Tao’s prediction proved to be wrong. The chairs didn’t electrocute them. They began to move instead. Tao gritted his teeth as the zombies whispered about where to go during their lunch break. He didn’t particularly like being tied to a chair that was following a track. He cursed at himself silently for not noticing the track line even if it was dark.

Seryung pressed her lips together to contain her excitement. Another passage had opened and she was curious to see where it would lead. Her arms and legs had been tied to the chair and a belt had been fastened around her too.

The passage opened to bright light. The duo squinted their eyes and shrank away from the source. They were also met with an influx of heat around them. Seryung gasped. Tao coughed. Waves of stale warmth assaulted their nostrils.

Their eyes streamed against the blazing red light. The heat felt like hell fire. Seryung blinked rapidly, her chair was slowly moving forward. An announcement was spookily warning them about what was to come.

Tao groaned, he understood very little of what was being spoken on account of the ghostly accented voice. He braced himself for the worst when his eyes had finally adjusted. He’d tried to rub his eyes dry only to be reminded that he was bound to the chair.

Tao could have laughed in sarcasm. The haunted house was reminding him that it really was part of an amusement park and that the ride he’d unknowingly got on would lead to peril.

The chairs had been manhandled, links were used to transform them into a train-like roller coaster. Tao grimaced the whole way through as more and more chairs were interlocked with theirs until the spawns of satan yelled: “Ready to go!”

Tao had tried not to scream but the roller coaster through hell didn’t help his cause. They traveled across a narrow track, beneath them the fires of hell bubbled dangerously. He prayed the smell of hot oil and fire were fabricated. The heat made him dizzy and when the roller coaster began to pick up speed traveling in spirals he thought he would get sick. He gagged but his insides remained tact.

Seryung on the other hand screamed freely. The heat was mystifyingly suffocating but the realness of the adventure wasn’t. Once they transcended past the lava lake, they were met with all sorts of hellish creatures along the way from hellhounds to Cyclopes.’

The hounds rancid breath had made everyone on the coaster squirm, the Cyclopes had roared at them and tried to ram them with their clubs. The coaster had shook upon contact and had they not been securely fastened to their seats they might have even fallen out. The darkness was slowly returning and Seryung found it inviting. More ghosts from various commodities tried to cruse them, flying through them leaving an icy chill behind.

Cackling erupted from different ends of the room. Tao only huddled in himself wanting to keep his eyes shut but being unable to in case something else came out from the shadows.

A veil of darkness cast over them. The coaster had slowed considerably suggesting that the ride was coming to an end. They were wrong…

Seryung squealed when sprayed in hot sticky liquid with an iron scent. She choked on the smell of what seemed to be blood, as did the train of people behind her. The coaster lurched to a halt all of a sudden and the sound of pleading screams ruptured all around.

Tao cried silently to himself, he sensed where the house was taking them as images began to flash. The screams intensified until nothing else could be heard. Tao struggled to free his hands to cover his face but they’d been strapped too rigorously.

The Hwasoeng Murderer... He appeared suddenly, in the guise of the grim reaper and flew towards them, the only thing to identify him was the noose he held in his hand. Seryung grimaced. She felt her stomach lurch as old news clippings came alive. An audio description began to delve details of the serial killer who was still on the run. With the description of each murder the coaster began to rock side to side. The buggies began to fill with hot liquid that slowly began to rise. It reached ankle level and continued to pour until it passed the knees and was hovering at the waist.

Tao howled. He wanted out of the prison like horror chamber. His screaming ignited other throats until the holographic chamber was filled with petrified screams. The roller coaster stopped swaying and the gruesome imagery began to subside.

 More darkness followed by movement in the roller coasters part. A sigh of relief washed over the occupants as another door opened for the coaster but the reassurance was short lived because before them was the biggest brick oven they’d ever laid eyes on and they were inching closer to it. Flames towards them calling them into the searing hiss.

Tao shut his eyes tightly, he’d never thought he’d be burnt alive but that’s what it looked like. Seryung was quiet too, for the first time, her complexion paled slightly upon seeing the flames dance so menacingly.

‘It’s hot!’  Was what Seryung thought as she was submerged into the oven, behind her Tao was chanting prayers in his head wanting out of the demon house. The oven was indeed hot. It was scorching, like leaving the hairdryer near the scalp for too long without mercy. The air was heavy with calefaction. The ride was slow and painful for everyone as they travelled deeper into the pits of hellfire before it speed up again zooming dangerously through the charcoal and into what looked to be another chamber of darkness.

Tao couldn’t help feel that the inventor of the house had been a sadist of sorts. He was so glad to see the belts and straps open up on their own. He was overjoyed when a yellow brick path lit up that he thought not of where the path would lead. The gratitude he felt when he felt his feet touched the ground was like no other.

