by J. D. Oliva
He whipped his bike left and headed straight for the line.
"What are you doing?" Someone shouted as Cody whipped by.
Tyler's bike charged straight toward the line. The crowd turned back and saw the pack of kids racing towards them. Cody aimed directly at a high school couple, a skinny, blonde haired guy, and his short, brunette girlfriend. His bike veered in and out of the line, nearly missing several pockets of teenagers and elementary school kids. It wasn't the scare the Hallow customers were looking for, but it did the job. They tried to keep pace, but couldn't maneuver quite as well as Cody and nearly collided with a group of fifth graders.
Cody's bike veered away from the line towards the back of the building. He hit the brakes hard and his back wheel skidded out. Cody lost control and rolled off the bike. He quickly popped up and didn't bother brushing himself off. He headed toward the back emergency door. The same door he propped open early that morning, but to his surprise, the door was locked. Not just locked from the inside, but wrapped in chains and with a giant padlock linking the whole thing together.
"What the Hell?" He said grabbing the padlock.
“You're fucking dead."
Cody turned and there was Tyler about twenty yards from him. Strangely, Tyler didn't sprint toward him. Instead he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Cody couldn't tell what was in Tyler's hands until he heard the flick. A switchblade popped up from its handle. He knew Tyler was crazy but he never thought this was possible.
"Now, I'm gonna kill you."
XXVII
Tyler Tomczak knew exactly where he was going. He knew the second Cody Burk took off on his bike. The remnants of rotten eggs stained his clothes and clumped in his hair, but at the moment he didn't care. It didn't matter how fast Cody pedaled or how well he hid, he was going to find him. None of that mattered. He was going to find Cody Burk and he was going to kill him. Not in a metaphorical way, like he was going to beat him up so bad that he was going to wish he was dead. Tyler already did that a few weeks ago. Cody thought he was some kind of hero sticking up for the terrorist girl and needed to be put in his place. Tyler thought that he'd taken care of that, but he was wrong. Cody Burk was beyond teaching a lesson, which was a shame because that only left one alternative. He was going to murder Cody Burk.
As Tyler looked to the side he noticed that Connor wasn't riding with them. That was probably better. He wasn't going to want to watch his little brother die and worse yet, there was a chance that Connor might try to stop him. Tyler didn't want to do anything crazy. He didn't take the switchblade from his old man's dresser to stick it in his friend. Connor had always been a bro. Like the time he stole those bottles of vodka from his parent's basement. It wasn't like Connor's old man was gonna drink it, right? No, Connor was a bro, but still, if he tried to stop Tyler, he'd have no choice but to kill him too. Better to just focus on Cody.
He saw Cody take the sharp turn down Gable Point and he knew he was right. He was heading for the Hallow. Little Burk really thought he could hide there? How pathetic. But in truth, Tyler couldn't think of a better place to kill him than at their family's special, little house. It was kind of funny.
Tyler had been thinking about what killing somebody would be like for a while. His mom's cat, Garfield, was easy. The thing pissed all over his clothes and didn't give the little shit a second thought when he grabbed the legs and ripped. It screamed for awhile, but thinking back on how it tried to move without legs was funny. It got boring though, so he lifted his foot and stepped on Garfield's head. It was like stomping ketchup packets back in elementary school. Killing Garfield didn't bother him. It was easy and made him wonder if killing a person could be as simple. He often lay awake at night thinking about how he'd do it or who he'd get. At first, the thought of getting caught kept him from trying, but eventually he stopped caring. If he got away with it, cool. If not, so what? Minnesota didn't have the death penalty. He'd just go to jail. That wouldn't be so bad. It's not like he was loving life at Carter-Hallow anyway. Besides, if he ever felt like doing it again, he'd be in jail, the only people he'd kill were criminals. So in a way, he'd be doing society a favor. Now it just made sense and he couldn't find a reason not to kill Cody Burk.
Tyler and his friends pulled up next to the Hallow. The line was moving chaotically, like a kid just rode his bike through. He knew Cody wasn't inside.
