Chapter 3:

Captain Spaulding's Museum of Monsters and Mayhem

"Mom, this place is disgusting." Ferrah complained as they walked down the stairs of the RV.

"It's a gas station, Ferrah. What were you expecting?"

"Um... one that isn't as... something with a name, ok?! Exxon, TigerMart, you know? This is so... weird."

Michael came running outside up to them, looking exhilarated at soemthing he had seen.

"It is so weird in there! You have to come in. It's... awesome!" Michael didn't wait for them to say whether or not they would be coming in or not. He turned and ran back through the door. Paul laughed, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"I don't know if this is healthy or not..." Maggie said jokingly as she looked through the dirty windows at Michael taking pictures of every little attraction that was in the gas station.

"Oh, he's a guy." Paul told her, kissing her cheek," And so am I. I want to see."

Ferrah got a tugging feeling in her chest, and suddenly, her heart started pounding. Something told her not to go inside there. So when Maggie started to walk forward to follow Paul, she grabbed her hand.

"Mom, don't go in there."

Maggie laughed slightly, and kissed her forehead," Sweetie, come on. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's probably all manufactured."

"Mom, I really don't think they can just fake stuff. Isn't that like... being a con artist?"

Against her better judgment, she continued walking with Maggie, gripping her hand, until they were through the door.

"God, it is hot out there." Eden sighed as she came inside behind them," And it's pretty gross in here. I don't know what's worse..."

John rang the bell, but no one came out. He rang it again, then again, then again.

"What, is there no one here?" Paul asked, going around to the other side of the counter and looking into the back.

"Free gas." Eden said optimistically as she and Maggie observed a girl, except she wasn't exactly a girl anymore. She was a lopsided creature inside of a case; just one of many freakish and grotesque attractions that littered the small, dirty shop. This one was definately a girl, or at least, if this thing was real, it used to be a girl when it was alive. Her head looked gigantic on top of a monkey's body. A sign underneath the exhibit read in bold letters," MARY THE MONKEY GIRL. FOUND IN BORNEO."

"Mom, can we go please?" Ferrah asked, pulling on her hand as the beginning of a panic attack reared it's ugly head at her.

"Sweetie, it's not real. I promise, it's not real." Maggie reassured her, but she didn't sound as sure as Ferrah would have liked.

"Stop ringing that fuckin' bell!" A male voice yelled from the back, and Paul quickly ran out from behind the counter and stood beside John nonchalantly," I fucking hear you. Jesus Christ..."

A dirty bald older man came through the door that had a glowing sign that read," Captain Spaulding's Murder Ride" above it. More grotesque than how filty he was was the fact that he had his face painted like a clown. High, curved eyebrows with blue paint underneath them, completely white face; this guy clearly had a childhood obsession he was acting out in adulthood, or he worshipped John Wayne Gacy.

"What can I do for you?" He asked, flashing a rotted smile that made all of them cringe.

"We just filled up a tank outside." Paul told him, beckoning behind him," We're just going to pay for it."

The older man nodded, and wiped a red stain off of his hand onto his baggy white T-shirt. Ferrah's eyes widened when she saw it, and when Captain Spaulding saw her looking, he laughed to himself.

"Just chicken blood. I make the wings myself." He told her.

"So you're Captain Spaulding?" Alex asked, a look of disgust on his face and clearly heard in his voice," What the hell is all this stuff?"

"Oh, just things I've collected over the years." Captain Spaulding took the money from Paul and punched in how much had been given to him on an ancient cash register.

"What's this Murder Ride that the sign speaks of?" Michael asked eagerly as he snappped a picture of Captain Spaulding when he wasn't looking.

"Stop it!" Paul whispered strictly, and Michael instantly lowered the camera.

"It's two dollars for kids, three for adults, and I can see your boy is quite interested in the artifacts I have around here." He grinned that black toothed smile," I say you let him see it."

"No, we really don't have time." John told him, as he put his arm around Eden and turned to go.

"What brings you folks out here in the middle of nowhere, anyway?" Captain Spaulding asked, and they all stopped and turned around, none wanting to be rude, except for Alex.

"Can we fucking go, please? I feel like I'm catching something just from being here" He asked obnoxiously, and Maggie turned around and shot him a look, but Captain Spaulding only grinned.

"We're on vacation." Paul told him," Just driving cross country."

Captain Spaulding nodded, and laughed to himself," Looking for anything in particular?"

"No, just looking for historical sites, culture, you know... tourist stuff." Paul explained.

"Oh..." Captain Spaulding nodded, and didn't try to hide it when he visibly checked out Maggie, Eden, and Ferrah," So are you pretty ladies having fun? Looking at tourist stuff?"

"Um... yeah." Eden replied, furrowing her brows slightly, and looking at John for help.

"We're going now."
"Ok, ok. I hit on your girls, I get it. Here, I'll make it up to you. Since your boy has such an interest in the macabre, I can point you all in the direction of some toruist "stuff" that you'll all enjoy. The Dr. Satan hanging tree."
"The Dr. Satan hanging tree?" Michael asked incredulously. He ran forward and put both of his hands on the counter," Where is this Dr. Satan hanging tree?"

