Jaune Arc: Goosebumps Storyteller

by vanquish356

Jaune always did love telling stories, especially to his younger sisters. He even had a book filled with cheesy horror stories that his sisters loved. But after coming to Beacon, he thought he would never tell stories again. However, that wasn't the case when Ruby began asking him for stories, soon followed by Nora. Little did he know that this would cause a domino effect.

11. Chapter 11

Jaune Arc: Goosebumps Storyteller

Chapter 11: A Shocker on Shock Street

"Oh, Oum, Penny. You scared the crap out of me." Jaune said, smiling, as he tried to calm his racing heart down.

"How have I scared the crap out of you, Jaune? Did I accidentally cause you to have a bowel movement?" Penny asked, confused and curious. And even though everyone was still on edge, they all calmed down and chuckled at what Penny said. Even the Ghost Dog calmed down and decided to lie down and see how all this played out. However, it became curious when Zwei decided to lie down facing him.

"No. It was just an expression. It just meant that you scared me a lot." Jaune explained as Velvet helped him up.

"Jaune. Who is this?" Velvet asked, curious. But before he could answer, Ruby did.

"PENNY!" Ruby shouted before dashing over to Penny and hugging her.

"Salutations, friend Ruby." Penny said, returning the hug. But as Ruby expected, it was much tighter than it was supposed to be.

"Penny. Air." Ruby wheezed.

"Oops. Sorry, friend Ruby." Penny said as she let go of Ruby.

"Uh..." Coco began.

"Can someone fill us in on what's happening?" Yang asked, staring Penny down hard. She didn't know why, but she felt her big sister instincts kick in. Moreover, Yang didn't know if it was to protect Ruby or to tease her. But considering how close Ruby stood to Penny, she felt like it was the second option.

"And where are we?" Summer added. Yet, she smiled at the scene as she could tell her little reaper liked the new visitor.

"Right. This is Penny Poldenina. A good friend-" Jaune began.

"-A good friend of Friend Ruby and Friend Jaune." Penny interjected.

"Yes." Ruby chuckled while Jaune smiled. "Although, I am curious about how you know Penny, Jaune."

"I'll answer that in a moment." Jaune answered before turning to Summer. "As for... um... Sorry. What was your name again?"

"Summer Rose." Summer answered. "But you can just call me Summer."

"Okay, Summer. But to answer you're question. We are currently in Vale in the town of Ga-Metru. But more specifically, we are on-"

"Shocker Street." Two new voices answered. Startled, everyone turned to the door and saw two other people standing there. One was a short female with a round face, short black hair, and blue eyes. The other was a short male with a round face, short black hair, and blue eyes.

"Okay. I'm getting tired of asking this. But who are you two?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"Oh. Hey, Erin. Hey, Marty. Long time no see." Jaune said, smiling at his two other unique friends.

"Hey, Jaune." Marty said as he and Jaune shook hands.

"It's been too long." Erin said, pulling Jaune into a brief hug.

"Far too long. Even though it's only been two years." Jaune chuckled.

"Uh. Jaune." Ren said, getting his attention.

"Yes, Ren?"

"Can you please keep us all informed and even answer Summer Rose's question?"

"Yeah. We have no idea what's going on." Nora said.

"And while we don't mind a surprise here and there. We had enough to last a lifetime these past few days." Blake began.

"We don't need anymore, especially surprised that could endanger our lives like the Ghost Dog here. No offense." Weiss finished before quickly adding when the Ghost Dog looked at her. However, instead of growling, it smirked at her, almost as if it liked having others fear it.

"Is this the legendary Ghost Dog that lost its magical tooth and has been searching for it for hundreds of years?" Penny gasped.

"Yes. But-WAIT! DON'T GO NEAR IT!" Jaune began before shouting when Penny approached the Ghost Dog and somehow started petting it. Everyone was rightfully confused, especially the Ghost Dog. Yet, after a moment, it seemed to have sensed no evil coming from Penny and started to enjoy the affection she was giving it. However, everyone was still ready to save Penny in case the Ghost Dog decided to attack. But it seemed like that might not be the case.

"Well, um, you better get used to surprises since you're on Shock Street." Marty said before pointing to Penny. "Kind of like that."

"Don't worry, though. Unlike the Ghost Dog and some others, most creatures here are friendly." Erin assured.

"Are there any undead creatures, creatures of the night, or anything like that around here?" Pyrrha asked, confusing everyone.

"Um. Yeah. There are a few. There are three vampires and, I think, a wolfman living nearby." Erin answered. "But again, they are pretty friendly unless provoked."

"Alright."

"Anyway." Jaune said, mentally noting to ask Pyrrha why she asked that later. "Why are you guys here?"

"We noticed that it started raining despite the forecast saying there would be no rain until next week at least. And at least a month before any storms strong enough to knock out power would reach here. So when some houses suddenly lost power, we decided to check it out, see if anyone needed our help, and see what was causing it. Thankfully, everyone was okay." Marty answered.

"But then the rain stopped and started only on this house. So, we decided to check it out. And we're glad we did since the Ghost Dog is here." Erin added.

"Well, we did have a scare from the Ghost Dog. But we're alright now." Velvet said. "But out of curiosity, how many know about the Ghost Dog?"

"A lot of people and creatures know about the legend of the Ghost Dog and the story behind it.

"It's just that not many want to ever meet it face to face." Marty added.

"True. Not many would want to meet with a Ghost Dog face-to-face, especially with one that can perform wishes." Coco said.

"Anyway. We're all fine now. None of us are hurt. And I don't think the Ghost Dog will hurt us since he finally got his tooth back." Jaune said with the Ghost Dog showing its teeth to emphasize the point. Although, it struggled to do so since Penny was still petting it somehow.

"That's good. I would hate for anything to happen to my friends and their friends." Penny said, finally stopping and moving to stand next to Ruby.

"Thanks, Penny." Ruby said.

"But now that's out of the way. Can someone please tell us what's going on?" Yang asked, annoyed.

"And how you guys are not freaking out about a Ghost Dog or other creatures living here." Weiss added.

"And how you four know each other." Velvet added.

"Alright. But let's get comfy since this is also a bit of a story." Jaune said.

Ten Minutes Later

"Okay. So how do you four know each other?" Summer asked, smiling, as Ruby and Penny sat near each other. But they missed it as they watched Zwei try to play with the Ghost Dog, who seemed like it just wanted to be left alone so he could rest.

"I was thirteen at the time. We had just returned from a... vacation." Jaune began. "But because of problems with the bullhead, we had to land here. Luckily, my family already owned this house, so we didn't have to rent a hotel or motel room. But on the second day here, I decided to explore a bit and..."

"And we met after he fell for one of my pranks." Marty interjected, laughing, with Erin joining in a second later.

"Yeah. Marty got me good. Anyway, after shaking off the dust... and feathers, we got to know each other, hung out, and got along really well, although I was weirded out and confused by some of the looks and why others acted how they did. But it was on the third day that I discovered the reason why. And it was that Shocker Street was full of monsters living there. But surprisingly, Shocker Street started out as a theme park based on a not-so-well-known horror franchise called Shock Street."

"Really?" Velvet asked, surprised.

"Yup."

"Fox is asked if the franchise is still active?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"Nope. It went under a few months before the theme park was torn down." Marty answered.

"And that's because the creators died. And since it wasn't that popular or well-known, no other company wanted to pick it up. So, it just faded into obscurity." Erin added.

"Okay. That explains how you three know each other. But how long have you two been here?" Ren asked.

"And where are your parents?" Summer asked, becoming worried when Erin, Jaune, and Marty slightly tensed up.

"Um. That kind of goes with their story and how Shocker Street came about." Jaune answered.

"And it's quite complicated and confusing." Marty added.

"How so?" Summer asked.

"Well. Technically, we have A PARENT, but that is a bit of a stretch." Erin said.

"Okay. That is not vague at all." Weiss said.

"Yeah." Erin said before turning to Jaune. "Do you think we could show them?"

"Yes. You can show them." Jaune answered.

"Show us what, Jaune?" Velvet asked.

"This." Marty answered as he and Erin stood and did something they were not expecting. They pulled up their shirts to reveal their stomachs before grabbing their sides and pulling to show that the front was really a hatch cover. And underneath were hundreds of wires and panels.

"YOU TWO ARE ROBOTS!?" Everyone shouted, shocked.

"Yup." Erin said as they closed the hatch before adjusting their shirts and sitting back down.

"They are robots." Jaune said. "Well, androids, to be precise."

"So that's why you said it was complicated." Blake said.

"Yeah. We were created, not born." Erin said.

"So, did your creator program you two to act like normal kids?" Coco asked.

"Uh. That's also... complicated." Marty answered.

"But to be frank, we don't... really know. Our creator initially made us test the Shock Street rides to see how kids would like it. But along the way, we somehow started making our own memories, even though they were not real or accurate, like having a mother. Then it just snowballed from there." Erin added.

"We basically became our own person. And by that, we mean we started acting like we were alive this whole time."

"Well, you guys are, technically. But to keep it simple, Marty and Erin somehow gained sentience and eventually became living, despite being robots still." Jaune said. "And all this without having aura."

"What do you mean by not having aura, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, curious.

"Penny and I met here a year later. Her father was taking her on a vacation and decided here was a good place for some bonding time. We met a few days later and became fast friends. And I discovered that she is an android created by her father, who gave her life by somehow giving her a part of his aura."

"Is that true?" Ren asked.

"Yup. My father created me and gave me part of his aura. And I met Friend Jaune here when he was fourteen." Penny answered.

"Did you know about this, Ruby?" Yang asked.

"That Penny was an android." Summer added.

"Yup. I knew that Penny was a android for a while." Ruby answered. However, she blushed when Yang and Summer threw her knowing looks.

"But on the topic of robots/androids." Yatsuhashi began. "What happened to your creator?"

"And the rides." Nora asked.

"And what about the others who knew you two were robots? And those who helped with making and maintaining the theme park." Weiss added.

"We don't really know. He tried to fix us. And by fixing us, we mean he tried to make us emotionless robots again. But he failed. However, he didn't give up. He then went away to try and find something but never returned." Erin answered.

"We think he ended up in..." Marty began but slowed down when he saw Jaune shaking his head. Luckily, no one else caught it. "... a junkyard where he died somehow."

"A junkyard?" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Because we were just meant to test the rides, they only shelled out lien for decent parts when we were being made. But if anything breaks, they just use cheap replacements. And the junkyard just so happens to be one where he gets most of our parts." Erin half-lied. While they did lie about where he ended up, they weren't lying about how he used cheap junkyard parts to fix them.

"Are you still... how do I say this?" Summer began. "Are you still..."

"Using those junk parts." Marty finished.

"Yes. Are you still using the cheap replacements?"

"For a while, we did. However, after Penny and her father arrived, that changed."

"How so?" Weiss asked.

"Long story short, after we finished hanging out, we got damaged and needed some repairs. Pietro saw this, realized we were robots, and immediately fixed us up and gave us upgrades to boot. So, now we are more durable and don't have to worry about getting as damaged as easily." Erin explained.

"That was nice of him."

"It was." Marty said.

"But what about the others and rides?" Yang asked.

"They left since, without our creator, there was no one to sign their checks. The park soon fell into disarray and was abandoned shortly after. Then they used the scrap and material to build more homes on Shock Street, making it what it is now."

"But if you are talking about the monsters, well. They became sentient like us. And they live peacefully here as well." Erin added.

"So we don't have to worry about them attacking?" Coco asked.

"Nope. They are friendly as long as you don't provoke them." Marty answered.

"That's good."

"It is, despite not many people coming here." Erin said as she and Marty stood up. "Anyway. Now that everything has settled down and everyone is alright. Are you all going to stay or leave?"

"What time is it?" Ruby asked.

"It is currently 23:50." Penny answered.

"Huh?"

"11:50 at night." Weiss explained.

"Oh."

"Which means that even if the bullheads were operational, they would be closed for the night with only emergency bullheads operational. Great."

"What do you mean if they were operational?" Marty asked. However, instead of answering, everyone, minus Summer, pointed to the Ghost Dog, who seemed to smirk in his own way.

"Right." Erin and Marty said.

"Would it be okay if we stay the night here, Arc?" Coco asked.

"Of course. Although, some might have to share the beds or sleep on the couch." Jaune answered, missing the blush that formed on Velvet's face.

"Alright. Then we'll get going. It was nice seeing you, Jaune." Erin said.

"Wait." Weiss said.

"Yes?" Erin asked, turning to Weiss.

"Before you go. Can you tell us your story and the story about Shock Street?"

"Yeah. It sounds interesting." Ruby said.

"Which is an understatement." Yatsuhashi added.

"But not the strangest thing we have seen so far." Pyrrha said.

"Are you sure? It is late. And while we don't need sleep, all of you do." Erin asked.

"We're sure. Plus, we're all still a bit on edge with just escaping the Ghost Dog." Ren answered, with the others nodding. Marty and Erin looked at each other before turning to Jaune, who just shrugged. He was fine with so long as they didn't mention Horrorland or that cursed dummy.

"Alright." Marty said.

"But you all might want to use the bathroom and grab a snack or drink before we begin since it is a bit of a long story." Erin said. Nodding, everyone got up to use the bathroom or make some snacks. But everyone kept an eye on the Ghost Dog as they left the room. Yet, they slightly relaxed when they realized the Ghost Dog's attention was on Zwei and Penny.

Ten Minutes Later

"Alright. Let's begin." Marty said as everyone took their seats with their snacks and drinks. And everyone chuckled a bit when Zwei shared one of his treats with the Ghost Dog, who just tilted his head in confusion.

"Before you start." Summer began. "I have to ask. Are you two brother and sister?"

"No. We're best friends."

"But we spent so much time with each other that some people thought we were siblings." Erin added.

"Especially since you two argue and compete with each other just like siblings do." Jaune added, chuckling.

"I take it you grew up with siblings." Summer asked.

"Yup. have seven older sisters."

"Which we still have trouble believing." Ren said, with Pyrrha and Nora agreeing.

"It must have been chaotic." Summer said, remembering the times Yang and Ruby would bicker and mess with each other before Ozpin sent her on that mission that made her miss out on so many years.

"It must have. I mean, I could hardly stand Yang at times when we were growing up. With seven sisters, I would have lost my mind." Ruby said.

"Don't be like that, sis. You loved all my teasing. And I know you will have fun with all the teasing I will do to you in the future. I know I will." Yang said, earning an eye roll from the young reaper.

"Well, it was beyond chaotic. But I still wouldn't trade it for anything." Jaune said.

"Same." Yang and Ruby agreed, causing Summer to smile.

"Any other questions?" Marty asked.

"Or are we ready to start?" Erin asked.

"I would say that's it for now." Coco said.

"Alright. But don't hesitate to stop us if you have any other questions or want us to explain anything." Marty said, earning a nod from everyone.

"Okay. Our story starts a few years ago." Erin began. "We were in a semi-dark room. Marty was shaking like a leaf as he grabbed my sleeve. But he was grabbing it so tightly that he was starting to hurt me a bit."

Story

"Marty, please." I whispered, shaking my arm free. Yet, as I did, I tried my best not to make it seem like I was also scared. But I didn't want to admit it.

It was darker than the darkest night. I squinted hard, trying to see. And then a gray light glowed dimly in front of us. Despite the foggy light, I could still see the fear in Marty's eyes as he ducked. He grabbed my arm again as his mouth dropped open. I could hear him breathing hard and fast. And despite the fear coursing through my veins, I couldn't help but smile at seeing Marty so scared.