"Where're we going?" Mike Shonan asked.
"He's in the back," Tyler said calmly. "Stay here."
"That little bitch is dead," Mike added.
Tyler laughed. Mike had no clue how right he was. Tyler led his group to the front of the line and stepped in front of the skinny guy and his girlfriend.
"Where do you think you're going?" the Skinny Guy asked.
Tyler turned back and got in the Skinny Guy's face. He reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out the switchblade. He flicked his wrist and the cold, sharpened steel shot out. Tyler brought the blade just under the Skinny Guy's eye.
"Wherever I want."
The Skinny Guy just shook his head. Tyler didn't want to kill this guy. He was just some dude from school. But still, he had a point to prove. Tyler put the blade back in his pocket and marched toward the back.
Tyler could tell the guys were a little startled that he actually pulled out the knife. They knew Tyler started carrying one, but none of them had ever seen him use it before.
Tyler walked to the back and there was Little Burk playing with the backdoor. His little plan didn't work. Tyler took out the blade and said, "Now, I'm gonna kill you."
Little Burk froze for a second. Maybe this would be easier than he thought. Tyler took two steps toward him but Cody took off in the other direction. That was stupid. He should have told Shonan or Parkin to go around the other way but he didn't. Oh well. Time to start running again. Tyler pocketed the blade and gave chase.
Cody ran back to the front and headed toward the line.
"Hey, there he is!" Parkin shouted.
Giantolli jumped in front and tried to grab Cody, but the eighth grader reared back and punched Giantolli right in the face, dropping him to the ground. Cody didn't even break stride, he kept running, pushing his way through the line and into the Haunted Hallow.
“Get up, let’s go!" Tyler shouted.
Parkin pulled Giantolli up and they followed their leader as he pushed through the line. They entered the Hallow and ran past a cheesy looking scene that looked like it came out of bad horror movie. But there was Cody at the other end of the room, running into a dark tunnel.
"Get over here, Little Burk!" Tyler shouted.
The more Cody ran, the angrier Tyler got.
XXVIII
Cody ran into the black room and shouted, "They're coming!"
Never in a million years did he think Tyler would pull out the switchblade. But Tyler had the chance to cut him in the back and he didn't. Maybe he choked too. Or maybe Tyler was just a fake bully trying to scare him. Well, it worked, but now Cody was in the Hallow. Now he was home. Cody stopped in the center of the black room to catch his breath. He should have taken his place, but he wanted Tyler to see him disappear.
"You little shit!"
Cody didn't even have to turn around to know Tyler was there, but he did anyway.
"Come get me," he said with a smile.
Tyler took off after him and Cody ran toward the exit and slipped through a black curtain. Tyler picked up speed and tried to follow him through the curtain but instead ran smack into the wall. His face hit with such force that it dropped him to the ground. The room was washed in red light.
"Holy shit, Tyler, you okay?" Shonan said.
"I'm fine!"
Tyler stood up and blood was pouring out from his nose.
CRRRRREEEEEEKKKK
The freshmen looked up the ceiling.
"What was that?" Parkin asked.
THHUUMMMPPP CLIK CLIK
"What's going on?" Giantolli asked.
CRRRRREEEEKKKKKK
"It's just a trick. Find the goddamn door!" Tyler said.
"Uh, Tyler, there is no door," Shonan said.
"What?"
"The only door was the one inside and it's locked!"
"Why would they--"
SNNNNNAAAPPPP
They looked up and the ceiling snapped and rapidly dropped down toward their heads. The freshman all screamed before the falling ceiling stood just inches from their heads.
"Holy shit! That was awesome," Shonan said.
Then the trap door in the ceiling sprung open. The net shot out a second later, ensnaring them all.
"What the fu--" Tyler said.
