Consumed

Chapter 1: Suicide Night

“Watch your mouth,” Jason threatened, his hands fisting at his side.

Arlo raised his hands in front of him in a calming gesture. “Alright, no need to get so upset.”

“I’m not sure I want to ride anything tonight if it isn’t safe,” Liz whispered.

“If it makes you feel any better, we’ve only had twelve deaths in the twenty years we’ve been running.” Arlo’s mouth tilted up at her wide eyes.

Her boyfriend rolled his eyes. “Babe, he’s lying. It’s just a gimmick.”

Arlo’s smile fell. “You calling me a liar?”

Jason’s eyes darted to him before turning back to his girlfriend. “If you don’t want to ride anything, we don’t have to. We could leave.” He squeezed her hip. “Go back to my place...”

“We have a zombie compound if you’re up for it,” Arlo added with a grin. “Can’t say anyone’s ever died in it, but that could be because it’s an extra attraction— just added this year. It’s our spin on a haunted house.”

Jason sneered at Arlo before buying tickets. One pink cotton candy and a losing game of ring toss later, they were standing in front of the Zombie Compound.

“Enter if you dare! The Zombie Compound isn’t for the faint of heart,” the man dressed as a mad scientist in a white laboratory coat and big black utility boots yelled.

“You need our tickets?” Jason asked.

The scientist flashed a wicked smile, revealing his nicotine-stained teeth before turning to Liz. “Why, yes, I do... but be careful. Zombies love the flesh of law enforcement. I do too.”

Jason shoved the tickets at the scientist while muttering something about every worker being a pervert.

The scientist placed the two tickets into a small metal lockbox and warned the couple, “Don’t let go of each other. If a zombie catches you, he’ll carve you open to eat your brains.”

Liz giggled and dragged her boyfriend forward. “C’mon Jason, don’t be scared.”

“I’m not scared,” Jason scoffed, grabbing hold of her hand.

They moved forward, walking down an empty hallway with flashing lights. The roar of a chainsaw, people screaming, moans, and rattling chains surrounded them.

“I don’t know why you like this crap,” Jason complained.

Liz laughed as they passed a body laid out on a gurney with a blood-stained sheet covering it. Bandages soaked in red paint hung from its torso and head, making the body appear as if it were some sort of mummy. It was hard to see with the flashing lights, but Jason edged as far away as he could from it.

“C’mon Jason. Stop being a baby,” Liz teased.

Jason clenched his jaw. As he walked past the body, a hand snaked out from beneath the sheet, grabbing his leg.
He shrieked.

“Awww crap,” Jason yelled as he jumped away from the moving hand. Liz laughed.

“Stop laughing. It’s not funny. It didn’t grab you.”