He dropped the gray mask back into the box and crossed to the counter where the hockey mask lay. Stump was yapping like crazy now. He had to push the dog out of the way. He put down the blowtorch. Then he lifted the mask.

With its black eyeholes, the mask seemed to stare back at him like an evil face. Mitch flipped the mask over, wondering if the white Lucite was strong enough to protect him while he was welding. What the heck. He'd try anything once. He positioned the white disk over his face and carefully fitted the plastic strap in back of his greasy head. Then he picked up the blowtorch and turned to go when—

Something made him stop cold.

It was faint at first, like that first instant of queasiness when you know you're going to throw up. But something—something deep inside him—felt different.

Barking loudly, Stump kept jumping up and planting his paws on Mitch's chest. He looked down at the dog, staring at him through the mask. Instantly, Stump skittered backward, pressing himself up against the bed, whimpering with fear.

‘That's strange,’ thought Mitch. 'Why would Stump be so scared?’

Then he felt it. His skin was crawling.

He looked down at his long, muscle-bound arms. The tattoos were moving. Green, inky snakes slithered all over his flesh.

Then he felt the first bite. The snakes bit hard and deep into his stomach, his arms, and his legs...

He opened his mouth to scream, but a snake slid right in, the leathery skin gliding across his teeth. He started choking as the snake coiled down his throat and into his body. He could hear tiny jaws snapping. He was being eaten alive, inside and out. And then just as suddenly as it had started, the creature stopped biting. The tattoos became tattoos once again.

Mitch was drenched with sweat, but other than that, he was---

WHOOMPH!

Though he hadn't lit it, the blowtorch sprang to life in his hand. The torch's blue spear of flame blazed in the darkness of the van. Behind the mask, Mitch leered happily. His eyes reflecting the torch's blue light. It was as if the light had gone on inside his brain as well because now he knew what he had to do.

Hey, tonight was going to be more fun than he ever thought!

   Friday the 13th: The Carnival, chapter 8