This is a Noah/Seb horror oneshot. It's an homage to Children of the Corn, but with a dash of Stardust and a skosh of Supernatural. Enjoy!
**
Noah stared in dismay at the endless queue snaking its way across the field, to a ticket booth manned by a single person; a platinum blonde dressed like Morticia Addams.
"This is a bloody fuck nightmare," Seb muttered.
"Except it's very real," Noah said. "We're never escaping."
Beside them, Gary sighed. "Oh, it's not that bad." But after watching the line barely move for what felt like an eternity, Gary swung around to face two lads behind them. "What the hell is this again, Bobs?"
"A haunted corn maze! They're all the rage in America."
Lucas, who stood off to the side, attempting to get a signal on his phone, snorted. "That's not the thrilling endorsement you think it is."
Bobby made a fart noise with his mouth. "You guys don't know about fun. This is gonna be great!"
"Only you would think that a haunted corn maze is an appropriate place for a blind date," Noah said, turning away from the depressing queue.
"A group blind date at that." Lucas said, holding his phone up in the air. "Who even does that?"
"Well I met that girl on Tinder," Bobby said. "She wouldn't go on a first date alone. Said she'd feel safer in a group. Anyway, nothing gets you cozier with a hen than a jump scare. Trust me. We'll be getting hugs all night."
Lucas grimaced. "On behalf of everyone here, I'm just going to say it. No one trusts you on this."
"Bobby, this is the worst place for you to take a date," Noah said. "Remember what happened the time you dropped your wallet in Asda, and that shopgirl tapped you on the shoulder?"
"She snuck up on me! She was stealthy. Anyway I wasn't even that scared."
"She was wearing heels. Loud ones. And you screamed like a baby that had his dummy taken."
Seb snickered and Noah felt a flush of pride for causing it.
"Every idea is a stupid idea, until it works!" Bobby threw his hands in the air. "Why do I do anything for you lot?"
Noah turned back to face the line and accidentally brushed his shoulder against Seb's leather-clad shoulder, and murmured an apology. Like always he could feel warm droplets of sweat at the base of his hairline anytime he was so close to the man. He glanced over and tried not to let his gaze linger too long. Seb stared off into the distance, his eyebrows drawn together over light brown eyes, full lips compressed in irritation with the whole stupid endevor.
How was a person so sexy when they were that annoyed?
Noah tried to think of something to say to Seb beyond friendly hellos and his own shite version of banter, but he never could. His brain was like a scrambled egg on too-high heat whenever the man was around. He could feel the flush of foolish stammering before he ever tried to truly engage him. Of everyone in their circle of friends, he hardly spoke to the one he was most desperate to talk to.
If Seb noticed this he'd never said anything, and Noah had long ago resigned himself to this... overwhelming one-sided attraction.
"Hey, they're here!" Bobby called out.
Everyone turned as a curvy redhead approached in scanty short shorts and checkerboard top with far too many buttons undone. She moved like a silver screen goddess and the boys, well the straight ones, went silent as she approached. Bobby opened and closed his mouth like a dying fish. Apparently the photos hadn't done her justice.
"I'm Cherry!" She burbled as she grabbed the Scotsman and pulled him into a hug, her voluminous breasts squished between them. Noah glanced over at Seb to see if he'd noticed. One pierced eyebrow arched as he watched. He'd noticed.
Seb disliked almost everyone, but when it came to attraction, he was, in his own words, "into whatever." So instead of having just one particular type of person to be jealous of, Noah had to be jealous of everyone. It was exhausting.
Following the ginger bombshell were three other equally gorgeous people. An adorable sprite of a blonde with huge blue eyes, called Chelsea, a smug brunette with sleek long hair called Allegra, and a slender, smirky guy with intense eyes and jet black hair, whose gaze flickered over Seb cooly.
"This is Kassam!" Bobby said. "Kassam meet your date, Seb."
Noah shifted uncomfortably aside as Kassam approached.
He was the only one without a date. After his last long-term relationship with a woman had deteriorated into toxicity, he'd realized he couldn't keep living with this weight on him. This lie that made his family comfortable. It wasn't fair to himself or to his partners, who he'd carefully chosen to take the control in everything, so he never really had to be present.
When he came out, everyone reacted the way he thought they would. His friends and his brother were surprised but supportive. His mum was angry and tight-lipped, pretending it didn't exist, just like the rest of his family.
Despite his newfound freedom, he could never bring himself to date anyone. To explore another man's skin, smell, or taste. He was trapped. Locked in his own hesitation. Helplessly drawn to the only person he knew he wasn't going to have.
He always felt so behind. So awkward. He wasn't cool or interesting enough for a guy like Seb.
"Yeah," Kassam said. "I'm a DJ. You own a record store, right?" Seb nodded and the man landed his intensely blue gaze on Noah. "What about you?"
"I'm a librarian."
"Huh." Kassam looked bored at that. "Not really into books."
