chapter four

As he walked up Nathan Avenue, it was the first time he really looked at the fog. It was unbelievable. He literally couldn't see two feet in front of him. He looked all around him. It looked like he was in a white void, trapped and alone. What it looked like wasn't too far off from what it actually was.

What the Hell was that thing, Blaine?

"It was a person." He assured himself. "Somebody with an illness or something, who was crazy."

Is that the best you can come up with? Seriously, Blaine.

"Damn it, I don't know what the Hell it was, but I'm telling you right now, there's no such thing as monsters!"

That's what it was, Blaine.

Blaine stopped walking. He grabbed his hair. "Am I going fucking insane?!"

That would be the logical conclusion.

"Maybe I'm seeing things." His scalp hurt. "I've been really restless lately, and I haven't been sleeping much. . ." He started walking again.

Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? You don't sleep that well, so monsters come out of the floor and try to kill you.

"Stop it! If you don't know what it was, then stop asking me!"

I'd stop walking if I were you.

Blaine stopped walking. There was another hole in the road ahead. "Not again. . ." But again, there was no visible way around it. "Thank God I've lived here before. The amusement park should come out past the hole, right?"

If I remember correctly, yes.

Blaine walked up to the open gates under the large sign.

Lakeside Amusement Park

"There has to be people inside."

Why? There's nobody at the gates.

"Jesus Christ. . .what is going on in this town?"

Blaine saw the gates, and started remembering the first time he had been to that been to that amusement park

"Oh no. . ."

"What?"

"Robert, I don't think we have enough."

"What?! We made sure we had enough before we came!"

"I must have left some back in Portland."

"So now I can't even have fun with my own fucking kid?!"

He remembered Mom crying.

"It was an accident, Robert. . ."

"Maybe if I hadn't married a dumbass like you, I wouldn't have to take a kid to some fuckin' amusement park!"

He remembered his vision blurred from tears.

"Robert, please don't, everybody is looking. . ."

"Yeah, looking at a dumb bitch! Get in the goddamn car, we're going back to the damn hotel to find your fucking money!"

"I think it's in Portland. . ."

It was the first time he had his Father so angry.

"Yeah?!"

It was the first time he ever saw him hit her.

"Well maybe it's not!"

Blaine shook his head.

Look behind you, Blaine.

Blaine turned around. The gate was shut behind him. He stepped back, his mouth wide open. "Okay, somebody else has got to be here."

The town's empty, Blaine.

"Somebody closed the gate!"

Who?

"Goddamn it! You know I can't answer that!" Blaine started to walk through the park, seeing the empty, deserted rides and roller coasters. It was cement he was walking on. There were bunny costumes scattered everywhere; it was Robbie, the amusement park mascot. There were buildings and structures everywhere. Clothes stores, restaurants, portable washrooms, even video stores. It felt crowded, even though nobody was there. "So stop asking!"

"Blaine. . ."

Blaine spun around. "Shit. . .another one?"

Then he saw it, except this one had no head. It was banging on a portable washroom. Blaine watched it. "God, what the Hell are these things?"

Monsters, Blaine. Now that you're seeing it right now, you can tell it's not human.

He was right. It definitely wasn't human. Blaine snuck up behind it, raised his crowbar, and delivered a single fatal blow to its back. He turned away again, because he couldn't stand the way it looked, or the thought of killing something. He quickly turned and began walking.

"Blaine?"

He turned quickly, his crowbar raised.

"Is that you, Blaine?"

It wasn't one of them. It sounded much too human. It was coming from the washroom. Blaine walked up to it. "Yes, I'm Blaine."

The door to the washroom swung open, and instantly Blaine was in the grips of a hug.

"Amanda?"

She was crying. "I'm so glad you're here."

Blaine felt relief course through his body. "Amanda. . ." He put his arms around her. His eyes closed for a moment, remembering the last time he was hugging her. She had been crying then, as well.

"Where did he say he going, Blaine?"

"Just to the store to get beer."

"How long ago?"

"Four days, now. That's the last time I saw him. I've already called the police, don't worry."

"But what if they can't find him?!"

"They will. They have to."

He opened his eyes again. "Amanda. . .what are you doing here?"

She slowly stopped hugging. "I. . ." She sobbed.

