Abnormal

“Creaking” was right. Trying to walk the cheap tracks of the machine made such an awful sound it completely distracted from any scares that the boys saw on their way to find the missing cart. Thankfully, the lights were still working.

“What are all these rooms to the side?”

Conrad was as easily impressed as he was bored. Quite the silver lining, given his otherwise depressive state.

“Oh, you’re right.” Jack noted, trying to peek up into the different displays riders were intended to see as they progressed through the mansion. There were a lot of doors in these dioramas, some working, some not. “I think it’s to add depth? It creates the illusion that you’re in a real mansion.”

“Alright, stick on the track.” Frank ordered bossily. “Tampering with rides is a crime. We aren’t gonna poke around any further than this straight path.”

“Boooring.” Jack laughed. “What’s the harm?”

“I wasn’t gonna do that…” Conrad formed himself back into the line as they continued on.

Meanwhile, the three women in the lobby where now trying to figure out what bizarre twist of fate just trapped them inside a ride that wasn’t even working.

“What the hell? Just how crappy can this place get?” Frankie banged on the barrier, but it was no use. Katie stood beside her in solidarity, but Mary was still just relaxing in her chair.

“Hey! You!”

Mustering up her spite, the younger sister grabbed onto Mary’s shoulder and made her face her.

“Did you do this? Did you trap us here?”

“I’m sorry?” The lady in red postured cluelessly.

“Look, we’ve been through enough already! This whole day’s been an absolute nightmare! If we don’t get to Kansas soon, we won’t be able to win the competition in Kidneyland!”

“Why not?”

“Frankie…!” The increasingly sensible one of the duo tried pulling her aside, but at most it resulted in her getting even angrier. She put her face up to the woman, and then-

Black.

The power in the room- across the whole ride- shut off entirely, for no discernible reason.

The sisters looked around panicked, but when Frankie ran to the door, it was still closed- locked into place, power or not.

Within a few minutes, it returned.

The minty-haired younger sister built up to a disturbed laugh.

“Just like I was saying…” Frankie turned to the mysteriously absentminded guest so she could properly grill her. “Besides me and my sister, you’re the only one still here. And reason tells me that when something goes wrong it’s not exactly the normal ones causing it. You can cut all this flicking-the-lights and closing-us-in nonsense. If you’re gonna rob us or get in a fight, just do it already.

“You’re not normal either.”

“Frankie.”

Katie finally got her attention. Hands on her shoulders, facing her directly- she spoke slowly as she calmed the poor girl down.

“She didn’t do anything. Nobody’s done anything. This is probably all just one big mistake. I know you’re worried. I’m the same. But sooner or later, we’ll find a way out. We always do.”

Frankie blinked, and then she nodded.

“Who’s Frankie?” Mary asked, just as the men came running back in the same direction they’d come. Two of them, at least.

“Conrad? Frank?” Katie called out to them as they hurried to climb back up from the tracks. The girl flinched. The look on their faces were stained the imprint of a terrible tragedy.

“Jack…” Conrad stuttered. “He’s dead!”