"Noah collects vintage books," Seb said. "His collection is cool."
He swallowed past the dryness in his throat. He hadn't even known that Seb was paying attention to anything said in the group, nor paid attention to his flat when he'd been over. Did that mean something?
Kassam began talking about music and Seb lit up at that, and Noah's cautious excitement waned. Behind him, Chelsea was chattering endlessly to Lucas. Noah closed his eyes against the aural assault. Some people couldn't leave the silence alone, and it was clear that there would be none with her around. Not that she wasn't nice, she was. But Lucas was shooting horrified, help me looks at everyone, and the blonde didn't seem to even notice.
Everyone else made awkward small talk as the queue limped along. Everyone except for him, who made up for all the air Chelsea was taking up, by saying nothing at all.
Finally, they made their way to the booth. Bobby flirted with Morticia Addams in hopes of getting a discount, and like always, managed to receive one. He wasn't the most mature lad, but he had charisma to spare. Though his date looked a little put out about it.
They made their way to the entrance. A giant man with Maori tattoos stood at the front, wearing an executioner's costume with the sleeves removed. He explained the rules of the maze, gesturing with an ax that looked uncomfortably real. Noah had seen the one at the armory in the Tower of London and it looked like a replica. Except it had rusty stains along the edge. He tried to get a better look at it, but the man was waving it around as if it weighed nothing.
"Before you enter, you'll find food and drink, as well as our world famous 'corn box', where you can play in a metre of unpopped kernels."
"Like a ball pit, but with corn!" Bobby shouted, excitement shining off him like light.
"Once you enter the maze, you can expect to be in there for at least two hours. There are lots of flickering lights, but don't worry. Everything is lit from above." He pointed to incredibly tall structures in the distance that looked like lifeguard seats. "There will be people up there. If you get lost and need help, wave your flashlight at the tower and someone will come to lead you out."
"Isn't there a number we can call if we get lost?" Lucas asked. "Waving a flashlight feels a bit too horror-movie for me."
"Cell phone reception is unlikely out there on account of the corn." The big man stood aside and gave an unnervingly wide grin. "Have fun!"
"Great fun. We might get lost and die if we don't get scared to death first by divs in costumes jumping at our faces, like," Seb grumped. Kassam murmured in agreement.
Noah felt the same. This wasn't his idea of a good time. Neither was the 'corn box', where Bobby did barrel rolls and fumbly backwards flips in corn, while Gary pelted him with more kernels. Chelsea laughed hysterically, while the girls looked a little unsure about the whole thing.
Seb ran his hand through the corn and grabbed a handful. He stared at it, frowning. "This is stupid."
"I think that's the point," Noah said. He glanced over at Kassam who was leaning against the wall, staring at his phone. "What would you rather be doing?" Noah asked, feeling bold.
Seb tilted his head. "If I was trying to get someone to cuddle me up, I wouldn't do it in a shaved corn path. I'd take them home, turn down the lights, and then watch Rusty Blade II."
Noah perked up. "Not the first Rusty Blade? That's an interesting choice."
"Nah mate, the first one is all psychological. It's a great film, but it's not the kind that gets you snugs." He tossed the handful of corn aside. "The second one is my favourite. It's terrifying."
"And gorey. Remember that guy with the thing?" He pointed at his nose.
"Oh hell, yeah, that was brutal." Seb animated a little at that. "And then there was the--" He stuck his tongue out and made a slashing gesture.
Noah laughed. "I saw it in the theatre and that one nearly made me vom."
"You saw it in the theatre?"
He nodded, embarrassed. It wasn't the most erudite thing to enjoy.
"I've seen them all in the theatre too. I like all kinds of horror. Except the kind with kids." Seb shuddered. "Kids are creepy."
Kassam didn't look up. "The second one was my favourite, too." He hadn't seemed to be paying attention, but apparently he had been.
Seb gave a rare half-smile. "What's your favourite part?"
"The demon," Kassam said.
Noah lapsed back into silence. Seb wasn't one to speak much, and that was the most either of them had said to one another. But now he was having a decidedly animated-for him-conversation with Kassam, and Noah wanted to throw corn at the DJ's head.
Before he chose violence, a shrieking laugh pierced the air. Bobby pulled Chelsea into the corn, while Gary contented himself making a corn angel. Lucas stood to the side, still trying to get reception. Allegra rolled her eyes at her corn angel-making date and crossed her arms. "How the hell are you lot friends?"
"Ah, it's a long story," Lucas said, red tinging his cheeks.
"Not that long, bruv!" Gary sat up. "Three years back, we was all trying out for a reality show."
"Love Villa! They auditioned us in groups," Bobby said. "Looking for chemistry or something."
"I love that show," Cherry said. "I always thought I'd do really well there."
"None of us made it past the second round of auditions, but we kept in touch," Noah said.
"Lifelong mates!" Gary threw a handful of corn at Lucas. "Lu, put your bloody phone away and enjoy this."