"It's okay. Calm down, and tell me."

She cried for a few moments, then continued. "I assumed that you would come here, so I came here too. I saw your car outside the hotel. . ."

Blaine raised the crowbar. "Did you break the window?"

"Yes. The door was locked."

The door was wide open, Blaine.

"Then what?"

"I looked all over the hotel for you, then I went out the back door, and came here. . ."

That door was broken, Blaine.

". . .I saw that. . ." She sobbed again. ". . .thing. . .and it came after me. . ." She hugged him again. "Oh God, Blaine, it was horrible!"

He put his arms around her again. "It's okay. I'm here now."

"I ran in there because I thought I'd be safe."

Blaine's eyes closed in a blink. Was she running from Dad again?

"I ran in there because I thought I'd be safe."

"It's okay. I'm here now. You know how he gets when he's mad."

"But he got in! Oh God, Blaine, he hit me so many times!"

The blink ended. Don't think about it, Blaine.

Blaine thought for a moment. "Amanda, listen carefully. I want you to go back through the hotel and leave."

Blaine cringed when he saw the tears on her cheeks. "No, I can't leave without you."

They were both silent. Amanda pulled out a cell phone. "Here, take it. I bought you another one."

"Amanda, go back."

"Not without you."

"Fine then." Blaine sighed. "Go to your car, then call me, and tell me if you can get out."

"Well, I got in, so I should be able to get out."

"Please do it. I promise that if we can leave, I'll leave with you."

"Blaine, I don't want to be alone in this place. . ." She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a handgun clip. "I found this. I'd assumed you brought your gun."

Blaine took the clip, and put it in his handgun. Then he stopped for a moment. "Take the gun, Amanda."

"No!"

"Please, try and go back. You'll be fine with this."

"Blaine, please!"

"Amanda, I promise that I'll leave if it's possible."

Amanda closed her watery eyes, then opened them. ". . . Promise?"

"I promise."

She slowly reached out and took the gun. "If you need me, just call. I'll come running."

She turned and left.

Do you think she'll be okay?

"Of course she will."

Blaine walked until he saw the exit gate.

"Blaine! Answer my question!"

He looked around. He didn't see any of them. Then he heard a different sound. A more familiar one. He remembered he first heard outside the gates of the park. That circus music that always plays in a theme like this. He looked all around. The sound was all around him.

"What?! We made sure we had enough before we came!"

Then he heard a violent 'clunk!' and turned to see a ride starting.

"So now I can't even have fun with my own fucking kid?!"

The music got louder, until Blaine had to put his hands over his ears.

"Maybe if I hadn't married a dumbass like you, I wouldn't have to take a kid to some fuckin' amusement park!"

Now he could hear the persistent whirl of every ride in the park at once.

"Yeah?!"

Then again, the siren. The horrible ambulance siren.

"Well maybe it's not!"

He clutches his head in pain, before it completely overtook him. He fell to his knees, and screamed. His head hit the cement, and he was out cold.

I'm back at home. I'm at my bed, praying when things are bad. I pray a lot. Mom and I had that roast for dinner. There wasn't much left, so we ate it all. Dad's two hours late, but I can hear him coming in the door. He sounds happy.

"Hey honey, I'd sure like some of that roast we've got."

I can feel Mom's expression darken. She's trying to sound happy. "Well, Blaine and I ate it."

I can hear him walking into the kitchen. "What did you prepare for me, then?"

"There are some hot dogs thawing in the sink. . ."

He's at the sink. "You and the kid have a fuckin' roast, and leave me hot dogs?!"

"You were two hours late!"

"Yeah, making money to feed you ungrateful scum!"

"Robert, please! He's in the next room!"

"You think I give a shit?! Maybe if you two weren't so fuckin' ungrateful!"

But I'm not at my room. I'm in the room next to it, only dreaming that I'm in my room, praying. But I can't be there, because I'm hugging Amanda, who's crying just as much as me. She's telling me I have to stop dreaming, so I do. Now there's a loud siren, different than the others.

I'm reaching into my pocket.

I pull out a cell phone. I flip it open.

"Blaine, wake up!"

"What. . .?"

"There's no way out!"

Blaine bolted up. "What?!"