of course, or even a weapon. I had to squint to see what was in the creature’s palm. It was a small, glass orb, seemingly empty. That was, until the orb began to glow. It was a soft, white light, and not an especially bright one. If anything, it reminded me of the nightlight that sat in the corner of my childhood bedroom. Strangely enough, it elicited the same sense of calm in me as I observed it. I felt my terror melt away, giving rise to total complacency.

Kayleigh, too, was affected by the orb’s light. I watched as her face, which had moments earlier been contorted in terror, softened into a reserved, restful gaze, her eyes going glassy and unfocused. The figure gestured upward with its free arm, and Kayleigh stood, making no attempt to flee. The figure then reached into its robe again, this time producing a bundle of white cloth. Kayleigh saw the cloth, and her body began to move. Slowly, she began unbuttoning her cheap pink dress, allowing it to slink off her body as soon as it became loose enough, leaving her exposed in her underwear.

Then, carefully, she undid her bra, releasing her sizable breasts. I found myself drawn to the sight of her small pink nipples, something I never imagined I’d get the chance to see. I then watched as she slipped her hands beneath the straps of her panties, sliding them over her hips and letting them drop at her feet. Between the unusual calm I was feeling and the impossible sight of Kayleigh naked, I felt myself growing hard despite the circumstances.

No sooner had I begun to take in the sight of her, however, did she take the bundle from the figure, wrapping it around her body. It was a white robe with intricately woven designs stretching from top to bottom. It fell across Kayleigh’s every curve, sliding onto her like it had been tailored just for her, leaving an open slot on the front that was just wide enough to make out parts of her breasts and, from the right angle, her neatly-shaven pussy.

The figure, still holding the orb, started moving once more, shifting into the darkness of the woods. Kayleigh followed, drawn to the light like a moth to a flame. She remained in her trance, her legs walking her gently forward as her gaze fixated on the light of the orb in the cloaked figure’s hands, following it deeper into the woods. I watched carefully as the pair vanished into the treeline.

Only when the light of the orb was completely gone did my faculties return to me. My fear evolved into full-blown terror as I reflected on what I’d just seen. I couldn’t let this figure, whatever it was, take anyone else away. Without thinking, and before my rational mind could stop me, I dashed in the direction of Kayleigh and the figure.

Once again, I was lost in the winding, dark woods, my only guide being the dim light of my phone battery. I shouldn’t have been that far behind Kayleigh and the figure, yet somehow I’d lost all trace of them. What was happening? How did I end up here? Regret filled the pit in my stomach as I silently accepted that I should have turned back and gotten help the moment I found Brendan injured.

“HELP!” I heard another voice ring out, and not far from me. I darted towards the source of the noise, finding something I couldn’t have anticipated. Shauna, Brendan’s girlfriend, was hanging from a tree, suspended by a rope tied tightly around her ankle. Her long, chestnut hair was dangling below her head, while her dress, despite its tightness around the chest and torso, had flipped around the waist, revealing her underwear. A few stray feathers lay fallen below her.

“Who is that?! Who the FUCK is that!?” she shrieked.

“It’s me! It’s Eddie!” I called out stepping towards her.

“Eddie? Get me the fuck down! Please!” she implored.

“R-Right,” I stammered, pulling my gaze away from her lacy pink panties. I searched frantically for a means to cut her down, but there was nothing sharp in sight.

“How did this happen?” I called up to her as I searched fruitlessly.

“I-I was running, and I stepped on something, and I think it was a trap, and- What’s wrong? Why aren’t you getting me down?!” she yelled, suddenly remembering the dire nature of her own predicament

“I’m sorry, I’m looking for something to cut with!”

“You can’t use your sword?”

“It’s made of plastic!”

“Oh my god…” Shauna bemoaned, “Where’s Brendan?”

“He’s hurt, but I think he’ll be alright. Here let me—” I began, but something stopped me in my tracks.

“What? What is it?!” Shauna questioned, but I didn’t respond. There was no noise or movement, but somehow I felt in my chest that danger was approaching.

“I need to hide,” I whispered, darting behind a nearby tree.

“Hide?! Hide from what?! Oh my god. Brendan! BRENDAN!” she cried, but it was no use. Confirming my worst fears, the darkness of the woods seemed to fold itself into the shape of the hooded figure as it emerged from the treeline, slowly gliding towards Shauna.

“OH MY GOD!! EDDIE!? EDDIE, HELP ME!!” Shauna screamed, but I couldn’t reveal myself at this point. I watched as the figure reached into its robe. I’m not proud to admit this, but I was beyond terrified. I wanted a reprieve. I know it would have been better to avert my eyes, but I chose to keep watching as the glass orb once again began to glow. I needed to feel that sense of safety again

“Please… Someone… Help…” Shauna trailed off as she was taken in by the glow of the orb. Her flailing and screaming gave way to unusual stillness, her limp form dangling passively from the rope.