Before he could even finish speaking, the first egg hit him right in his still bleeding nose. Then the second. Finally, the third. Before they knew it, they were pelted from above by dozens of rotten eggs. Then the brown paper bags started falling from the ceiling. When the first one hit, the smell of dog feces filled the room. They covered their heads but the brown bombs kept dropping. Eventually, the freshmen freed themselves from the net, but that didn't stop the sound of laughter from filling their ears.
"Cody Burk, I swear to God, I'm going to kill you!"
"Then come find me."
Cody's voice echoed through the room.
"Hey Tyler, I found the door!" Parkin said.
Tyler turned and saw a door in the same place that his face smashed into a wall not two minutes earlier.
"We're not leaving here until I find that little shit."
XXIX
Tyler walked out of Cody Burk's torture room and walked down a long hallway. He had to take his time now. He ran into that room and straight into a trap. Burk had no doubt set the whole thing up. He probably even sent the Chunky Flash to get his attention. Now that Tyler thought about it, it was a little too convenient that Connor just happened to disappear right when he did. He was probably behind this too. So much for being a bro. Now he was gonna have to kill him too. No great loss.
The sound of a chainsaw filled the room. Some kid dressed like Leatherface jumped out from behind the walls and swung the chainsaw over his head. Tyler reared back and punched him square in the nose, dropping Leatherface to the floor. Tyler jumped on top and ripped the mask off the zombie crew member, whose nose was already bleeding.
"Where is Cody Burk?"
"I have no idea! This is just a game, man. What the fuck is your problem?" Leatherface asked.
Tyler thought about cutting him, but that was just a waste of time. Still, it felt good to break someone else's nose. He punched him one more time for good measure and saw the dark tunnel with light barely seeping through.
"In there," he pointed.
The four freshmen walked through the whirling vortex. Tyler was far too focused to notice the room spinning and the floor moving beneath him. He just made his way through and took the turn toward the right and found himself inside the strobe cage. The lights bounced around them. This room was too strong to ignore. He tried to maneuver past the obstacles and the other people in the cage. Then he noticed there weren't any other people in the cage. Except the monkey man who was bouncing up and down in the back of the room. With every pulse, the monkey drew closer. Tyler knew it was just another dork in a mask but reached into his pocket anyway. The monkey man bounced around the room, moving in tandem with the flashing lights. Tyler was getting tired of playing these games and if the monkey man tried anything with him, he was going to get cut. The lights flashed and the monkey was right in front of his face, but just before Tyler could pull out the blade, the monkey disappeared. All that was left was a white blur that moved in the background. Tyler was sure it was just a special effect. Some light making him think he saw a ghost or something.
The white blur ebbed and flowed through the room before settling just behind him. When he turned around, he didn't find a ghost, but a woman with dirty blonde hair wearing a long, silky, flowing gown that almost hung in mid-air. The girl was pretty, but a little trashy, the exact way he liked.
Tyler moved closer toward the girl, trying to get a solid look at her between pulsating strobe. Tyler looked down and realized she was hovering above the floor, her gown gently dancing in the air. She smiled his way and suddenly her eyes changed shape and blue light burst out from her pupils. This wasn't some special effect, and even if it was, Tyler had had it with the people of the Haunted Hallow. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the switchblade. Flicking his wrist, he drew the weapon and pointed. The ghostly girl laughed uncontrollably and with each barbed cackle her face was twisted and contorted. He lifted the knife into the air and tried to slice forward, but the harder he swung, the faster the room spun. Tyler dropped the weapon and tried to run back toward the door, but Kyra's fingers morphed into freakishly long talons that stretched across the room. Not knowing what else to do, he picked the knife back up and held it close to his body. Kyra smiled as her unearthly figure engulfed Tyler. She raised her jagged claw into the air and swiped down.
XXX
"Where are we?" Nick asked as he found himself face to face with himself.
"The Hell of Mirrors," Cody said.
"The Hell of Mirrors?" Abi parroted.
She turned her head and saw eight different versions of herself. The room wasn't just a regular old room filled with fun-sized mirrors. Instead the room was full of fake smoke and each mirror was accented by the neon lights that surround its border. Smoke and lights created a trippy scene that freaked out many kids over the years. It was Mike Burk's favorite room and from what Cody could tell, unlike the rest of the Hallow, it had been completely untouched. It was the same as he remembered.
