Oldtown Acres

All of a sudden, the critic in Katie’s mind was going off.

The hope budding in her began to drain almost immediately. It was supposed to be a “historical” park. But little emphasis on what era of “history” they themed themselves around made for quite the uninspired layout. “Old-timey cars,” as she’d always called them, knowing of the archetypical theme park attraction long before she ever heard the name Henry Ford, laid yards away from dinosaur-themed kids rides and an armor-wearing knight mascot that stung to look at, forcing her to recall Fairytown and Everfair like she was going right back around to them.

It occurred to her then how even though those two parks were similar in theme, she hadn’t minded seeing both of them, having taken away just as good a time in either. To be completely fair, one residing in a foreign country made for more than enough of a difference, not to mention the other unique aspects of it- but to be fair again to the woman she was now, there was no time limit back when she visited that place. At least, she wasn’t thinking about it.

Now, she’d lost everything. The park connoisseur had become a downright picky eater.

Speaking of…

“Katie? Katie.”

After floating in limbo for an hour, Katie’s mind returned to her body to smell grease and salt. Positioned across from her was her sister, in front of her a meal and a packet of nutrition supplements.

“Are you hungry at all?”

A once-over at the burger and fries made the answer clear in her head. With how little the two of them had eaten during their travels, it had been very easy for her to slip into refusing meals once she returned home. A meal per day was the most she’d usually allow herself, though hunger didn’t usually strike her that often. But right now, after a few days of fasting, she couldn’t deny those atrophied taste buds of hers the scent of this cheap platter.

Without so much as answering her poor sibling, she grabbed the styrofoam patty and bit in.

Frankie watched her gulp it down. She herself only managed to bite a single fry as she sadly bore into her sister’s visage. No light returned to her plastic eyes as she indulged. If she hadn’t already, she was forced to accept it now. Katie wasn’t in there anymore.

The older girl fell off the wood bench and into the pavement, busting her nose into a newfound red puddle.

“K-Katie!”

She ran to grab her, hoist her up, but by the time her hands were on her convulsing shoulders, the girl got up on her own, running towards a trash can.

Watching her vomit, Frankie steeled herself to comfort the woman. But when she returned, there was a smile on her speckled face.

“…Hey. You alright?”

“Freaking… food poisoning…” Kate grasped her stomach, before she chose to lightly laugh. “Come on, am I right?” She shook her head, chuckling.

Frankie nervously laughed herself, their food already taken and thrown away by staff that might’ve helped them in any other park.

“That sucks… anyway, let’s go ride something!” Katie excitedly giggled.

Frankie fearfully nodded.