I dreaded what was to come next as we all walked through the Hollywood Pictures Backlot to the very end of the area, standing in line at the attraction with a very fitting name: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. While in line I looked up at the thirteen-story building, hearing screams and watching people drop as some doors slid open and closed at the top floors. Shaking a bit, I tried calming myself down from the fear creeping up on me, taking deep breaths.

“Are you okay?” I heard a voice ask, turning to a curious Chen, “You don’t look so good.”

Sighing, I confessed, “I don’t do too well with huge drops, especially ones that go up and down. I’ve ridden this once before, promising myself I would never ride it again.”

“Scared?”

“Terrified.” I awkwardly snickered.

Chen chuckled, stretching while throwing an arm around me. “You’re not the only one who feels that way.” he pointed to two EXO members, “Look at Seokie and Luhan.”

The two were both shaking, Luhan holding onto his boyfriend’s hand for dear life while Xiumin chewed nervously on his bottom lip. I then noticed Suho who seemed perfectly fine. In fact, he was smiling as he patiently waited alongside a thrilled Tao and Kris who had an arm s around Jane’s waist. “Wait. SEOKIE?” I questioned at the sudden nickname.

“I call him that because we’re really close, even though I’m not hanging out with him as much at the moment.” Chen laughed. Whispering in my ear, “But he’s still yours for the taking if you decide to choose him.”

“Yah!” Xiumin suddenly yelped, Chen and I’s attention on him while he removed Chen’s arm, glaring, “What are you talking about?”

Smirking, Chen, “Nothing much. Just about how terrified you are with thrill rides.”

Xiumin shrugged, accidentally yelping, “A-Am not!”

“Don’t worry.” Chen snickered, pushing me into Xiumin’s arms, “_____ is too.”

I watched Chen move to Kai and Kyungsoo who stood side by side off in their own little world. Only then when I heard Xiumin speak did I realize the position we were in.

“A-Are you r-r-really?” he stuttered, hands holding onto my waist as I clutched onto the front of his shirt.

“Y-Yes.” I also stuttered, gulping as I peered up, blushing from the very close proximity.

“Then we can ride together since we’re both scared. Okay?” Xiumin smiled.

Returning the smile, I nodded in agreement.

We heard a throat clear, shyly removing ourselves from each other and staring at a narrow-eyed ZhouMi, glancing at a glaring Suho.

When we reached the front of the line before going inside the building I knew there was no turning back, gulping and thinking, I’M GOING TO DIE. I’M GOING TO HAVE A HEART ATTACK AND DIE.

“Dude you’re not going to die.” Gwen commented, standing behind me with Lay as if she read my mind, “Relax.”

“You know what happened last time.” I mumbled, chewing on my lower lip, “After we rode I was white as a sheet, shaking from head to toe. I couldn’t speak for at least half an hour.”

“It won’t be like that this time.” Gwen smirked, “Trust me.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Because you have two suitors who’ll take very good care of you if anything bad happens.”

“Well that’s somewhat reassuring.” I rolled my eyes, earning a laugh from my sister.

“At least you’re not crying.” Gwen continued, sighing, “I feel kind of bad.”

“What?” I questioned, looking in the direction Gwen was pointing and spotted Luhan sniffling as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, Sehun comfortingly rubbing up and down his arms as he soothingly shushed him. Ignoring the others around me I moved toward Luhan, Gwen and Lay following close behind. “LuLu.” I called, Luhan blinking twice with puffy red eyes and Sehun half-smiling, “Are you okay?”

“_____!” Luhan wailed, tightly embracing me, “I’m so scared I don’t want to ride this monstrosity!”

“Monstrosity huh?” Gwen and Lay tried not to laugh at Luhan’s choice of word.

“L-LuLu I can’t breathe.” I struggled in Luhan’s grasp.

Letting go of me, Luhan apologized. “Mianhe…” he shrugged in front of his lover, said lover snaking his arms around his waist.

Smiling, “I know you are scared, I am too, but you have to be brave okay? Or you can always opt out of riding. I’m sure you and I are not the only ones who feel this way.”

Luhan’s breath hitched. “R-Really?”

“He’s right.” Leeteuk chimed in, startling the five of us by his sudden presence, “I have a suggestion. Attention please!” he received the large groups undivided attention, “No one is forcing you to go on Tower of Terror if you do not want to.” Laughing, “We don’t want any accidents happening.”

“Not funny.” ZhouMi pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’m so sorry I could not help myself.” Leeteuk snorted, “Anyway, if you don’t want to ride then you can wait with me.”