I really enjoyed it. I know, I know. That's terrible. I admit it. Erin Wright is a bad person. What kind of a friend am I? But Marty always brags that he is braver than me. And he is typically correct. He usually is the brave one, while I'm the wimp. But not today. That's why seeing Marty gasp in fright and grab my arm made me smile.

The gray light ahead of us slowly grew brighter. I heard crunching sounds rapidly approaching us from both sides. But Marty and I didn't turn around. We kept our eyes straight ahead.

Waiting. Watching. ...

As I squinted into the gray light, a long fence came into view. As it got closer, the more details we could make out. Its paint was faded and peeling. A hand-lettered sign appeared on the fence: DANGER. KEEP OUT. THIS MEANS YOU.

Marty and I both gasped when we heard the scraping sounds. They were soft at first but grew louder. It sounded like massive claws scraping against the other side of the fence. I tried to swallow, but my mouth suddenly felt dry. I had the urge to just turn and run as fast as possible.

But I couldn't leave Marty there all alone. And besides, if I ran away now, he would never let me forget it. He'd tease me about it forever. So I stayed beside him, listening as the scraping, clawing sounds turned into banging, followed by loud crashes.

Was someone trying to break through the fence?

We moved quickly along the fence. We picked up the pace with each pacing second, and soon, the fence became a gray blur from how fast we were running. But the sound followed us, with heavy footsteps coming from the other side. We stared straight ahead. We were on an empty but familiar street. Yes, we had been here before. The pavement was puddled with rainwater. The puddles glowed in the pale light from the street lamps.

I took a deep breath as Marty gripped my arm harder. Our mouths fell open when, to our horror, the fence began to shake. It shook so violently that the whole street started to rock. The rain puddles splashed against the curb as the footsteps thundered closer.

"Marty!" I gasped.

Before I could say another word, the fence crumbled to the ground, and the monster came bursting out. It had a head like a wolf - snapping jaws of gleaming white teeth - and a body like a giant crab. It swung four huge claws in front of it, clicking them at us as its snout pulled open in a throaty growl.

"NO000000!" Marty and I shouted as we jumped to our feet. But there was nowhere to run as the wolf crab crawled toward us.

"Please sit down, kids." Someone said from behind us. "I can't see the screen."

"Ssshhhh!" Someone else whispered.

Marty and I glanced at each other, feeling like jerks. Well, I know I did. We dropped back into our seats as we watched the wolf crab scamper across the street, chasing after a little boy on a tricycle.

"What's your problem, Erin?" Marty whispered, shaking his head. "It's only a movie. Why did you scream like that?"

"You screamed, too!" I retorted.

"I only screamed because you screamed!"

"Sssshhh!" Someone said, sounding annoyed.

I sank low in my seat. I heard crunching sounds all around me. People ate popcorn while someone coughed from behind me. On the screen, the wolf-crab reached out his big, red claws and grabbed the kid on the trike.

SNAP.

SNAP.

Good-bye, kid.

Some people in the theater laughed. It was pretty funny. That's the great thing about the Shocker on Shock Street movies. They make you scream and laugh at the same time. Marty and I sat back and enjoyed the rest of the movie. We love scary movies, but the Shock Street films are our favorites. In the end, the police caught the wolf crab. They boiled him in a big pot of water before serving him to the whole town, with everyone saying it was delicious as they dipped the crab in butter sauce.

It was the perfect ending. Marty and I clapped and cheered. Marty put two fingers in his mouth and whistled through his teeth the way he always does. We had just seen Shocker on Shock Street VI, and it was the best of the series. The theater lights came on. We got up, grabbed our trash, and made our way out of the theater.

"Great special effects." A man told his friend.

"Special effects?" The friend asked, smiling. "I thought it was all real!"

"Pretty good movie." Marty said, bumping me hard from behind. For some reason, he always thought it was funny when he tried to knock me over.

"Huh? Pretty good?" I asked, turning to him.

"Well, it wasn't scary enough. Actually, it was kind of babyish. Shocker V was a lot scarier."

"Marty, you screamed your head off. Remember?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "You jumped out of your seat. You grabbed my arm and-"

"I only did that because I saw how scared you were." Marty mocked, grinning.

What a liar! Why can't he ever admit it when he's scared? He stuck his foot out and tried to trip me. I dodged to the left, stumbled, and accidentally bumped into a young woman.

"Hey! Look out!" She shouted. "You twins should be more careful."

"We're not twins!" Marty and I simultaneously shouted.

We're not even brother and sister. We're not related in any way. But people always think that Marty and I are twins. I guess we do look a lot alike. We're both twelve years old. And we're both pretty short and kind of chubby. We both have round faces, short black hair, and blue eyes. And we both have little noses that sort of turn up. But we're not twins! We're only friends.

I apologized to the woman before turning back to Marty, who stuck his tongue out at me as he tried to trip me again. I stumbled but quickly caught my balance. Then I stuck out my shoe and tripped him. We kept tripping each other through the long lobby. People were staring at us, but we didn't care. We were laughing too hard.

"Do you know the coolest thing about this movie?" I asked.

"No. What?" Marty asked.

"That we're the first kids in the world to see it!"

"Yeah!" Marty and I agreed before high-fiving each other.

We had just seen Shocker on Shock Street VI at a special sneak preview. My dad works with a lot of movie people, and he got us tickets for it. Everyone else in the theater was an adult. Marty and I were the only kids.

"Know what else was really cool?" I asked. "The monsters. All of them. They looked so incredibly real. It didn't look like special effects at all."

"Well, I thought the Electric Eel Woman was pretty phony-looking. She didn't look like an eel - she looked like a big worm!" Marty said, sounding disappointed.

"Then why did you jump out of your seat when she shot a bolt of electricity and fried that gang of teenagers?"

"I didn't jump. You did!"

"Did not! You jumped because it looked so real. And I heard you choke when the Toxic Creep leaped out of the nuclear waste pit."

"I choked on a Milk Dud, that's all."

"You were scared, Marty, because it was so real."

"Hey. What if they are real?!" Marty asked. "What if it isn't special effects? What if they're all real monsters?"

"Don't be dumb."

We turned the corner into another hall where the wolf crab was waiting for us. I didn't even have time to scream. He opened his toothy jaws in a long wolf howl and wrapped two giant red claws around my waist. I opened my mouth to scream, but only a squeak came out. I heard people laughing.

The big claws slid off my waist, and I realized they were plastic. I saw two dark eyes staring out at me from behind the wolf mask. I should have known that it was a man in a costume. But I didn't expect him to be standing there.

I was surprised, that's all.

I blinked at a white flash of light. A man had just taken a picture of the creature. I saw a big red and yellow sign against the wall: SEE THE MOVIE - THEN PLAY THE GAME ONLINE.

"Sorry if I scared you." The man inside the wolf crab costume said softly.

"She scares easily!" Marty interjected. I gave a hard shove before leaving. Glancing back, I saw the creature waving his claw at us.

"We've got to go upstairs and see my dad." I said.

"Tell me something I don't know."

Marty thinks he's so funny. Dad's office is upstairs from the theater, on the twenty-ninth floor. We jogged to the elevators at the end of the hall and took one up. Dad has a really cool job. He builds theme parks. And he designs all kinds of rides.

Dad was one of the designers of Prehistoric Park. That's the big theme park where you go back to prehistoric times. It has all kinds of neat rides and shows and dozens of huge dinosaur robots wandering around. And Dad worked on the Fantasy Films Studio Tour. Everyone who comes to Hollywood goes on that tour.

Dad's idea was the part where you walk through a huge movie screen and find yourself in a world of movie characters. You can star in any kind of movie you want to be in!

I know it sounds as if I'm bragging, but Dad is brilliant, and he's an engineering genius! I think he is the world's expert on robots. He can build robots that will do anything! And he uses them in all his parks and studio tours. Marty and I stepped off the elevator on the twenty-ninth floor. We waved to the woman at the front desk. Then we hurried to Dad's office at the end of the hall.

It looks more like a playroom than an office. It's a massive room filled with toys and stuffed cartoon characters, movie posters, and models of monsters. Marty and I love to roam around the office, staring at all the neat stuff. On the walls, Dad has great posters from a dozen different movies. On a long table, he has a model of The Tumbler, the upside-down roller coaster he designed. The model has little cars that really screech around the tracks.

And he has a lot of cool stuff from Shock Street - like one of the original furry paws that Wolf Girl wore in Nightmare on Shock Street. He keeps it in a glass case on the windowsill. Dad has models of tramcars, little trains, planes, rockets, and even a big silver plastic blimp. It's radio-controlled, and he can make it float around and around his office.

What a great place! I always think of Dad's office as the happiest place in the world. But today, as Marty and I stepped inside, Dad didn't look too happy. He hunched over his desk with the telephone to his ear. His head was lowered, his eyes down. He kept a hand pressed against his forehead as he mumbled into the phone.

Dad and I don't look at all alike. I'm short and dark. He's tall and thin. And he has blond hair, although there's not much left of it. He's pretty bald. He has the kind of skin that turns red easily. His cheeks get real pink when he talks. And he wears big, round glasses with dark frames that hide his brown eyes. Marty and I stopped at the doorway. I don't think Dad saw us. He stared down at the desk. He had his tie pulled down and his shirt collar open. He muttered for a short while longer as Marty and I crept into the office. Finally, Dad set down the phone before looking up and seeing us.

"Oh, hi, you two." Dad said softly as his cheeks turned bright pink.

"Dad. What's wrong?" I asked. He sighed before pulling off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I have very bad news, Erin. Very bad news."

"Dad. What is it? What?" I asked, worried. But I realized I had been tricked when a grin slowly formed on his face.

"Gotcha!" Dad shouted, his brown eyes flashing gleefully. "Gotcha

again. You fall for that gag every time."

"Dad!" I let out an angry cry. Then I rushed up to the desk, wrapped my hands around his neck, and pretended to strangle him. We both collapsed against each other, laughing.

"Mr. Wright, that is so lame." Marty said, shaking his head. Dad struggled to slip his glasses back on.

"I'm sorry. You kids are just too easy to fool. I couldn't resist." Dad said, smiling. "Actually, I've got good news."

"Good news? Is this another joke?" I asked suspiciously. He shook his head as he picked up something from his desk.

"Check this out, guys. Do you know what this is?" Marty and I came closer to examine what Dad had in his hand. It was a little, white plastic vehicle with four wheels.

"Some kind of train car?" I guessed.

"It's a tramcar." Dad explained, pointing to the front of the model where the engine was. "See? People sit on long benches inside it. Here. It's motor-driven. "But do you know where this tramcar will be used?"

"Dad, we give up. Just tell us." I said impatiently. "Stop keeping us in suspense."

"Okay, okay. This is a model of the tram that will be used at the Shocker Studio Tour." Dad said as our mouths dropped open.

"Do you mean the tour is finally going to open?" I knew that Dad had

been working on it for years.

"Yes. We're finally about to open it to the public. But before we do, I want you two to test it out."

"Huh? You mean it?" I shrieked. I was so excited; I felt as if I'd burst out of my skin! I turned to Marty and saw that he was leaping up and down with both fists in the air.

"I built this whole tour, and I want you two to be the first kids in the world to go on it. I want to know your opinion. What you like and what you don't like."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Marty shouted. I honestly thought I would have to tie a rope around his waist to keep him from flying off because of how high he was leaping.

"Dad - the Shock Street movies are the best!" I said, excited. "This is awesome! Is the tour very scary?"

"I hope so." Dad said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I tried to make it as scary and real as I could. You get on the tram, and you ride through the whole movie studio. You get to meet all of the characters from the horror movies. And then the tram takes you on a slow ride down Shock Street."

"The real Shock Street?" Marty cried. "Do you mean it? We get to ride down the real street where they make the movies?"

"Yes. The real Shock Street."

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Marty shouted, pumping his fists into the air like a maniac.

"Awesome! Totally awesome!" I shouted. But I became confused when Marty suddenly stopped jumping, with his expression turning serious.

"Maybe Erin shouldn't go." He said, surprising me. "She gets too scared."

"Huh?" I cried, shocked and slightly annoyed.

"She was so scared during the movie sneak preview. I had to hold her hand." Marty said.

What a liar!

"Give me a break!" I shouted. "If anyone was a scaredy-cat wimp, it was you, Marty!"

"Calm down, guys." Dad said, raising his hands. "No arguing. You have to keep together. You know, you two will be the only ones on the tour tomorrow. The only ones."

"Yes!" Marty cheered happily. "Yes! Yes!"

"Wow! That's great! It's totally great. It's going to be the best!" I shouted ecstatically. But an idea came to my mind. "Can Mom come, too? I bet she would really enjoy it."

"Excuse me?" Dad asked, surprised, squinting at me. His whole face turned bright red. "What did you say?"

"I asked if Mom could come, too." I answered. Dad kept staring at me for a long time, studying me.

"Are you feeling okay, Erin?" Dad asked after a few tense moments.

"Yes. Fine." I suddenly felt very confused and upset. Had I done wrong? Was something wrong with Mom? Why was Dad staring at me like that?

Real World

"Wait." Ruby said.

"Yes?" Erin asked.

"So, all the Shocker on Shock Street movies were filmed here?"

"Yup. They were all filmed on this very street." Marty answered.

"Did people and/or creatures live here while those films were being shot?" Summer asked.

"And are they still here?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes, but not entirely. Only a few blocks had people/creatures living in them. But most of the 'normal' people packed up their stuff and left after the theme park was abandoned." Marty answered.

"And I think four or five of the creatures also moved but for different reasons." Erin added before quickly saying when she noticed the look Jaune sent her way. "Like being closer to work or finding a cheaper place to live. Or even being closer to family."

"And about two or three months after the stuff from the theme parks was used to build more homes, we saw the first wave of new creatures moving in."

"And it has become peaceful ever since."

"Any other questions, or shall we continue?" Marty asked.

"Yes. Two." Weiss answered.

"What are they?" Erin asked.

"First. Was that the first time you did something that your creator did not program you with?"

"I would say so.." Marty answered.

"At least as far as we can tell." Erin added.

"Okay."

"What's your other question?" Marty asked.

"Do you know what could have caused you to obtain those false memories? Like having a mother."

"Not... really." Erin said.

"Our creator said it was a problem with our chips that were somehow damaged." Marty said.

"But it has to be more than that since he failed to repair the chips. Not to mention, he said he didn't know what could have damaged the chips."

"So they could have come from anywhere?" Coco asked.

"Pretty much."

"Perhaps they could have come from a faulty motherboard or circuit board and made some memories go to another part, where it led to you thinking you have a mother." Penny suggested, confusing everyone.

"Um. What do you mean by that, Penny?" Ruby asked.

"Do you know what a black box is, Friend Ruby?"

"No." Ruby answered after racking her brain for an answer.

"Black boxes are essentially recorders. They are mainly used on planes to record the flight data. That way, if the plane crashes, they would have a good place to start on finding out what could have caused it to crash." Blake explained.

"Oh."

"Do androids have black boxes?" Nora asked

"Yes and no. We essentially have the same thing, but it's for robots and andoids." Marty answered.

"But how does that tie in with the memory thing?" Velvet asked, confused.

"Since we don't have a hippocampus like all of you do, we store our knowledge and memories in a storage drive. However, we all have a set of protocols or programs put in place that allow us to respond appropriately to a situation. Perhaps a glitch or faulty chip could have caused some of the newly acquired data to go to the protocols instead of the storage device. And with this new information, they could have adapted to how to respond with two parents instead of one. However, this is a bit of a stretch." Penny explained.

"Yeah. A bit of a stretch." Marty said.

"But it doesn't matter in the end since we are now our own people now. And we have free will to do what we want and create new memories." Erin added.

"True." Most of the others said.

"Like the memories that Ruby and..." Yang began but went quiet when Summer gave a warning glance.

