Haunted Mind

On cue, a ghostly woman appeared from the hedges in the garden and stood before us. She held a gray umbrella to protect her makeup from the steady drizzle. Her wrists were covered in black blood.

"Greetings, unfortunate guests," she announced in a sultry voice. "I am Bonnie O'Connor, the sexiest O'Connor sister, and this is my brothel... I mean, my home. Please enjoy the refreshments Julie has prepared for you while you read the first clues concerning my death. The murderer has left something wicked in my home, preventing me from returning. Find it and remove it so I may enjoy a blessed Halloween. Be warned, don't let the murderer's madness infect you before you complete your mission, or you will have blood on your hands and be unable to claim your free gift at the end. Good luck, and don't lose your hands."

As Bonnie's ghost retreated into the garden, Julie threw open the front doors and invited us in. We were led into a lavish piano room with a full bar of drink samples, spicy tapas, swooning couches, a standing harp, and many sexy portraits on the walls of men and women in tight clothes and risque poses.

"It's easy to enjoy yourselves in Bonnie's Playful Mansion," Julie announced as she passed out maps and clues. "Especially since you're already tipsy. You have half an hour to enjoy your visit and solve a crime of jealous passion. The suspects are on the walls. Be careful of the red herrings. They have doubled here," she warned.

We chuckled as we read the names under the colorful portraits. We had Magnus Dick, Bouncy Betty, Logan Slong, and Lucy Lips. Mine and Theo's clues immediately directed us upstairs to explore the many bedrooms.

Mine declared, "Hurt me, baby, you know I like pain. Chain me up and make me scream your name. - What room am I in?"

Theo's declared, "Oil up my skin and rub me silly. Wait, that hole is too small for your big fat willy. - What room am I in? Hint: it's not the kitchen."

Theo and I burst out laughing after reading the 'fat willy' clue. We enjoyed some sweet and spicy tapas and some fruity mixed drinks before heading upstairs. Busty ghost women and shirtless ghost men were wandering the halls and flirting with guests as we explored the many rooms. We searched the massage parlor first to no avail. We moved down the hall to the bondage room and came up empty-handed again. Then, we found a simple room at the end of the hall with a queen-sized bed and minimal decor.

"Christina, look. Handcuffs on the bedpost. Bonnie's ghost had injuries on her wrists."

Theo climbed onto the bed and reached for the cuffs.

"It's too soon. What if it's a red herring?" I said too late.

Theo tried to pick up the cuffs, but they were bolted to the bedpost. He looked at his hand after touching it, and red streaks were on his palm.

"Damn! I got blood on my hands on the first clue!" he laughed.

"Shit! There goes our winning streak."

I enjoyed seeing Theo tipsy. I was pretty tipsy, too. Suddenly, I heard laughing in the hallway.

"Shit! Theo, get off the bed. Someone is coming. Maybe they'll get duped by the red-herring, too!"

"Good idea. Hide!" he whispered and pointed at the closet door in the corner.

We scrambled into the closet and quietly closed the door as the laughing couple entered the room.

"Hmm, look at this," I whispered. "What kind of closet locks from the inside and has a peephole?" I mused as I examined the closet door.

Theo held up his little candle lamp for a better look around the small space. There was a full French swooning couch against the wall in the tiny room.

"This looks like a make-out room," he smirked.

"Speaking of making out, that's what the other couple is doing in the handcuff room," I chuckled as I peeked through the peephole.

"That's a great idea," Theo whispered as he reached over and locked the door.

My body tingled at his words. I had been aroused all evening, but I was too distracted by the murder mysteries to think about it.

"You're right. We should play a little in Bonnie's Playful Mansion," I grinned.

A second later, Theo's lips were against mine. He backed me against the door, and I was instantly on fire for him. I held his neck and played my tongue against his as his hands explored my hips and ass. He pulled me tight against him, and I could feel his rock-hard bulge pressing against my thigh. My arousal was suddenly electric. I had never wanted anyone inside me that badly before.

"Theo, please fuck me," I begged in between wet kisses.

"Gladly," he breathed.

He set our lamps aside, pulled me away from the door, and pushed me down on the swooning couch. There was a rustling of fabric as his hands went up my dress and seized my black lace thong. He pulled it down my thighs and off my legs, being careful not to let it snag on my boots. He quickly discarded it over his shoulder before pushing my knees apart. I was expecting him to climb over me at that point, but his head went between my thighs first. I gasped as his hot tongue invaded me. He lapped hungrily inside me, pushing his tongue as deeply as it could go. I groaned and pulled his hair as he greedily lapped against my vaginal walls. It was mind-numbingly hot, but I was aching for something more. I think he shared my need because he suddenly climbed over me. We kissed frantically for a moment, and then he drew away and knelt between my legs.