"Sorry. My friend Marisol finished her dissertation today. I wanted to congratulate her." Lucas shoved his phone in his pocket and grabbed a handful of corn, throwing it back at Gary.
"You should have seen the bampots that made it on the show that season," Bobby said as he did a breaststroke. "They could have had all of this, and instead they went with a guy who talked endlessly about mayo."
"And that guy with the mustache. What even was that mustache?" Gary said.
"What about that one with the giant muscles and the, erm, interesting face?" Lucas said. "What a jackass."
"Aww," Cherry said. "I thought it was so sweet how he fell in love."
"I can't believe he won with that girl." Bobby's voice went dreamy. "Such a gorgeous, darlin' lass. If I'd been on it, she would have definitely won with me instead."
"What was her name?" Noah asked.
"Uh, MJ or MC or something," Lucas said. "She was cute. Kind of a pushover, though."
"Spent all her energy trying to reign in those idiots. Waste of time if you ask me." Seb said.
Everyone stopped and stared at him. "Is what I'd say if I actually watched the show..." Seb mumbled, his cheeks turning a charming pink.
"There's no shame in watching junk television," Allegra said. "I mean you tried out for it after all."
"Yeah, my girls and I drink gin and watch those housewives shows all the time," Chelsea chimed in.
"I think it's cool" Kassam rested a hand on Seb's arm. Noah resisted his rather strong desire to knock that pale hand off.
Suddenly, the platinum blonde appeared outside the box, her long black fingernails tracing along the wooden doorway. "It's getting dark and the corn is waiting for you," she said, the bend of an Aussie accent catching Noah's ears. "It doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Something about her was disconcerting. Her blackened red lipstick was perfectly applied, but there was a smirk living within it that felt ominous.
Everyone quieted for a moment, and Gary stood up. "The lady's right. Also, I've got corn kernels in uncomfortable places. Let's get out of here, Bobbo."
"Aww, five more minutes."
"But the corn maze awaits," Lucas said. "I think I saw someone in a killer clown costume."
Bobby's eyes widened. "I don't care for killer clowns."
"They won't care for you either." The woman turned away on feet so light, she appeared to be floating.
Cherry helped Bobby to his feet. "Don't worry, I'll protect you. I don't scare easily."
The entrance to the maze was narrow and long and covered in dark fabric. More like being inside a haunted house than a cornfield. A box of flashlights sat in the middle, with the words, "Take one," on it. Ominous laughter and cheesy music blared overhead and the dim lights flickered. A cold breeze swept by and Seb shivered beside him.
The flickering lights worsened and suddenly, the music and laughter stopped. And then everything went black.
When the lights snapped on, dingy and low, someone was standing in front of them.
Everyone screamed. Bobby nearly leapt into Cherry's arms, and Seb grabbed Noah's sleeve.
The woman wore a hooded robe that looked like moving shadows. In the dim light, he could make out long dark reddish hair peeking out from it. If Cherry was a bombshell, this woman was one-hundred live grenades. She stared at them, with dark tortured eyes. "Don't go inside," she whispered.
A giggle began in earnest from Cherry, and soon everyone was chortling. "Oh, that's a good scare," Cherry said.
The woman's eyes flicked on her, and then... she glitched, glimmering and reappearing like mist.
"A hologram! Cool!" Bobby said, walking through her.
"No!" She grew dimmer. "You have to listen to me! Love can save you out there, but it cannot save you in this place."
Everyone pushed on, laughing.When Noah passed by the hologram, it was barely there, but something prickly skittered over his skin. "Take him and leave," she whispered. And then she faded away.
He shook off a shiver of foreboding. Seb leaned close. "You alright?"
He looked down at those brown eyes that invaded every dream he had and warm comfort cut through the chill.
"This is creepier than I thought it would be."
Seb gave his arm a squeeze. "I'll keep you safe."
Kassam cleared his throat and pushed Seb forward a little, taking the space where Noah had been. Annoyance tamped down the last of his shivers. That guy was a prick.
The tunnel narrowed as they moved through it, the fabric fluttering closer, as if pushed by unseen hands, forcing them toward a narrow slit of light at the end, until one by one, they emerged.
Before them stood an endless field of corn with two straw-covered paths. He wasn't sure how long they'd been in the tunnel, but the sun seemed much lower in the sky than it had been when they arrived.
Gary scratched the back of his head. "Should we split up?"
"If years of playing Dungeons and Dragons has taught me anything, it's that you never ever split the party," Noah said. "We should stay together."
"What fun is that?" Bobby grabbed Cherry's hand and sprinted for the left path. "This way to victory!"
"Aaaaand he's gone." Lucas looked at his watch. "Who had 'Less than thirty seconds before Bobby ditches us for funsies' in the betting pool?"
"That would be me," Noah said.
Gary and Lucas grumbled and Seb merely smirked as they each handed him ten quid. "I knew two minutes was too long," Gary muttered.