"Behave, Yang." Summer warned.

"Anyway. Let's continue with the story." Marty said.

"Yeah. After I told our creator that I felt fine, he stared at me for a few moments before coming around the desk and placing his hands on my shoulders again. He then said he thought we would have a better time if we went to the theme park by ourselves." Erin continued.

Story

"Don't you agree?" Dad asked.

"Yeah. I guess." I answered. I still wondered why he was staring at me so suspiciously. But I decided not to ask him. I didn't want him to get angry or something and change his mind about us going on the tour.

"Do you mean you're not coming with us?" Marty asked. "We're really going by ourselves?"

"I want you to go by yourselves." Dad replied. "I think that will make it more exciting for you."

"I hope it's really scary!" Marty said, grinning at me.

"Don't worry." Dad assured with a strange smile spreading over his face. "You won't be disappointed."

The next afternoon, a gray haze hung in the air as Dad drove Marty and me to Shocker Studios. I sat up front with Dad, peering out the car window at the smog.

"It's so gloomy out." I murmured.

"Perfect for a horror movie tour." Marty interjected from the backseat.

Marty was so excited he could barely sit still. He kept bouncing his legs up and down and tapping his hands on the leather seat. I had never seen Marty so crazed. If he didn't have his seat belt to hold him down, he'd probably bounce right out of the car!

The car climbed up the Hollywood hills. The narrow road curved past redwood houses, and tree-filled yards cut into the sides of the hills. As we climbed, the sky turned even darker. It was almost as if we were driving up into a fog cloud. Far in the distance, I could see the HOLLYWOOD sign stretching in the haze across a dark peak.

"Hope it doesn't rain." I muttered, watching the fog roll over the sign.

"You know it never rains here in Ga-Metru!" Dad chuckled.

"Which monsters are we going to see?" Marty asked. "Is Shockro on the tour? Do we really get to walk on Shock Street?"

"Dad said as he carefully navigated the twisting and curving roads. "I don't want to spoil it for you. I want it all to be a surprise."

"I just wanted to know so I could warn Erin. I don't want her to get too scared. She might faint or something." Marty said, laughing. I let out a growl before turning around and trying to punch him. But I couldn't reach him. Marty leaned forward and messed up my hair with both hands.

"Get off me!" I screamed. "I'm warning you!"

"Take it easy, guys. We're here." Dad said.

We turned and stared out the windshield. The road had flattened out. Up ahead, an enormous sign proclaimed SHOCKER STUDIOS in scary, blood-red letters. We drove slowly up to the huge iron gates in the front. The gates were closed. A guard in a small black booth sat reading a newspaper. I glimpsed gold script letters above the gate. They spelled out one word: BEWARE.

Dad pulled right up to the gate, and the guard peered up. He gave Dad a big smile. Then the guard pressed a button, and the gates slowly swung open. Dad drove the car into the tall white parking garage beside the studio. He parked in the first space next to the entrance. The garage seemed to stretch on forever. But I could see only three or four other cars inside.

"When we open next week, this garage will be jammed!" Dad said. "There will be thousands of people here. I hope."

"And today, we're the only ones!" Marty cried excitedly, jumping out of the car.

"We're so lucky!" I agreed.

A few minutes later, we were standing on the platform outside the main building, facing a wide street, waiting for the tram to take us on the tour. The street led to dozens of white studio buildings spread out all the way down the hill.

"Those are the sound stages." Dad said, pointing to two enormous buildings. "They film a lot of movie scenes inside those buildings."

"Does the tour go inside them?" Marty demanded, jumping up and down. "Where is Shock Street? Where are the monsters? Are they making a movie now? Can we watch them making it?"

"Whoa!" Dad cried, placing his hands on Marty's shoulders as if to keep him from flying off the ground. I had never seen Marty so totally wired! "Take it easy, fella. You'll blow a fuse! You won't survive the tour!"

"Maybe we should put him on a leash." I said.

"Arf, arf!" Marty barked. Then he snapped his teeth at me, trying to bite me.

I rolled my eyes as I shivered. The fog rolled in from the hills. The air felt damp and cold. The sky darkened. Two men in business suits came zooming along the street in a golf cart. They were both talking at once. One of them waved to Dad.

"Can we ride in one of those carts?" Marty asked. "Can Erin and I each have our own cart?"

"No way." Dad answered. "You have to take the automated tram. And remember - stay in the tramcar. No matter what."

"You mean we can't walk on Shock Street?"

"Not allowed. You have to stay on the tram." Dad answered before turning to me.

"I'll be waiting for you here on the platform when you return. I want a full report. I want to know what you like and what you don't like. And don't worry if things don't work exactly right. There are still a few bugs to work out."

"Hey! Here comes the tram!" Marty cried, hopping up and down and pointing.

The tram came rolling silently around the corner. I counted six tramcars in all. They were shaped like rollercoaster cars, open on top - only much longer and wider. The cars were black. A grinning white skull was painted on the front of the first car. A young, red-haired woman wearing a black uniform was seated on the first bench in the front car. She waved to us as the tram rolled up to the platform. She was the only passenger. She hopped out as the tram stopped.

"Hi, I'm Linda. I'm your tour guide." She said, smiling at my dad as her red hair fluttered in the wind.

"Hello, Linda. Here are your first two victims." Dad said, smiling, as he shoved Marty and me forward. Linda laughed and asked us our names, which we told her.

"Can we ride in front?" Marty asked eagerly.

"Yes, of course," Linda replied. "You can sit anywhere you want. This whole ride is just for you."

"All right!" Marty cried as we high-fived each other.

"I think Marty is ready to begin." Dad said, laughing. Linda pushed her red hair out of her face.

"You can start right away, guys. But first, there's something I have to do." Linda said before leaning over the tramcar and tugging out a black canvas bag. Opening it, she pulled out a red plastic gun and gripped it tightly. It honestly looked like something from the Star Trek movies. But I became confused when her smile faded while her green eyes narrowed. "This is a Shocker Stun Ray Blaster. Be careful with these blasters, guys. They can freeze a monster in its tracks from twenty feet. Don't fire them unless you have to. I sure hope you don't have to."

"You're kidding - right? These are just toys - right?" I asked, chuckling as Linda handed it to me. But instead of answering, she pulled out another blasted and was about to give it to Marty but tripped on a cord.

"Ohh!" Linda let out a startled cry as the blaster went off in her hand. A loud buzz followed by a bright ray of yellow light, and before we knew it, Linda stood frozen on the platform.

"Linda! Linda!" I screamed as Marty's mouth dropped open. He let out a choked gurgle. I turned to Dad, and to my surprise, he was laughing.

"Dad - she's - she's frozen!" I cried. But when I turned back to Linda, she had a big smile on her face, too. It took us both a while, but we soon realized the whole thing was a joke.

"That's the first shock on the Shocker tour." Linda announced, lowering the red blaster. She put a hand on Marty's shoulder. "I think I really shocked you, Marty!"

"No way!" Marty insisted. "I knew it was a joke. I just played along."

"Come on, Marty!" I cried, rolling my eyes. "You nearly dropped your teeth!"

"Erin, I wasn't scared." Marty insisted sharply. "Really. I just went along with the joke. Do you really think I'd fall for a dumb plastic blaster gun?"

Marty is such a jerk. Why can't he ever admit it when he's scared?

"Climb in, you two. Let's get this show on the road." Dad said. Marty and I climbed into the front seat of the tram. I looked for a seat belt or a safety bar, but there wasn't one.

"Are you coming with us?" I asked Linda, causing her to shake her head.

"No. You're on your own. The tram moves automatically." Linda said, handing Marty his Stun Blaster. "Hope you don't need it."

"Yeah. Sure." Marty muttered, rolling his eyes. "This gun is so babyish."

"Remember. I'll meet you back here at the end of the ride." Dad said, waving. "Enjoy it. I want a full report."

"Don't get out of the tram. Keep your head and arms inside. And don't stand up while the tram is moving." Linda reminded us. She stepped on a blue button on the platform. The tram started up with a jolt. Marty and I were thrown back against the seat. Then, the tram rolled smoothly forward. "First stop is The Haunted House of Horror! Good luck!"

I turned back to see her waving to us, her long red hair fluttering in the wind. A strong breeze blew against us as the tram made its way down the hill. The sky was nearly as dark as night. Some of the white studio buildings were hidden by the fog.

"Stupid gun." Marty muttered, rolling it around in his hands. "Why do we need this plastic gun? I hope the whole tour isn't this babyish."

"I hope you don't complain all afternoon." I said, annoyed. "Do you realize how awesome this is? We're going to see all the great creatures from the Shocker movies."

"Think we'll see Shockro?" Shockro was his favorite monster. The only reason that I could think of was that Shockro was gross.

"Probably," I replied, my eyes on the low buildings we were passing. They all stood dark and empty. It was almost eerie.

"I want to see Wolf Boy and Wolf Girl." Marty said, counting the monsters off on his fingers. "And... the Piranha People, and Captain Sick, The Great Gopher Mutant, and -"

"Wow! Look!" I cried, pounding his shoulder and pointing.

As the tram turned a sharp corner, The Haunted House of Horror loomed darkly before us. The fog hid the tall, stone turrets as the rest of the mansion stood gray against the dusky sky. The tram took us nearer. Tall weeds, bending and swaying in the wind, choked the front lawn. The gray shingles on the house were chipped and peeling. A pale green light, a dim, eerie light, floated out from the tall window in front. As we rode closer, I could see a rusty iron porch swinging by itself on a broken, rotting porch.

"Cool!" I shouted.

"It looks a lot smaller than in the movie." Marty grumbled.

"It's exactly the same house!"

"Then why does it look so much smaller?"

What a complainer!

I turned away from him and studied The Haunted House. An iron fence surrounded the place. As we moved around to the side, the rusty gate swung open, squeaking and creaking.

"Look!" I pointed to the dark windows on the second floor. The shutters all flew open at once, then banged shut again. Lights came on in the windows. Through the window shades, I could see the silhouettes of skeletons hanging, swinging slowly back and forth.

"That's kind of cool. But not too scary." Marty said as he raised his plastic gun and pretended to shoot at the skeletons.

We circled The Haunted House of Horror once. We could hear screams of terror from inside. The shutters banged again and again. The porch swing continued to creak back and forth, back and forth, as if taken by a ghost.

"Are we going inside or not?" Marty demanded impatiently.

"Sit back and stop complaining," I said sharply. "The ride just started. Don't spoil it for me, okay?"

He stuck his tongue out at me. But he settled back against the seat. We heard a long howl and then a shrill scream of horror. The tram made its way silently to the back of the house. A gate swung open, and we rolled through it. We moved quickly through the overgrown, weed-choked backyard. The tram picked up speed. We bounced over the lawn as we approached the back door. A wooden sign above the door read: ABANDON ALL HOPE.

For a moment, I thought we were going to crash. I ducked and raised my hands to shield myself. But the door creaked open, and we burst inside. The tram slowed. I lowered my hands and sat up. We were in a dark, dust-covered kitchen. An invisible ghost cackled, an evil laugh. Battered pots and pans covered the wall. As we passed, they clattered to the floor. The oven door opened and closed by itself. The teapot on the stove started to whistle. Dishes on the shelves rattled. The cackling grew louder.

"This is pretty creepy." I whispered.

"Ooh. Thrills and chills!" Marty replied sarcastically. He crossed his arms in front of him. "Bor-ring!"

"Marty! Give me a break. You can be a bad sport if you want. But don't ruin it for me." I said as I shoved him away. That seemed to get to him.

"Sorry." Marty muttered as he scooted back next to me.

The tram moved out of the dark kitchen into an even darker hallway. Paintings of goblins and ugly creatures hung on the hallway walls. As we approached a closet door, it sprang open - and a shrieking skeleton popped out in front of us, its jaws open, its arms jutting out to grab us. I screamed while Marty laughed. The skeleton snapped back into the closet. The tram turned a corner. As we rode into a large, round room, I saw flickering light up ahead.

"It's the living room." I whispered to Marty.

I raised my eyes to the flickering light and saw a chandelier above our heads with a dozen burning candles. The tram stopped beneath it. The chandelier began to shake. Then, with a hiss, the candles all flickered out at once. The room plunged into darkness. Then, a deep laugh echoed all around us.

"Welcome to my humble home!" A deep voice suddenly boomed.

"Who is that?" I whispered to Marty. "Where is it coming from?"

No reply.

"Hey - Marty?" I turned to him. "Marty?"

He was gone.

Marty?"

My breath caught in my throat. I froze, staring into the darkness. Where did Marty go? He knows we aren't supposed to leave the tramcar. Did he climb out? No. If he had, I would have heard him.

"Marty?"

Someone grabbed my arm. I heard a soft laugh. It was Marty's laugh.

"Hey - where are you? I can't see you!" I asked.

"I can't see you, either." Marty answered. "But I didn't move. I'm still sitting right next to you."

"Huh?" I reached out and felt the sleeve of his shirt.

"This is cool! I'm waving my arms, but I can't see a thing. You really can't see me?"

"No. I thought-"

"It's some kind of trick with the lights. Blacklight or something. Some kind of neat movie special effect."

"Well, it creeped me out. I really thought you disappeared."

"Sucker." Marty mocked.

And then we both jumped.

A fire suddenly blazed in the big brick fireplace. Bright orange light filled the room. A big black armchair spun around to reveal a grinning skeleton. The skeleton raised its bony yellowed head. The jaws moved.

"I hope you like my house." Its voice boomed. "Because you will never leave!"

It tossed back its head and let out an evil cackle. The tram jolted to a start. We rumbled out of the living room into a long, dark hallway. The skeleton's laugh followed us into the hall. I fell back against the seat as we picked up speed. We whirred around a corner. Down another long hall, so dark I couldn't see the walls.

Faster. Faster.

We whipped around another corner and then another. We were climbing now. And then we took a sharp dip that made both of us throw up our hands and scream. Around another sharp turn. Up, up, up. And then we came crashing down. A wild rollercoaster ride in total darkness. It was awesome. And the fact that we didn't expect it made it even better. Marty and I screamed our heads off. We bumped hard against each other as the tram whirled around in the black halls of The Haunted House of Horror. Up, up, again - then we tilted sharply down. I hung on to the front of the car for dear life. I gripped it so hard that both hands ached. There was no seat belt or safety bar.

'What if we tumbled out?' I wondered.

The car tilted sharply sideways as if reading my frightened thoughts. I let out a shriek and lost my grip. I slid against the side of the car. Marty fell on top of me. I frantically reached out for something to hold on to. The car tilted back right side up. I took a deep breath and slid back into place on the long seat.

"Whoa! That was excellent!" Marty cried, laughing. "Excellent!"

Gripping the front of the car, I took another deep breath and held it. I was trying to slow my racing heart. A door swung open before us, and we burst through it. The car bounced hard. I saw trees and the gray-fogged sky. We were back outside, racing through the backyard. We were tossed from side to side as we roared over the weeds, zigzagging through the dark trees.

"Whoa! Stop!" I choked out.

I couldn't catch my breath. The wind blew hard against my face. The tram clattered and squealed as we bumped over the rough ground. We were out of control. Something had definitely gone wrong with the tram. Bouncing hard on the plastic seat, holding on tightly, I searched for someone who could help us. But there was no one in sight. We bumped onto the road. The tram started to slow. I turned to Marty. His hair was blown over his face. His mouth hung open. His eyes rolled around in his head. He was totally dazed. The tram slowed, slowed, slowed until we were creeping smoothly along.

"That was great!" Marty declared as he smoothed back his hair with both hands and grinned at me. I knew he had been scared, too. But he was pretending that he enjoyed the crazy, wild ride.

