Chapter 599

Elmer felt a surge of excitement as Tiffany strolled toward the equipment room.

Inside the dimly lit room, two boys, dressed as ghouls, stood behind the door. Their faces were grotesquely painted, and they wore tattered, blood-stained costumes perfectly suited to the eerie twilight hour.

Elmer called out, "Get ready! Tiffany's on her way!"

"Got it!" The two boys chuckled sinisterly, adjusted their wigs, and crouched by the door. As soon as Tiffany entered, she would be greeted by their horrifyingly realistic ghost faces. Even with nerves of steel, they were confident she'd be terrified.

Minutes later, faint footsteps approached. Outside the equipment room, Tiffany stood before the door. Instead of knocking or turning the handle, she casually raised her foot and kicked it open. The door slammed against the wall, swinging back and forth with loud creaks as the wind caught it. Tiffany stepped inside unhurriedly.

The equipment room was shadowy and cold. The faint evening light cast elongated, ghastly shadows from the scattered gear, creating a haunting atmosphere. For a fleeting moment, Tiffany thought, "Could there be something supernatural here?"

Then, a chilling surround-sound effect emerged—the kind of hair-raising audio from a horror movie designed to unsettle and quicken the heart. People would instinctively want to run.

Tiffany paused, taking a step back as if startled. At that moment, two bloody figures emerged from the darkness. Their eerie gazes locked onto her as they moved closer, slowly and menacingly. Tiffany appeared frozen, seemingly too frightened to move.

Delighted by her reaction, the boys leaned into their act, their movements becoming more exaggerated. But then, Tiffany's cool, slightly amused voice broke the tension. "Is that all?"

The boys exchanged incredulous glances. Despite the immersive audio, their painstakingly gory costumes, and the ambiance they'd created, she dismissed it all as unimpressive.

Unwilling to accept defeat, they lunged at her with claws outstretched, determined to elicit a scream. Tiffany didn't flinch. She found the whole thing almost laughable. Before they could reach her, she kicked them, sending them sprawling. "Is that tomato sauce? If you're going to scare someone, use the real thing."

With that, she grabbed a baseball bat and began swinging it at the two "ghouls." The boys immediately started wailing, their cries echoing like banshees.

"Ouch! Stop, please stop!" "We're sorry! We're sorry! Just stop hitting us!"

Tiffany wasn't one to hold back, but their desperate pleas made her pause. She dropped the bat.

(Time stamp: 10:05 Sun, Dec 1)

The boys exhaled deeply until they saw Tiffany reach for something else on the rack.

"Baseball bats are too soft," she said. "A spiked club would be better."

She pulled down a spiked club, its sharp points glinting menacingly in the dim light. Tiffany's smile was angelic, yet it sent shivers down their spines. It was the smile of a devil. Their screams filled the night.

Meanwhile, Elmer had set up a hidden camera in the equipment room, eagerly presenting the footage to Melody. "Look, Melody, a special surprise for you!"

Wilma, inhabiting Melody's body, had expected him to cause trouble for Tiffany but was taken aback by his speed. Curious, she opened the video on her phone. However, the footage showed the two "ghouls" being beaten into submission.

Her expression darkened instantly. "This is the surprise you promised me?" His friends were being tortured by Tiffany.

Elmer was momentarily stunned. His first instinct was to rush to the equipment room, but he recalled Tiffany's ruthless demeanor. He hesitated, afraid of her wrath. He slowly stopped. After all, it was only his two lackeys. He figured he could make it up to them later.

With that comforting thought, Elmer turned off the camera feed and pretended he knew nothing of the situation.

Tiffany stood over the two boys, her tone cool and mocking. "Was it Elmer who told you to dress up as ghouls and scare me?"

The boys averted their eyes, their "friendship" too strong to betray him.

Tiffany scoffed, amusement flickering across her face. "Do you honestly think your buddy is coming to save you?"

"Of course!" They didn't hesitate.

"Alright then," Tiffany said. "Let's wait and see if your loyal friend comes to your rescue."

She walked out of the equipment room, slamming the door shut and jamming a baseball bat through the door handles from the outside. The door was locked, impossible to open from the inside.

"Let's play a game," Tiffany said. "Without calling for help, let's see if Elmer finds you tonight or if you're discovered tomorrow by the equipment room staff."

"How about the stakes?" Nelson and Logan Durham snorted, defiant. "If we win, you'll apologize to us in front of the whole school."

They weren't taking a beating for nothing.

"Sure," Tiffany agreed without hesitation, her expression different. To her, it wasn't a gamble; it was a foregone conclusion. The brothers were too stubborn to accept the obvious.

She left, shutting the equipment room door. The eerie surround sound continued to loop. The audio controls weren't inside, so the sound was impossible to turn off.

At first, Nelson and Logan were calm, almost dismissive. But as evening deepened, the sound effects grew increasingly unsettling. "Maybe… we should turn on the lights?" Nelson suggested nervously.

"Yeah, good idea," Logan agreed.

They rose, fumbling in the pitch-black room for the light switch. A split second later, they both screamed.

"I touched a ghost!" "Something warm grabbed my hand!"

Their panicked cries echoed before they realized they'd grabbed each other. Feeling foolish, they flipped the switch. Nothing happened. The light was broken—they'd sabotaged it earlier. It was poetic justice.

Dejected, they sank back onto the floor, growing nervous.

"Why hasn't Elmer come yet?" Nelson muttered.

"Maybe he hasn't checked his phone," Logan replied.

"Should we… call him?"

"No! If we call him, we lose the bet! Don't let Tiffany get in our heads. She just wants us to turn on each other. It's all part of her twisted game."

Nelson fell silent, calculating the time. Minutes dragged on like hours. Half an hour felt like an eternity. This kind of darkness always triggered endless imagination, especially with the eerie sound effects. Whether their eyes were open or closed, they felt a chilling unease. The cold, oppressive atmosphere seemed to press in from all sides. Nelson and Logan grew increasingly nervous. Before long, their backs were drenched in sweat. They regretted making a bet with Tiffany.

(Time stamp: 10:05 Sun, Dec 1)