“But I thought you were dying to ride--” ZhouMi began to comment, but Leeteuk interrupted with a wink, me raising my eyebrow in curiosity and wondering if he was planning something.

“Raise your hand if you’re joining me.” Leeteuk raised his own hand.

My eyes darted around at the EXO members, Luhan immediately raising his hand followed by an embarrassed Xiumin, a nervous Baekhyun, and surprisingly Lay, me joining them.

“Hunnie?” Luhan tilted his head, “You still want to ride without me?”

Sehun shyly scratched the back of his head. “Sorry babe. It looks too fun.”

“Awe Baek why~?!” Chanyeol whined, pouting as he shook his boyfriend.

“Y-You can’t make me…” Baekhyun shied away, “B-Besides, I don’t want to mess up my guyliner.”

“You’re not wearing any!”

“I understand my sister not wanting to ride,” Gwen pursed her lips, disappointed, “but I didn’t expect you to chicken out.”

Lay tried doing his best aegyo on Gwen, “Baby please don’t be mad at me.”

“He called you baby.” I teased, knowing she was blushing because Lay’s aegyo was working wonders on her.

“N-No that’s not going to work on me!” Gwen shut her eyes, but could feel Lay’s hands cup her face.

“Is that all?” Leeteuk smirked, crossing his arms, “Alright. The ones who raised their hands follow me to the exit where we will wait. Just so you know, they would have riding partners whom they would get to know better, most likely clinging onto them. Who know what ELSE will happen.”

“What is he talking about?” I blinked twice, Luhan and I looking curiously at each other.

“Ah I see.” Gwen nodded, hastily clinging onto Tao’s arm. “Panda is my riding partner!”

“Who are you calling PANDA?” Tao raised an eyebrow.

“Just go with it.”

“What-- Oh ok.” Tao grinned. “Gwen is with me.” he winked at Lay, Lay’s mouth wide open in awe.

“Then I’ll be with Jongin!” Chanyeol squeaked, holding onto Kai with Kyungsoo shaking his head in disbelief.

“You Jongin Fangirl…” Baekhyun shot death glares between Kai and Chanyeol, obviously jealous.

Sehun looked around until he met eye to eye with Suho, linking arms with him. Whispering into his ear, “Looks like I’m riding with you hyung.” he smiled, Suho seeming uncomfortable as he moved his head away from Sehun’s hot breath against his ear.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Luhan ball his hands into fists with eyes narrowed at Sehun. Patting his shoulder, “Easy LuLu there’s nothing between them.” When I saw Sehun rest his head atop Suho’s shoulder I pursed my lips. “At least there better not be.” Shaking my head, WAIT A MINUTE AM I JEALOUS? Then a sudden realization came over me. OH~ NOW I GET IT!

“Is there something we don’t know about?” Xiumin asked, standing by my side.

“I think so.” I nodded, finally understanding what was going on, “Leeteuk-oppa is trying to have everyone ride by having the people who are not riding get jealous over their significant others riding with someone else.”

Chuckling, Xiumin, “Seems to me like it’s working.”

“Yup.”

Xiumin, frowning, “Are YOU jealous?”

“Yes.” I blurted without thinking. Jerking my head toward a disappointed Xiumin, I shrugged. “Y-Yes…”

Luhan clutched onto Sehun’s hand, yanking him away from Suho. “I-I’ll ride! I-I’m not scared anymore!” Clearly he was still shaking.

“Me too.” Baekhyun added, waltzing right up to Chanyeol to pry his arm off of Kai. “Sorry Kai but he’s MINE.” he glared.

“No need to apologize.” Kai held onto a happy Kyungsoo.

“Are you riding now too?” Tao questioned Lay, smirking.

“Y-Y-Yes.” Lay stuttered, firmly grasping Gwen’s hand.

“Well what about you two?” Leeteuk smiled at Xiumin and me, “To ride or not to ride? That is the question.” he joked, snickering.

I watched Suho smile at me, reaching his hand out toward me and mouthing, “Let’s ride together.” Blushing, I took his hand, nodding once and returning the smile.

Xiumin sadly sighed, dragging his feet. “I guess I have no choice now…”

“Okay!” Leeteuk clapped twice, “This is so exciting!”

“You planned this all along.” ZhouMi rolled his eyes.

“Of course.” Leeteuk cheekily grinned from ear to ear.

We soon walked through the entrance of the building, the ambiance inside that of a grand hotel, but the walls were cracked and everything seemed as if it had been abandoned for years. Then we were led into a small room where we watched a small video on the history of Tower of Terror, the elevator sending us into The Twilight Zone.

