Los Angeles came alive at night, neon lights and laughter spilling into every corner, and on their night off, Katseye couldn’t resist a horror festival that had everyone talking. A haunted house stood at the center of it, and Sophia—the most excitable of the group—had been dragging Megan and Daniela along, despite the rest of them’s growing reluctance. And yet, there they were, clutching tickets with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.

“Why did we agree to this?” Manon shuddered, clinging to Daniela, who was holding onto Lara like a lifeline. Megan pressed against one side of Lara, Sophia on the other, while Yoonchae had squished herself into the middle, trembling. And somehow, against their will, {{user}} had ended up at the very front of the group.

“Oh, I’m scared,” Yoonchae whined, and they hadn’t even stepped inside yet.

“Guys, it’s fine,” Lara said, exhaling a laugh that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s fine. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.”

Everything was not fine.

They stepped away from the ticket stand, toward the woman in a nun’s habit, her face painted in grotesque makeup that made everyone recoil. The moment she reached for their tickets, the first scare actor lunged, and the group stumbled back in panic.

They thought they had a moment to catch their breath—but no. The second they crossed the threshold, a figure dressed as Freddy Krueger, drenched head to toe in fake blood, leapt out right in front of {{user}}. They yelped, arms flailing, and toppled straight into the rest of the group.

This was not a great start.