HAHAHA IT'S FRIGHT NIGHT, WITCHES!
THAT MEANS HALLOWEEN SPECIAL TIME. LET'S GEAUX!
Amelia tossed and turned, finding the twinkling lights of the city across the river far more appealing than closing her eyes. Sleep did not come as easily to her as it did to Grey and Vanity. Both women laid sprawled beneath their respective covers; However, Grey slept like a messy teenage girl while Vanity slept like she was in a coffin.
Groaning, she sat up and peeled off the sheets. Tiptoeing to their door, she crept into the hallway, her feet padding over the rug until she arrived at the living room. The fireplace burned lazily in the hearth at her ankles. The pillows on the couch were strewn messily about the floor.
Everyone else must have been asleep.
A door creaked far to the right. No footsteps followed. Frowning, Amelia stayed right where she was. She was not the kind of girl to go investigate strange noises. She was not the girl getting killed first in a horror movie. In fact, she scanned the living room for anything sharp.
A soft meow called from down the corridor.
Amelia exhaled in relief. It was only Luca, and Luca was a green light to go ahead and check out whatever was going on. Following the sound's source, the girl came to an open closet. Winter coats, fur coats, silk coats draped from brass hangers. Their hems touched the floor. She pushed a coat aside and gasped.
Not only did another meow ring through her ears, but the entire back wall formed a cave.
If common sense applied to this situation, it meant that Luca was inside this murky, dark tunnel. It also meant that if Amelia were going to retrieve her, she would have to leave the security of a warm, (honestly super extra) townhouse to get her back.
She weighed the consequences.
Jungkook had water and food. He had Grey and the others. A sleepless city raged at her back. If she wanted to do something so stupid, she could just walk outside.
The dark tunnel, on the other hand, had darkness, shadows, and complete oblivion. It was a death trap that reeked of dirt and... she sniffed... pumpkin spice lattes?
She cupped her hands around her mouth and tried to lower her voice. "Luca!"
No response. "Luca!" An autumn breeze blew through her unkempt hair.
Forget the cat, I'm not getting killed.
She let the coats fall like curtains before the grand chasm that tore through Jungkook's house.
Luca yowled. Amelia dove through the jackets and into Hell.
Her bare feet slapped against brittle rock, but she ignored the pain. The cat--Grey's cat--was in trouble, and anything that was Grey's was hers. She ran with her arms steady ahead, so that if she ran into anything, she could at least attack it before it attacked her. However, a beast did not await the end of the tunnel. The rock walls did. The further she went, the lower she crouched. The sharp edges jutted into her sides, her legs. The place was shrinking fast and soon enough she fell to her knees, crawling ahead at the hope she'd latch her hands around a slippery kitten.
Instead, a lock she couldn't see through the Black clicked and a sliver of light in the shape of a box popped to life before her eyes. A faint pulse vibrated through the floor into her palms. A rhythmic pulse. The smell of cinnamon and sweets in the oven hung thick and heavy in some sort of miasma. Desperate to be out of the dark, Amelia pushed at the silhouette to discover it was a tiny door. And that tiny door spit her out onto hard, marble tiles.
She landed on her side, yelping as her ribs crashed onto a black-and-orange-patterned floor. A sea of legs flooded her vision, so many colors and fabrics making her head reel. Many, many feet stomped and leapt to deafening, hypnotic music that blasted seemingly from the black, vaulted ceiling and black walls. Some blend of house music, she realized, as the sounds repeated themselves with increased intensity.
Orange, white, and crimson fairy lights entangled obsidian, glass chandeliers. They flashed and twinkled; a moving galaxy of bursting stars and novas because even the lights danced to the sound of this unforgettable beat.
At second glance, this place was an enormous living room. White Victorian couches lined with black wood centered the space. On a coffee table in the middle were forgotten drinks and half-eaten candies with wrappers spread across the floor and cushions too. If any other furniture was in the room, Amelia wouldn't be able to spot it due to all the people that packed this house. She finally got to her feet and began to make her way through the masses. But if she could barely see her own feet, how could she find a cat?