Kassam threw an arm casually over Seb's shoulder. "Alright, let's get this part of the night over with." Seb gave Kassam an assessing look and nodded.
This part of the night. What exactly did Kassam think would happen afterward? Flashes of what might be swept through Noah. Tangled legs, messy tongues, and deep rumbling moans. Despair rose in him, and he regretted coming to this. He hadn't anticipated just how brutal it would be to see Seb with a guy. He knew he'd dated men, but seeing it happen was different.
Swallowing past the pain of it, he fell back, putting some distance between himself and everyone else and tried to make the best of a shite night.
For a while it wasn't that bad. There were plenty of cheesy scares. The killer clown made an appearance. A few movie murderers jumped out at them. A babadook. A crab-crawling mirror girl.
What little sun had remained, finally departed, and the green rows of corn seemed ominous, long shadows crisscrossing the strange rolling fog that now enveloped and obscured their feet.
Suddenly there was a shuffling. Everyone turned to look, and when they turned back, something flew at them. It was black and moving fast.
"Was that a bat?" Allegra shrieked. "A fucking bat?"
"No, I've never seen a bat that big," Gary said.
Lucas studied the air where the thing had been. "It was a bird of some kind. Not a bat. Probably not even part of the show."
Everyone huddled much closer together as the lights within the maze flickered like candles. Despite the humidity, a chilly breeze wafted by and something brushed against Noah's arm. He jumped, turning to look behind him, but nothing was there.
Then, a laugh came. Like the giggle of a child. The hairs stood on Noah's arms. It sounded real, not pre-recorded. It started low and soft. Then, the lights dimmed and someone--something--small and childlike, raced across the path in front of them.
"You're all going to die," it called out, before disappearing into the rows.
From behind them came the same laugh, and they all spun as the child-like thing raced impossibly from the other side. "Your deaths will be painful," it called out in the same sing-songy voice.
"That was a little too real," Kassam said.
"This is why I don't watch child horror movies," Seb hissed. "Children are terrifying."
"I thought this would be more fun-scary," Chelsea said. "I don't like being for-real scared." Lucas put an arm around her.
After that, they walked silently, jerking at the sounds of wind rustling through corn, and strange skittering that reminded Noah of bugs. He hated bugs.
"Does anyone think it's odd that we haven't run into anyone else here?" Allegra asked. "Where are all the other people who went in before us?"
"Maybe corn dampens sound," Gary asked, sounding unsure.
"Yeah," Lucas said. "Why is it so quiet?"
They stilled. Other than the strange sounds from the corn, there were no screaming kids, no harried parents calling to them, no laughter or startled screams. It was as if they were the only ones there. But there'd been at least one hundred people in line ahead of them.
Seb's eyes locked with Noah's, and his heart flipped, first from fear and then from something else entirely. "What do you--"
A shriek came from somewhere in the distance. It sounded like Bobby, and ended abruptly.
Chelsea gasped. "Maybe he found the clown."
"Maybe the corn got him," Kassam said.
Gary frowned. "Don't be morbid mate, it's a fucking maze with actors. Bobs is fine. Let's keep moving."
They continued shuffling along, tightly together, and came to another junction. As they stood there, Noah noticed the fog was thicker and up to their knees.
"We're going in circles," Seb said. He pointed at a broken ear of corn with a black wet spot on the husk. In what little light remained, it appeared rotted. "We've gone by that one three times."
"Alright, let's just flag down the watchers and have them escort us out," Lucas said. "I'm not enjoying this."
They shone their flashlights at the tower, but there was no one in the seat.
"Maybe they took a wee break," Chelsea said. "There's another one that way." They followed her, but again, no one was there.
"This isn't very professional," Gary grumbled. He waved his flashlight and began hollering. "Let us out, mates. We're lost!"
A rustling came from the other side of the corn, and they spun toward it. Heavy breathing gave way to a sob and Cherry rounded the corner, running straight into Gary. She was wild-eyed, her clothing torn and dirty. She covered his mouth with her hand.
"Stop yelling," she whispered. "We have to stay quiet."
Gary stepped back. "What are you on about?"
"And where's Bobby?" Noah looked around, expecting his freckled friend to pop out and scare them for a lark.
"They took him," Cherry whispered. "Two people--creatures--I don't know. In black. They came out from the corn, grabbed him, and dragged him away." She gave a hysterical burble of laughter. "I tried to follow, but they disappeared. And I got all turned around. I've tried going through the corn, but it's like everything leads right back here. And there's no one at any of the stations. I've checked all of them."
A sharp sound tore through the air, almost like a lawnmower. "What was that?" Chelsea shouted.
"That... was a chainsaw warming up," Gary said. "Almost sounded real." The sharp noise came again, along with a rumble. "Now, it definitely sounds real." The noise seemed to be beside them, though further into the corn. And it was coming closer.
