Wirestone Park

May 25th, 2013 NGP.

Tuesday.

Nothing about that felt “final” by any stretch, but looking around, she couldn’t help but worry.

It was bright red now. Like glowing bulbs on the side of an attraction, the entire sky was shining a scarlet flare. You might not have noticed it, just going about your day as it slowly drew near, but after ignoring it for so long, it was paralyzing just how big the moon looked up there in the sky. You could almost see the cracks dotting its surface as it struggled its way through the atmosphere. It seemed all but lost. For all she knew, this was the last day she’d ever see.

But still… she was here.

Standing outside the worn-down metal gates of the death park, Wirestone- her trip was all but finished. She’d wormed her way through Idaho, and finally found the place she’d been searching for.

It made no sense to wait, but she had to admit she was scared.

What would she say to her? Would she get to say anything? For all she knew, Katie wouldn’t come easily. She came out here for a reason- would she even be willing to talk?

The little sister gulped. She couldn’t afford to linger on her thoughts anymore. That wasn’t the girl who got herself here, all alone. That wasn’t the girl who’d sacrificed everything, just so she could have a miniscule chance of bringing her sister back home.

She looked up at the sky, once more.

…Was that even a possibility anymore?

“H-HEY!”

Frankie jumped, startled at the greeter. It waved at her from behind the fence, gesturing for her to come closer.

It must’ve been an animatronic, at some point. She could no longer tell what of. Its voice was hollow and jarring, the eyes extending from its empty frame lifeless and uncanny. As she stepped inside the park, they followed her every move.

“THE- HOUSING- IS TO- THE LEFT- JUST PAST- THE FERRIS WHEEL- IF YOU’RE A- cop- THEN GET OUT!”

Its cut-together voice lines clearly weren’t programmed by the original owners of this place. Cautious, she followed its words, keeping an eye on the strange thing before it was finally out of her sight.

“…K-Katie? Where are you, Katie?”

She walked past the “Ferris Wheel.” It looked like a collapsed tower of pancakes, its metal rings fallen to the ground not unlike the one she’d once ridden in. It was an eerie synchronicity, to be sure.

“I-I love you, Katie… p-please come out…”

It was funny, thinking her voice would carry its way through the giant park- but then again, it did also seem to echo throughout the empty place, as if it were the ghostly call of a banshee.

“I-I’m scared…”

At some point, she almost didn’t want to continue following the machine’s directions, fearful of what she might find- but before she had time to reconsider, she was already there.

The ‘dark ride’ was darker than it had probably once intended to be. The cart was missing, not a light in sight… only her phone guided the way.

Through the winding corridors, she couldn’t make out its theme… just like the animatronic, it was stripped of its theming, almost as if given some unknown new purpose, unbeknownst to the world of capitalism outside it…

She stepped cautiously as she made her way through the labyrinth, but that didn’t stop her from screaming when the woman popped out from within the set dressing.

“Are you… in need of something?”

Dropping her only source of light, she fell to the floor as her eyes directed themselves to the crack in the scenery revealing an illuminated interior, along with many human eyes gazing upon her.