Necrophagia

“Hey. Don’t be scared. We’re right here.”

Lifting her to her feet, the woman showed Frankie the same kind of compassion any of the best people she’d known had. She didn’t appear so beautiful like Umi, not as brave as Tara- but there was a deep, resonant kindness in her eyes that dropped Frankie’s paranoid guard in an instant.

Inexplicably, she ran up to the woman, and hugged her.

“Hey. It’s okay. It’s okay. Come see everyone.”

She had her step through the very wall of the establishment to reveal its back rooms. Within the rides, they hid themselves. An entire community of people, young and old- within the dark ride alone, there were at least two dozen. Warm candlelight brightened the secret family’s residence, a comforting sprawl of tables and beds, the props and machinery pushed to the side to be stripped for parts. People smiled as Frankie entered.

“My name is Dana.” The dark-haired woman introduced herself. “These are my friends. Ever since this park’s clientele abandoned it, we’ve been living here.”

They came in all shapes and colors. The society seemed already prepared to accept her, though Frankie wasn’t here to stay. She swallowed her tears, hoping to ask some questions.

“W-what was that thing outside?”

“That?” She giggled. “His name is Orson, he guards the gates. Along with our cameras, we see everything here. Though, we’ve never had very much trouble. This place… seems to attract people with kind hearts, despite its troublesome reputation.”

“You… see everything? Have you-“ Frankie stopped for air. She was quite literally hyperventilating. “Have you… seen another girl like me…? Long hair…?”

“Yes, why yes.” Dana nodded. “She had just arrived here a few weeks ago. Though… she never spoke to us. We tried to approach her, but… when we talked, she just stood. It was like she was… looking for something. So peculiar.”

“A-anyone else?”

“Yes. There was a man, an old man. He spoke to the girl… took her somewhere he thought we couldn’t see. And then…”

“W-what happened?” Frankie gasped.

“Why, he operated on her. I don’t understand, but it was like they had an agreement. I can’t tell you what it was he was doing. …Perhaps some trickery installation? I almost thought he looked familiar.”

Frankie’s mind twisted as she held her head. What in God’s name was Katie up to?

“T-that girl, she’s- my sister, I- I have to find her. Where is she?”

The people shook their heads.

“We are not sure, right at this moment. She’s been moving quite frequently, and… shouting… quite a lot.”

Frankie wiped sweat off her forehead, crying again.

“I-I gotta find her. There’s not much time.”

Dana tiled her head.

“Why not? There is always plenty of time, in this place. It's like… it is frozen, here. We don’t listen to the beat of America’s greedy drum, inside of this home. We are free.”

“You’re not “free.” The panicked girl shook her head. “We’re all on a time limit. In not too long, we’ll all-“

“Calm down.” Dana held her shoulder. “It’s going to be just fine. You have plenty of time. How did you know to come here for your sister in the first place?”

“…This place’s past. We ran into it.”

“You mean… the Dreadnought Girl?”

Frankie nodded.

“I believe I’ve seen the incident you refer to on television… you were the ones in Missouri?”

Frankie nodded again.

“…I’m so sorry. That, too, was this country- this world’s fault. This place was not fit for public use. The creators knew it well. But, they expanded anyway. Created the largest coaster of all. And what did it do…?” Dana’s face contorted into a sad, but altogether ironically foolish expression, mocking the men responsible for her surroundings. “It fell apart.”

Frankie sniffled, shuffling in place.

“That’s what I’ve been thinking… feeling… this whole time.”

“Your sister reminds me of her. The girl.”

Frankie looked up at the woman.

“She had mysterious connections to sickening arms manufacturers, and many other horrible people. But it was all in service of the sadness within her. Once, a few years ago… Just like your sister, she would go about this place, not doing any harm, but simply… solemnly, desperately crying.”

Dana looked at her feet. Frankie had nothing to say.

“…I wish we could’ve helped her.”