Glitter rained from the ceiling, causing an uproar of howls and screams. Amelia glanced upwards, shooing the sparkles from her eyes. A teenage girl with short and frazzled purple hair reached into a Halloween mask and tossed her cheer down to the ravenous guests below. A pair of gossamer wings fluttered madly on her back.
Is she a faery?
Amelia squinted to catch a better look. Grey didn't say anything about faeries in her world. Actually, no one mentioned this.
The flying girl detected Amelia through the crowd, pink eyes narrowing onto the human girl for a slight second before darting away.
Okay. That's a good thing. Stop getting distracted. Find the cat.
It just... smelled so good that she tasted the air. The music sounded fantastic if she really listened. How bad would it be to dance for a little while? The energy of this house writhed and morphed. Hauntingly foreign, but terrifyingly enchanting. She simply couldn't focus on anything else--until it screeched to a halt.
The trance slithering around Amelia's heart hardened and snapped in two. Just as quickly as she fell into it, she fell out. Her feet ached from the run. Her lungs still hurt. Plus, she looked down. Her pajama shorts and college sweatshirt were not acceptable party attire. Not when everyone else nailed costumes. Who were these folks? Who was the resident makeup artist?
That didn't matter as every head glided in her direction. Shameless stares battered her pride, their disdain so clear that she could grab their attention and wear it around her neck like a scarf.
Tiny needles raked down her ankles. It was Luca, pawing at her feet. She scooped the kitten into her arms, whispering to her through a clenched jaw. "Where are we?"
"You should not have followed me here," Luca seethed in a low voice. Her back bristled from all the eyes, their stillness. "Did you make eye contact with anyone--"
A party guest wrapped in toilet paper pointed a rotting, black finger at Amelia. "Human."
At his side, someone with a pumpkin on their head did the same. "Human," it said.
One by one, the guests raised ghastly fingers. A chorus of "Human" shook the haunted house. Despite the amount of people in this room, half of the guests parted to reveal a long, white carpet that formed a walkway directly to a dais. The throne atop was all black wood and emerald cushioning, sprouts and branches of green leaves funneling into full-grown pumpkins at it's feet. The faery Amelia found earlier whispered in the ear of a breathtaking woman that lounged between the vines. A crown of hardened sugar decorated her lovely, golden waves, attaching to the brim of a pointed witch's hat. An odd choice of costume, Amelia thought, you can't be a princess and a witch.
Luca nuzzled into Amelia's chest and growled as the lady uncrossed her legs and stood. Her black and purple corset shaped her hourglass figure. Her purple skirt was made entirely of ruffles except for where two slits allowed her slender legs to peep through the fabric. Striped purple and black socks stuck out of the top of knee-high buckled boots. A broom she used as a walking stick knocked against the floor with each slow step. Her blue eyes tore through Amelia.
The human girl stammered. "Who are you?"
The faery spoke from all the way near the throne. "All hail Queen Aurora! Queen of the Court of Confections! Queen of Halloween!"
Aurora held up a hand. The faery held her hands behind her back like a general awaiting orders. The witch's brilliant eyes landed on Luca's. "You have returned to me, Realm Leaper," she said, flicking her gaze to Amelia's, "and you brought a girl."
Luca's tail swayed. "I did not realize she followed me. We will return to our realm without causing any further trouble--"
"No," Aurora interrupted. She blinked and Amelia swore blue fire blazed in her eyes. "You know the rules. In the Court of Confections, beasts roam free. Humans I keep."
"It was a misunderstanding," Amelia chimed. "I didn't mean to intrude. If you just let us go--"
Aurora smiled beautifully. "No can do."
Luca's brows furrowed. "I will get us out, Amelia."