I was panting as I watched him unzip his pants and free his thick erection from his clothes. To say I ached at the sight was an understatement. My legs twitched as he pressed his tip against my opening, working it between my dripping pussy lips. He watched my face in the lamplight as he pushed inside me. I gasped as he sank all the way in, letting me feel his hard length. He leaned over me and kissed me before I could catch my breath. He steadily rocked inside me, thrusting as deep as he could go. I groaned against his kiss and held his neck, keeping his mouth and tongue tight against mine. His hard shaft felt wild as it pumped through my tight muscles, turning my horny ache into ecstasy. I moaned and arched my body into his thrusts, slowly losing control and wanting more.

"Fuck me harder, Theo," I begged.

He obeyed and shook my whole body with his thrusts. I cried out and threw my head back as a wild orgasm tore through me. My hips bucked as I sank my nails into Theo's arms, trying to breathe and cry out at the same time. I sounded like a shameless slut.

"God, Christina, you're too fucking hot."

He plowed harder inside me, hitting deep in my belly before he gasped and tensed. I groaned as a slippery explosion soaked my twitching tunnel. Theo grunted and shook as he poured more hot semen inside me. My skin felt overheated as I enjoyed his release. His thrusts slowed as he fucked the mess deeper, sending half of it dripping out of me. I moaned and squeezed his biceps as we indulged in each other's pleasure. I felt a chill from the sweat in my hair as my body relaxed. Theo groaned and melted against my breasts. I could feel his heart pounding against mine. He kissed me slowly as he gently rocked inside me, causing my pussy to twitch with little aftershocks. I could feel his cock doing it too.

"Holy cow, that was hot. Thank you," I smiled and ran my fingers through his sweaty hair.

"Thank you more. You are always welcome to my cock," he whispered.

I chuckled and squeezed him with my inner muscles, sending more cum dripping out of me.

"Hmm, I'm very drippy. Do you have a handkerchief?"

"No, but I do have a collection of napkins around a half-eaten tapa in my pocket."

"Even better."

We cleaned ourselves up and checked the time. We still had seven minutes to enjoy Bonnie's Playful Mansion, and I was still eligible to win the grand prize at the end since I didn't touch a red herring. Theo and I hurried down the hall to explore more rooms. We found some clues in the sewing room that directed us downstairs to the attached garden shed. A couple was already there when we arrived. They were reading through the clues they found tucked inside a garden pot. I sighed in disappointment and looked around the room. I gasped when I saw a giant pair of bloody scissors hanging over the door behind us. I nudged Theo's arm and pointed at them.

"The hedge shears! They can remove a hand!" he exclaimed and quickly pulled them down.

To our excitement, they were plastic and not bolted to the wall. That meant they were the cursed item. We had actually found the murder weapon at the last minute. We laughed and dashed back to the piano room. I told everyone that Bonnie was murdered with hedge shears by the jealous gardener with a big willy. We got plenty of laughs, but our story was wrong. Julie, the sexy maid, had to correct me. Logan Slong had cut off Bonnie's hands, causing her to bleed to death after he caught her cheating on him with the gardener. They still declared me the victor since I found the cursed item. After another snack and drink, our time at Bonnie's Playful Mansion ended.

It was still drizzling as we hurried along the driveway to the third mansion. Right on cue, Penny O'Connor's ghost appeared in the garden to welcome us to her Fun House Mansion. She spun in a circle to show off the black bloodstains around her midsection. Penny's mansion was carnival-themed. Bobo the Clown Butler arrived on the porch to greet us as Penny's ghost vanished into the garden.

"Oh shit, I hate clowns," I groaned.

Theo laughed and pulled me closer.

"Don't worry, Christina. I'll protect you from his big red nose and colorful wig."

Luckily, Bobo seemed to be the only clown in the house as we entered the festive drawing room for snacks and clues. The murder suspects portrayed on the walls were a motley crew of misfits. Tim the Lion Tamer, Courtney the Contortionist, Blink the Magician, and Candy the Sharpshooter were our latest suspects. Our first clues led us downstairs to the basement. It was cold and smelled of mold as we descended the rickety steps. We followed a stone wall around a corner and discovered a dead end covered in mirrors. We stared at our reflections in confusion for a moment. Theo slowly stepped forward with his lamp to discover it was actually a hidden entrance to a mirror maze. Suddenly, the steps creaked behind us as more couples descended into the basement.