The figure held its arm forward, then gestured down. Shauna, in her trance, reached her arms upward and pulled her dress over her hips, allowing to slip over her head and fall to the ground, feathers and all. Another movement of the arm prompted her to unclip her bra, her tits falling freely towards her head.

Now almost entirely naked and hanging sedate from the rope, the figure waved its arm slowly across Shauna’s face, prompting a dull smile to appear. “Brendan…” she murmured, staring at the blank space in front of her. She then closed her eyes, a tranquil smile forming as she parted her lips, sliding her head forward.

Shauna continued her motions, lips formed into an O while her head buckled forward and back. It quickly became clear that, despite being suspended naked upside-down, Shauna somehow believed she was giving her boyfriend a blowjob. I observed with curiosity and confusion as she licked the blank space in front of her, seemingly convinced that his dick was there.

As she fellated the air, the figure moved both its hands, I watched as the rope that had so effectively bound Shauna’s ankle came loose like a child’s knot. Instead of slamming onto the ground, however, Shauna seemed to levitate in midair, slowly rotating around her head while she sucked the imaginary cock in front of her. Finally, she was right-side up again, resting on her knees as she kissed the air, her face the embodiment of bliss.

Then, once again, the figure waved its arm. Shauna lost all emotion once more, becoming a blank slate. Just as with Kayleigh before, she was given a white robe. She put it on without hesitation, following the figure into the darkness until the white glow of the light was fully extinguished. Only then did I awaken from my own trance, again having lost someone I’d hoped to rescue. With June at the top of my mind, I raced into the woods once more.

My search for June led me only to darkness and endless winding curves. There was no scream to guide me this time. I was left to amble through the woods alone. Soon my arms were covered in scrapes and bruises, and I had nothing to show for them. I was near the point of giving up when the faint light from my phone caught a glimmer in the distance. I hurried towards it, coming upon a small clearing with a stump in the middle, an axe buried in its centre.

I approached the stump cautiously, seeing nothing strange or terrifying as I had before. It seemed like it really was just an ordinary stump. I collapsed, exhaustion suddenly overtaking me. I needed to find June. I didn’t care that she was mad at me over my costume, I didn’t care that she spent the whole night ignoring me, I didn’t care about any of our problems. I just wanted to see her safe.

As I lifted my gaze, I spotted something out of place. Just beyond the treeline was a torn piece of red cloth hanging from a branch. Instantly reinvigorated and not wanting to waste another second, I yanked the axe out of the stump and bolted towards the cloth. It was a piece of her cloak, no mistaking it. Looking around, I spotted another piece within eyesight, alongside a clutch of broken branches.

What had minutes ago felt like a hopeless search had turned into a mad dash, tracking every discarded piece of June’s costume. A piece of white cloth, a brown leather boot, a discarded picnic basket, each piece led to the next until I finally came upon a large clearing, far larger than any I had encountered yet. In the centre of the clearing was a single frail tree, older and more withered than any others I had seen, with a distinct red tinge to its bark. Below that tree was…

“June!” I shouted, bursting into the clearing and grabbing hold of my girlfriend. “Are you okay?! Did they hurt you?!” I asked frantically, brushing a stray twig out of her sharp black hair.

June gave no response. She stared blankly out towards the treeline, offering no reaction whatsoever to my presence. Only then did I notice that she was wearing the same white robe that Kayleigh and Shauna had been given. Finally becoming aware of my surroundings, I realized just how odd this clearing was. It was almost perfectly circular with a small hill culminating in the tree directly at the centre.

Suddenly, June stood up.

“June!” I hissed, but it was no use. She couldn’t hear me. She instead began walking in a smooth, fluid motion towards the outskirts of the clearing.

“No!” I shouted, reaching out and grabbing hold of her, trying to prevent her from getting any closer to the darkness beyond the treeline. It was there, holding her back, that I saw two figures emerge from the treeline. Kayleigh and Shauna, both entranced, emerged from the woods, moving in a slow daze toward June.

I felt the presence behind me before I saw it, and for once I decided to act without hesitation. I let go of June, grabbing the axe and swinging it blindly behind me with all my might. I only briefly caught sight of the hooded figure before the blade collided with its torso. Rather than sink into its flesh, however, the figure disappeared before my very eyes, as if it had never been there at all.