"Yeah. Great." I tried to pretend, too. But my voice came out weak and shaky.

"I'm going to tell your dad that the rollercoaster ride through the halls was the best!"

"It was kind of fun." I agreed. "And kind of scary."

"Hey. Where are we?"

The tram had come to a stop. I pulled myself up and peered around. We had parked between two rows of tall evergreen bushes. The bushes were slender, shaped like spears reaching up to the sky. Above us, the afternoon sun was trying to break through the fog. Rays of pale light beamed down from the gray sky. The tall, thin shadows of the bushes fell over our tramcar. Marty stood up and turned to the back of the tram.

"There's nothing around here." Marty said. "We're in the middle of nowhere. Why did we stop?"

"Do you think -?" I started. But I stopped talking when I saw the bush move. It wiggled. Then the bush next to it wiggled, too. But I felt a chill go down my spine when I saw two glowing red circles behind the bush. Swallowing hard, I grabbed Marty's sleeve and tugged it as more pairs of eyes appeared. "Marty. Marty. There's someone there."

More and more red, glowing eyes appeared all over the bushes. Then, from behind us, two dark claws appeared. And then rustling sounds. The bush tilted as a dark figure leaped out, followed by another.

Snarling. Growling.

I gasped. It was too late to run. We were surrounded by the ugly creatures. Snuffling, wheezing creatures staggered out from the bushes. They slowly reached for us as they climbed onto the tram.

"Ohhhhhh." I heard Marty shiver as we jumped to our feet. I started to back away. I thought maybe I could scramble out the other side of the car. But the snarling, growling monsters came at us from both sides.

"L-leave us alone!" I stammered.

A monster covered in tangled brown fur opened his jaws to reveal long, jagged rows of yellow teeth. His hot breath exploded in my face. He stepped closer. Then he swiped at me with a fat paw and uttered a menacing roar.

"Would you like an autograph?" The creature growled, surprising us.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Autographed photo?" He asked. He raised his furry paw again. He held a black-and-white snap-shot in it.

"Hey! You're Ape Face!" Marty shouted, recognizing the monster.

"Want a photo? This is the autographing part of the tour." Ape Face said, nodding.

"Yeah! Okay." Marty answered.

The big ape pulled a marker from behind his ear and bent to sign the photo for Marty. Now that my heartbeat was returning to normal, I began recognizing some other creatures. The guy covered in purple slime was The Toxic Wild Man. And I recognized Sweet Sue, the walking-talking baby doll with real hair you can brush. Sweet Sue was a mutant murderer from Mars. The frog-faced guy covered from head to toe with purple and brown warts was The Fabulous Frog, also known as The Toadinator. He starred in Pond Scum and Pond Scum II, two of the scariest movies ever made.

"Frog. Can I have your autograph?" I asked, walking up to him.

"Grrrbbit. Grrbit." He croaked and slipped a pen into his wart-covered hand. I leaned forward eagerly and watched him sign his photo. It was hard for him to write. The pen kept slipping in his slimy frog hands.

Marty and I collected a bunch of autographs. Then the creatures went snarling and wheezing back into the bushes. When they were gone, we both burst out laughing.

"That was so dumb!" I cried. "When I saw them creeping out from behind the bushes, I thought I'd have a cow! But it's kind of cool to get their autographs."

"It's just a bunch of actors in costumes." Marty sneered. "It's for babies."

"But... but they looked so real. It didn't look as if they were wearing costumes - did it? I mean, The Toadinator's hands were really slimy. And Ape Face's fur was so real. The masks were awesome. I couldn't tell they were masks." I stammered as I brushed the hair out of my eyes. "How do they get into those costumes? I didn't see any buttons or zippers or anything!"

"That's because they're movie costumes." Marty explained. "They're better than regular costumes."

Mr. Know-It-All.

The tram started to back out. I settled down into the seat. I watched the two rows of evergreen bushes fade into the distance. Down the long, sloping hill, I could see the white studio buildings. I wondered if they were making a movie on one of the sound stages and if the tram would take us to watch them shoot. I could see two golf carts moving along the road. They were carrying people down to the soundstage buildings. The sun still struggled to shine through the fog as the tram bounced over the hill.

"Whoa!" I cried out as we turned sharply and headed back toward the trees.

"Please remain in the car at all times." A woman's voice burst from a speaker in the tram car. "Your next stop will be The Cave of The Living Creeps."

"The Cave of The Living Creeps? Wow! That sounds scary!" Marty said.

"Sure does!" I agreed.

We had no idea just how scary it would turn out to be. The tram zigzagged its way through the trees. Their shadows rolled over us like dark ghosts. We moved so silently. I tried to imagine what the ride would be like if the tram was packed with excited kids and adults. I decided it would be a lot less scary with a crowd. But I wasn't complaining. Marty and I were really lucky to be the first kids ever to try out this ride.

"Wow!" Marty grabbed my arm as The Cave of The Living Creeps loomed before us.

The mouth of the cave was a huge dark hole cut into the side of the hill. I could see pale, silvery light flickering past the entrance. The tram slowed down as we approached the dark opening. A sign above the entrance had one word carved roughly into it: FAREWELL.

"Hey!" I cried, ducking as the tramcar suddenly lurched forward. What a tight squeeze! As we entered, all that illuminated us was a dim, flickering light. The air instantly grew colder. And damp. A sour, earthy smell rose to my nostrils, making me gag.

"Bats! What do you think, Erin? Think there are bats in here?" Marty whispered into my ear, knowing I hated bats.

I know, I know. Bats aren't really evil creatures. And they aren't dangerous. Bats eat mosquitoes and other insects. And they don't attack people or get tangled in your hair or try to suck your blood. That's only in movies. I know all that. But I don't care. Bats are ugly and, creepy and disgusting. And I hate them. One day, I told Marty how much I hate bats. And so he's been teasing me about them ever since.

'I regret telling him that.' I thought as the tram moved deeper into the cave. The air grew colder. The sour aroma nearly choked me.

"Look! Over there!" Marty screamed. "A vampire bat!"

"Huh? Where?" I couldn't help myself. I cried out in alarm. Of course, it was one of Marty's dumb jokes. He laughed like a maniac. I growled at him and punched him hard on the shoulder. "You're not funny. You're just dumb."

"I'll bet there are bats in this cave." Marty said, laughing his butt off. "You can't go into a deep, dark cave like this one without seeing bats."

I turned away from his grinning face and listened hard. I was listening for the sound of fluttering batwings. I didn't hear any. The cave narrowed. The walls seemed to close in on us. The side of the car scraped against the dirt wall. I could feel that we were heading down. In the dim, silvery light, I saw a long row of pointy icicle-type things hanging down from the cave ceiling. I know they have a name, but I can never remember which one it is. Is it stalagmites or stalactites? I ducked my head again as the tram shot under them. Up close, they looked like pointed elephant tusks.

"We're getting closer to the bats!" Marty teased. I ignored him. I kept my eyes straight ahead. The cave grew wide again. Dark shadows shifted and danced over the walls as we rolled past.

"Ohhh." I said as I felt something cold and slimy drop onto the back of my neck. I jerked away and turned sharply to Marty. "Cut it out! Get your cold hands off me!"

"Who - me?" He asked, confused. He wasn't touching me. Both of his hands gripped the front of the car. Then what was on the back of my neck? So cold and wet. Icy wet. I shuddered. My whole body shook.

"M-Marty! H-help!" I stammered. Marty stared at me, confused.

"Erin - what's your problem?"

"The back of my neck."

I could feel the cold, wet thing start to move. I decided not to wait for Marty to help me. I reached back and pulled it off. It felt sticky and cold between my fingers. It slithered and wriggled, and I dropped it on the seat.

A worm!

A huge, long white worm. So cold, so wet and cold!

"Weird!" Marty exclaimed. He leaned close to examine it. "I've never seen a worm that big! And it's white."

"It-it dropped from the ceiling." I said, watching it wiggle next to me. "It's ice-cold."

"Huh? Let me touch it." Marty said. He raised his hand and slowly lowered his pointer finger to the worm. His finger poked the worm in its middle. And then Marty opened his mouth in a scream of horror that echoed through the cave.

Real World

"Wait. So, the theme park was at a studio?" Yang asked.

"I thought it was here?" Nora asked, confused.

"Well, yes and no." Marty answered.

"Remember, streets can be pretty long. And a good portion of it ran through the studio." Erin added.

"But the best and main rides were located on this street."

"Exactly eight miles and fourteen attractions. Seven were rides, four were haunted houses, and three were performances." Penny said.

"Um. How do you know that?" Coco asked.

"I have all the data regarding Shock Street, the events that happened here, and the people who currently live here. I downloaded it from one of the few remaining computers that were being transported to Jaune's hometown, Artakha." Penny explained.

"Artakha?" Everyone else asked, confused.

"The native name for my hometown. We don't know the name of the language, but it roughly translates to 'The Great Refuge.'" Jaune explained.

"Which is fitting, considering a lot of creatures go there for safety and to escape." Erin said.

"Escape from what?" Ruby asked.

"Most creatures are friendly." Jaune said before pointing to the Ghost Dog that fell asleep. "But some, as you can see with the Ghost Dog, are not so friendly."

"And most creatures just want to be left alone, so they move to safe places like Jaune's hometown." Erin said.

"And others are escaping from others." Marty added, careful not to say who or what. "Or are simply escaping their past."

"So kind of like Menagerie in a sense." Blake said.

"In a sense." Jaune agreed.

"But what of Linda and the others like her?" Ren asked. "Were they people, creatures, or andoids?"

"Oh. Linda left a few days after our creator failed to 'repair us.' And she was a human. But we don't know where she went." Erin answered.

"As for the others, they were also human. But they left soon after since they were no longer getting paid. But before you ask, no. They didn't know what was happening behind the scenes." Marty added.

"Does that include the monsters that were a part of the tour/ride?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"No. All except two were also androids. And those two left as well, but for different reasons, which were better-paying jobs." Erin answered.

"What about the studio? Is it still there?" Weiss asked.

"Or was it torn down?" Velvet asked.

"It was torn down and converted into a massive mall that has basically everything in it." Marty answered.

"Including for creatures like wolves, vampires, etc.?" Pyrrha asked, curious.

"Yup. They even have things that can stop werewolves from transforming at inopportune times."

"They also sell things that let vampires keep their powers despite being in direct sunlight. And special clothes for other creatures. And that's just the tip of the iceberg." Erin added.

"But anyone can enter, right?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yup. Anyone can enter. Although, there is something that will, in a sense, scan you to see if you're a normal human, faunus, or something else." Marty answered.

"Okay."

"Anyway. Let's continue with the story. After Marty screamed, I asked him what was wrong. But he couldn't say anything as his eyes bulged out of his head while his tongue hung out of his mouth. But after a moment, he finally answered." Erin said.

Story

"Yuck!" I cried. His worm was nearly as long as a shoelace!

We both tossed our worms out of the tram. But then I felt a soft, damp plop on my shoulder. And then a cold plop on top of my head. Another on my forehead, like a cold slap.

"Ohhh - help!" I said as I started thrashing my arms, grabbing the worms, struggling to pull them off me. "Marty - please!"

I turned to him for help. But he was battling them, too, twisting and ducking, trying to dodge, as more and more white worms fell from the ceiling. I saw one fall on his shoulder and another wrap itself around his ear. As fast as I could, I pulled the sticky, wet creatures off me and tossed them over the side of the slow-rolling tram. I wondered where they were all coming from. I glanced up, and a fat, wet one fell over my eyes.

"YUCK!" I shouted before grabbing the worm and throwing it away.

The tram turned sharply, sending us both sliding over the seat. The cave narrowed again as we entered a different tunnel. The silvery light glowed dimly around us as we bounced forward. Two white worms, each at least a foot long, wriggled across my lap. I tugged them off and heaved them over the tram. Breathing hard, I searched for more. My whole body itched. The back of my neck tingled. I couldn't stop shaking.

"They stopped falling." Marty said in a shaky voice.

Then why did I still itch? I rubbed the back of my neck as I stood up and searched the seat, then the floor. I found one last worm, climbing over my shoe. I kicked it away, then dropped back onto the seat with a loud sigh.

"That was totally gross!" I wailed.

"I guess that's why they call it The Cave of The Living Creeps." Marty said, combing his hair with his fingers.

"Those disgusting white worms - do you think they were alive?" I asked, shivering. Even though the worms were gone, I could still feel them.

"Of course not. They were fakes." Marty said, shaking his head. "I guess they fooled you, huh?"

"They sure felt real. And the way they wriggled around-"

"They were robots or something. Everything here is fake. It has to be."

"I'm not so sure." I said, my whole body still itchy and tingling.

"Well, just ask your father." Marty said, annoyed.

I had to laugh. I knew why Marty was suddenly so grouchy. Whether the worms were real or fake, they had scared him. And he knew that I knew that he had been frightened.

"I don't think little kids will like the worms. I think they'll get too scared. I'm going to tell your dad that." Marty said.

I was about to reply but stopped when I felt something drop all over me. Something scratchy and dry. It covered my face, my shoulders - my entire body. I shot both hands up and tried to push it away. I thought that it was some kind of net. I grabbed at it, desperate to get it off my face. As I struggled to remove it, I turned and saw Marty squirming as he tried to do the same. The tram bounced through the dim cave tunnel. The sticky net felt like cotton candy on my skin.

"It - it's a big spiderweb!" Marty said. I tugged and grabbed and pulled. But the sticky threads clung to my face, arms, and clothes.

"Yuck! This is so gross!" I choked out. And then I saw the black dots scurrying through the net. It took me a few seconds to realize what they were. Spiders! Hundreds of them! "Ohhhh."

I batted the spiderweb with both hands. I rubbed my cheeks frantically, trying to scrape away the sticky threads. I pulled a spider off my forehead and another one off the shoulder of my T-shirt.

"The spiders - they're in my hair!" Marty shouted.

Marty suddenly forgot about acting cool. He began raking his hair with both hands, slapping himself in the head, pinching and swiping at the spiders. As the tram rolled silently on, we both twisted and squirmed, struggling to flick away the black spiders. I pulled three of them out of my hair. Then I felt one climb into my nose! I opened my mouth in a horrified scream - and sneezed it out. Marty plucked a spider off my neck and sent it soaring through the air. But the last spider, I couldn't feel or see anymore. We both dropped down in the seat, breathing hard. My heart pounded in my chest.

"Still think everything is a fake?" I asked.

"I-I don't know." He answered. "The spiders could be puppets, maybe. You know. Radio-controlled."

"They were real! Face it, Marty! They were real! This is The Cave of The Living Creeps - and they were living!"

"You really think so?" Marty asked, eyes going wide.

"They had to be real spiders." I said, nodding.

"That's so cool! Real spiders! That is totally cool!"

I let out a long sigh and slumped lower in the seat. I didn't think it was cool at all. I thought it was creepy and disgusting. These rides are supposed to be fake. That's what makes them fun. I decided to tell my dad that the worms and spiders were too scary. He should get rid of them before the studio tour opens to the public. I crossed my arms in front of me and kept my eyes straight ahead. I wondered what we would run into next. I hoped there weren't any other disgusting insects waiting to fall on us and climb all over our faces and bodies.

"I think I hear the bats!" Marty teased, leaning close to me, grinning. "Hear those fluttering sounds? Giant vampire bats!"

"When do we get out of this cave?" I asked impatiently as I shoved him back to his seat. I wasn't in the mood for joking around. "This isn't any fun."

"I think it's cool. I like exploring caves."

The narrow tunnel opened into a wide cavern. The ceiling appeared to be a mile high. There were giant rocks scattered over the cavern floor. Rocks piled on rocks. There were rocks everywhere. Somewhere ahead of us, I heard water dripping.

