Fill in the Fear

RL Stine Contest

Shall I explain the rules?

"You will each live through your worst fears tonight. The first one who doesn't make it through their fear will be automatically offered up for the trade. There is no escape. Those who try and leave will meet their demise. Unfortunately in that case, you can't be used in the trade ritual, which sucks for us both. Think about it, how would you rather die? With purpose or for nothing." Alyson hesitated for a second to let her words sink in before continuing. "If you wish to make it out alive, then it's simple. All you have to do is live through your fear and you will be released after the ritual. That way you can't race into town to find someone to stop me."

Alyson turned, her dark hair swishing as she focused her beady eyes on the thin blonde next to me. Under the candle light her eyes looked bruised and sunken in. "Veronica, you're first."

All eyes fell on Veronica. She quivered under our gaze, her eyes wide with fear. Her fear was probably one of the most common ones. She was afraid of the dark, and everyone knew it. Not because the dark itself was scary, but because of what could hide in it.

Alyson stalked forward, slightly hunched over as she grabbed Veronica's wrist and pulled her small form out of the room, leaving the rest of us to stare at each other in horror. After a moment, the two Shady High kids that Marty hadn't seen before, got up and slowly made their way toward the front door.

"What are you doing?" Jillian asked. "You heard what she said." She didn't know them, but she wasn't ready to see anyone die.

One of the girls stood firm, crossing her arms over her chest while the other stood slightly behind her, clearly nervous from the way her eyes were flitting around the room behind her glasses. "Alyson is crazy. She always has been and always will be. I don't know why we came in the first place," the more assertive girl said, speaking quietly, not wanting to be overheard despite her seemingly calm exterior.

"We can't just leave Veronica here alone. She'd have no way out if we did," Marty stated. The two girls shrugged, obviously not concerned with the safety of the others, and left through the door as quietly as possible.

After they left, the tension in the air was thick. Maybe Marty and Jillian should have gone, left when they had the chance, but those thoughts changed when a ear shattering scream ripped through the night.

Jillian cried out, wrapping her bony arms around Marty for comfort just as another scream cut through the darkness. This one was longer, louder, and left the girl's minds racing at what could be going on outside. Suddenly, there was an excruciatingly loud crunching sound that reminded Marty of bones being snapped, just before a cry for help tore through the air. The voices screaming, pleading for help, were unmistakable. They belonged to the girls who had just left. 

Just then another crunch echoed through the night, followed by the sound of moaning, and pain stricken cries, and then abrupt silence. After their screams stopped, an eerie silence wrapped around the two girls who were now holding each other so tight that it was a wonder that the color hadn't drained from their bodies.

The candles flickered rapidly, and a door slammed from inside of the cabin. The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the house as someone raced back into the den.

Alyson appeared in the dim candle light, looking more ominous that she had before. "So they chose to die for nothing. I guess that leaves you three." There was a high pitched scream from somewhere in the house. Veronica was terrified of the dark, and Alyson had left her there alone.

"Should either of you wish to save Veronica from herself, all you have to do is lay in the middle of the floor where the star is, place your arms in the restraints, and then the ritual will start and I can finally have my sister back." When neither of them moved, only flinched as Veronica released a blood curdling scream from somewhere inside of the cabin, Alyson decided to move forward in her plans. "Marty, you're next."

Marty felt her heart stop when her name was called. Next it was sure to be Jillian, who was quivering like a leaf in a wind storm. She was terrified of many things; being buried alive, drowning, losing a loved one and many more. There was no telling what Alyson would put Jillian through. Marty held her head high, pushed her shoulders back and looked Alyson straight in the eyes.

"No. I refuse to be apart of this."

Alyson shook her head, letting out an excited giggle that further convinced the girls of her faulty state of mind. "Then you automatically give yourself up for the trade."

"Or you can," Marty said with a smirk, before she rushed at Alyson, causing her to stagger backward and fall to the floor. It only took a moment for Jillian to catch on to what Marty was doing, before she got up and grabbed onto Alyson's legs, helping Marty position her body over the star in the center of the circle. Marty restrained her while Jillian forced the restraints into place around Alyson's ankles, before moving to her wrists. If nothing else, this would give them time to save Veronica and find a way to save themselves before Alyson could get free.

"You couldn't live through your own fear, living without your sister, so according to your rules, you forfeit yourself for the trade. Good riddance," Marty spat as Alyson let out a soul ripping scream and the ground began to shake.

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