Not a Night for Clowning Around

𝕊𝔼𝕍𝔼ℕ𝕋𝔼𝔼ℕ

SHAWN

THIS FUNHOUSE WAS so freaking cool! I was having the time of my life here. Maybe I was too hammered to think straight, but this placed rocked. I walked around in awe, getting taken aback by all the jump scares that came my way. I was so happy we came.

"Babe, you gotta check this out!" I called over my shoulder as I continued stumbling down. How lucky was I to share this cool night with a cool chick like Aaliyah? "Babe, hurry up."

She usually yelled at me to slow down, but this time I heard nothing.

"Babe?" Nothing. "Aaliyah, where are you?" Silence.

I paused and turned around, wondering where she was. Aaliyah was usually right on my tail, but this time she was nowhere to be found.

I cupped my hands around my mouth to amplify my voice. "Follow the sound of my voice." She probably got lost or something.

I had been friends with the crew for years, ever since we were kids, and I knew since the minute I first laid eyes on Aaliyah that she was the one. She was my first girlfriend, my first love, my first everything, and even though I drove her crazy I knew she was the one for me.

We had been through so much together and she was always there for me when I needed her. Aaliyah was my rock, and the only perfect thing in my life.

"Hurry up, you're missing out!" I yelled out, hoping she would come already.

My mind started to fill with worry. Where did she go? This was so unlike Aaliyah to just disappear into thin air. I turned around and started retracing my steps. Even though it was pretty dark in here, I was hoping I would bump into her or at least hear the sound of her voice.

"Aaliyah, can you hear me?"

Oddly enough, I couldn't hear anyone. Had I gone that much ahead of everyone else?

"Is anyone there?"

This was starting to get weird. There was no way everyone could be that far back that they couldn't hear me. This funhouse wasn't that big; someone was bound to have heard me.

"If you guys are pranking me, it's not funny." I let out a shaky breath. I was the one constantly pulling tricks. Why did they choose the night I could barely walk straight to mess with me?

Speaking of which, how drunk was I? I didn't feel too drunk. I only drank... I couldn't remember how much I drank, but it couldn't have been too much.

"Okay guys, you got me, I'm scared." I paused. "Can you come out now?"

Shit, where was the exit? I was not amused by this stupid prank and I wanted to get out. "Aaliyah, if you're in on this I'm not talking to you anymore," I said in a shaky voice. "I'm kinda spooked, so come out."

Knowing my girlfriend, if this were a prank she would've come out by now. She was many things, but a malicious trickster wasn't one of them.

On cue, a loud shriek erupted out of nowhere. My eyes widened, my ears instantly picking up the sound of my girlfriend's voice.

"This isn't funny," I yelled. "Cut it out."

"Shawn," the voice cried. "Help me!"

My body began to tremble, and it wasn't just because I was wasted. Without a second thought, I ran into the direction of Aaliyah's voice. Prank or not, it sounded like she was in trouble. The last thing I'd ever want in my sorry life was for Aaliyah to get hurt. She was the love of my life, and I could never live with myself if something happened to her.

"Aaliyah!" I shouted as I ran towards the sound of her voice. "Where are you?"

I heard her muffled screams in the distance and continued sprinting in that direction.

The faster I ran, my head started to spin, my already compromised vision getting blurred. I felt myself getting dizzy, and I couldn't run any further. "Aaliyah," I called out as I fell to my knees.

I closed my eyes in an attempt to make myself less nauseous. When I opened them again, the funhouse was far brighter. There were candles lit all over the place, allowing me to see much clearly.

"Shawn!"

Aaliyah emerged from the darkness, and stumbled towards me. I rushed to my feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that coursed through my body. She fell into my arms, and I pressed my face against the top of her head, cascading the tears that spilled from my eyes.

"I was so worried, I thought something happened to you," I whimpered into her hair. I held her tightly, running my hand down her back comfortingly. I instantly froze when I felt something wet. I pulled away from her and glanced at her back.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight before me. A knife was lodged into my girlfriend's back.