Plunk! Plunk! Plunk!

"Now what?" I whispered as eerie green light glowed from the cave walls. The tram pulled up to the back wall and then stopped. Marty and I turned in our seats, letting our eyes explore the huge cavern. All I could see were rocks: Smooth rocks, some round, some square.

Plunk! Plunk! Plunk!

"This is kind of boring." Marty murmured as water dripped somewhere to our right. The air suddenly felt cold and damp."When do we get going?"

"I don't know. Why did we stop here? It's just a big empty cave." I answered, shrugging. We waited for the tram to back up and take us out of there.

And we waited.

And we waited.

And we waited.

Then we waited some more.

A few moments went by. Then, another few minutes. We both turned around and got up on our knees, peering at the back of the tram. Nothing moved. We listened to the steady drip of water echoing off the high stone walls. But aside from that, there were no other sounds.

"Hey - can anybody hear us?" I shouted while cupping my hands around my mouth.

No reply.

"Can anybody hear us?" I tried again. "I think we're stuck here!"

Nothing.

Just the steady drip drip drip of water.

We waited, squinting hard into the glow of green light. Why wouldn't the tram get moving? Did it break down? Were we really stuck here?

"What's up with this tram? Do you think we're - HEY!" I asked before gasping when I realized the seat next to me was empty. I reached both hands out to try and grab Marty. But there was nothing. Was it Another lighting trick? Another optical illusion? "Marty? Hey - Marty?"

I felt a cold shiver go down my spine when realization hit me like a speeding truck. Marty was really gone this time. I was all alone in this creepy, unsettling place.

"Marty?" I asked before a scraping sound caused me to jump. I spun around and saw Marty grinning at me from the cave floor.

"Gotcha." Marty said, smirking.

"You creep!" I shouted, swinging my fist at him. But Marty effortlessly dodged out of the way, laughing all the while. "You're The Living Creep! You deliberately tried to scare me."

"It isn't too hard a job!" He said. But his smile faded a second later. "I climbed down to check things out."

"But the tram might start up any second! You know what that tour guide told us. She said we should never leave the tram."

"Yeah, I know. But I think the tram is stuck or something. Maybe it came off its tracks." Marty said as he kneeled and examined the tires. He raised his eyes to me and shook his head fretfully. "But there aren't any tracks."

"Marty - get back in. If it starts up and leaves you standing there-" I pleaded but stopped when Marty grabbed the side of the car with both hands and shook it. The tramcar bounced on its tires. But it didn't move.

"I think it broke down." Marty said softly. "Your father said that some things might not work."

"You mean we're stranded here? All by ourselves in this creepy cave?" I asked, fear and dread creeping into my heart.

Marty stepped to the front of the car and squeezed between the tram and the cave wall. Then he tried to push the tram back, shoving with both hands as hard as he could. But it wouldn't budge.

"Oh, wow. This is horrible. This isn't any fun at all." I said, shaking my head. Breathing out, I got back on my knees and tried to get someone's attention again. "Is anybody in here? Does anybody work here? The tram is stuck!"

Plunk! Plunk! Plunk!

The dripping water was my only reply.

"Can somebody help us?" I shouted. "Please! Can somebody help?"

No answer.

"Now what?" I asked. Marty was still shoving against the front of the tram with all his might. He gave one last hard push, then gave up with a sigh.

"You'd better climb down." Marty said. "We have to walk."

"Huh? Walk? In this creepy dark cave? No way, Marty!"

"You're not afraid - are you, Erin?" Marty said, walking to my side of the car.

"Yes, I am. A little." I answered, glancing around the massive, dark cave. "I don't see any exits. We'd have to walk back through those tunnels. With all the spiders and worms and everything."

"We can find a way out." Marty insisted. "There's got to be a door somewhere. They always build emergency exits in these theme park rides."

"I think we should stay in the tram." I said uncertainly. "If we stay here and wait, someone will come and find us."

"It could take days." Marty said. "Come on, Erin. I'm going to walk. Are you coming with me?"

"No way. I'm staying here." I insisted, crossing my arms. I knew he wouldn't go off by himself. I knew he wouldn't go unless I joined him.

"Well. Bye then." Marty said. He turned and started walking quickly across the cave floor.

"Hey, Marty?"

"Bye. I'm not waiting here all day. See you later." He was really leaving! He was leaving me alone in the stalled tram, in the scary cave.

"But, Marty - wait!"

"Are you coming or not, Erin?" Marty impatiently asked.

"Okay, okay." I murmured. I saw that I had no choice. I climbed over the side of the tram and dropped to the cave floor. The dirt was smooth and damp. I started walking slowly toward Marty.

"Hurry it up. Let's get out of here." Marty called. He was walking backward now, motioning for me to catch up to him. But I stopped, and my mouth dropped open in horror. "Don't look at me like that! Don't stare at me as if I'm doing something wrong!"

But I wasn't staring at Marty.

I was staring at the thing creeping up behind Marty!

"Th . . . uh . . . uh . . . " I struggled to warn Marty, but only frightened grunts escaped my throat. He kept backing up, backing right into the enormous creature.

"Erin, get a move on. What's your problem?" Marty demanded.

"Uh... uh... uh..." I finally managed to point.

"Huh?" Marty spun around and saw it, too. He immediately screamed before running back to me. "Whoa! What is that thing?"

At first, I thought it was some kind of machine. It looked like one of those tall steel cranes you see on construction sites. All silvery and metallic. But as it rose up on its wire-thin back legs, I saw that it was alive! It had round black eyes the size of billiard balls. They spun wildly in their skinny silver skulls. Two slender antennae bobbed at the top of the head. Its mouth appeared soft and mushy. A gray tongue darted out between long, bristly whiskers. Its long body stretched back like a folded-un leaf. As it stood, it waved its front legs, short white sticks.

The whole creature looked like some kind of gross stick figure. Its long back legs bent and sprang forward, bent then sprang forward. The thick tongue swung from side to side. The black eyes stopped whirling and focused on me.

"Is it - is it a grasshopper?" I choked out.

Marty and I had both backed up to the tram. Waving its stick arms, the creature sprang closer, its antennae circling slowly on top of its head. Marty and I pressed our backs against the cold cave wall. We couldn't move back any farther.

"I think it's a praying mantis," Marty said, staring up at it.

The insect had to be at least three times as tall as us. As it moved forward, its head nearly scraped the cave ceiling. The tongue licked its soft, mushy mouth. The mouth puckered and made loud sucking sounds. My stomach lurched. The sound was so sick! The round black eyes stared down at Marty and me. The giant praying mantis, its body shining like aluminum, took another hopping step toward us. It started to lower its head.

"Wh-what's it going to do?" I stammered, pressing my back hard against the cave wall. To my surprise, Marty suddenly started to laugh. I turned to him and grabbed his shoulder. Was he totally losing it? "Marty - are you okay?"

"Of course!" Marty answered. He pulled away from me and took a step toward the towering insect. "Why should we be scared, Erin? It's a big robot. It's programmed to walk up to the tram."

"Huh? But, Marty-"

"It's all on a computer. It isn't real. It's part of the ride."

"It's... uh... really lifelike." I murmured, staring up at the creature. Big drops of saliva rolled off its fat tongue and hit the cave floor with a splat.

"Your dad is a genius at this stuff!" Marty shouted. "We'll have to tell him what a good job he did on the praying mantis. Your dad said there were still some bugs, remember? This must be one of them!"

The insect rubbed its front legs together. It made a shrill whistling sound. I covered my ears. The high-pitched note made my ears ache! I was still holding my ears as a second giant praying mantis hopped out from behind a tall rock.

"Look! Another one!" Marty cried, pointing as he tugged my arm. "Wow. They move so smoothly. You can't even tell that they're machines."

The two silvery insects chittered at each other, a sharp, shrill, metallic sound. Their black eyes twirled. Their antennae rotated rapidly, excitedly. Gobs of saliva rolled off their tongues and splattered to the floor. The second one flashed silvery wings on its back, then quickly closed them up again.

"Great-looking robots! We'd better get back in the tram. It'll probably start up again now that we've seen these giant bugs." Marty said, turning to me. The two insects chittered to each other. They hopped closer, their sticklike legs springing hard, bouncing off the smooth cave floor.

"I hope you're right. Those insects are too real. I want to get out of here!" I said as we headed to the tramcar. The first mantis leaped forward quickly. It hopped between us and the tram, blocking our path. We tried to go around it, but it took a big hop to stay in front of us. "Hey! It - it won't let us pass!"

The big creature suddenly swung down and slammed its head against my chest, sending me to the floor.

"Hey! Stop that!" Marty shouted as he helped me up. "That machine must be broken!"

Its black eyes glowing, the mantis lowered its head again and gave me another hard push toward the center of the cave. Its partner moved quickly to trap Marty. It lowered its body and prepared to head-butt Marty. But Marty promptly backed away, raising his hands in front of him like a shield. He hurried to join me. I heard scraping sounds, shrill chirps, and chittering.

I spun around to discover two more huge, ugly mantises climbing out from behind rocks. Then two more, their antennae twisting excitedly. Their fat gray tongues rolled around their open mouths. Marty and I huddled together in the middle of the cavern as the creatures hopped and scraped around us. Then they rose up high on their hind legs, their black eyes gleaming, their short stick arms waving.

"We - we're surrounded!" I cried.

The giant insects all began chittering at once. They scraped their front legs together excitedly. The shrill whistle rose through the cave, echoing off the stone walls. They formed a circle around us, leaning back on their spindly hind legs as they moved closer, tightening the circle. Their tongues whipped back and forth as thick gobs of mantis saliva hit the floor.

"They're out of control!" Marty shrieked.

"What are they going to do to us?" I cried, covering my ears against their excited chirps and the deafening whistle.

"Maybe they are voice-controlled." Marty shouted. He tilted back his head and shouted up at them: "Stop! Stop!"

They didn't stop. One of them tilted its silvery head, opened its ugly mouth wide, and spit out a black gob. It splattered onto Marty's sneaker. He jumped back. His sneaker stuck to the floor. He struggled to tug it free.

"Yuck! Watch out!" Marty shouted. "That black stuff - it's like glue!"

THOOOM!

Another mantis opened its mouth wide and spat out a big black gob of sticky goo. It splotched the shoulder of my T-shirt.

"Oww!" I wailed.

It was so hot that it burned me right through my shirt. The others chittered shrilly and scraped their hairy stick arms. Their tongues darting back and forth, they began to lower their heads to us.

"The stun guns!" I cried, grabbing Marty's arm. "Maybe the guns will work against these bugs!"

"Those guns are only toys!" he wailed.

THUPPP!

Another black gob missed Marty's foot by inches.

"Besides, the guns are in the tram." Marty continued, staring up at the ugly creatures. "No way they'll let us get to the tram."

"Then what are we going to do?" I cried. As I asked the question, an idea flashed into my mind. "Marty. How do you normally get rid of bugs?"

"Huh? Erin, what are you talking about?"

"You step on them, right? Don't you usually step on them?"

"But, Erin. These bugs are big enough to step on us!"

"It's worth a try!"

I raised my foot and tromped as hard as I could on the foot of the nearest mantis. The giant insect let out a shrill hiss and hopped backward. Beside me, Marty stomped on another insect, bringing the heel of his sneaker down hard on its spindly foot. That creature fell back, too, raising its head in a shrill hiss of pain. Its eyes spun wildly. Its antennae shot straight up. I stomped down hard again. With a hoarse choking sound, the big mantis fell onto its side. All four stick legs thrashed in the air.

"Let's go!" I shouted.

I turned and burst through the circle of insects. I didn't know where to run. I only knew I had to get away. The cave erupted in hisses and shrill whistles, angry chittering, and croaks. I glimpsed at Marty, who lurched after me.

I ignored the echoing, ringing sounds and ran to the tram. Leaning over the side, I grabbed both plastic stun guns. Then I pushed away from the tram and hurtled along the stone cave wall. Where could I go? How could I escape? The chittering and hissing grew louder, more frantic. The tall shadows of the giant insects danced on the wall as I ran. I had the feeling that the shadows could reach out and grab me.

I glanced back. Marty came running behind me at full speed. The mantises were hopping, scrabbling, limping across the dirt floor after us. Where to run? Where?

And then I saw the narrow opening in the cave wall. Just a crack, really. But I dove for it, slipped into it, and squeezed myself into the dark hole between the stone. After a moment, I burst out the other side and into the misty daylight.

Outside!

I could see trees tilting down the hill. The road that led down to the studio buildings. Yes! Outside! I made it! I felt so happy. So safe. But I didn't have long to enjoy the feeling. As I started to catch my breath, I heard Marty's terrified cry: "Erin - help! Help! They got me! They're eating me!"

With a gasp, I spun around. How could I help Marty? How could I get him out of the cave? To my surprise, he was leaning against the cave wall, one elbow against the rock; his legs crossed with a big grin on his round face.

"April Fools." Marty said.

"YAAAIIIII!" I let out an angry scream. Then I dropped the two plastic pistols and rushed at him, ready to pound him with my fists. But he dodged each of my attacks. "You jerk! You scared me to death! Don't play any more dumb jokes like that! This place is too scary! Those big insects-"

"Yeah. They were scary." Marty agreed, his smile fading. "They were so real! How do you think they made them spit like that?"

"I don't know." I muttered, shaking my head.

I had a heavy feeling in my stomach. I knew it was a crazy idea. But I was beginning to think these creatures we were seeing were real. Maybe I've seen too many scary movies. But the big praying mantises, the white worms, and all the other creatures and monsters really seemed to be alive. They didn't move like mechanical creatures. They appeared to breathe. And their eyes focused on Marty and me as if they could really see us. I wanted to tell Marty what I was thinking. But I knew he would only laugh at me.

He was so sure that they were all robots and that we were seeing some awesome movie special effects. Of course, that made sense. We were on a movie studio tour, after all. I hoped Marty was right. I hoped it was all tricks. Movie magic. My dad was a genius when it came to designing mechanical creatures and building theme park rides. And maybe that's all we were seeing. Maybe Dad had really outdone himself this time. But the heavy feeling in my stomach wouldn't go away. I had the feeling that we were in danger. Real danger.

I had the feeling that something had gone wrong here. That something was out of control. I suddenly wished we weren't the first two kids to try out the tour. I knew it was supposed to be a thrill to be the only ones here. But it was too quiet. Too empty. Too scary. It would be so much more fun if hundreds of other people were along with us.

I wanted to tell Marty all this. But how could I? He was so eager to prove that he was braver than me. So eager to prove that he wasn't afraid of anything. I couldn't tell him what I was really thinking. I picked up the two plastic stun guns and handed him one. I didn't want to carry them both. He tucked the barrel of his gun into his jeans pocket.

"Hey, Erin - look where we are!" Marty cried. He jogged past me, his eyes straight ahead. "Check it out!"

He started running across the grass. I turned and started to follow him. I didn't want him to get too far ahead. The sky had darkened. The sun had disappeared behind a heavy blanket of clouds. Wisps of gray fog hung low in the cool air. It was nearly evening. We crossed the road and stepped into a town. I mean, it was a movie set of a town. A small town with low, one- and two-story buildings, small shops, a country-looking general store. Big, old houses in the block beyond the stores.

"Do you think this is a set they really use in the movies?" I asked, hurrying to catch up to Marty.

"Don't you recognize it? Don't you know where you are?" Marty asked, his dark eyes flashing with excitement.

And then my eyes fell on the crumbling, old mansion half-hidden by the twisted trees. And across from it, I saw the crooked picket fence that ran around the old cemetery. And I knew we were on Shock Street.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, spinning around, trying to take it all in at once. "This really is Shock Street. This is where they filmed all of the movies!"