"No, you will not." The Witch Queen slammed the head of her broomstick against the marble. "You forget, the Court of Confections is solely under my control on Hallow's Eve and the following day. I let you in and I will not let you out."
Amelia grimaced. "You can't just keep us here."
"There is one way out." The witch howled in laughter. "Though, if you lose, you and Realm Leaper become part of my collection."
Luca asked, "Collection of what?"
She used one finger to push the hat out of her eyes. "Souls. Other humans wandered in before her, and they all lost the game. Find them and the keys to their release by solving my riddles."
"That's it?" Amelia scoffed. "Bring it on."
"Amelia," Luca warned.
Aurora grinned, flicking golden hair over her shoulder. "You accept the terms?"
"We barely know the terms," Luca commented. It did not make a difference.
The human girl looked her up and down. "I said bring it on, didn't I?"
"I wonder if you will tell my Headless Horseman the same thing," Aurora countered.
The party guests cheered, clapping and shouting for the turn of events. The human girl could feel Luca shaking her head. The Witch Queen stomped her broomstick twice. The floor underneath Amelia's feet glimmered. Vines sprouted from marble, small green bulbs transforming into three grown pumpkins.
"In each pumpkin lies one tool. Choose wisely. Whatever you get can help or harm your hunt."
Amelia gazed at the three pumpkins, her heart already beating out of her ears. She whispered to Luca, "any ideas?"
"Go with your instincts," the cat suggested.
Aurora chuckled. "Not sure if that is a good idea, seeing as the seven souls I've collected all went with their instincts."
"I'm not listening to you," Amelia glared at the witch. She pointed to the pumpkin directly in front of her. It withered and decayed, folding in on itself and disappearing. The other two options rolled away into the crowd. At her feet, the pumpkin skin turned into a ring. She stooped to pick it up, surprised to find that it was a gummy ring covered in sour sprinkles.
The witch, unimpressed, said, "Hold that ring to your eye and it will show you a soul. It will only work once, and if you are not in proximity to one of the other humans, then you are simply out of luck."
Amelia pocketed the gummy in her sweatshirt. "You ready, Luca?"
The cat sighed. "As ready as I will ever be."
Aurora pivoted and strode back to her throne. "The first clue is within your pocket. You have one hour."
"One hour?" Amelia's mouth went dry.
Luca hissed. "That is absurd!"
Amelia put Luca on the floor and shoved a hand into her sweatshirt. A piece of parchment tickled her fingers alongside the ring. She pulled it out, marveling at the cursive. As she went to read it aloud, music crashed over the party. Another series of screams and moans drifted through the air, the dancing beginning anew as though the interruption never happened.
Amelia worriedly glanced at Grey's cat. "Seven humans and some keys in one hour? Is that possible?"
Luca trotted in between her legs and peered upwards. "Whether it is possible or not, you made a deal with the Queen of Halloween. This is her haunted house, her rules. Be on your guard."
Amelia nodded and read the clue.
Amelia tossed the sheet to Luca. The cat devoured the words on the page. After finishing, Luca pressed her feline lips into a flat line.
"I know right," Amelia said, rolling her eyes, "If you thought she was going to make it obvious, we were really freaking wrong."
Luca rubbed against her leg. "We will get nothing done unless we explore."
"Why are you touching me so much? Are you scared?"
"I am making you feel better," she admitted. "In the Court of Confections, the Witch puts a spell on all those that attend her parties. Whatever they are dressed as is who that person genuinely believes they are, and if one stays here long enough, you truly become such."
Amelia stumbled as a dancer bumped into her. "So then the humans are in costume."
And that was their problem. Every member of the Queen's Court dressed to the nine in some sort of deceitful gear. This house overflowed with at least one hundred twitching bodies clad in masks, fur, or blood that could be either real or fake.
"Let's go," Luca said. "We are wasting time standing here."
