𝙐𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

Leave Me Alone, Buddy!

(Y/N POV)

The AC in the dingy little hotel room my family was staying in was way too loud. The air felt like static. Most importantly, my throat was unbearably dry. Could I have gotten some water? Maybe, if I wasn't so flipping nauseous. I had no idea what I ate, but it most certainly did not pass the vibe check in my digestive system. Despite my sickness only being a stomach bug, my family was still avoiding me whenever possible. Not that I minded it. I kind of needed some peace and quiet...and maybe the ability to actually sleep. 

"I can't take it anymore," I croaked, getting up from where I lay on the sofa bed to get a drink. I picked up a glass and went into the bathroom to fill it with water. I took a sip, enjoying a moment of pure bliss as the cool water slid down my sore throat. 

I immediately started heaving. 

Dropping down in front of the toilet, I nudged the door behind me closed with my foot. If my family walked in, I wanted to grant them the small mercy of not having to see me upchuck what little food I had left in my stomach. 

I barely heard the door open as I was retching; however, I did hear someone lock the deadbolt. 

"Mom? Dad? Don't come in; it's not a pretty sight," I groaned, leaning slightly on the rim. 

I gagged a few few more times, but eventually, the queasiness subsided. Shaking, I got to my feet and rinsed the vomit out of my mouth, making sure I didn't swallow anything. Wiping my mouth on a washcloth, I asked, "Hey, Mom, do you have any more of that disinfectant spray? I might need to use it." 

There was no answer. 

"Mom?"

"Hello, (Y/N)."

"Oh, crap!" I began to freak out. The killer was outside my door. I had no phone. I had no weapon. I was going to die wearing Hello Kitty PJs, for Christ's sake. "Oh my God, Murder Man, what do you want?!"

He chuckled. "Just Ghostface is fine, princess. And all I want is to play a little game."

"Screw you."

"If you answer my questions correctly, I'll leave you alone. Does that sound fair?" Ghostface proposed.

I paused. "Depends," I responded. "What are the questions about?"

"Well, you were watching The Exorcist the other night. Why don't we try that?" 

I sighed, knowing I had no choice. "Fine. Just get on with it."

"Impatient, are we?" Ghostface quipped. "Question one: what does Regan spit up onto the priest?" 

"Easy. Pea soup," I answered, turning a little green at the mention of spitting up food. I fought back the urge to gag.

"Very good," the killer praised. "Next question: what are the two priests named?"

"Father Merrin and Father Karras. Anybody who's seen the movie knows that."

"Excellent! You might just make it out of this alive," Ghostface drawled, sending a shiver down my spine. "Final question: who played the voice of the demon?"

"Uhhhh..." That one had me stumped. Think, Y/N, think. 

"Tick-tock..." the man sounded bored. 

"Just give me a second!" I snapped.

"You have ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight..."

"It's, um...it's..." 

"...five, four, three.."

"MERCEDES MCCAMBRIDGE!" I shouted. "It's Mercedes McCambridge, you dipstick!" 

Ghostface laughed. Whether it was about the fact that I got all of his questions right, or about me calling him a "dipstick" of all things, I didn't care to know. All I was focused on was whether or not he would actually leave.

"Correct. Until next time, princess..." he told me. 

I waited a beat before cautiously opening the bathroom door. The masked killer was nowhere in sight. There was no sign of him having been there at all. It was as if he'd vanished into thin air.

Like a ghost.

I shuddered and stumbled back over to the bed, cursing my bad luck. Should I call the police? I asked myself. He's gone now, but they would want to know about another attack, right? I eyed the phone on the nightstand, mulling over the decision, when the room door opened again. I nearly leapt a foot in the air, but instantly relaxed when I realized that it was just my sibling. 

Seeing my expression, they asked, "Are you alright, (Y/N)?" 

Managing a fake smile, I nodded. "I was just a little startled is all. I didn't think anyone would come back yet," I lied. 

My sibling seemed to take this as the truth, and made a beeline for the bedroom. Once they had shut the door, I dropped my pleasant facade and lied back onto the creaky sofa bed. My parents have been stressed enough about the previous attacks, I thought. Maybe I should stay quiet about this encounter. At least for now. 

Rolling onto my side, I fought back yet another wave of nausea as I tried to get some sleep. The AC unit finally quit its sputtering, filling the room with an uncomfortable silence. Despite wishing for the noise to go away just twenty minutes ago, I wanted the sound back. 

Anything to keep me from thinking that every creak, every footstep from the halls, every murmur from the next room over, was the Ghostface. 

+++

Author's Note: Apparently my outline isn't helping me write longer chapters smh. Oh well, it can't be helped. You were warned that Y/N would go to certain...lengths not to swear. Sorry I couldn't come up with anything better than "dipstick" though lmao. The video at the top doesn't actually pertain to anything in this chapter, but I feel like it's beginning to describe Y/N, so I slipped it in XD. My weakness is Vine.

-Bunn.