End of a Nightmare

When the tool in her hands activated in response to the strained command of her finger, it came with little more than a pop and a buzz, no louder than the foolish arguments of earlier.

The electric prongs might not have been enough, and Katie knew this. It’s why she closed her eyes as she fired the taser into him, fearing the gunshot that would follow immediately after.

But no shot came.

The pistol fell to the floor again, along with Jack’s shaking, pathetic body.

As the faulty trickery inside him cracked and sparkled in painful rebellion, he cried out for someone he would never see again.

“BARRY! iGh- Barry…”

As Frankie watched his writhing body, hearing his screams, she made up her mind about one thing. One thing that would never change about the Earth she walked and the people in it.

Passing out unconscious, the murderer was sterilized, the thin cords dangling off his shape flowing up to Katie’s borrowed taser, a parting gift from Frank.

In fearful relief, the survivors could only look at him with shaking eyes as the locks of the metal lobby door finally came undone with a sturdy click.

At last, the one iron thing trapping them there swung open, once again revealing the entrance hallway, lights and narration intact.

“In the Creaking Manor… your greatest fears will come to life…”

With the spooky recording corralling nonexistent riders, a small chugging could be heard from the side opposite it, just through the tunnels of the lonely tracks.

Ironic as everything else in this sick journey had been, the sisters were still a tad broken up when they saw the missing cart pull straight into the loading area.

Mary looked at everyone.

Katie shook her head.

“I already… went on this one, thanks.”

“Do we… call the cops?” Conrad turned towards Frankie.

“You’re… asking me? I… um…”

Katie held her sister’s hand.

“We got mixed up in something awhile ago. I don’t know what to do. I don’t wanna have to talk to police, but… won’t they see us on the cameras even if we make a run for it?”

Conrad stroked his chin, finally breathing right again, feeling like he just came up for air after being underwater all night.

Looking upwards- he noticed something.

“Katie… the cameras aren’t on. Right now, at least.”

“Huh? But they were on just earlier… weren’t they, Mary? You talked about the microphones and…”

“He turned them off.” She pointed at the blacked-out killer on the ground. “Before he blew his cover.”

“He wouldn’t need evidence of how we died… it would’ve been no loss to him if he erased everything on them.” Conrad realized.

“But…” Frankie was quick to hyper-analyze. “The question is, did he…?”