Preview 2
“Do you think we’ve walked long enough to be out of school?” I whisper.
“Yes, I think so.”
Before long we can see the sky, dotted with little stars twinkling. I begin taking the route at a run, water splashing at my feet. The other two follow closely behind me and I feel the mood lightening. Soon, the wall of the canal is low enough for us to climb out. Jim pulls himself up first then helps Matt and I up. The sky is still dark and there is no retching nor any glowing skeletons in sight. The streetlamps are working, lighting up the area well. Not far away from us, there are outlines of roller coasters.
“We need to go somewhere,” Matt says, looking around.
“Yeah. Like maybe go for a thrill ride or something,” I suggest, nodding towards the theme park in the distance.
There is silence and then we burst out laughing, clearly very much relieved at our escape. We walk towards the theme park silently, worn out from our ordeal. When we finally arrive at the gates of the theme park, however, we are greeted by the ominous absence of a security guard.
“Shouldn’t there be someone here?” I ask, frowning at the security post.
“We’ll just wash up. Make it quick, come on,” Matt says, pushing me towards the gantry. Reluctantly, I climb over it and land in the theme park. We walk in a straight line, heading straight for the bathroom sign across a facade of a Hollywood street. Finally we reach the washroom. The boys dart into theirs and I dawdle outside, thinking. Then, not wanting to be left all alone, I decide to go into the boys’ washroom as well.
“HEHEHE! HAAAAHAAAHAAA!” A cackle whips through the air, raising goosebumps on my arms.
I spin around.
“Who’s there?” I ask as loudly as I dare.
There is no reply. I scan the place quickly for any sign of chaos which had happened here before, but all seem quiet and calm. The display in the shops are still arranged in an orderly manner. An action figure poses in the window of one shop and the window next to it displays ornaments glinting under the moonlight. My eyes lands on the shop selling Goth dolls. All of them bore huge round eyes and little black lips. A tiny doll sits on a rocking chair and stares back at me, unblinking. Its piercing glare is creeping me out. I move my eyes onto the candy shop next to it. Then, a slight disturbance makes me do a little double take.
The chair is rocking slightly and then it slows to a stop. The doll is gone.
We are not alone.
The Final Evolution © 2013 by Ms. Auby Sparksfield. All rights reserved.
Stories by Ms. Auby Sparksfield 