"It doesn't look the way I imagined it." Marty said. "It looks even scarier!"

He was right. As the sky darkened to evening, long shadows fell over the empty buildings. The wind made a moaning sound as it swept around the corner. Marty and I made our way down the street, trying to see everything. We kept crossing from side to side, peering into a dark, dust-covered shop window - then running to examine the front yard of a rundown, old mansion.

"Check out that empty lot." I said, pointing. "That's where The Mad Mangler hung out. Remember? In Shocker III? Remember, he mangled everyone who walked by?"

"Of course, I remember." Marty snapped. He stepped into the empty lot. Tall weeds bent low, blown by the moaning wind. Shadows moved against the fence at the back. I stayed on the sidewalk and squinted hard, trying to see what cast the shadows. Did The Mad Mangler still lurk back there? The lot was totally empty. So how could there be tall, shifting shadows on the fence?

"Marty. Come back," I pleaded. "It's getting dark."

"Scared, Erin?" Marty asked, turning back to me.

"It's just an empty lot. Let's keep walking."

"People always thought it was just an empty lot." Marty replied in a low, scary voice. "Until The Mad Mangler jumped out and mangled them!"

"Marty. You're losing it," I murmured, shaking my head.

"I wish I had a camera." Marty said as we crossed the street. "I'd really like a picture of me standing in The Mangler's lot. Or even better-!"

He didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he took off, running full speed.

"Hey - wait up!" I cried. A few seconds later, I saw where he was headed.

The old cemetery.

"Even better, I'd like a photo of me standing in the cemetery. The

cemetery where they filmed Cemetery on Shock Street." Marty said as He ran up to the cracked and peeling wooden gate and turned back to me.

"We don't have a camera. Get away from there." I called from the street. He ignored me and started to open the gate. The bottom was stuck in the grass. Marty tugged hard. Finally, the gate began to pull open, creaking and groaning as it moved. "Marty - let's go. It's getting late. Dad is probably waiting for us, wondering what happened to us."

"But this is part of the tour!" Marty insisted. He tugged the heavy gate open just wide enough to squeeze inside the cemetery.

"Marty! Please! Don't go in!" I begged as I ran up beside him.

"Erin, it's just a movie set." He said. "You didn't used to be such a total wimp!"

"I-I just have a bad feeling about this cemetery." I stammered. "A very bad feeling."

"It's part of the tour!"

"But this gate was closed! It was closed so that people didn't go in. I have such a bad feeling ..." I raised my eyes to the cemetery. I saw the old graves tilting up from the ground like crooked teeth. Marty ignored me. He tugged the gate open a little wider and slipped into the cemetery. "Marty - please!"

I gripped the low fence tightly with both hands and watched him. He took three steps toward the old graves. Then his hands shot straight up in the air - and he dropped out of sight. I was about to rush to see if he was alright but stopped when I heard a loud clunk.

"OW!" Marty shouted in pain. I was about to step closer to see what he had hit but stopped again when an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

"Salutations! Do you require any assistance?"

Real World

"Did he need any help?" Yatsuhashi asked, with everyone chuckling while Marty groaned.

"No. Marty did not require any assistance. Initial scans showed that Marty suffered no injuries aside from a small bump on his head, with the receptors in his system telling him that he hurt his head." Penny answered.

"And my ego." Marty added.

"But I take it you learned a valuable lesson." Summer said, chuckling.

"Yup. Always look before you do anything."

"Wait. I thought you hadn't met Marty or Erin or even come here until you met Jaune when he came here." Coco said, confused.

"No. We first met two years later when I came here. But Penny first arrived here two years earlier." Jaune explained.

"And this was the first time we met Penny. Granted, most other ways would have been better." Erin added.

"Yeah." Marty agreed.

"Still, we're glad to have met her."

"I am also glad to have met Friend Marty and Friend Erin." Penny said.

"And to think, a great friendship would have been avoided if Marty listened to Erin or spotted the closed sign on the gate." Jaune said.

"Even if I saw it, I would have said what the girl said about how a sign won't stop her because she can't read." Marty said.

"But what were you doing there, Penny? I thought you were supposed to be in Atlas." Weiss asked.

"Apologies, but that information is classified. All I can divulge is that we were testing something that accidentally sent me to the cemetery. But there is no need for concern. Aside from some slight disorientation, I was okay." Penny answered.

"That's good." Ruby said.

"But was all of that part of the ride? The praying mantises, the worms, and having to escape that way." Blake asked.

"Because that did not seem safe." Velvet added.

"Yeah. I'm sure that if any huntsmen or huntsmen-in-training were there, they would have broken the machines. I know I would have." Yang said.

"Surprisingly, only the worms were the ones that didn't work as intended. They were supposed to be lowered to the floor and slowly crawl to us to distract us from the praying mantises." Marty answered.

"Well, if that is the case, then they should have some lawyers and backup andorids on standby. That is if they were still around." Nora sad.

"Yeah. After... everything started changing, we realized how much of a death trap the place was. We know it was still not ready for the public, but still. They would have been lucky if they lasted a few months before filing for bankruptcy from all the lawsuits."

"Anyway. Back to the story." Erin said. "After helping Marty out, we found out that he landed on Penny. We then helped her out, exchanged names, and talked a bit. After that, Marty exclaimed how he was going to brag to others about this while I wanted to find a way out of the theme park."

Story

"That was cool!" Marty exclaimed.

"Indeed it was." Penny agreed, despite not knowing how it was cool.

"Now I can tell people I was in a grave in The Shock Street Cemetery."

"Is it an honor or considered cool when falling into a grave with the intent to scare your sister?" Penny asked, confused.

"We're not siblings." Marty and I said.

"And it's to make people jealous that I was one of the first ones here." Marty said.

"Will you also be telling them that you blindly fell into a grave?" Penny asked.

"Uh, no. They would think I'm an idiot."

"You won't, but I will." I said, smirking, not passing up on an excellent opportunity to get some revenge on Marty.

"Don't you dare." Marty exclaimed.

"We'll see by the end." I said, laughing. "Anyway. How did you get here? I thought we were supposed to be the only ones here aside from the workers."

"I do not know. One moment, I was helping my father and his assistants with a project, and the next, I was here. I then tried to find someone but got sidetracked when I detected strange energy readings coming from the grave and decided to investigate. But nothing conclusive came up from my investigation." Penny answered, confusing Marty and me.

"Um. Okay. Well. Hopefully, you find what you're looking for next time." I said, confused. But I shivered when the wind started to pick up. "Let's get out of here."

"Do you two mind if I join? I would like some company as I try to find my way out of here and back to my father." Penny asked.

"Um. Sure. We're trying to find a way out of the place anyway." Marty answered.

"Just be careful. Somethings here seem too real and look like they could hurt you." I said.

"Don't worry. I am combat-ready." Penny assured.

"If you say so." I said, not really paying attention as my focus was on something gray that floated silently between two old gravestones. What is a wisp of fog? A gray cat?

"Check out these graves." Marty said, still brushing dirt off his jeans. "They're all cracked and faded. I can barely read the names. That's so cool. And look how they sprayed cobwebs over that row of stones. Creepy, huh?"

"Do cobwebs and faded names make everything creepy?" Penny asked.

"Not really. It can work only in the correct setting, like a graveyard or abandoned house. Everywhere else, it comes off as cheesy."

"What does cheese have to do with it?"

"Uh, nothing. Anyway. Can we please go? Dad is probably worried by now. And maybe the tram started working again." I begged. Marty ignored me. I watched him lean over a tombstone to read the words cut into it.

"Jim Socks. Eighteen forty to eighteen eighty-seven. Jim Socks. Get it? And look at the ones next to it. Ben Dover. Sid Upp. These are all funny!" Marty said, laughing. Even though they were a little cheesy, I laughed, too.

"Do all people from an earlier time have such funny names?" Penny asked.

"No. These are fake names." Marty answered.

But the moment was cut short when I heard a soft cry from the back of the graveyard. I saw another gray wisp dart behind a tombstone. I held my breath and listened hard. The wind whistled through the tall grass. Rising above the wind came another shrill cry. A cat? Is the cemetery filled with cats? Or is it a child? It seemed like Marty and Penny heard it, too. Marty moved down the row of stones until he was next to me, while Penny stayed still.

"This is so cool. Did you hear the sound effects? There must be a speaker hidden in the ground." Marty said.

"It would be cool. But my sensors indicate it is not coming from the ground." Penny said, confusing us further.

"Sensor?" Marty asked.

"Where is it coming from?" I asked as we heard another shrill cry. This time, it was human-sounding. Definitely human. A girl?

"I do not know. My sensors are not working at one hundred percent capacity."

"Marty, I really think we should try to get back to my dad. We've been here all afternoon. And -"

"But what about the rest of the tour? We have to see everything!" Marty argued as we heard another cry. This time, it was louder and closer. It sounded like a cry of terror.

"I do not think it is wise to stay. We best be leaving." Penny said.

"See. Penny agrees with me. Let's get going." I said. Even though Marty was probably right, and the cries were probably coming from a loudspeaker, something was just not right about this place. "How can we finish the tour? We were supposed to stay on the tram - remember?"

"What tram?" Penny asked.

"The tram that brought us here. It broke down. But maybe the tram-OHH!" I began before crying out as a hand shot out from the ground before us. It was green with long, unfolded fingers. It was moving as if trying to grab us.

"Whoa!" Marty cried, stumbling back.

Another green hand shot up from the dirt. Then, two more. Hands reaching up from graves. I let out a frightened gasp. Hands were bursting up through the grass. There were hands all around us. Their fingers twisting and arching, reaching out.

"This is totally awesome! Just like in the movie!" Marty said, laughing. He stopped laughing as a hand poked up beside him and grabbed his ankle. "Erin! Help!"

But I couldn't help. Two green hands had wrapped around my ankles and were pulling me down! Down into the grave!

"Come dowwwwwnnnnn!" A soft voice moaned. "Come dowwwwwnnnn with us."

"Nooo!" I shrieked. "PENNY! HELP!

"On it." Penny said before either stomping or hitting the hands. For a moment, I wondered if this was what she meant if she was combat-ready. And if it was, then that would mean everyone was combat-ready. But I couldn't dwell on it as my arms thrashed around in the air.

I tried to kick, but the hands gripped me so tightly, so firmly. My whole body frantically jerked and tilted back and forth as I struggled not to fall. If I fell, I knew they would grab my hands, too. And pull me facedown into the ground.

"Come dowwwwwwnnnnnnn. Come dowwwwwnnnn with us!"

'This isn't a joke!' I thought. These hands are real. They are really trying to pull me underground.

"I got you, Erin." Penny said as she forced the hands off my legs.

"Thank you, Penny." I said, relief coursing through my veins.

"HELP! OH, HELP!" Marty shouted.

"Don't worry, Marty. We're coming." I said as we rushed over to him while two more hands grabbed his wrists.

"Come dowwwwwwwnnnnnnn! Come dowwwwwnnnn with us!" The sad voice moaned.

"Not today." I said as Penny and I freed Marty.

"Thanks." Marty said.

"You're welcome. Now, take off your socks and shoes so they can't grab you as easily."

"Right."

"Should I do so as well?" Penny asked.

"Um." I began, about to say yes. But I decided it wasn't necessary as the hands had a hard time even grabbing her. And the ones that did quickly let go when Penny smacked or kicked them away. "No. You don't need to."

"Okay."

"Come dowwwwwwwnnnnnnn! Come dowwwwwnnnn with us!" The same voice moaned again.

"Come dowwwwwwwnnnnnnn! Come dowwwwwnnnn!" A dozen other soft voices called from beneath the ground. Marty and I froze. The soft, sad voices seemed to hypnotize me. My legs suddenly felt as if they were made of stone.

"Come dowwwwwwwnnnnnnn! Come dowwwwwnnnn!"

And then we saw a green head pop up from the dirt. And then another head. Another. Bald green heads with empty eye sockets and open, toothless mouths. We saw shoulders, then arms. More heads are poking up. Bright green bodies pulled up from beneath the ground.

"G-guys- They're coming up after us!" I choked out. And I nearly screamed when two tried to grab Marty and me. But before they could do so, Penny grabbed them and tossed them so far away that we could no longer see them.

"Do not harm my new friends." Penny said.

"Um. I think we should leave." I said as more hands and heads popped out of the ground.

The cemetery rang out with grunts and groans as the ugly green figures pulled themselves up from the ground. I took one last glance at their tattered, shredded clothing, at their blackened eye sockets, their toothless, grinning mouths. And then I started to run. Marty and I both ran without saying a word. But I had to run back, grab Penny, and have her follow us when she stayed behind and started to fight off the skeletons with surprising ease.

Side by side, we darted across the tall grass between the rows of crooked tombstones. My heart thudded in my chest. My head throbbed. My bare feet sank into the cold dirt and slipped on the tall, damp grass. Marty reached the wooden gate first. He was running so hard he banged into the fence. He let out a cry before slipping through the gate onto Shock Street.

I could hear moans and groans and eerie calls of the disgusting green people behind me. But I didn't look back and focused on getting Penny and me to the gate. We dove for the gate and squeezed through. Then I shoved it shut behind me. Running into the street, we stopped to catch our breath. I bent over and pressed my hands against my knees. My side ached. I sucked in breath after breath.

"Are you alright, Friend Erin? Do you require medical assistance?" Penny asked.

"No. I'm fine. I just need to catch my breath." I answered, still panting.

"Do you want me to carry you to the tram or until you recatch your breath?"

"No. I-I'm good."

"Don't stop!" Marty cried frantically. "Erin! Penny! Keep going!"

I took a deep breath and followed him down the street. Our bare feet slapped the pavement. I could still hear the moans and calls behind us. But I was too scared to glance back.

"Marty. Where is everybody?" I asked.

Shock Street was empty; the houses and shops were all dark. Shouldn't there be people around? This is a big movie studio. Where are the people who work for Shocker Studios? Where are the people who work on the studio tour? Why isn't anyone around to help us?

"If this is a studio, as you two say, shouldn't there be guards and workers here?" Penny asked.

"Yes. But we have yet to see anyone here." I answered.

"That's why we feel like something is wrong!" Marty choked out, running at full speed. Yet, despite this, Penny was effortlessly keeping up with us.

'Maybe she is one of those athletes or huntsman-in-training I overheard some others talk about.' I thought. We soon passed The Horror Hardware Store and Shock City Electronics.

"The robots are out of control or something!" Marty said, running across the street to the next block of houses. At last! Marty agreed with me. He finally agreed that something was terribly wrong. "We've got to find your dad. We've got to tell him there's a problem."

"We have to find the tram. Ow!" I called, struggling to keep up with him. But I slowed down when my bare foot came down on something hard. It must have been a rock or something as pain shot up my leg. I would have kept going, but Penny picked me up and continued to run to keep up with Marty. I would have said something, but I could use the quick break. "If we can get back on the tram, it will take us back to Dad."

"There has to be a way out of Shock Street." Marty said. "It's only a movie set."

"Perhaps we could follow the tracks the tram used back to your father." Penny said.

"That would work if we can find it again." I said.

We ran past a tall mansion with two turrets. It looked like an evil castle. I didn't remember it from any of the Shocker movies. Beyond the mansion stretched a big, empty dirt lot. At the back of the lot stood a low brick wall, just a foot or two taller than us.

"Cut through here!" I told Marty and Penny. "If we can climb up on that wall, we can probably see the studio road."

"Okay." They said.