"Shit, let's keep our lead," I whispered.

We shuffled our way into the maze, bumping walls and turning in circles. Our hands were more useful at finding openings than our eyes. I started to feel claustrophobic as we took tighter turns into the heart of the maze. Suddenly, the mirrors opened up into a big circle. A chandelier of candles flickered overhead with a mutilated, bloody clown swinging by a noose underneath it. His baggy pants pockets were packed full of folded notes, our next clues.

"Oh hell no," I chuckled and grabbed Theo's arm.

I was surprised to feel him shaking. I looked at his face, and he was staring at the dead clown in utter horror.

"Ben? Is that... you?" he stammered.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling laugh made us both jump and cry out. I looked at the clown to see him laughing and pointing a bloody knife at us.

"Did Butler Bobo send you to steal Mr. Stabby's clues?" he demanded.

He reached over his head and pulled a piece of rope. He immediately dropped down from the chandelier and landed on his big feet. The noose was still tight around his neck.

"Since you found Mr. Stabby first, I'll give you free clues. But the rest will have to pay with their fingers!" he declared and tossed some papers over our heads.

He laughed maniacally before disappearing into the maze.

"Holy shit. I'm going to kick him in the balls for that," Theo laughed.

"Was that really Ben?" I chuckled with my hand over my heart.

I hadn't been that startled since I was a kid. It felt wonderful.

"Yes. He told me he wouldn't be attending the event, and now I know why. He's working at it instead!"

Horrified screams erupted from the maze as Mr. Stabby found his next victims. Olivia and Kenneth were still screaming as they rushed into the circle with Mr. Stabby behind them. He chased them around the room once and then followed them through the exit.

"Hey! They're getting ahead of us!" I yelled.

We grabbed some clues off the floor and followed Mr. Stabby back into the maze. It eventually dumped us out into a dark hallway full of bones. We laughed with Olivia and Kenneth as Mr. Stabby quickly disappeared back into the maze.

"Go ahead without me, Christina. I'll catch up in a second," Theo said before heading back into the maze to catch his brother.

"Don't kick him too hard!" I called after him.

"What is Theo doing?" Olivia asked in confusion.

"He said he's going to kick Ben in the balls," I laughed.

"Did you say Ben?" she asked.

"Yes. The clown was his brother."

I watched the color drain from Olivia's face.

"Christina, what are you talking about? Ben is dead."

"What? No, he's not. Theo hangs out with him all the time. Are you fucking joking with me?" I demanded.

The worried looks on Olivia's and Kenneth's faces said they weren't. A sick dread filled my stomach at that point, leaving me nauseous. Something was seriously wrong. Olivia took my arm and pulled me over to the wall as more couples ran screaming out of the maze.

"Christina, I would never joke about something like that. Ben committed suicide back in December. He hung himself in his apartment. Theo was the one that found him."

I stared at Olivia in utter disbelief for a moment. Then, the room swayed. It was finally happening. The world was crumbling around me. I had to lean against the wall to catch myself. My chest felt tight as I tried to understand what was happening.

"Oh my God... the clown was hanging by a noose from the chandelier when we found him. Theo looked terrified. Then, he called him Ben."

"Holy fucking shit..." Olivia breathed with her hand over her heart. "Christina, you need to find him. If he thinks Ben is alive, he's had a psychotic break at some point."

I nodded... I think. I heard what she said, and I knew I needed to find him, but I couldn't get my body to move.

"Christina?" Olivia yelled as she shook my arm, pulling me out of my daze.

I looked at her in confusion for a moment.

"What?" I asked.

"Can you handle this?"

That's when I remembered what Olivia was.

"Wait, you're a psychologist. Tell me how to help him! What do I say when I find him?" I demanded.

"Calm down, Christina. Answer my question first. Can you handle this? If you can't, I'll go find him without you."

"Yes. I can handle this if I can help him, but I can't handle it if he's hopeless."

"There is plenty of hope for Theo. Has he been violent or done anything strange lately?"

"Besides dating me, he seemed perfectly normal. He's been talking about Ben like he sees him every day. I was looking forward to meeting him."