Amelia trailed the black cat through the whirlwind. She lost her footing getting hit with elbows or thrashing heads. At one point, she had to use both hands to claw through a circle of hula dancers. To the left, hanging on a rounded staircase's bannister was Medusa. One of her snakes flicked their tongues in a party drink. Near the far wall was a man clad in a black cloak with red lining. He opened his mouth, two narrow fangs extending from his straight teeth. He dug those canines into the neck of some girl he'd been dancing with. She rolled her eyes back in bliss, still moving her hips. Amelia's stomach rolled.
It was true. None of these guests were... human. She shivered, following Luca into a hallway. Pink spiderwebs blocked their path. Luca crawled underneath the lacework. Amelia swatted through the mess. The webs clung to her fingers, wrapped around her palms and wrist. The more she waved her arms around, the more she realized she smelled sugar. Sniffing her hand, she dared to stick her tongue out and taste it, surprised when it melted to crystals on her tongue.
Webs spun from cotton candy filled the corridor.
Warmth blended with the smell of candied cherries and bread suddenly made her sweat. Red light glowed from underneath a white door. Clinging metal echoed in the distance, so did shouting and wicked laughter.
"Are you willing to go inside?" Luca asked.
Amelia didn't answer. She passed the kitten and slowly opened the door. Fire shot towards her face. She shrieked, wincing as only the heat kissed her skin. The flames came from a brick oven right near the wall. People in white bustled from one end of the room to the other, setting trays down on countertops or fishing items from cabinets and pantries. Occasionally, one of them would push their tall hats back atop their heads and wipe sweat from their brow with dish towels.
This was a kitchen, and Amelia gasped at the man standing behind the kitchen island. His face was scarlet, a vein bulging from his forehead. He leaned on the platform and gripped the edges for dear life. Not like he needed the balance, but like he was going to lose his damn mind if he let go.
"Gordon Ramsay?"
The master chef did not hear her. Luca padded into the room, a small smile lighting up her face. "What a clever idea for a haunted room! Hell's Kitchen!"
Amelia smacked her lips. "This is not the time to admire that woman's sense of humor--"
A frilly blouse and velvet coat stole Amelia's attention. This other man had feathers on his captain hat, a stuffed parrot on his shoulder, and a rapier at his hip. Handsome if he didn't have flour on his cheeks, Amelia thought, smiling a little. But, then she saw past the flour as the young pirate bowed and held out a strawberry-topped, two tier cake to Gordon Ramsay.
"F-for you, Chef," he said, his hands and the whip cream in the center trembling. "I, uhh, did my best."
Gordon Ramsay opened his bloodshot eyes, studying the dessert. His stressed features contorted into rage. "Your best? Captain Hook, do you know what best means?" Gordon punched the cake, icing and fruit coating his forearm. "This sorry excuse for a strawberry pile of shit does not count! You truly are the captain of Neverland, because you would never make it in my restaurants!"
Amelia squinted for a better look. The pirate's face fell as Gordon slapped the tray from his hands.
Look at me... Look at me...
The pirate finally noticed the girl and the cat at the door.
"HA!" Amelia pointed at him. "Seokjin! I knew it!"
Luca went still. "Seokjin? How could that be?"
"I don't know," Amelia said, running to the pirate. "But if this is Jin then the other six have to be Anaphiel too!"
"There is only one Anaphiel," Luca corrected. "These boys may look the same, but they are merely humans."
"Who cares?" Amelia cautiously approached Jin like a rescuer approaching a stray. "We know what we're looking for!" Finally in front of Jin, she cautiously raised a finger to his face and wiped off the flour.
The pirate slapped her hand away. "Arr! Don't touch me, lass!"
Amelia frowned, rubbing the back of her hands. "I'm here to save you, jerk!"
"No one touches me handsome face. I'll make you walk the plank!"
"I dare you." Amelia crossed her arms.