"Too real for me," Lucas shouted. They began to run and the chainsaw sound stopped coming closer, instead seeming to run alongside them. When a turn came, it moved closer, pushing them to choose left. Again and again.
"It's herding us," Seb said breathlessly. "The fucking thing is herding us somewhere."
Wordlessly, Noah grabbed hold of the back of Gary's shirt and when the man turned, he shushed him like the good librarian he was. He pointed to the right.
"Mate, that's going toward it," Gary whispered.
"It wants us to head away from it," Seb said. Slowly but surely, they caught up to everyone and got them to head toward the sound, except for Allegra.
"No fucking way!" she whisper-yelled. "I'm not heading toward that bloody noise. You're mad!" Gary tried to push her toward the right but she pulled away. "No!" With that she darted off, heading ever further into wherever the chainsaw was directing her, long dark hair flying behind her as she rounded the corner and disappeared.
They stood there, holding their breaths for what felt like forever but was probably only a few seconds. Then, the chainsaw noise ceased, and there was a scream. "What the fuck do you--" and everything went silent.
Gary shot forward, but Kassam put a hand on his chest. "Don't do it, mate. Whatever the fuck this is... she's done for."
The chainsaw noise began again, and another hideous scream tore through the air. "Jesus," Gary said. "Do you think..."
"No time to think," Lucas said. "Not like that anyhow. We've got to move on."
"I can't leave her!" Chelsea's eyes were wide and glassy. "She's my bra!"
"What doe-- it doesn't matter," Lucas said. "We have to go. Something is very wrong here." He gestured to the fog which had traveled from their feet to their knees and now swirled around their waists. "It just keeps getting higher."
"Why would it do that?" Gary said. "What do they--what the fuck?" Gary's body pitched forward, and he disappeared beneath the fog. He yelled a bunch of obscenities. "What are you-- let me go!"
Everyone screamed. Lucas dove for Gary, blindly reaching beneath the mist for him. "Gare!"
"Lu," Gary shouted. "Stay ba--" The sound abruptly cut off.
"Jesus," Lucas shouted. "Gary? Say something!" Nothing came but an obscenely wet gurgle, and then, the rustling of the corn. Before anyone could stop him, Lucas dove into the ever rising fog. "I'm coming for you!"
Noah grabbed him, but all he could get hold of was one of Lucas's shoes. The rest of him was moving oddly, his body slithering soundlessly from the path and with a force that began to drag Noah along.
"No!" Seb's arms encircled his shoulders. "Don't."
"They're our mates!" he shouted, fighting to escape Seb's surprisingly strong grip as Lucas's shoe slipped from his hand.
"I know, but If you go after them, we'll lose you, too."
Noah leaned back against Seb, tears flowing down his cheeks, his heart cracking like the spine of an old book. "What the fuck is this?"
"I dunno," Seb whispered. "But I've seen enough horror movies to know it's not gonna end well if we don't find our way out."
"What if there isn't a way out?" Cherry hissed. "Did anyone think about that?"
"There has to be," Chelsea shrieked. "I have a-a-a pug! And a rug! And a cute little mug with pugs on rugs on it! I have to get out!" She went tearing off the path, into the field of malevolent vegetation.
Cherry chased after her. "Don't go!"
Frozen, they watched wordlessly as they disappeared.
"Hey!" Chelsea shouted. "Let me go--"
There was a scream.
Then there was silence.
Then the chainsaw started again.
"Fuck we've got to move!" Kassam shouted. They ran blindly through the maze, turning down paths that looked different, but ended at the exact same rotting corn.
Finally, their bodies gave out before their terror did, and they found themselves bent over, hands on their knees gasping for air.
"Do you see that?" Kassam asked. In the distance was something new. The path widened and on one side, nestled in corn, was a cottage.
Moving on jelly-legs, Noah felt Seb's arm go around his waist beneath the fog. "Come on, big guy."
The closer they got, the more real it appeared. A tiny wooden cottage with black painted windows. Bramble bushes lined the front and smoke curled from a chimney, like a fairy story illustration from the books he'd read to his baby brother.
"Let's go inside," Kassam said.
Seb swung panicked eyes toward his date. "Are you mad? That's guaranteed death, like. What if they want us to go there?"
Kassam gestured to the fog which was now chest high for him, still much lower for Noah's tall frame. "They'll get us if our legs are too tired for running. We have to rest."
Seb looked at Noah. "What do you think?"
Noah wracked his brain for any better ideas, but he had none. So he shrugged. "Every idea's a stupid idea until it works."
"Ar kid was such a sweet little meff." Seb gave a wobbly half-smile. "Alright, let's go."
Kassam went in first and threw the door open. "It's empty."
Noah's heart thudded in his chest but he nodded and they entered the cabin. It was dilapidated but welcoming, almost drawing them inside. The only light came from a crackling fireplace that cast fluttering shadows on their faces. A pile of bedding sat on the furry rug in front of the fire. There was nothing else there.