"Schizophrenia causes realistic hallucinations that can lead to delusions. It runs in his family. The shock of finding Ben dead must have triggered it."

"Shit. How do I help him get back to reality?"

"Wait a minute, Christina. Listen, whatever you do, don't break his delusion. It helps him feel normal and safe. Finding his twin brother dead overwhelmed him. His brain kept him functioning by lying to him. If you tell him the truth now, he will simply relive his brother's death. If you can, get Theo home so he can sleep. Pretend everything is normal. I'll come over tomorrow, and we'll talk about it more. If he's in a stable mood, maybe we can safely bring him back to reality."

"What if he's not in a stable mood?"

"We'll keep pretending until he is."

I took a deep breath and nodded. I was great at pretending my way through life. I could certainly do it for Theo.

"Okay. I'll go find him. Will you two wait for us out front?"

"Of course. We won't leave until we know you're both okay."

"Will Theo be okay to drive? I rode here with him."

"If he's not upset about Ben or drunk, he'll be fine."

Olivia and I exchanged cell phone numbers before I steadied myself and returned to the mirror maze. The passage was much too quiet and dark for my comfort. I already needed Theo. Two lamps were better than one. To my horror, Mr. Stabby was waiting around the second turn. I let out a short shriek before clamping my hand over my mouth. The clown smiled wickedly and bowed. He was obviously proud of scaring me shitless.

"Ben?" I asked, just to be sure.

"Why do people keep calling me that?" he asked in confusion. "My name is Kevin."

"Sorry, Kevin. I have a huge favor to ask of you. Please avoid the man who was with me earlier. He thinks you're his dead brother. He's having a bit of a breakdown. So avoid him until we leave," I whispered.

"Yikes. That explains a lot. I think your date is still in the circle room. Good luck and happy Halloween," he said before he squeezed past me to leave the maze.

I gulped and kept moving. I found Theo alone in the circle room. He was staring at himself in one of the mirrors. His expression looked vacant and confused.

"Theo, are you alright?" I asked.

He blinked and looked at me for a moment, then he smiled.

"Christina, I was looking for you. I lost Ben in the maze. I think he's hiding from me."

"He knows you want to kick him in the balls. Don't worry. We can find him later. Come on. Let's solve the last mystery."

My heart was heavy as we read our clues and continued our search for the murder weapon. Theo was smiling and enjoying himself, allowing me to relax a little. We quickly figured out the mystery. Candy the Sharpshooter was the one that shot Penny. Penny cheated her out of her life savings during a rigged poker game. We couldn't find the shotgun when we arrived in the billiards room. Someone had beaten us to it and removed the last curse of the O'Connor Sisters. It was disappointing, but I still won a special gift by making it to the end of the mystery crawl without red marks on my hands. They gave me a whole case of chocolate beer and two bottles of sparkling wine.

After the event officially ended for our group of visitors, Olivia and Kenneth accosted Theo and me for a chat as we walked back to our cars. Olivia was watching Theo the entire time. He was smiling as he told Kenneth how we solved the first two murders. Olivia eventually smiled and gave me a reassuring nod before wishing us a Happy Halloween. The ride back to Theo's apartment was uneventful. He was thrilled I had accepted his invitation to spend the night with him. We were exhausted from our adventure as we entered his simple studio flat and plopped down on the sofa.

"Tonight was incredible, Christina. I ate too much and screamed a lot. It was a perfect date. Thank you for coming with me," Theo whispered as he hugged my shoulders and kissed my hair.

"I haven't had that much fun since I was a kid. Thank you for inviting me," I yawned.

"Do you want to screw and crash or crash and screw in the morning?"

"A morning screw before breakfast sounds lovely."

And that's what we did. Well, I actually lay awake half of the night, staring at Theo's handsome face. I updated Olivia on Theo's mental state via text when we arrived home that night and on Halloween morning. Theo and I had an exciting morning in bed. I didn't tell her about that part. My heart broke when I remembered how Theo acted in the mirror room when he saw the hanging clown. He must have been reliving the event his brain was trying to forget. He seemed so normal to me. It scared me to think he had been seeing and talking to his dead brother for the last ten months.

After a hearty breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, coffee, and a latte, we discussed our plans for the day. Theo planned to work on his dissertation from nine to eleven, then he would take a break for lunch before working on laundry, hitting the gym, and then shopping for groceries before supper. Sunday was his "planning for the rest of the week" day. We agreed to eat lunch together on campus and then have a Halloween supper at his apartment.