Entering the basement level filled with pipes and steam, I could not help but nervously shake, my entire body filling with dread, overhearing some of us, especially Luhan, whine.

“Are you alright?” Suho worried, still holding onto my hand.

“I’m scared…” I spoke the truth, head hanging low.

“Don’t worry.” Suho brushed my cheek with his free hand, smiling, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Flustered, I looked up. “O-Okay.” It was then I turned around and spotted Gwen giving me a thumbs up as Lay fearfully clung onto her. I chuckled at the sight of Lay looking like the girl in the relationship.

Minutes later the elevator doors opened when we approached it, taking our seats and filling up most of the rows, most of us not sitting with our partners. From left to right in the first row was me, Suho, Leeteuk, Kai, Lay, Gwen, and Xiumin, the row behind us having Chen, Sehun, Tao, Luhan, and ZhouMi, and the last row with Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, Kris, and Jane. Once the ride began, it took us up to the fourth floor, opening up to a room with a creepy voice speaking, “Goodbye to the real world.” The lit room darkened with lightning, the same voice adding, “You just entered The Twilight Zone.” We then rose a couple more stories, the elevator doors opening up to reveal a hallway with ghosts, the elevator moving forward with stars surrounding us along with the voice saying something else. I knew what came next.

HERE WE GO!! I shouted in my head. Suddenly we were dropped to the bottom, shutting my eyes from utter terror, then quickly moving all the way to the thirteenth floor where the doors flew open to see the entire park and a flashing light, soon falling once more to the bottom and then back to the very top, bouncing down little by little until we reached ground, shooting us up halfway one last time before returning to the first floor. Throughout the ride there were screams and yells being elicited, but I could not determine where they were coming from since my eyes were tightly closed the entire time, my hand squeezing Suho’s hand.

When it was all over there was clapping and excited yelps, finally able to open my eyes and catch my breath from holding it in on every drop. I look over to left to discover Suho half-smiling at me, clearly shaken. “S-See that wasn’t so bad.”

I smirked, trying to speak. “N-Notm reaaly.”

Suho slightly covered his mouth as he snickered.

Upon exiting the ride I looked at everyone’s faces that were pale, Luhan seeming as if he was going to be sick, Xiumin seeming unhappy as he walked behind all of us, Chanyeol shouting while flailing his hands in the air, “Let’s ride it again!”

“I don’t think so.” Baekhyun yanked his Channy’s arms down, trying to walk straight.

“We should look at the picture that was taken at the top of the ride.” ZhouMi suggested.

All of us laughed at the faces and poses we made in the picture. Luhan and Baekhyun had their eyes shut and mouths closed seeming as if they were about to cry, Baekhyun clinking onto Kyungsoo who managed to smile and make a peace sign, Luhan’s hands at his sides digging into the seat. Kris, Jane, ZhouMi, Lay, and Xiumin were surprisingly expressionless, either unaffected by the ride or scared stiff to the point where they were not able to show any emotions. Chanyeol, Tao, Sehun, Leeteuk, Suho, and Gwen’s mouths were wide open, Chanyeol’s excited Yeah! very much apparent, Tao laughing as his hand tightly grasped Sehun’s shoulder, Suho screaming, Gwen and Leeteuk throwing their heads back in sheer bliss. Kai was simply smiling with his eyes closed and Chen was covering his mouth with what looked like his cell phone for some reason. Seeing the expression I somehow created, UGH I LOOK CONSTIPATED. I thought, sighing but nonetheless smiling as I noticed Suho’s hand holding mine.

As we all walked away from the attraction, each with a picture in hand, “I think this calls for a bathroom break.” Leeteuk clutched onto his stomach, his face green and looking like he needed to vomit, pacing toward the nearest restrooms with everyone following close behind.

Before I could walk into said restrooms I was suddenly yanked, spinning around to find myself face to face with a smiling Xiumin, blinking twice.

“Good they’re all inside. Now’s our chance!” Xiumin held my hand, dragging me away. “We’re going.”

“But the others--”

“Nevermind them.” the other interrupted, quickening his pace.

“Where are you taking me?”

“On a date.”

--

Ghaa Xiumin what are you doing?! Celebration time haha well sort of haha XD Anyway I know the picture of EXO on the ride only shows those members, but for the sake of the chapter I described the rest of them too as if they were in it as well, also replacing that one guy in the front, who I assume is one of the managers, with Leeteuk haha and Leeteuk you are such a clever man haha :) I hope you enjoyed this TERRORfying (see what I did there haha) chapter and hope you look forward to Chapter 15 as you will have alone time with Xiumin!

Thanks for reading, subscribing, and commenting! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3