"Michael, it doesn't matter. We really don't have time for the Dr. Satan Hanging tree." Maggie informed him, gripping his arm and pulling him away from the counter.

"Oh, trust me, everyone's who has been there has said that it is the best site in Texas. Especially if you're looking for a story to tell." There was that grin again. This time Ferrah had to look away.

"Well, we really don't..."

"Dad, please. Please!" Michael begged," You know how into this stuff I am. I'll be forever in your debt. Please!"

Paul sighed, and looked at Maggie who was shaking her head slightly.

"How about if I take him to see it, and you all can stay with the RV? How far is it?"

"About a mile up the road. Go through the woods into the field... and there it is." Spaulding told them," It's a pretty brutal walk in this heat."
"Exactly." Maggie agreed," We'll all go."
"Are you sure?" Paul asked her, as the bells on the door jingled signaling the arrival of another customer. Even Captain Spaulding turned to see who it was, and to the guys' delight, it was a beautiful woman of about twenty five, with long blonde hair, grey eyes, and a teasing smile that formed on her face the second she saw the family standing there.

"Hey Spaulding!" She greeted him, grinning even bigger.

"Hi, Baby!" He greeted her enthusiastically as she leaned over the counter so he could kiss her cheek," These nice folks are on their way to the Hanging Tree. Baby here lives right by there."

"So you know how to get there?" Michael asked hopefully.

"Of course! I know that place well. Used to play around it as a kid. Me and my sister."

"You have a sister?" Michael asked, grinning, clearly picturing himself and these two girls having a threesome. Maggie and Ferrah both elbowed him hard in the stomach, but it was Ferrah who spat," You're such a jackass!"

"My sister's my best friend." Baby replied, beaming that teasing smile still as she grabbed a pack of gum so as not to appear suspicious. If she had just walked in there and then walked right back out without buying anything, they might think she was just there to lure them. It was unlikely, but in her years alive, killing people, she knew that a lot of people had prominent instincts; ones that warned them long before they actually died that death was near.

"You two can both be my best friends." Alex told her, and Baby laughed hysterically. Eden and Maggie looked at each other, shocked at how maniacal this girl's voice was.

"Look, Mikey here, really wants to see this Dr. Satan hanging tree. He has a..." Paul stopped, and searched for the right word," He kind of has a fascination with this sort of thing. So does Alex, as you can see by the way he dresses."

Paul was referring to the fact that Paul only wore black, and that his shirt was plastered with several inverted crosses.

"I think it's sexy." Baby replied, winking at Alex who grinned.

"I think you're sexy." Alex replied, and she cackled uncontrollably again.

"Well, we'll have to spend some time alone, won't we?" She asked, gripping his hand and putting it on her shoulder.

"Let's go to the RV." Alex told her, beckoning towards the door.

"Well, you're just a Casanova, aren't you?"

"I'm better." He replied, completely forgetting his family was right there.

"Can we go please?" Maggie asked irritably," And you two stay away from each other when we're in the RV. No going in the back, understood?"

"Mom, don't block my..."

"Don't make me whack you upside your head, boy." Paul snapped, only half serious as they all walked towards the door.
"Thanks, man." John thanked Captain Spaulding who only waved. It was strange; the grin on his face was a lot like Baby's...

SSS

"So, you say you live around the tree?" Paul asked once they started driving.

"Yeah, you can park this thing at my house if you want."

"Sure. That's probably a good idea." Paul replied," Was that scary for you growing up? Living so close to the spot where this crazy man was supposedly hanged?"

"What do you mean 'supposedly'? It's not a lie, mister." Baby replied, her grin gone. Her tone was slightly offended, and it took them all off guard. Maggie, in a terrible mood, rolled her eyes, and ran her fingers through her straight blonde hair, sighing. This girl was a fucking loon, and they had to listen to her ramblings of lunacy until they got to the stupid tree in the middle of this stupid wasteland. Not her idea of the perfect vacation.

As much as she wanted to, she didn't call the girl a psycho to her face. She didn't accuse her of being on a rainbow of drugs either. It was Eden who spoke what they were both thinking.

"You don't honestly believe that story, do you? Let me guess, the guy was an insane asylum doctor that was as crazy as the inmates, right?"

"How did you know?" Baby asked, that irksome smile back on her face. Eden thought about slapping it off of her face, just because it was so annoying, but reconsidered. Really, Baby hadn't done anything to them, she was just a little too weird for their tastes.

"That's how most urban legends start." Eden replied," I don't buy it. None of us buy it except for Michael, and maybe Alex, but I don't know. Just sounds a little too horror movie for me."
"Oh, I get it. You're smart adults, huh?"

"Yeah." Eden replied shortly before looking out the window, signaling to Baby that their conversation was over.

Baby giggled again, but it was quieter this time, almost sinister, but Eden tried to think that the evil nature of this girl's laughter was in her head. But when the girl spoke again, she convinced Eden and every other person in the RV, aside from Michael and Alex, who were still awestruck by her beauty, that there was something seriously wrong with her, and that she might not be as innocent as that childlike laugh lead them to believe.

"The skeptical ones are always the funnest to break."

She didn't laugh after saying it. All she did was grin, just as there was a near-deafening pop, and the car began spinning out of control.