I felt the presence again, and swung behind me again. Once more, the figure vanished the moment the axe made contact with its body. I spun around, trying my best to anticipate where it would appear next, only to spot it a short distance away, hand reaching into its robe. Shutting my eyes, I charged ahead, striking the foe and causing it to dissipate once more. This time, however, I heard a gentle thud at my feet. I opened my eyes to find the glass orb that had been used to entrance me and my friends lying on the ground. I reached down to pick it up, hastily shoving it in my pocket to ensure the hooded figure couldn’t use it on me again.

Out of nowhere, a powerful gust of wind blew against my back. I whipped around to see the three girls holding hands in a circle, their bodies surrounding the red tree. As I took a step forward, I noticed a hint of movement from the treeline. The hooded figure, once more, had appeared.

Then, to my horror, so did another.

Slowly, dozens of identical hooded figures emerged from the darkness at the edge of the clearing, completely surrounding it. Spinning around in a panic, I felt my fear give way to something far greater. It was a sense of dread I had scarcely been able to imagine before that moment, like something truly terrible was about to happen.

I returned my gaze to the girls, only then realizing that they were looking upward, their gazes fixed atop the tree. Slowly, the tree began to glow—like freshly melted steel. I felt myself shrinking. Something terrible was happening.

From a hollow in the tree, I watched what I can only describe as a pair of eyes appeared in the darkness. They were a blearing, bloody red, a shade so deep I shouldn’t have been able to even see them in the shadows, yet somehow they felt all-encompassing. Worst of all, I felt certain they could see me, no matter where I tried to hide.

The girls fell to their knees. In unison, they shed their robes, exposing their naked bodies to the figure in the tree. June was the first to scream. Not a scream of terror, no, a scream of delight. The kind I recognized from our most intimate moments. She lurched backward, her legs spread while she braced herself on the ground. Soon Kalyeigh and Shauna were moaning as well, each of them arching their backs as if in the deepest throes of passion.

It wasn’t until I took a step closer that I realized what was truly happening. I watched as June’s pussy pushed open on its own, as if an invisible force was penetrating her. The pressure of that force threw her further into the clutches of ecstasy, trying to let loose a gasp and a scream at one and instead producing a quiet, but undeniable grunt of pleasure.

I rushed forward, rage surpassing my fear, but I felt the eyes latch their gaze onto me. I was flung back by something I couldn’t see, rolling helplessly on the ground while just barely maintaining my grip on the axe. I stood back up just in time to see June’s eyes roll back in her head, her body arching of its own accord as an invisible force pinned her arms to the ground. Hayleigh and Shauna were trapped in similar throes of passion, as if the force was personally fucking all three of them at once.

Somehow I knew that, if I were to allow this event to reach its conclusion, all three of them would be lost. I rushed forward again, only to be thrown back even more forcefully. As I struggled to my feet, I watched in horror as June, Kayleigh, and Shauna were lifted into the air, their bodies writhing with ecstasy as they were lifted off the ground.

I stood up and tried to move forward again, only to feel the force tighten around my waist. I was immobilized, unable to gain any ground. Worse still, I had become surrounded by hooded figures, each holding their arms out towards me as if they were judges sentencing me to death. Amidst the orgasmic screams of the girls, the enclosing circle of hooded figures, and the all-seeing red eyes, I felt the final window to act closing. Yet still, through all my terror, I wanted to see June safe.

Without thinking, I lifted the axe above my head and hurled it at the red tree. As if guided by divine intervention, the swinging axe struck a particularly thin section of the tree, embedding itself in the wood. The moment the blade made impact, an ear-piercing, soul-shaking shriek exploded out from the tree. It echoed from all directions at once, an inescapable signal of agony. The grip on my legs loosened, and I bolted for the tree. I grabbed the axe, pulled it out, and swung it again, eliciting another otherworldly shriek. I hacked at the tree over and over until, finally, the old, dead wood toppled to the ground. The screaming continued, crimson eyes boring into my soul until the deadwood hit the ground, at which point it fell completely silent.

I looked around in a daze. The hooded figures were gone, as were the eyes, and the girls laid motionless on the ground.

“June,” I breathed, scampering over to her side. She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze fixating on me. “Can you hear me?”

Slowly, June nodded. I sighed with relief, hugging her tightly. I then noticed that Kayleigh and Shauna were also waking up, their eyes fixed on mine.

“We did it. We’re safe. We can go home,” I exhaled. As the words left my mouth, the girls slipped on their robes and stood up. They were saying very little, but that was hardly surprising, they had been through so much. Hand in hand, I led them back through the woods, out onto the track and, slowly, back towards the fair. Only when I finally stepped back into the light did I finally collapse next to a tent.

“Seriously, does he have a problem or something?” I heard a voice say.

