Chapter 3

Fawn's POV

The door doesn't open. It shatters. Some invisible force shatters it to pieces.

Wood splinters through the air as a tall figure walks into the room.

In the pale moonlight from the hallway, I finally get a good look at the Director.

He's wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. No tie. His shirt hangs open just enough to expose his collarbone. A silver mask covers the upper half of his face, leaving the lower half of his face exposed. The eyes that peek through are dark, narrow, sharp. His smile looks lazy but cruel.

In his right hand, he's casually playing with a surgical blade.

[Holy shit! Is this boss actually hot?! Screw my morals, I'm switching sides!]

[That aura is terrifying. I can feel it through the screen.]

[She's dead. She's so dead. This boss is obviously a psycho killer!]

I bite down hard on my lip. My mind goes blank. Rule three: Don't look the Director in the eye.

My head snaps down. My eyes fix on his black dress shoes.

"Look up."

His voice comes from above me. Deep. Smooth. A command, not a request.

My whole body shakes. Every survival instinct screams at me to obey. I lift my head slowly, but keep my eyes squeezed shut.

"Open them."

I take a deep breath. If I'm going to die, I'm going to die. I open my eyes.

Those bottomless black eyes stare back at me. Strangely, I don't see cruelty in them. I see something else. Surprise, maybe. Just for a second.

He stares at my face for what feels like forever. The air gets thick.

"You..." He starts to say something.

I cut him off. My hands fly up and start signing as fast as I can.

I didn't break any rules! I've been quiet! I didn't look at your eyes, you told me to! Please don't kill me!

I sign frantically. Hard enough to pull a muscle in my shoulder.

The boss watches my hands fly around. His eyes narrow. He stops playing with the blade. Something flickers in his gaze. Something strange.

Three seconds of dead silence.

Then he laughs. Quietly.

"You want to touch my abs?"

He leans in slightly. His long fingers move to his shirt and undo a button. "Not really the time for that, is it? There are other people here."

Me: ???

I freeze. My hands hang in the air.

What the hell is he talking about?! How did he get 'touch my abs' from that?!

[LMAO! Touch his abs?! What is wrong with this boss?!]

[Wait, is this still a horror game? Why does this feel like a late-night romance show?!]

[I'm dying. Her face is priceless. Internal monologue: Stay away from me!]

I take another deep breath. Maybe he really can't read sign language. I need to make this clear, or he'll think I'm flirting and kill me for it.

I slow down. Sign each word carefully.

I. Want. To. Survive.

The boss watches my hands. One eyebrow lifts. He steps forward suddenly. His shadow swallows me whole. That scent hits me again. Cedar mixed with blood.

He leans down. His mouth hovers near my ear. His voice drops lower.

"And you want to kiss me?"

He sighs softly. "I've never met a woman as forward as you. But... I guess I don't mind."

I'm losing my mind.

I scramble back on the bed. My hands form a huge X across my chest.

Get away from me!

The boss looks at the X I'm making. A slow smile spreads across his face.

"You want a hug?" He nods like he's being so understanding. "If you're scared, I can hold you."

He actually spreads his arms wide. Like he's doing me some huge favor.

I close my eyes in despair. Just end this already.

That's when Sloane finally snaps. She's been watching this whole absurd scene from the other bed. She must think the Director is actually reasonable. She throws herself off the bed, drops to her knees, and screams.

"Director! Director, please! I'll do anything! Please get me out of here!"

Her voice is shrill and piercing. It shatters whatever weird bubble we were in.

The smile vanishes from the boss's face instantly. He turns slowly. Looks down at Sloane on her knees.

Those eyes that were teasing me a second ago turn ice cold. Like he's looking at a corpse.

"I hate loud people."

He doesn't even move. Just says it coldly.

The next second, a dull thud.

Sloane's head explodes like a watermelon hit with a hammer. Red and white spray everywhere. Some of it lands on my sheets.

The headless body crumples to the floor.

I clamp both hands over my mouth. Don't make a sound. Don't make a single sound. My blood turns to ice.

He's a monster. A psycho who kills without hesitation.

The boss turns back around. Pulls a white handkerchief from his pocket. Wipes his fingers slowly, even though there's no blood on them.

He looks at me again. That gentle expression is back. It's horrifying.

"Too noisy." He drops the handkerchief on the floor. Gives me a small smile. "You're much better behaved. See you tomorrow, little mute."

He turns and walks out of the room. His footsteps fade down the hall.

[Wait wait wait. Did the boss just say he likes her? This is a horror game, right? When did it turn into a dating sim?!]

[One second he's talking about abs, the next he's exploding heads! This whiplash is insane!]

[I'm shipping them! This miscommunication romance is killing me!]

I collapse back on the bed. Stare at the blood on the floor and the comments going wild. My brain completely shuts down.