"Kim Seokjin!" Luca called, rounding the kitchen island. In the background, Gordon destroyed another young chef's esteem. Amelia tried to only listen to the cat. "Enough of this pirate act. We are here to save your soul."
Jin pulled his rapier on Luca. "That'd be Captain Seokjin to you!"
Luca stepped back, Amelia stepped in front of her. "We have treasure! Endless piles of gold and rubies that we can give you if you follow us!"
Captain Seokjin's eye twitched. "If you're lying to me, I'll put you in Davy Jones' locker."
"I'm not," Amelia said, straightening to feign confidence. "We're rich and following the map. If you join, you get the gold too."
Jin growled and put his rapier back in its sheath. Amelia grabbed the clue from her pocket and gave it to him. "See," she urged, "there's proof."
Just as the heat of Hell's Kitchen was making the girl dizzy, Jin crumpled the sheet of paper and tossed it to the oven fire.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Sail ho!" Jin pumped a fist in the air. "I know where this is!"
Amelia watched flakes of embers float to the ceiling. "I should kick your pirate ass."
Luca jumped at the pirate to distract him from Amelia's comment. "Take us to the next part of the map, Captain!"
"Of course!" Jin stormed towards the kitchen's patio doors. "I would do anything for the booty!"
Amelia yelled over the banging pots and pans. "I bet you would, perv!"
Luca glowered at her over her shoulder. Cold air washed over the trio as they shuffled outdoors. The backyard was more than large, it was extensive. Patches of dark trees and tall bushes cast shadows over the back of the tall Halloween mansion. Light from the party beamed into the partial yard and forest, the music buzzed into the sky as well. Jin pulled his coat further around his shoulders. Amelia shivered, but not from the cold, from the feeling that she was not supposed to be out here.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but this was off. Troublesome to the spirit.
They trudged through mud and dead grass for a good minute in silence. Amelia cringed every time her feet squished through the soil. The bushes to the left of Luca rustled. The cat jumped a foot in the air when a bat burst from the leaves. So did Seokjin. Amelia laughed aloud.
"Scaredy-cat. Literally."
"Thank you, Amelia, for your clever commentary." Luca rolled her eyes. "I cannot imagine someone else being as well versed with words."
"Me either," Amelia said, smiling to herself.
"Shhh!" Captain Seokjin paused, throwing up a hand to make them do the same. The pirate tugged on his earlobe and pointed to a cluster of shady trees. Voices, small and hushed, blew alongside the autumn breeze to where they stood.
Amelia's heart leapt. Finally! More people. She tiptoed behind a nearby trunk, squealing internally as she sank nearly to her ankles in mud.
One of the voices was loud enough to scare bats out of the foliage. "HO HO HO! You are quite a funny young man!"
"I am not trying to be amusing."
"I believe I may have a few joke books in my gift bag! What else would you like for Christmas?"
"Please leave me alone."
"Nonsense! It is my job to spread cheer, hope, joy and the Christmas spirit!"
Amelia's eyes widened. She slid around the base of the tree. "Jung Hoseok!"
The smiling young man raised an eyebrow, the rose tint in his cheeks darkening. "No. I'm Santa Claus!"
"No," Amelia stepped forward, "You're Jung Hoseok. Uncle Hobi, remember?"
"Uncle Hobi, huh?" Santa Claus rubbed the beard on his chin. It hung from his ears and was made entirely from cotton balls. "I guess there is a ring to it, Amelia."
Luca stepped from behind the tree with Jin as Amelia craned her neck back. "How do you know my name?"
He chuckled heartily, both hands circling his stomach dramatically. "I know the names of all boys and girls across the world. And you are on my nice list!"
"Her?"
Everyone looked at the boy in the blue suit that interrupted. Amelia, already feeling irritation nip the back of her brain, found it in herself to smile. Because of all people, and she meant of all people, Min Yoongi stood outside in a furry dark blue suit with attached ears and a zipper going down his front. The suit's belly was white. Storm clouds and raindrops made of hearts decorated his stomach.
