Dark Perceptions (Mystic's Carnival Collective) by Debra Kristi Read Free Book Online Page A

 
    The game.  
    The terror.  
    It had me quaking on my feet.  
    My reflection gazed at me and the girl I saw, the girl looking back, was unrecognizable. No spark of life lit her features. Something dark and diseased resided behind her eyes ― oblivion? A shudder moved through me, an icy chill squeezing the heat from my limbs. Even Matt’s leather jacket did little to provide comfort.  
    Perceptions can be misleading , I reminded myself.  
    The crowd shifted around the circle, finding their ideal spot. The engineer moved with them, making sure each and every one was locked in securely.  
    I leaned forward into Matt’s body, brushed against his back, and whispered, “Why did I let you talk me into this? Fly-by-night rides are insanely dangerous.”
    “All part of the allure.” He cast a beautifully wicked grin and yanked me around the circle to two empty spots. Two spots with our names dripping across the back wall.
    I gulped, then blinked. Squeezed my lids tightly closed, wishing the nightmare over. Not our names . Not possible , I reassured myself. Only my imagination. Has to be . Our names couldn’t possibly be written inside the ride. And in what? Blood? No. I couldn’t believe that either. It was too ridiculous.
    When I opened my eyes again, my breath escaped in a whoosh of relief.  
    Blank.  
    The back wall was blank. Nothing but grey metal. Of course there was no writing. Never had been. That would be inconceivable.  
    As if to escape my proposed ride imprisonment, I leaned into Matt and the safety his presence provided. “Let’s skip this and go to the Ferris wheel, like we wanted. This one freaks me out.”  
    A silent laugh rumbled through his chest, the kind that would have turned me on if I weren’t so uneasy. With strong arms clasped around me, he leered over me and pretended to gnaw at my neck. His attempt at playfulness felt forced and I laughed sharply, then swatted him away. Normally I loved the attention, but now was not the time.  
    Even though I was pushing him away, my hands enjoyed the chiseled lines he’d worked so hard to maintain. My blood heated, percolated like coffee, and possibilities for our future, for what lay in store, thrilled me. “Doesn’t it bother you that every direction we took to get to the Ferris wheel led us here?” Fear had me whispering, forcing him to edge closer to hear.  
    Matt’s lazy eyes suggested he didn’t harbor the same concerns, or masked them well. He confirmed with a shrug, suggesting the detour didn’t matter. “I don’t know what to make of this night, Sara. Any of it. But let’s make the best of our time together, while we can.” He edged up against me. His breath tantalizing my ear. His cold nose slipping in a curve along my cheek. I shivered involuntarily, the night air or oppressive atmosphere or the ride’s squirm factor having nothing to do with my reaction.  
    Overhead the light flickered, then blew out. A theatrical display of sparks showered upon us. Sweltering droplets landed on my arm. Burned my skin, if only mildly, and knocked me out of my slow-mo state of mind. The one that had me dragging my feet to our spots on the ride.  
    “Get moving, you two,” the ride engineer called from several feet away.
    I ignored him, nudged Matt and jabbed my finger straight toward the light. “If that’s an omen, maybe we should leave. Leave now.”  
    He laughed, brushed my hair behind my ear, then adapted a dead-serious frown. “Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.” He squeezed my hand, then stepped into the bay beside me and latched his harness.  
    He was brave. I could be brave, too. I latched my harness, pulled down the safety bar, and swallowed my cowardice. I tried not to think about the inconsistencies. Matt was right, I had nothing to fear. It had been silly of me to count the people getting on and off the ride while we’d waited our turn. I clearly miscounted. It’s the only thing that makes sense. How else can a