I was just guessing. But it was worth a try. We turned into the empty lot. And for a moment, I thanked Penny for carrying as I knew the dirt must have felt cold and wet. As we crossed the field, our feet tossed up big clumps of mud. We ran as fast as we could as the mud seemed to grow softer. Looking down, I saw that the cold mud rose up to Penny and Marty's ankles. It seemed like we were going to make it. Unfortunately, we ran into a sinkhole.

"Yaaaaaiiii!" We shouted as the ground gave way beneath us.

The mud made a sick splash as we sank. I tossed up both hands and tried to grab onto something. But there was nothing to grab. The mud oozed around us, over my ankles, my legs, and up over my knees.

'It's sucking us down.' I thought.

I tried to cry out again, but panic choked my throat. I glimpsed to Marty and Penny beside me. Marty's arms were waving wildly as his whole body twisted and squirmed as he sank. Penny seemed to be more collected as she focused on getting herself out, but without much luck. However, it seemed like she was trying to get something to work. And in any other situation, I would have asked what she was trying to do. Yet, I knew it would have to wait as the mud was now up to our waist. We were sinking fast.

I kicked hard, trying to raise my knees. But I was trapped. I was trapped and dropping down, down into the dark, wet ooze. My mud-covered arms slapped against the surface. I couldn't stop myself. The mud bubbled up over my neck. And I was sinking fast.

I held my breath. The mud rose up to my chin. In a second, it will be over our heads. A sob escaped my throat. The mud crept higher, up over my chin. I started to spit as it reached my mouth. And then I felt something grab my arm. Strong hands slipped under my arms. I felt the hands slide in the mud. They gripped me harder. I felt myself being tugged up, tugged by someone very strong. For a moment, I thought it was Penny but remembered that she was trapped too. The mud made a loud plop as I rose up. I felt it roll down my chest, my legs, and my knees. And then I was standing on the surface, still held by the two powerful hands.

"Marty! Penny!" I called, tasting the sour mud on my lips. "Are you two -?"

"I'm up!" I heard his hoarse reply. "Erin, I'm okay!"

"I am okay, too, friends." Penny answered. The strong hands finally let go. My legs trembled. I wobbled but remained standing. I turned to see who had rescued me.

And stared into the glowing red eyes of a wolf!

A human with the face of a wolf. Clawed hands covered in black fur. A long brown snout curved in an open, toothy grin. Sharp, pointed ears above a thick tuft of black wolf fur. A female. She wore a silvery catsuit. Sleek and tight-fitting. As I stared in shock, she opened her mouth in a throaty growl. I recognized her at once.

Wolf Girl!

I turned to see her companion - Wolf Boy. He had pulled Marty and Penny out of the mud hole. Both their bodies were caked in mud. Marty tried to wipe his face but only managed to smear more mud over his cheeks.

"You - saved us! Thank you!" I cried, finally finding my voice. The two werewolves uttered low growls in reply. "We - we lost the tram. We need to get back."

"Do you know how to get there?" Penny asked. Wolf Girl let out a sharp growl. Then she snapped her toothy jaw hard.

"Please! Can you help us get back to the tram? Or can you take us to the main building? My dad is waiting for me there." I begged. Wolf Girl's red eyes flashed. She growled again.

"We know you're just actors!" Marty shouted. "But we don't want to be scared anymore. We've had enough scares for today. Okay?"

The two werewolves growled. A long white string of saliva drooled over Wolf Boy's black lips. Something inside me snapped. I totally lost it.

"Stop it!" I screamed. "Just stop it! Marty is right! We don't want to be scared now. So stop the werewolf act - and help us!"

The werewolves growled again. Wolf Girl snapped her jaws. A long pink tongue slid out, and she licked her jagged teeth hungrily.

"That's enough!" I shrieked. "Stop the act! Stop it! Stop it!"

I was so angry, so furious. I reached up with both hands and grabbed the fur on the sides of Wolf Girl's mask. And I tugged the mask with all my strength. I tugged, tugged, and tugged some more. The fur felt real, and the skin underneath was warm. It was then that I realized it wasn't a mask.

"Ohh." I gasped and jerked my hands away. The werewolf's red eyes glowed. Her black lips parted. Once again, her tongue flicked hungrily over her yellow, pointed teeth. My whole body trembled as I backed up against the brick wall.

"Is everything alright, Friend Erin?" Penny asked.

"G-guys. It's not an act."

"Huh?" Marty stood stiffly in front of Wolf Boy, his dark eyes wide in his mud-caked face.

"They're not actors. Something is wrong here. Something is terribly wrong."

Marty's mouth dropped open. He took a step back. Both werewolves uttered low growls. They lowered their heads as if preparing to attack. However, while Marty moved to stand next to me, Penny stood her ground. The wolves seemed to notice this and were slightly put off by her bravery.

"Do you believe me? Do you finally believe me?" I asked, earning a nod from Marty.

He didn't say a word. I think he was too terrified to talk. Saliva poured from the werewolves' mouths; their eyes glowed like fire in the darkness. Their furry chests began to heave in and out. Their breaths came loud and hoarse. I jumped back against the wall as both werewolves raised their heads and let out long, frightening howls. What were they going to do to us? I grabbed Marty and tugged him to the wall.

"Up!" I cried. "Get up! Maybe they can't reach us up there! PENNY HURRY!"

Marty leaped high, stretching up his arms. His hands slapped the top of the wall, then slid back down. He tried again. He bent his knees, jumped, grabbed the top of the wall, and slipped back down.

"I can't!" Marty shouted. "It's too high."

"We've got to!" I shrieked. I turned back and saw the two werewolves lean back on their hind legs and then spring up. They were snarling and growling now, thick gobs of saliva running over their snapping teeth.

"Let me help." Penny said, appearing next to us. And in one fell swoop, she picked both of us up and launched us into the air, where we landed on top of the brick wall.

"WOAH!" We shouted as we steadied ourselves. However, no sooner than we did, we turned around and helped Penny up.

"Thanks, Friends." Penny said.

"No. Thanks, Penny. You saved us." I said.

"Yeah. Thanks, Penny." Marty said.

But our attention shifted back to the wolves when we heard them snarling. Looking back down, we saw the werewolves leap again. Their jaws snapped in front of my face as their red eyes gleamed hungrily at me. The werewolves raised their heads in angry howls and prepared to attack again. We stood pressed close together, staring down at them. They jumped, and their claws scraped against the bricks. The shrill screech sent chills down my back. Their teeth snapped as they dropped down and prepared to leap again.

"We can't stay up here forever!" Marty cried. "What do we do?"

I squinted into the darkness. Was that the studio road on the other side of the wall? It was too dark to tell. The werewolves leaped again. Their jagged teeth scraped against my ankle. I jumped back and nearly toppled off the wall had Penny not grabbed me. But as I steadied myself, I suddenly remembered the guns we had. The plastic stun gun! Mine had fallen from my hand. It was probably buried in that mud hole. But my eyes fell on Marty's gun. Its handle poked out from his jeans pocket. Without saying a word, I grabbed the handle and tugged the plastic pistol from Marty's jeans.

"Hey!" Marty cried. "Erin! What are you doing?"

"They gave us the guns for a reason." I explained, shouting over the frightening howls of the two werewolves. "Maybe this will stop them."

"Wait. What guns do you have? Perhaps they could be of use since mine are currently malfunctioning." Penny asked.

"It-it's only a toy! They gave us a plastic toy gun. Linda said it would stun the monsters. But it's just a TOY!" Marty stammered.

I didn't care. It was worth a try. Maybe it would frighten them. Perhaps it would hurt them. Maybe it would chase them away. I raised the plastic gun and aimed it as the two werewolves made another leap of attack.

"Would you like me to aim? I have experience with weaponry." Penny offered.

"Um. Alright." I said. "But on my mark."

"Waiting."

"One -two - three - FIRE!"

Penny squeezed the trigger.

Again.

Again.

Again!

The gun made a loud buzzing sound. It shot out a beam of yellow light. Yes! I thought. Yes! I prayed. The light will stop them. It's a stun gun, right? The buzzing sound and the bright light will stun them. It will freeze them in place so we can make our escape. Penny squeezed the trigger hard.

Again.

Again.

It didn't stop the werewolves. It didn't even seem to surprise them. They leaped higher. I felt sharp claws scrape my leg. I cried out in pain.

"ERIN!" Marty and Penny shouted.

"I-I'm fine." I said through gritted teeth. Just a toy. Marty was right. It wasn't a real weapon. It was just a stupid toy.

"Look out!" Marty shouted as the snarling creatures made another high leap at the wall.

Claws scraped the brick and held on. Red eyes glared up at me. Hot wolf breath tingled my skin. My arms flew up as I lost my balance. I struggled to stay up. But my knees bent. My feet slipped. I grabbed for Marty or Penny but missed and toppled off and landed hard on my back on the other side of the wall.

Gazing up in horror, I saw Marty leap down beside me. Looking past him, I saw the two werewolves fighting Penny on top of the wall. And SHE WAS WINNING! After a moment, she managed to defeat the werewolves and push them off the wall and far away from us. However, the howls we heard later told us it was only temporary.

"Run!" Penny shouted as she jumped off the wall while Marty helped me up since I still felt a little dizzy from the fall.

"We-we can't outrun them!" I groaned.

I heard a rumbling sound followed by a clatter. We all turned and saw two yellow eyes glowing against the dark sky. Yellow eyes of a creature roaring toward us. No. Not a creature. As it drew nearer, I could make out its long, sleek shape.

The tram!

The tram bounced over the road behind yellow headlights.

It was coming closer. Closer.

Yes!

I turned to Marty and Penny. Did they see it, too? They did. Without saying a word, we began running to the road. The tram was rolling fast. Somehow, we had to climb on it. We had to! Behind us, I heard the werewolves howl. I heard a hard thump, then another as they dropped off the wall. The twin yellow headlights of the tram swept over us.

The werewolves snarled and howled angrily as they chased after us. A few feet ahead of me, Marty was hurtling forward, his head down, his legs pumping furiously. The tram bumped closer and closer. The howling werewolves were inches behind us. I could almost feel their hot breath on the back of my neck. A few more seconds. A few more seconds, and we would make our jump.

I watched the tram speed around a curve, the yellow headlights washing over the dark road. I kept my eyes on the front car. I took a deep breath and prepared to jump.

However, Marty suddenly fell. I saw his hands shoot out and his mouth hang open in surprise and horror as he landed on the ground. Penny and I couldn't stop in time. We ran right into him, stumbled over him, and fell on top of him. We then looked up and watched the tram speed past us.

Real World

"So, were those real werewolves?" Pyrrha asked.

"We don't know. Aside from that encounter, we never saw them again." Marty answered.

"I would have scanned them, but my scanners were not working properly." Penny said.

"Still. You saved us. I honestly think if it weren't for you, Penny, we wouldn't be here." Erin said, smiling.

"You're welcome."

"How many of your systems were done, Penny?" Ruby asked.

"I was working at forty percent. Most of my systems were damaged or not working properly." Penny answered.

"But you're back to one hundred percent now, right?" Summer asked, worried.

"Yes. My father repaired me. I am fully functioning now."

"That's good."

"It is. We would hate to lose a good friend." Erin said. "Anyway. We're almost done. After falling, we looked up and saw that the tram had multiple cars. I grabbed Penny and Marty and helped them to their feet before running after the tram. But it seemed like we wouldn't make it. However, Penny proved me wrong when she grabbed Marty and me and tossed us onto the tram before getting on herself."

Story

"Thanks, Penny." Marty panted.

"You're welcome." Penny said, smiling.

'Yes!' I thought happily.

We made it! We got away from those howling werewolves. Or did we? Would they jump into the tram after us? I spun around, my whole body trembling. And I watched the werewolves fade into the distance. They ran for a while, then gave up. They both stood in the road, hunched over in defeat, watching us escape.

Escape.

What a wonderful word.

Marty and I grinned at each other.

We were both breathing hard, covered in mud. Even though Penny had carried me for a bit, my legs still ached from all the running we did. My bare feet throbbed. My heart still thudded from the frightening chase. But we had escaped. And now we were safe in the tram, on our way back to the starting platform. Back to my dad. And hopefuly, we can find a way to get Penny back home.

"We've got to tell your dad that this place is messed up." Marty said breathlessly.

"Something is horribly wrong here." I agreed.

"Indeed. This place is strange and not adding up." Penny said.

"Those werewolves. They weren't kidding around." Marty continued. "They-they were real. They weren't actors."

I nodded. I felt so glad that Marty finally agreed with me. And he wasn't pretending to be brave anymore. He wasn't pretending that it was all robots and special effects. We all knew that we had faced real dangers.

Real monsters. And if it weren't for Penny, we might be dead. Something was terribly wrong at Shocker Studios. Dad had told us he wanted a full report. Well, he was going to get one! I settled back in the seat, trying to calm down. But I shot straight up again when I realized we weren't alone.

"Guys. Look!" I pointed to the front of the tram. "We aren't the only passengers."

In fact, every tramcar appeared to be filled with people!

"What's going on?" Marty murmured. "Your dad said we were the only ones on the tour. And now the tram is - OH!"

"Is something wrong, friends? Do you require medical-OH! I see." Penny said as Marty's mouth hung open.

The other passengers on the tram all turned around at the same time.

And I saw their grinning jaws, their dark, empty eye sockets, the gray bones of their skulls.

Skeletons.

The other passengers were all grinning skeletons.

Their jaws opened in dry laughter. Cruel laughter that sounded like the wind screeching through bare trees. Bones rattled and clattered as they raised their yellowed, skeletal hands to point at us.

Their skulls bobbed and bounced as the tram carried us, faster, faster, through the darkness. Marty and I slumped low in the seat, trembling, staring at the grinning skulls, the pointing fingers. Meanwhile, Penny seemed curious about the whole thing.

Who were the skeletons?

How did they get on this tram?

Where were they taking us?

The skeletons laughed their wheezing laugh. Their bones clanked and rattled. Their yellowed skulls bounced loosely on their clattering shoulder bones. The tram picked up speed. We were flying through the darkness.

I forced myself to turn away from the grinning skulls and peered out. Beyond the trees, I could see the low buildings of the movie studio. As I stared, they grew smaller and faded into the blackness of the night.

"Marty. Penny. We're not going back to the main platform." I whispered. "We're heading the wrong way. We're going away from all the buildings."

"I wonder where we are going." Penny said.

"What can we do?" Marty choked out with fear in his eyes.

"We've got to get off!" I answered. "We've got to jump."

Marty had slumped all the way down in the seat, as low as he could get. I think he was trying to hide from the skeletons. Now, he raised his head and peeked over the side of the tram.

"Erin! We can't jump!" Marty said. "We're going too fast."

He was right. We were rocketing along the road. And the tram kept picking up speed. The trees and shrubs whirred past in a dark blur. And then, as we squealed into a sharp curve, a tall building seemed to jump into our path. A castle bathed in swirling spotlights. All gray and silver. Twin towers reached up to the sky. A solid stone wall rose up from the road.

The road.

It curved straight into the castle wall. The road ended at the wall. And we were roaring down the road, still picking up speed, roaring toward the castle. The skeletons rattled and clattered and laughed their dry, screeching laugh. They bounced in their seats, bones cracking, jumping in excitement as we zoomed at the castle.

Closer. Closer.

Right up to it now. Up to the solid stone wall.

About to smash right into it.

My legs trembled. My heart pounded. But somehow, I managed to stand up on the seat. I took a deep breath and held it. I closed my eyes and was about to jump when Penny stopped me.

"I have a better way." Penny said. She then grabbed Marty and me before jumping out of the tram and, miraculously, landing on her feet.

"Thanks, Penny." Marty and I said.

"You're welcome."

