Chris wiped the sweat from his forehead as the small crowd of onlookers hesitated outside the entrance to his haunted house. It was a slow day at the theme park, and no one seemed brave enough to venture inside. He sighed, leaning against the rusted metal fence that lined the attraction.
"Seriously? No one wants to give it a try? My haunted house isn't even that scary. If you don't believe me, check the online reviews," Chris taunted.
As if on cue, a few curious visitors began pulling out their phones to look it up.
"Huh, they're right. The reviews say it's not scary at all," a young man said, his tone almost disappointed.
"Yeah, and there's only one positive review, and that's just because the girl playing the ghost is cute," a woman chimed in, laughing.
Chris suppressed a groan. He had invested hours into perfecting the haunted house's atmosphere, but it seemed the online feedback was dampening its reputation. "Come on, you'll never know until you try!" he called out.
Finally, someone stepped forward—a young man with a military-style buzz cut and a confident smirk. "I'll give it a shot. How scary can it really be? I've seen real corpses. This is nothing."
His declaration drew skeptical murmurs from the crowd.
"Yeah, right. You've seen corpses? How old are you, twenty?" a heckler scoffed from the back.
But before the buzz cut could retort, a calm, cold voice interrupted. "He's not lying. Corpses are nothing unusual for us."
Heads turned as a woman approached, her presence as commanding as her words. She was tall, slender, and dressed in a white summer dress, topped with a wide-brimmed sun hat that shielded her face from the midday sun. There was something about her demeanor—a chill in the air seemed to follow her as she walked.
"Isabella!" the young man called out excitedly, jogging over to her with a grin. He made a half-hearted attempt to grab her bag, but she stopped him with a single, icy glance. He froze in place, his awkward grin never fading.
"You know her?" Chris asked, his interest piqued.
The young man nodded eagerly. "We're students from the forensic science department at Riverwood Medical University. I'm Lucas Crane, and this is my senior, Isabella Frost." He looked around at the crowd, clearly enjoying the attention. "Your video from last night went viral on our school's forum. Isabella saw it and decided to come check it out for herself."
"Forensics?" someone muttered. "No wonder she looks like she's seen a ghost."
The crowd chuckled, but no one got too close to Isabella. Lucas, however, didn't seem to notice, laughing as he shared more about his formidable companion. "You don't understand, my senior here is not like most people. She dissects frogs and rats in the morning, washes her hands, and then heads to the cafeteria for a hearty lunch like it's nothing. I've seen her walk through the anatomy lab at midnight, casually greeting the cadavers floating in formaldehyde. If you're hoping to impress her, forget it—she's autopsied more bodies than most of you have held hands with girls."
His exaggerated introduction did the trick. A wide berth formed around Isabella, and the chatter died down.
Chris tried to suppress his smile but couldn't help feeling a little concerned. Of all the potential customers, the first ones he got were forensic students. He had worked so hard to get this haunted house off the ground, even incorporating dark tales from the site's real history, but now… Would they find it scary at all?
"You two ready?" Chris asked, his eyes darting between the pair.
Isabella stepped forward, her gaze unwavering. "Yes, we're ready."
She was almost eye-to-eye with Chris, which was no small feat given the thick-soled shoes she wore. Lucas trailed behind her, clearly less confident but trying his best to maintain his bravado.
"The tickets are usually twenty dollars, but we're running a fifty percent discount today, so it's just ten each," Chris explained. "Before you go in, I should tell you the backstory of this place. It'll help set the mood."
Lucas crossed his arms, his smirk fading as Chris continued.
"This haunted house is built on the old site of Riverwood General Hospital. Fifty years ago, this land was a massive graveyard, the largest in the city. Thirty years ago, they built a hospital here, but it didn't last long. The hospital had to close after numerous strange, unexplainable incidents. Some of the staff and patients reported seeing things—things that can't be found in any medical textbook." He paused for effect, watching their reactions. "This haunted house? It's not just for show. We've incorporated remnants of the hospital into the experience. Files, equipment, even some of the original layout remains."
Lucas' cocky smile returned, but Isabella remained impassive.
"Now, just a quick safety note," Chris added, pointing to a warning sign next to the door. "If you have heart conditions or any health concerns, you might want to sit this one out. Also, if you're between twelve and sixteen, make sure you have an adult with you."
"Are you done?" Isabella asked, clearly not in the mood for small talk.
Chris sighed. "Yeah, follow me."
He pulled back the heavy black curtain at the entrance, and they stepped inside. The air immediately felt cooler, the metallic scent of old hospital equipment still lingering in the dark corridors. Chris locked the gate behind them with a clang, adding to the eerie atmosphere.
"You have fifteen minutes to find the exit. It's an open scenario, meaning you can explore the space freely. All you have to do is escape." Chris gave a small grin as he pointed toward the stairs leading to the second floor. "If you get too scared, just shout, and I'll come get you. Good luck."
Lucas laughed, though it sounded more nervous than genuine. "Sounds easy enough."
"Good luck," Chris repeated as they moved toward the second floor.
The contrast between Lucas' nervous energy and Isabella's calm demeanor was stark. She marched forward without hesitation, while Lucas hovered behind her, glancing nervously at every shadow. "Wait for me, Isabella!" he called as they disappeared into the darkness.
Chris watched them go, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Wendy, the guests are inside. Be ready, and remember to cover your ears," he instructed.
After ending the call, Chris jogged to the control room, where multiple monitors displayed live footage from inside the haunted house. It was a small space, but it housed all the essentials—screens, sound systems, and controls for the various effects.
He sat down in front of the control panel and smirked. "I didn't want to use this track, but these guys are from the forensics department. If they're going to test me, I might as well go all in."
With a few quick taps, Chris uploaded "Friday the 13th" to the sound system's playlist. He set it to loop, then leaned back, eyes glued to the screens.
As Lucas and Isabella entered the second-floor corridor, the eerie notes of the music filled the air. Chris' hands hovered over the controls, ready to activate any special effects at the right moment.
"Let's see how brave they really are," he muttered, watching the pair closely. If anything went wrong, he was ready to step in. But for now, the game was on.