"My dad got the name from some comic book," Cody said.
The three of them had their revenge and took the back secret hallways across the Hallow and headed for the Hell of Mirrors which was also where the nearest emergency exit was located. Mr. Slater had been really cool to them, but Cody had what he wanted, and the more time they stuck around the Hallow, the worse things would get. Especially for Nick and Abi, who the goons never saw. As far as anyone knew they had nothing to do with anything. As soon as they got out, they were scot free. Cody could deal with the consequences on his own.
Abi and Nick were both locked on their own reflections in the mirrors. The green lights and thick smoke didn't do much to enhance either of their reflections.
"This room sucks," Nick said.
Abi shrugged, as if to say, 'I kinda like it’.
"It's just a bunch of mirrors, guys," Cody said, not even bothering to look at his reflections.
"Why don't we just stay here?" Nick asked.
"Because, moron, a room with a bunch of mirrors is the worst possible place to hide," Abi said.
Cody walked over to the emergency exit and pushed. Nothing happened. Cody pushed again but the door wouldn't move. They were stuck in the Hell of Mirrors. It was almost the exact same trick they used on Tyler in their room.
"Uh, guys," Cody said. "I can't get the door open."
"What does that mean?" Nick asked.
"It means this emergency exit is locked. Probably locked from the outside."
"What makes you think that?" Abi asked.
"When I got here, I tried to sneak in through the back door but it was all chained up and padlocked."
"Who would do that?" She added.
"I dunno, Mr. Slater is always going on about how the fear has to be real. Maybe he locked all the doors so that no one could leave?"
"Why would he do that?" Abi asked again.
"I dunno, I am kinda scared," Cody said.
"But that's wrong. It's a violation of the fire code," Abi said.
"Oh no, it's violation of the fire code," Nick said with a mocking cartoon voice.
"She's right. This isn't good. It's scary, but not the good kinda scary," Cody said.
"What now, Captain Crunch?" Abi asked.
"You too?" Cody shook his head.
"For real, what do we do?" Nick
added.
"There's another emergency exit in the back. We can try that."
"And if that one is locked too?" Abi asked.
"Then we gotta go through the whole Hallow and head to exit, like the customers. Gives Tyler another chance to get us." Cody paused for a second. "We should split up."
"Are you kidding me? Have you never seen a horror movie?" Nick asked.
"Yeah, I don't like that idea at all. We gotta stay together," Abi added.
"I just don't want you guys getting in trouble with me."
"We're in this too. We knew what we were doing," Abi said.
"Okay. Here we go."
The three of them tore themselves away from their twisted reflections as they fell in behind Cody, who led them through the Hell of Mirrors and out into the hallways of the Hallow. They knew Cody was in his element here, but they were surprised when he nonchalantly stepped over a blood-covered, blonde girl wearing cat ears strewn out on the floor. Nick and Abi stopped and stared at the collapsed body.
Cody turned back and said, "Relax, it's just a dummy."
Of course it was.
XXXI
Night fell across the state of Minnesota and the line at the Haunted Hallow started to flow into the streets. The crowd that, minutes earlier, was upset with a group of teenagers causing trouble had already made their way through the maze and came out the other side raving.
"Everything looked so real!" One girl said.
"Yeah, they grabbed a guy that was walking next to us and pulled him through a wall!" Cheered another.
The consensus was in, and the youth of Hawk Hallow wanted more of what Roscoe Slater had to offer. But the line was bigger than he expected. So big that they couldn't possibly keep pace with what the community wanted, let alone with what was really happening inside. Their inability to feed on everyone that walked through worked to their benefit as there were far more potential treats than they had expected. Not having to slaughter the entire populace made for a much longer feeding period than any of them were used to, not to mention how much cash lined Roscoe's pocket. He was so impressed he thought about taking this show on the road next Halloween.