Kassam wandered around and returned. "The rooms are all empty. No furniture anywhere."
They huddled together on the soft rug. Kassam wrapped his arm around Seb, who said nothing. Noah felt a strange pull, a dragging in his brain, from terror to exhaustion. He stared into the flames and felt the night's horrors come back to him. The skitters. The screams. The wet gurgles. He closed his eyes. Behind them, he could still see the fire. But he also saw the woman in the cloak. She reached out and touched him, her hand cold and stinging hot at the same time.
"I did everything I could to save you" she whispered.
And then everything went black.
**
Noah wasn't sure if he'd fainted or fallen asleep. But he awakened covered in a blanket, his head on a pillow in the strange cottage that felt like a dream. He could hear angry murmurs, and peeked out of one eye.
Kassam had his hands on Seb's jaw. "He passed out once. He'll do it again. He's going to get us killed if we don't do something about him."
"What the fuck are you saying, mate?" Seb hissed.
The man stared at him, his blue eyes feverishly bright. "We'll just roll him outside and let the boogies or whatever, take him. And then you and I can survive a little longer. Together." He shot forward and pressed a kiss to Seb's lips.
Seb shoved him away. "No." The word was harsh and final.
"Fine." Kassam jumped to his feet. "I'm out of here then. I'm not waiting around to die so you and that mutant can keep making fuck-me eyes at each other."
"Go on then," Seb said flatly. "I'm not leaving him behind."
Kassam slammed the door behind him as he left. The crunch of straw faded as he stomped away.
"Arsehole," Seb whispered.
Noah shuffled over and they sat together silently. Only then, did he realize how damned cold it had become. Despite the roaring fire casting them in burning light, he could see his own breath.
"Is this a nightmare?" Seb asked. "I get those sometimes."
"If it is, I'd like you to wake up."
"Funny how in movies, when you find out it was all just a dream, you're disappointed. It's such a hack way to end it."
"Until you're living the horror. Then it's the best way." Noah wiped at the tears dribbling from his eyes. "They were our best mates."
"Maybe they're not..."
"Did you hear that sound Gary made? They're dead." Noah shuddered.
"Come here." Seb pulled him closer and they snuggled under a blanket. They held their breaths with every whip of the wind and shuffle of the corn.
"Where the hell are they?"
The harsh low jolt of a woman's voice cut through the cold night air and they jerked upright. It was strangely familiar, with the hint of an accent he couldn't place with so few words spoken.
The only response was a strange gasping noise, like the vocal cords of a man who was barely able to speak.
"Not the right answer." There was a horrific wet noise, and something made an animal shriek of anguish. "The rest of you, do your jobs and find them."
Slithering sounds and buglike buzzing filled the air. Feet crunching over straw headed in the other direction, before fading away.
Something--Someone--was hunting them.
They were going to die. Noah stared at Seb, terror settling into his stomach. "Maybe you should have left without me. Maybe Kassam was righ--"
"No." Seb entwined his fingers with Noah's. "I'm not losing you, not before..." And then, Seb kissed him.
It was strange. In movies and books, it never made sense; the protagonist stopping in the midst of the action to have a romantic moment. But now Noah understood. When death felt imminent, all you wanted was to cling to life. You wanted to live and die in someone's arms, connected to them.
He kissed him back hungrily. Seb's beard felt rough and strange, but right. Seb deepened the kiss, massaging Noah's tongue with his. Their hands glided over each other, stroking skin and hair. Their clothes became a heap on the floor.
In any other moment, Noah would have second guessed this. Was it the fear of what was coming that made Seb's hand stroke him firmly? But he couldn't let his brain go there. Instead, he got on his knees and ran his tongue over Seb's lean but firm abs. Past his belly button to where he was already naked, his cock springing up from neatly trimmed dark hair.
He sat up. "I've never..."
"I know." Seb drew his head down. "But you know what you like, right? Do that."
Staying as quiet as possible, Noah wrapped his lips around him, drawing him in as deeply as he could. Seb bit his lip and arched toward his mouth. He put a hand on his head and took control of the pressure and speed, and god, he loved the feel of it. The future didn't matter anymore. He sucked and pumped, albeit inexpertly, the man he loved, and that was enough.
Seb made a whimpering sound that warmed Noah more than a fire ever could. "I'm going to..." He made to push him away, but Noah didn't want to stop. He'd dreamed so many times of what it would be like, taste like.
"Come," he whispered.
Seb's moans deepened. He gripped Noah's hair and pushed him further down his shaft. "Right there," he whispered. Lifting his hips, he thrust into Noah's mouth. A moment later, salty warmth flooded Noah's tongue. It was foreign and he had to force himself not to gag, holding it there until his rebelling body relaxed and he swallowed it down. Feeling proud, he licked Seb clean, wanting every silky drop.