Min Yoongi was a Care Bear. Grumpy Bear, to be exact.
She giggled, the irony tickling her stomach until it grew into wholehearted laughter. The Wraith was a big ass bear in another world.
"How fitting," she screeched, wiping tears of joy from her eyes. "I wish I could take a picture."
Luca smiled at the boy. "Hello, Min Yoongi. It is always a pleasure to see you."
"Who are you talking about?" Yoongi blinked like he was tired. "Can I go home now?"
Hoseok Claus offered a jolly frown. "You can't go home now! The party is just beginning!"
"I don't care," Yoongi replied.
"How about this," Amelia said, waving her arms to get their attention. She wished she could check a watch. "We do something more fun than the party. We go on a scavenger hunt!"
Jin valiantly stepped forward, placing both hands on his hips. "Help us find the booty!"
Hoseok looked at him in disgust. Yoongi was already disgusted. Amelia slapped her forehead, shoving Captain Jin to the side. She said, "Don't listen to him, okay? The three of us need help looking for keys. Have you seen any? Could you help us find the others?"
Care Bear and Santa weren't convinced. Amelia tried to think quickly on her feet. "It can be my Christmas present, Santa! I'm on the nice list!" She looked at Yoongi. "You can depress the other people we find."
Yoongi frowned while Hoseok clapped and smiled. "I'm in," Santa said.
"I have nothing better to do," said Yoongi, shrugging.
"No, you don't," Amelia scoffed, shaking her head. She tried so hard to ignore the fact that he was a human icepick. Maybe he would be different in this world? One would assume so. "You are the worst Care Bear I've ever met."
Yoongi yawned. "Have you met other Care Bears?"
Touché.
"Guys," Captain Jin said. Amelia, Yoongi, and Hoseok could not hear his warning over the bickering. "Guys," he repeated, staring down at the floor. Thick, white mist swirled around his boots, nearly swallowing Luca, who jumped to see above it. He picked the kitten up, petting her gently between the ears.
Now that Seokjin really looked, fog swarmed the spaces between the trees. It blanketed the back yard and rolled over the rickety shed Seokjin had tried to lead Amelia to. If she weren't so concerned with Yoongi, she might have seen where the key was hidden.
"Guys!" Seokjin yelled. Amelia turned first. He pointed at a silhouette in the distance that wasn't quite walking straight. It teetered and tottered, shoulders leaning from one side to another, completely hunching at times and ripping back at others. The head tilted. The arms raised outwards, reaching, reaching into the mist. It's groan carried like a low growl.
The thing took a shaky step into the bushes and groaned when it realized the foliage was far too thick. It's arms still stretched to claw and reach at them, the right arm popping out of socket and tumbling over the other end of the brush. Hoseok, and Jin screamed, hiding behind one another. Amelia stepped closer to Yoongi, who bent his knees in case he needed to run.
But they didn't need to. Up close, one saw the sunken eyes and hollow cheeks as well as the tatters of clothes still clinging to the skeletal form. It was dead, and even though it still moved, it's flesh dripped from it's body. It was melting. Puddling into the bushes until it stopped moving completely.
"What the fuck was that," Amelia said. It was more of a statement than a question.
A hand gripped her ankle through the fog. She screamed at the top of her lungs, jumping up with both knees. A sickly pop sounded over the clearing. Jin pointed at her leg as she continued doing high-knees. "There's a hand on your ankle!"
She squealed, slapping it off. The fingers released easily, coming apart at her touch. She glanced at the brown smudge on her hand. It smelled eerily like chocolate. A groan came from the floor this time, a brown head lifting from the mass of fog right where she'd been standing. The dead man fell on his torso, pulling his legs from the mud.
Two other bodies unfurled from the mist, arms outstretched. One of their jaws dropped to the floor. One of them was missing an eye.
"Zombies," Jin cried. "Zombies!"