Seryung was delighted too. The train like roller coaster had been a first for her, so much so that her legs were trembling slightly. Adrenaline pumped through her but there was nowhere that she wanted to run. The hormone confused her. She blinked blankly whipping her head around until she found who she was looking for.

“Boo!” Seryung shouted from behind catching him off guard, and therefore making him jump in the air like a stealthy cat. She puckered her cheeks in to suppress her giggles when he turned to her with a murderous expression.

“Sorry!” She whispered, smiling. She pointed to the yellow brick road, “We should go before we get left behind.” She insisted tugging on his arm to distract him from yelling at her.

Tao pursed his lips. She was up to her tricks again. He pulled his sleeve away from her. She was giving him strange vibes that he didn’t want. He stumped away indignantly, stomping his feet. He’d almost wished she would she would walk in step with him, she did. He was glad yet not. Reality was proving to be a dangerous territory that he couldn’t flounder in, his reasons best known to him.

Seryung clicked her tongue and pouted, she pointed at the tunnel that could hardly have been one meter high. “They want us to crawl?” She asked aloud.

Tao knew following the yellow brick road would do them no good. This was proof of it. He hadn’t crawled since he was a toddler and even then he’d hated it because he’d wanted to stand. He glared at it. The people who’d been on the train ride from hell were gathering their courage and venturing in but Tao didn’t want to.

“Are you scared?”

He really wanted to hate her for knowing how he was feeling. As expected she gave him a sympathetic look. “Think about it this way: we’ll be one step closer to the exit.”

Her advice made sense too. He hated that. He continued to stare at the hollow opening that would undoubtedly contain something horrifying. The heat from hell had dried them and the oven had baked them. In fact, he was sure he’d gotten tanner from all the burning.

“If you’re not coming, I’m going to leave you,” she informed him. He knew she would. Her tone was egging him again. It was an insufferable quality yet he found it endearing. His brain was slowly growing to prove insufferable too. Tao remained quiet. He didn’t have many options to weigh and when she gave him one last pleading look he knew she wanted him to follow.

“I’m going in first!” He insisted not wanting to appear a coward forever. Okay, that was a lie. He didn’t want to be behind her. She was probably laughing at him on the inside. It was humiliating already. He was someone who was the closest thing to a bodyguard in school. People were afraid of him! He was someone like that not some random milksop.

Seryung didn’t say anything. She waited for him to enter half expecting a scream but there was only silence. She waited for a while knowing that he would assume she was behind him while he crawled. It was quite humorous to be the one looking after him. It was as if their roles had been reversed. She did pity him to an extent but he probably pitied her too. The feeling was mutual now. She grinned and watched time tick on her watch.

Tao had made his way out and the relief he felt when laying eyes on the exit sign was equal to no other. He wanted to cheer even if it was childish, he would be free in a matter of minutes. He waited for Seryung to join him but she never came. He wondered what was taking her so long. She was a persistent little thing who seemed to rejoice within the walls of horror. However, she was late and in being late, she was making him worry.

“Seryung?” Her name echoed inside the tunnel but no response. He smirked, she was trolling him. He was sure of it. It would be just like her to do so. After that ‘boo’ he’d come to be wary of trolling along with other things.

Tao couldn’t help venture back inside despite the obvious joke. All the while he called her name believing that she still hadn’t entered.

“Where are you?” He called out. The reflection of his voice was beginning to bother him. Had his voice always sounded so annoying? He was just noticing it now.

“Mr. Huang, I have been waiting for you.”

Huang Zitao knew that voice. He would recognize it anywhere even if it was trying to take the pretense of a baritone. What happened next made his scream die in his throat.

She was sitting with her legs folded under her. The phone sitting between her legs lighted her face.

“What are you doing?” He hissed at her glaring at her.

He reckoned she wanted to scare him again. He hadn’t fallen for it this time. Her countenance faltered and he was satisfied that his air of umbrage was greater than that of fear.

Tao rolled his eyes even though she couldn’t see him under the veil of darkness. He was sure she enjoyed watching him squirm. It went beyond mortification. His pride was hurt by it and she was currently jeering his deflated confidence.

“I’m leaving, bye.”

“Wait!!!”

Seryung switched the torch on her phone off and hurriedly pocketed it before chasing to keep up with him.

“Are you mad?”

“About?”

“You know, I was just trying to help you.”

No answer. Seryung clicked her tongue. A plan had backfired without entertainment.

“I’m teaching you, how to get over your fear of this place!”

It was a lie. Seryung held her tongue between her teeth waiting to see if he bought it or not. He still didn’t reply, not even when the tunnel ended and a green exit sign was in view.