Breathing heavily but quietly, Seb rolled him over and did the same, though his tongue wandered quite a bit more, making Noah buck in ways he never had before. Seb worked his balls and swallowed him all the way down, taking him in his throat and coming back up without a problem. Jesus. Before Noah knew it, Seb was milking him dry, one hand pumping him, his mouth on him, and a finger massaging the tender knot of his ass. Noah had to fight to hold back the intense cry of pleasure he wanted to indulge in. It almost hurt not to let it out. But he stayed silent, coming so hard, he was dizzy.
Afterward, they snuggled together. "I never thought..." Seb kissed his neck. "That I'd ever get the chance."
"You never said anything."
Seb flushed, redness stealing over his cheeks, his long brown hair spilling over one muscled shoulder. "I knew that I--I wasn't your type. I'm not clever like you or as good looking, but I..." He drifted off and looked away.
Noah's heart throbbed at his sweetly vulnerable look. He laughed soundlessly at the lunacy of everything and kissed Seb. "You're my type. You're my only type."
Seb returned the kiss hotly, and pushed him back down on the rug. "And you're mine," he growled.
He was. He really was.
**
Something slapped Noah's face, and pinched his nipples, not in a pleasurable way.
He sat up and Seb clamped a hand over his mouth. "Mate, you snored so loud, I think the whole farm heard you," he whispered. "I nearly smothered you to death trying to muffle it. I heard some weird things. We've gotta get out of here."
"Sorry." Noah quickly dressed.
Seb gave him a hard kiss. "If we get out of this, we'll do it again in a proper warm bed and you can snore as loud as you fucking want. I sleep like the dead anyhow."
Despite all the fear, Noah couldn't help the jolt of joy his words gave him. He wanted to do this again. With him.
Seb opened the door a crack. "The fog is even worse now. It might be smarter to stay under it at this point."
"How? We don't know where we're going."
"Actually I think I have some idea. I've been considering all the places we doubled back, and where they adjoined. I think I can get us out of here."
"And you think you're not clever?"
They crawled from the cottage slowly, and Noah fought panic as they were enveloped in the unrelenting fog. Seb's hand found his and gave it a squeeze. Silently and blindly, they made their way, on hands and knees, feeling ahead for danger.
After what felt like ages, Seb stopped him. He pulled Noah's hand forward and he found himself gripping a sign post. A metal one. Everything in the maze had been wooden.
They scrambled to their feet. Yes, there it was. The exit. Leading into an ancient dilapidated concessions area, swirling with fog.
Noah raced for it, but Seb's hand slipped from his. He looked back. Seb stood at the exit, his eyes wide with some unknown terror. The sounds of giggling children broke through the silence. "Noah, I lov--"
And then, he was yanked backward into the fog, screaming.
Noah spun and raced back toward the maze. He knew now, more than he ever had before that Seb was his forever, and he'd follow that forever wherever it went.
He rushed into the fog. Cold things grasped at him. He swung and kicked at unseen bodies. "Seb!"
Hands gripped his wrists and pulled him until he fell onto his back and began to drag him. He screamed Seb's name over and over and fought the hands, but they were cold and powerful and relentless as they pulled him into the corn. Things moved in the darkness and the fog began to dissipate as the creatures stopped moving, and rolled him into a hole in the ground.
It was a long fall. He landed in a heap on a dirt floor, and a shadow loomed over him.
He looked up at Bobby, who was covered in blood, his throat oozing from a jagged gash, his eyes full of glassy tears. "My fault," he wheezed out, making a strange strangled noise, like a man who could barely...
Whatever else he tried to say was lost.
Then, just as Kassam predicted, Noah's breathing shortened, his heart thundered, and he once more succumbed to darkness.
**
"He's awake!"
Noah's heavy eyes opened to see Bobby standing over him, still bloody and wounded, though looking much more cheerful. Noah sat up and scrambled away from him.
"Must have had a bad dream," Chelsea said. "Poor thing."
He looked around, terrified to know where he'd been taken. But it was an ordinary room, with cheap halloween decorations in it. Dancing corn cobs and scarecrows dotted the walls. His friends were crowded around an ornate wooden table, laden with doughnuts and a steaming pot.
"I thought you were never going to wake up," Gary said, grinning.
Lucas laughed. "Yeah, it's been hours."
"What the fuck is going on?"
Cherry approached, a cup in hand. "It's alright. You're safe." She guided him to the table and pressed him to sit beside Seb. "Have some hot cider and doughnuts."
"They're so good," Bobby said, taking another one, even though he already had one in his hand. "We had to wait until you were here to eat and drink, so we've been starving this whole time."
Lucas patted him on the back. "You look a right wreck."
"Bobby had them kidnap us." Allegra rolled her eyes. "The whole thing was a stupid pisstake."
Bobby laughed and tore off the bloody prosthetic he'd been wearing. "Well, it was really Cherry's idea. She's an amazing actress isn't she?"
Cherry preened under the shower of compliments to her acting and took a bow. "I told you I would have been good on Love Villa."
