Sinister Intentions

Chapter 2

I look around the forest and scan it carefully but don't see anything unusual and laugh at myself for getting so worked up over nothing. That's what happens when you watch horror movies, but I don't regret my choice to have a horror movie marathon one bit. I love the thrill of a good scare and am always looking for new horror movies to experience that feeling over and over again.

I'm a junkie when it comes to fear and never get enough of being scared, which is why October is my favorite month of the year. Not only do new horror movies come out, but haunted mazes also pop up all over our small town. Haunted mazes are my second favorite thing after horror movies, so much so, I go to every haunted maze my town has to offer every single year.

I love getting scared by the actors but sadly haunted mazes aren't giving me the thrill they used to anymore. They've become too predictable, and now I just walk through them like nothing and don't get scared at all. I still enjoy them because the creators behind them do an amazing job with the setup, props, and the selection of actors, but it's not the same when you don't get scared, which leaves me no choice but to seek the thrill I yearn for in horror movies. It sucks that's all I have now. I wish there was something else out there that could give me the thrill fear brings me, but I wouldn't even know where to look for what I need, so for now, I just stick to good old horror movies.

"God, I'm so stupid," I mutter and shake my head at myself, feeling like such an idiot. I turn back to the side of the house and walk toward the electrical box when I hear loud footfalls behind me. I feel my heart hammer at the sound and quickly spin on my heel to see what or who is coming at me and nearly fall to my knees in relief when I see a deer running across the yard.

I place my hand over my pounding heart and just wait for it to settle down as I watch the deer run into Mrs. Robinson's yard. When it finally disappears out of sight, I release a deep breath and step up to the electrical box. I lift the lid of the box and lock it into place so it stays open.

I lift my phone over the electrical box so I can see what I'm doing. I reset the breakers that are tripped and work my way down the various breakers, resetting them one by one until the lights inside the house slowly come on. I reset the last couple of breakers and when I finish resetting the last one, I see the lights from the deck flicker to life from the side of my left eye.

I close the electrical box shut and turn to head back inside the house when I see the silhouette of a person standing beyond the tree line of the forest. It's dark out but with the light from the deck, I can discern their outline from where I'm standing.

I feel my heart climb its way back up my throat as the person just stands there watching me from a distance. I feel a shiver run down my spine and inwardly curse, hating that fear is coursing through me and making me my heart pound a mile a minute.

Is this my punishment for wanting to be scared?

I steel my spine and don't back down as I face them. They don't move. They just watch me from the shadows, searing me with their gaze as they take in my barely covered body.

"Who are you?" I ask them and am not surprised when they don't respond.

I take a step forward to head inside, not wanting to play this person's stupid game and they mirror my movement, taking one step forward, taunting me with their move.

I feel the hairs on my forearms stand in alarm but I try to ignore it.

"What do you want?" I ask, feeling on the verge of tears. This person is taking this way too far.

I see a light flash, illuminating the forest with its blue glow, and suck in a breath, hoping and praying it's one of my neighbors taking a stroll through the forest, but when I look closer I realize it's the person tormenting me. They're wearing an LED mask over their face that glows a light blue. It has big Xs for eyes and a stitched mouth. It's ominous just like the person wearing it.