"What about the tram?" Marty asked. We turned to look to the castle in time to see the tram plunge into the stone wall. But it did so without a sound. The first tramcar hit the castle wall and flew through it.

Silently!

I could see the skeletons bobbing and bouncing. And I saw the next car and the next and the next - all shoot into the castle wall and disappear through it without making a sound. A few seconds later, the tram disappeared. A heavy silence fell over the road. The spotlights on the castle wall dimmed.

"Is everyone okay?" Marty weakly asked. I turned to find him on his hands and knees on the other side of the road. Penny seemed to be taking his pulse. I looked over myself and saw that aside from the scrape the werewolves gave me, I was fine.

"I'm alright. But is he alright, Penny?" I asked.

"He is alright. Friend Marty is only out of breath." Penny answered.

"Good. But did either of you see that?"

"The tram going through the castle wall, yes." Marty answered, standing up. "But I don't believe it. How did the tram go through the wall? Do you think the castle isn't really there? That it's an optical illusion? Some kind of trick?"

"There's an easy way to find out." I said.

"And what way would that be, Friend Erin?" Penny asked.

"To go and see for ourselves."

We walked side by side on the road. The wind rustled the trees, making them whisper all around us. The pavement felt cold under my bare feet.

"We've got to find my dad." I said quietly. "I'm sure he can explain everything to us."

"I hope so." Marty murmured.

We stepped up to the castle wall. I stuck out both hands, expecting them to go right through. But my hands slapped solid stone. Marty lowered his shoulder and shoved it against the castle wall. His shoulder hit the wall with a thud.

"It's solid." Marty said, shaking his head. "It's a real wall. So how did the tram go through it?"

"Perhaps a trap/secret door." Penny said.

"It's a ghost tram." I whispered, rubbing my hand against the cold stone. "A ghost tram filled with skeletons."

"But we rode in it!" Marty cried.

"I'm sick of mysteries!" I shouted, slapping the wall with both my hands. "I'm sick of being scared! I'm sick of werewolves and monsters! I'm never going to another scary movie as long as I live!"

"Your father can explain it all." Marty said softly, shaking his head. "I'm sure he can."

"I don't want him to explain it!" I cried. "I just want to get away from here!"

Keeping close together, we made our way around to the side of the castle. I could hear strange animal howls behind us. And a frightening cackle cut through the air somewhere above our heads. I ignored all the sounds. I didn't want to think about whether they were being made by real monsters or fakes. I didn't want to think about the frightening creatures we had run into or the close calls we had. I didn't want to think! At the back of the castle, the road appeared again.

"I hope we're going in the right direction." I murmured, following it as it curved into the hill.

"Me, too." Marty replied in a tiny voice.

"Me too. My father must be worried." Penny said.

We picked up our pace, walking quickly in the middle of the road. We tried not to pay attention to the sharp animal calls, the shrill cries, the howls and moans that seemed to follow us everywhere. The road sloped uphill. Marty and I leaned forward as we climbed. The frightening cries and howls followed us up the hill. As we neared the top, I saw several low buildings.

"Yes! Look! We must be heading back to the main platform." I shouted.

I started jogging toward the buildings. Marty and Penny trotted close behind. But we stopped when we realized where we were.

Back on Shock Street.

Somehow, we had made a circle. Past the old houses and small shops. The Shock Street Cemetery came into view. Staring at the fence, I remembered the green hands poking up from the ground. The green shoulders. The green faces. The hands pulling us, pulling us down.

My whole body shuddered.

I didn't want to be back here. I never wanted to see this terrifying street again. But I couldn't turn away from the cemetery. As I stared at the old gravestones from across the street, I saw something move. A wisp of gray. Like a tiny cloud. It rose up between two crooked, old stones and floated silently into the air.

And then another puff of gray lifted off the ground. And another. I glimpsed Marty and Penny. They stood beside me, hands pressed against their waists, staring hard. They saw them, too. The gray puffs rose silently, like snowballs or cotton. Dozens of them float up from the graves, floating over the cemetery and out over the street. Floating above us yet hovering so low.

And then, as we stared up at them, they started to grow, to inflate like gray balloons. And I saw faces inside them. Dark faces, etched in shadow like The Man in The Moon. The faces scowled at us. Old faces lined and creased. Eyes narrowed to dark slits. Frowning faces. Sneering faces inside the billowing, white puffs.

I grabbed Marty's and Penny's shoulder. I wanted to run, to get away, to get out from under them. But, like smoke, the wisps of mist with their evil faces swirled down, swirled around us. Trapped us. Trapped us inside.

The faces, the ugly, scowling faces, spinning around us. Spinning faster, faster, holding us in the swirling, choking mist. I pressed my hands over my eyes, trying to shut them out. I froze in total panic. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe. I could hear the shrill rush of wind as the ghostly clouds swirled around us.

And then we heard a man's voice shouting over the wind: "Cut! Print that one! Good scene, everyone!"

"Huh?" Penny and Marty asked, confused.

I lowered my hands slowly and opened my eyes. I let out my breath in a long whoosh. A man came striding up to us. He wore jeans and a gray sweatshirt under a brown leather jacket. He had a blue-and-white Dodgers cap sideways on his head. A blond ponytail tumbled out from under it. He carried a clipboard in one hand. He had a silver whistle around his neck. He smiled at Marty and me and flashed us a thumbs-up.

"Hey, what's up, guys? I'm Russ Denver. Good job! You looked really scared." The guy said.

"Huh?" I cried, my mouth dropping open. "We were really scared!"

"I'm so glad to see a real live human!" Marty cried.

"This tour - it's totally messed up!" I shrieked.

"Could you perhaps help us find an exit?" Penny asked. But before the guy could say anything, I snapped.

"The creatures! They're alive! They tried to hurt us! They really did! It wasn't any fun! It wasn't like a ride!" The words spilled out of me in a rush.

"It was really gross! The werewolves snapped at us and chased us up a wall!" Marty exclaimed.

The two of us started talking at once, telling this guy Denver all of the frightening things that had happened to us on the tour. All the while, Penny waited to get a word in.

"Whoa! Whoa!" A smile crossed his handsome face. He raised his clipboard as if to shield himself from us. "It's all special effects, guys. Didn't they explain to you that we're making a movie here? That we were filming your reactions?"

"No one did, sir. Marty and Erin were brought here by Erin's father while I somehow appeared here and don't know where I am." Penny explained.

"Penny's right. No one explained that, Mr. Denver! My dad brought us here. He designed the studio tour. And he told us we were the first to try it out. But he didn't tell us about any movie being filmed. I really think-" I angrily began.

I felt Marty's hand on my shoulder. I knew Marty was trying to calm me down. But I didn't want to be calmed down. I was really angry. Mr. Denver turned back to a group of crew members behind him in the street.

"Take thirty, guys. Let's break for dinner." Mr. Denver said. They moved away, talking among themselves. Mr. Denver turned back to us. "Your father should have explained to you -"

"It's okay. Really." Marty interrupted. "We just got a little scared. All of the creatures seemed so real. And we didn't see any other people anywhere. You're the first real person we've seen all afternoon."

"My dad must be really worried." I told the movie director. "He said he'd be waiting for us on the main platform. Can you tell us how to get there?"

"And my father is probably worried as well. Can you show me the exit so I can leave and call him?" Penny asked.

"No problem." Mr. Denver replied before motioning to another crew member. "HEY! VAKAMA! COME HERE!"

"Yes. What do you need?" Vakama asked, walking over to us.

"Can you take this lady outside so she can call her father? She doesn't know how she ended up here."

"Alright. Follow me, young lady."

"Alright." Penny said before turning to Marty and me. "Goodbye, Friend Erin and Friend Marty. It was nice meeting you."

"It was nice meeting you, Penny." I said.

"It was. And thanks for saving us." Marty added. Smiling, Penny followed Vakama out of the room.

"As for you two." Mr. Denver said, getting our attention. "See that big house there with the open door?"

Marty and I stared at the house across the street. A narrow path led up to the house. A pale yellow light shone inside the open front door.

"That's Shockro's House of Shocks." The director explained. "Go right in that door and straight through the house."

"But won't we get shocked in there?" Marty demanded. "In the movie, anyone who goes into Shockro's house gets jolted with twenty million volts of electricity!"

"That's just in the movie. The house is just a set. It's perfectly safe. Go through the house. Then, out the back, you will see the main building on the other side of the street. You can't miss it."

"Thank you!" Marty and I called out at once. Marty turned and started running full speed toward the house.

"I'm sorry for yelling before." I said, turning to Mr. Denver. "I was just so scared, and I thought-"

I gasped.

Mr. Denver had turned away. And I saw the long power cord - the power cord that was plugged into his back. He wasn't an actual human. He wasn't a movie director. He was some kind of robot. He was fake like all the others. He was lying to us.

Lying!

I turned and cupped my hands around my mouth. I started to run, frantically calling after Marty: "Don't go in there! Marty - stop! Don't

go in that house!"

Too late.

Marty was already running through the door.

Marty - wait! Stop!" I shouted as I ran. I had to stop him. The director was a fake. I knew he wasn't telling the truth. My bare feet pounded the hard pavement. I plunged up the path as Marty trotted into the doorway. "Marty - please! Stop!"

I flew to the doorway, reached out both hands, and made a wild dive to tackle him.

But I missed!

I skidded across the walk on my stomach. As soon as Marty entered the house, I saw the flash of white light. I heard a loud buzz. Then, the sharp crackle of electricity. The room exploded in a flash of lightning. So bright I had to shield my eyes. When I opened them, I saw Marty sprawled facedown on the floor.

"Nooooo!" I shouted.

Scrambling to my feet, I dove into the house. Would I get shocked, too? I didn't care. I had to get to Marty. I had to help him out of there.

"Marty! Marty!" I screamed his name again and again.

He didn't move.

"Marty - please!" I grabbed his shoulders and started to shake him. "Wake up, Marty! Snap out of it! Marty!"

He didn't open his eyes. I suddenly felt a chill. A dark shadow slid over me. And I realized I wasn't alone in the house. I spun around with a gasp. Was it Shockro? Some other scary creature? A tall figure leaned over me. I squinted into the darkness, struggling to see his face.

"Dad!" I cried as he came into focus. "Dad! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"

"Erin, what are you doing here?" He asked in a low voice.

"It-it's Marty!" I stammered. "You've got to help him, Dad. He's been shocked, and he-he -"

Dad leaned closer. Behind his eyeglasses, his brown eyes were cold. His face set in a troubled frown.

"Do something, Dad!" I pleaded. "Marty is hurt. He isn't moving. He won't open his eyes. The studio tour was so awful, Dad! Something is wrong. Something is terribly wrong!"

He didn't reply. He leaned closer. And as his face came into the soft light, I saw that he wasn't my father!

"Who are you?" I shrieked. "You're not my dad! Why aren't you helping me? Why aren't you helping Marty? Do something-please! Where's my dad? Where is he? Who are you? Help me! Somebody? Help me AAAAAARRRRRRRRR. Help MRRRRRRRRRRRR. Dad-MARRRRRRR-RRRRRRR. DRRRMMMMMMMMmmmmm."

Mr. Wright stood staring down at Erin and Marty. He shook his head unhappily. He shut his eyes and let out a long sigh. Jared Curtis, one of the studio engineers, came running into The House of Shocks.

"Mr. Wright, what happened to your two kid robots?" He demanded.

"Programming problems." Mr. Wright answered. He pointed to the Erin robot, frozen in place on her knees beside the Marty robot. "I had to shut the girl off. Her memory chip must be bad. The Erin robot was supposed to think of me as her father. But just now, she didn't recognize me."

"And what about the Marty robot?" Jared asked.

"It's totally down." Mr. Wright replied. "I think the electrical system shorted out."

"What a shame." Jared said, bending to roll the Marty robot over. He pulled up the T-shirt and fiddled with some dials on the back. Jared opened up a panel on Marty's back and squinted at the red and green wires. "Hey, Mr. Wright, it was a great idea to make robot kids to test the park. I think we can fix them."

"All the other creatures, monsters, and robots worked perfectly. Not a single bug. I should have known there was a problem yesterday." Mr. Wright said. "We were in my office. The Erin robot asked about her mother. I built her. She doesn't have a mother. Oh, well. No problem. We'll reprogram these two. Put in new chips. They'll be good as new in no time. Then we'll try them out once again on the Shocker Studio Tour before we open the park to real kids."

"But what about the other robot girl?" Jared asked.

"She was not part of this. I don't know where she came from. All I know is that she is of Atlas design. And that means doing anything to her is out of the question. So, I had Vakama escort her off the premises." Mr. Wright answered. "Anyway. I have to go now."

He took the Marty robot from Jared and slung it over his shoulder. Then he picked up the Erin robot. He tossed it over his other shoulder. Then, humming to himself, he carried them to the engineering building.

Real World

"And even though we were technically offline, our memory units recorded everything that happened." Marty said.

"But we didn't wake up until a month later. Mr. Wright saw that he still hadn't fully 'fixed' us and decided to look for other parts. And that was the last we ever heard of him." Erin continued.

"And everything else just went from there. But that is a story for another time."

"Yup."

"Wow." Everyone said.

"So, nearly everyone was a robot designed by Mr. Wright?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"Yup. I think, in total, there were about three hundred humans here. Now, only about twenty. But they came after the place was transformed." Marty answered.

"Is anyone who worked there still alive or around? If so, I would like to have a few words with them." Summer growled. Androids or not, she believed that no kid should have to go through all that.

"I think our creator might still be alive. And maybe one other. But the rest are gone, or we don't know where they are." Erin answered.

"Very well." Summer sighed before getting up. "Anyway. Thank you for sharing your story."

"You're welcome." Marty said. "But now that we finished, it's time to go."

"Yeah. It's late."

"Indeed. And even though there might not be school tomorrow, everyone still needs their sleep. And I do mean everyone." Summer said in a voice that every one too knew all too well. It was a tone that dared anyone to challenge her.

"Yup. Good night, everyone." Erin said. "It was nice seeing you, Jaune."

"Nice seeing you guys." Jaune said, smiling.

"Bye, everyone. Bye, friend, Jaune." Penny said, crushing Jaune in a tight hug.

"Bye, Penny." Jaune said, chuckling.

"Bye, Penny." Ruby said, smiling.

"Bye, Friend Ruby." Penny said, hugging Ruby before exiting the house, followed by Erin and Marty.

"Okay. Now that's out of the way. Let's all head to sleep." Summer said.

"Right. Let me show you to your rooms." Jaune said.

"Wait." Velvet said.

"Yes, Velv?" Jaune asked.

"What about the Ghost Dog?" Velvet asked, pointing to the sleeping ghost hound. And surprisingly, Zwei was sleeping on top of it.

"Wow. I honestly forgot it was there." Coco said.

"Yeah." Everyone else agreed.

"I think we can leave it there. I don't think it's going to cause any more harm to anyone now that it got its tooth back." Jaune said.

"Are you just saying that, or do you actually believe it?" Ren asked.

"Both. Besides, I doubt anyone wants to wake him up."

"True."

"Anyway. Let's head to sleep. And tomorrow, Summer can tell us her story."

"Yes. We can do so during breakfast. But after you all tell me about my daughters' adventures at Beacon." Summer said.

"MOM!" Yang and Ruby whined, causing everyone else to chuckle.

Notes:

I had hoped to get this chapter out earlier, but shit kept hitting the fan.

I looked through some early reviews and remembered how some people felt that Arc Town was not a great name for various reasons. And looking back at it, I concur. So, I'm changing it to Artakha, which translates to 'Great Refuge.' Guess what series that's from.

I am already working on the next chapter which will be Summer Rose and the Legend of the Lost Legend.