The air turned black all around me, pulling my stomach to the bottom of itself, twisting it in knots. He kept his eyes straight ahead, staring emptily at a metal mirror. I followed his gaze.

Suddenly, I was aware of the heaviness of a knife in my hand, a pool of blood now forming on the hardwood floor. I staggered back, dropping the dripping dagger. It clattered horribly as I whipped around to see if he saw.

His eyes were wide now, the once deep, calming blue a fiery pitch black, shining darkly with the reflection of this evil house. He held his stomach in stained hands, gaping down at it, his mouth matching the deep hole in his abdomen.

A piercing scream, loud and curdling, sounded in my ears as I ran and tripped and tripped and ran and stumbled all the way out.

When I pushed past the threshold, a deep, boisterous laugh assaulted my ears. “Did you enjoy it?”

I waited for a few seconds to answer, gasping for air, drinking up the oxygen as if there would be none in seconds. Then I smiled, looking up at him. “You guys are really good.”

“Yeah? How’d you like it?”

“I loved the mirror part. How’d you manage to get all that blood all over me and a knife in my hand?

“Knife and blood?” He grumbled, staring with bewilderment at the sweat beaded on my face.

“Yes.” I started to hold up my shaking, blood-covered fingers, it was all gone. I laughed, my heart climbing in my throat. “Nevermind. That was scary!”

He chuckled, gesturing to the right as a few more thrillseekers came upon us. “Have a great day, miss.”

The summer breeze pushed past my clean sundress as I traipsed dazedly  down the lane to my vehicle. As I drive past, I glimpse at the looming figure in the window, a huge, dark mass protruding from his lower stomach.