"Drink up!" Gary said.
He sniffed at his cup. It smelled like apples and cinnamon and something he couldn't name. He sat it back down.
Seb smiled at him, his brown eyes dancing "We woke up," he said. "Just like in the movies."
Noah threw himself at him and kissed him thoroughly.
Lucas let out a happy sigh. "Who had, 'Seb and Noah figure out that they're stupidly in love and have been for ages, during the corn maze,' in the betting pool?"
"That'd be me," Gary said. "Noah started to sweat the minute Bobby said he was finding a date for Seb."
"Aye, I was hoping that would finally do it."
Everyone laughed and Seb pressed his face against Noah's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around him, pressing his face into Seb's neatly bunned hair, and breathed in the peppermint scent of his shampoo.
"Did you really have time to brush your hair?" he whispered to Seb. "It doesn't even look mussed from..."
Seb grinned and pushed his cup closer. "You should drink this. It's really good."
Noah looked around the room and saw almost everyone. "Where's Kassam?"
Everyone looked around confused. "Who?" Chelsea said.
"Kassam, Seb's date."
Seb looked just as confused as everyone else. "Who?" He handed Noah a doughnut. "Eat that. It's really good."
Noah's gaze leapt around the room. Everything seemed fine. Everything seemed perfect.
"What's your favourite horror movie," he asked Seb.
"Cabin Haunting two, mate. Why?" Seb raised the cup to Noah. "This is really good."
Noah shot off the chair and backed away from everyone. "This isn't real."
"What? Of course it's real." Cherry's face glimmered and glitched like a buffering video. "You'll feel so much better if you drink and eat."
"No!" He grabbed the steaming pot. It burned his hands, sizzling his skin. He threw it against the wall, and everywhere the liquid landed, it hissed.
They all looked at him like he was insane, their eyes flickering like candle lights, even as the room darkened and they faded away.
"Oh dear, he's a willful one," a cold familiar voice said. Blonde Morticia Addams entered the room. Her green eyes glowed in a way that wasn't at all natural. She smiled and it looked like a row of glistening knives.
"Forgetting the other date and his favourite movie? I'm afraid you failed Cherry." She clicked her tongue as if saddened, though her smirk looked anything but sad. "No demon initiation for you."
"It's Priya's fault!" Cherry cried out. "She did my head in, hiding them in that dumb cottage and masking it so we couldn't find it. Giving them hope ." She spat the word out.
"Ahh, yes, my sweet little wayward sister does like to make things difficult." A man entered the room. His blue eyes looked somehow exhausted and exhilarated all at once. He pushed back a lock of dark hair that flopped over his forehead.
"I told you we should have killed her," the blonde said.
"She gives them hope, then we snatch it away, and their fear tastes better," he said. "It takes a little longer, but..." he shrugged. "Let her meddle."
"Where's Jen?"
"Playing with her food," the man said. "She likes the freckled one."
"I wanted that one." The blonde pouted. "Carl, make her give him to me."
"Now, Lottie, don't you want this one?"
Noah's terror rendered him mute and stiff.
"Jake and Rohan already claimed him. And the long-haired one."
Cherry gasped. "But I worked so hard on this one! Remember what they did to that blue-haired boy?" she whispered. "I was scrubbing guts off the ceiling for a week. Demons are disgus--"
The blonde shot her a look, and Cherry's mouth fell open. "I didn't mean that, Lottie."
Carl's eyes narrowed and he snapped his fingers. Cherry burst like a balloon, spilling blood and viscera everywhere. Noah screamed as warm fluid splashed all over his face.
"The soulless damned. Can't live with them, can't live without them," Lottie said with a shrug. She kicked a bit of Cherry aside with her heeled shoe.
"This is just a bad dream," Noah whispered. "Wake up. Wake up." He closed his eyes tightly and focused on waking, but he seemed to be pulled deeper into the nightmare. So he focused on the part of the dream he'd liked. Seb in his arms. Mouths. Hands. Love.
"Aww, he's adorable," Carl said. "His soul might be devourable after all."
"Hmm." A hand gripped his face, and sharp nails dug into his cheeks. "Look at me." He stared up into malevolent green eyes that turned black. He shuddered at the glee he found there. "This isn't a movie, or a book. And if it were, what kind of ending would it be if you woke up and it was all just a dream? So hacky. So boring. No." She squeezed his cheeks tighter, until her nails broke his skin and tiny streams of blood trickled down. She brought a hand to her mouth and licked the blood from her fingertips.
"Afraid to say..." Her knife teeth gleamed in the ever-darkening room. "You're wide awake."
THE END
___
When I was young, I imagined myself as the next Stephen King and dreamed of writing horror stories, so this was fun bit of nostalgia. The romantic part of me really really wanted to give Noah and Seb a happy ending, but the sadistic part of me absolutely refused that. And it was much easier to let Sadist Sparx have her way. #sorrynotsorry
Happy Spooky Season!