What? What were they talking about?

“I don’t know, maybe he just wanted some attention after the costume fiasco,” another voice responded. It was June.

I bolted upright, quickly realizing I was in a moving car before a panging headache took over.

“Woah, easy there,” Brendan cautioned, putting his hand on my back, “Don’t get up so quick.”

“W-Wha…” I uttered, looking around. I was in the backseat of my car. Brendan was to my right, Kayleigh to my left, Shaune was in the passenger seat, and June was driving.

“Listen to Brendan, Eddie, you’re a little too fucked up to be doing anything right now,” June chided.

“The fair… We were at the fair…” I muttered.

“Yeah, and you somehow managed to get fucked up on cider,” Shauna snidely remarked.

“No, no, the Hayride. The Haunted Hayride…”

“What, the one we missed? Come on dude, don’t rub it in,” Brendan commented.

“Wait, your head. Brendan, your head…” I whispered, looking for the wound he’d sustained. To my surprise, though, he looked perfectly healthy.

“I think your head is the one we need to worry about, bud,” Brendan retorted, eliciting a small chuckle from the girls.

“W-What about the woods? The weird tree? The guys in hoods?” I asked, my thoughts racing a mile a minute.

“Just go back to sleep, Eddie, we’ll talk about it tomorrow,” June said with an exasperated sigh.

I wanted to argue, but I felt myself drifting off again. At least they were all okay…

I woke up the next morning on the couch. June told me that, after we missed the last hayride, I managed to get way too drunk, forcing everyone else to take care of me and basically ruining the entire night. Apparently everyone was pissed off at me, her most of all, and she was reconsidering our relationship. I tried to explain my side, of course, telling her about the missing wagon and the figures in the woods and the eyes, but she didn’t even give me the time of day.

Despite how shitty it was, I believed her. The weird sexual ritual, the terrifying hooded figures, it all seemed a whole lot less likely than me getting blackout drunk and ruining the night for everyone. I pondered it all as I did the laundry, yet another extra chore I was completing in the hopes of getting back into June’s good graces. It made sense on paper, but I never drank that much to begin with, and even if I did all they had at the fair was cider. That dream… It wasn’t just some nightmare. I’d had nightmares before, and the terror of that dream was something different entirely. I feared the thought of those horrible red eyes would keep me awake for years to come.

I pulled up the next set of clothes, only to find something I’d hoped never to see again. That stupid Aragorn costume, the one that kicked off this whole mess to begin with. I felt the anger bubbling up. Was I really going to lose a whole relationship over a damn Halloween costume? Frustrated, I slammed it into the washing machine, only to hear an unexpected thud. Carefully, I reached my hands into each pocket, until I found one that had something. It was smooth, and round.

With trembling arms, I pulled the glass orb out of the pocket of my costume. I felt a hundred emotions at once, but I knew what I had to do. I rushed upstairs and burst into the bedroom, where June was laying on the bed.

“What the fuck?!” she snapped, but I didn’t care. I held the orb out in front of her.

“It was all a dream!? All a fucking dream!? Then explain this!” I demanded.

“What the fuck are… you...” June began, only to taper off as the orb filled with pale light. I winced, but strangely found myself unaffected.

“June?” I asked. She said nothing.

Mimicking the actions of the hooded figures, I slowly raised my free arm. June stood in response. I lowered it, and she sat back down.

“Okay…” I murmured. With bated breath, I copied another gesture I’d seen the figures do. June, in turn, pulled her top off, revealing her bare chest.

“Well… That’s new,” I whispered to myself, my cock growing hard in my pants. I gestured for her to lie down.

It’s been a month since Halloween, and I felt like a completely different person. I “convinced” June to invite Kayleigh and Shauna over so I could apologize, only to bring them under my spell as well. Seeing Kayleigh’s tits and not being able to touch them was torturous, so she was the first one I took. I’d also been eager to try out Shauna’s mouth after watching her play with Brendan’s imaginary cock, and I wasn’t disappointed. The girls found themselves to be quite forgiving in trance, and their issues with me were very swiftly forgotten.

Since that day I’ve had a new goal: I wanted to make June scream louder than she did for the red eyes. I wanted to make her body erupt, and I’d dedicated every day since to driving her to that point. It was after our most recent session that I finally made her scream louder and wilder than she did on that fateful day. Finally, she was mine, and so were her friends. I should be happy, my life should be perfect. Instead, I’m terrified once more.

See, after that final lovemaking session where I rocked the bed with every thrust and drove her senses mad, I went to the bathroom to get myself cleaned up. I glanced up at the mirror, and my whole body froze.

How long have my eyes been red?

END