Yoongi rolled up his furry, blue sleeve and punched one of them in the jaw. The zombie reeled, tumbling to the floor. Chocolate smeared Care Bear's knuckles. He licked it off, frowning. "It's really chocolate."
Jin shrieked. "You licked that? Are you kidding me?"
"Jin! Where's the key?" Amelia shouted.
The pirate pointed to a worn down miniature house in another patch of trees. "The shed!"
Hoseok dug through his gift bag, smiling when he grabbed some kind of gun. Amelia had seen one of those before, had one when she was young. A marshmallow gun. Hoseok pumped air with one lever, aimed at a zombie's head, and fired. The marshmallow sailed through a zombie's skull. It disappeared into the fog.
"There's more," Yoongi said, his back now on Amelia's. They were both observing the same thing. Shadows manifested from moonlight and mist, each of them popping and jerking. At least ten she counted at first. It quickly multiplied to twenty. It was a horde.
"Hoseok, keep shooting! Jin, use your sword! Yoongi... keep punching them," Amelia commanded. Each of them nodded, choosing a direction to aim and assault.
A horse whinnied from the forest. All of the boys paled, their limbs going slack.
Yoongi whispered, "Is that?"
Hoseok nodded. Thunderous hooves pounded in the distance, the horse's screeching grating their ears.
"Who's that?" Amelia searched their faces. Fear pooled there. Overflowed.
"The Queen's Horseman," Jin said.
A prick of light, far, far away intensified into a steady dot. From a dot it became a bundle of fire, and at a reasonable distance, Amelia called it a pit of flames. Gold and scarlet fire scorched the inside of a Jack-O-Lantern, which held steady in the hand of a man that did not have a head. His black cloak fanned behind him, his black steed charging in mercilessly, digging up mud and withered plants like he was digging a hundred tiny graves.
Amelia's heart dropped. The Headless Horseman drew his sword with his free hand, pointing the tip at her nose in a promise.
"Get to the shed before he does! All you need is the key!" Jin shouted, taking Luca and running back towards the house. Amelia watched him go. Hoseok and Yoongi remained paralyzed in terror.
"We'll hold them back," Hoseok said. His voice broke. Amelia could taste his hesitance.
Luca cried over Jin's shoulder. "Go!"
Amelia picked her legs up into a sprint. Pumping her arms and swallowing air, she sailed over rocks and fallen branches. Almost tripping over her own two feet, she reached the door to the shed before the Horseman. She could barely see inside, her own panic frazzling her nerves to the point of despair. She hyperventilated, searching aimlessly for what she could not find.
Hooves landed right outside the shed. Amelia fell to her knees as a thick blade cleaved through the walls of the wooden house, splinters and chips falling into her hair, her mouth. The Horseman's laugh was deep and mocking. His pumpkin head stared into the hole he'd made. Amelia realized then it was larger than her own head, thicker than her torso. The horse he perched on was the size of the house. The rider was just as enormous.
Amelia closed her eyes and waited to be cut in half.
A blur of red and blue dashed before the hole, yelling a maniacal war cry as the blob of color crashed a baseball bat into the Horseman's pumpkin head. Orange chunks splattered over the lawn, fire catching on bits of dead grass. The oversized black stallion reared and bucked, turning to run the other way as soon as all four hooves hit the ground.
Amelia breathed, more afraid of this man than the horseman. He whirled on her with a wicked cheshire grin.
"Oops, I think I pissed him off," he giggled, chewing a piece of gum.
He was one half scarlet and one half indigo from his hair to his makeup to his blazer. Smudged eyeshadow and lipstick painted his face alongside a miniature purple heart on his cheek. His shirt was white, the black print immediately catching her eye.
Daddy's Little Monster
She studied the choker around his neck. Gold, block letters spelled out PUDDIN.
"Kim Taehyung?" she laughed.
"That's Harley Quinn to you, Sugar."