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One.

The wet grass had completely soaked through Sammy's work trousers now, leaving her cold and uncomfortable as she walked away from the wolf enclosure, towards the offices.

The Fall air was decidedly cooler now, and as it was the end of the day, she breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of a long hot shower, and relaxing evening of nothing.

She was just, scribbling down her medication notes in the calendar, when Susan, her boss and close friend walked into the office

"Girl, you look like a drowned rat," she laughed.

"I feel like a drowned rat," Sammy laughed back. "I've given the pack their wormer today, but with the severity of the outbreak, we should probably give them another dose in a fortnight." She filled Susan in. "And now, I'm off for a hot shower."

"That's great, but you better make sure it's a quick one," Susan smiled, calculating.

Sammy stiffened, "Why?"

"Because, you are coming with Tom and I to the haunted house," she concluded, "And, no, you have bailed on us for the past two years, so we bought you a ticket. This time you're coming. No excuses." Then she added wickedly, "Or I'm putting you to clean out the skunks till Christmas."

Sammy's face widened in alarm, "Alright, alright. I'm coming. Jeeze, no need to go homicidal on me." She laughed, while grabbing her car keys, "What time, and send me the directions, I'll meet you there."

Susan jumped with excitement, "Consider it done, Sugar."


A few hours later, Sammy was driving up through a long and very dark alley of trees. Giant pine trees loomed up and over the road, if it weren't for her head lights she would have been in complete darkness, all the light from the moon hidden from view.

It was another fifteen minutes before she felt like she was back in the land of the living. She had reached Armitage, the local town from which the the Animal Sanctuary she worked in, got most of its supplies.

It was a town that Sammy herself was moving to next week, and she couldn't wait to get out of the trailer she had spent the past two years in, on site at the Wildlife Sanctuary she worked in.

Yes, she would still be required to stay there for the occasional night shift if an animal was sick, but to have actual permanent walls around her and decent plumbing and heating, that would indeed be a luxury that couldn't come quick enough.

The street lights in this part of town however, seemed to be dimming, the closer she got to the end of Susan's directions. Until she pulled up into a darkened driveway, of a gigantic mansion.

Spotting Susan's lone truck, she pulled her small car up beside it, and jumped out.

But without the headlights, the only light available was a single dull porch lamp, badly illuminating a whole four metres around itself.

Grabbing her cell she first went to look for her torch application.

"Aaarrghhh!" Came a thunderous roar, as two large hands dropped onto her shoulders.

Before she could stop herself, Sammy grunted, spun around and punched her assailant in their ghoulish mask.

"AOW, you fucker! Christ Sammy, over react much?" Came the softly lilting Irish accent.

"Tom?" Sammy began to smirk, "What on earth did you think you were doing?"

Susan suddenly started guffawing, behind her truck.

"That was priceless!" She spluttered between laughs.

"That's the last time I give in to your ideas, Sue!" Tom complained, "Fuck, if it weren't for the mask you'd have broken my nose."

"Sorry, Tom," Sammy smiled, "I guess you shouldn't sneak up on women then."

"Yeah, whatever. Just remember, this is meant to be fun and at no point should you be punching the actors," Tom grumbled, throwing his mask into the back of the truck.

"I'll do my best," she laughed back, linking arms with Susan as they headed towards the dull light.

"Where exactly is everyone?" Sammy asked, feeling apprehensive.

"Oh, it's just us." Tom replied.

"What?" Sammy replied, confused.

"They only allow one group at a time, enhances the experience and allows them to reset the illusions. Now come on." Susan stated, pulling Sammy up the small steps to the doorway.

Sammy felt her nerves were on fire with apprehension, and she definitely couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. Pulling her red hood closer up about herself, she swallowed her nerves and watched as Susan pushes the door open with an audible creak.

A wolf howl sounds somewhere close by, as the door slammed closed behind them.

While the howl didn't startle Sammy, the loud unexpected bang did.

The strange house was pitch black, and deathly quiet.

"Now what?" Sammy whispered apprehensively..

"Now, we wait..." Susan's voice returned, ending in a scream.

"OOOMPH," came Tom's exhale of breath.

"Guys? Guys?" Sammy called, but her friends were gone, she was alone.

Her heart rate picked up, as the sound of scratching, reached her ears. It was coming from above her. Sammy's spine started to tingle with awareness as she backed towards the door, straining her eyes in an attempt to make out anything around her.

She was closer to the door than she first thought, but it was warm, and breathing?

Before she could react, two arms encircled around her and the scratching sound stopped.

"You're mine, Little Red," came a growl beside her ear.

Despite her bravado by the car, she froze. The arms about her were like steel, and the breath on her neck was sending a quiver of fear throughout her body.

Suddenly, she was hoisted up and blindfolded.

"GET OFF ME," she screamed, causing the man to laugh.

"A pretty little thing like you?" He challenged her, "Not a chance in hell."

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