“Don’t be mad,” Seryung pleaded.

“I don’t need your help,” Tao replied curtly heading for the exit.

Seryung stomped her foot, “I said don’t be mad!”

They were outside now and Tao’s grin spoke for itself. Seryung pouted. She skipped back to join the queue.

“What are you doing?”

“Let’s go again!” She exclaimed linking arms with him.

“Erm, how about no?”

Seryung furrowed her brows, “Don’t be a sissy! You’ve already seen it, now you know what to expect. Nothing’s scary the second time!”

Her words made sense. He didn’t like that either. He was beginning to hate her slightly for yanking him back into the queue. They were behind three other people, it would be their turn soon. He could have backed out. He doubted she would step out of her place in line but he decided to humor her since she looked so enthusiastic. It was sweet although his outcome would still be sour. He decided he would take his anger out on her phone if she dared to pull it out again.

Tao smiled quietly devising his scheme contently, overlooking that Seryung had taken a different tunnel this time. And a different tunnel, led to different chambers…

Like the toss of die gave various results, so did the new entrance…

-

Sehun’s eyes widened until they could widen no more. They stayed like that because Hana’s expression was just as serious as her words. He could have made the mistake of thinking she was talking to him. Sehun made an X-shape with his arms and shook his head. It was too much!

“If you tell him like that he might just pee his pants. You need to be subtle, go with ‘I like you’ and continue from there.” He directed.

Hana wiped her palms against her dress. She needed to be confident. It would be over if she stuttered. He would find out and she didn’t need him to know just yet. She wasn’t ready for that but practice would help. “I like you. I used to crush on you but then I got to know you, the real you and I found out. I like you, really like you for real.”

Sehun smiled, her words were all to nostalgic. “Sounds like how I fell in love,” he joked lightly before moving onto a serious note. “Don’t give away too much of yourself. If this guy likes someone else, as you said, he might not receive your feelings too well.”

Hana sighed, it had been fun while it lasted. She was glad for his support if only he knew the truth… “I’m counting down the days till he breaks my heart in one way or another. We’re so close that he sometimes lets his guard down, and makes me feel like we could actually hit it off, but other times. I think that won’t happen because he won’t let me.”

“You’re hopeful?”

“I am but I’m not... I don’t know what to do with myself because he’s like that and I’m like this.”

“Hm… I don’t like the sound of him. Don’t date a guy like that. He’s probably an arrogant jerk.”

“He is. I think I like that part of him too.”

“It’s Tao isn’t it? Who else do you know apart from Tao?”

“Fine it’s Tao!”

Sehun puckered his cheeks in childishly. “I knew it.”

“You know nothing,” Hana muttered quietly under her breath and hurried her pace. His long legs were sufficient for him to catch up with her. She was mildly bothered by how ironic the idea of trying to catch Tao’s attention using Sehun was. She could have sworn to herself that Tao had suggested something of the same sort. Hana sighed. Did guys not notice anything until they were made to be jealous? If so Hana wondered what a strange species they were.

She spied Sehun from the corner of her eye. He was older than her yet the boyish image hadn’t left him. There was something charmingly intriguing about him that drew attention, from his stoic nature to his thoughtful yet distant personality, he was attractive. His stature and knife-like features only added to the charm - a bad boy. She’d thought him to be a ‘bad boy’ too but he was different... He was just Oh Sehun. The intelligent, the caring, the considerate: Oh Sehun. She liked that about him.

“Sehun?”

“Hm?”

“I’m your friend right?”

Sehun arched an eyebrow at the alien question. His visage enunciated something along the lines of: where did that come from?

“Well, yeah…”

Hana nodded affirming the relation. Her heart was surprisingly satisfied by the confirmation with hopes that she would grow closer to him with time. She scolded it mentally for not choosing whether to be upset or happy by the idea of ‘friendship.’

“What do you like about me?”

She’d stopped walking bringing his footsteps to a close. He watched her curiously. She’d been acting strange in his opinion and he couldn’t understand why. He felt it was something really obvious but his calculations didn’t quite reach a conclusion. It didn’t bother him much since she was content. It was confusing but he decided to sweep it under the rug for now so he could let his mind work on answering her question.

“What’s not to like?”

It wasn’t a cop out. It was how he felt. He didn’t particularly detest her. He’d grown fond of her, she was an innocent kindred spirit and if purity was something that could be personified it would be her. He liked her. She was different to him, and she was different to the other people he knew too. She was one of a kind.

Hana pouted. His answer was unsatisfactory for her. She eyed him carefully waiting for him to elucidate on his findings but the final line had already been drawn. Hana her heel when her eye caught something. A smile formed across her features. It was perfect!