Dark Ride

by Todd Loyd

  His noble thoughts of his own grandeur are interrupted by the whimpering tones of his glasses-clad lackey saying, “You think we have to go through there?”

  “It's the only way out, I guess,” confirms Jack grimly.

  “We need to keep going,” Amy agrees. “If only we had some sort of light.”

  Without warning, the speakers pipe the familiar voice through the room:

  “The viper was foiled in spite of his plot ill-conceived.

  His strikes narrowly missing the companions, now relieved.

  But the path waits, dismal and dreary.

  Of the cave waiting, four souls should be leery.

  Take up the axe handle with care,

  For who knows what foe will be waiting in there.”

  “You can't tell me that it's not talking about us now!” Jack concludes.

  “All right, so someone is watching us. What good does that do? Unless the voice can produce a light for that entrance, everything it has said has been ‘all the path this’ and ‘the end that,’” Mason declares.

  “The voice said to bring the axe,” Jack counters. “Sure would come in handy to cut a beanstalk with.”

  “That's right,” Scotty affirms.

  Mason stands thinking and considers, Jack's right. There is no denying that the voice is talking to us. But how could that be? In his head he looks for a reason, and he finds one.

  Suddenly, Mason snaps up, and a thought pours from his mouth: “Guys, this is one of those reality shows! I bet we're on a hidden camera somewhere! They've got us going through all these hoops for someone's entertainment. I bet there's a secret room somewhere with a bunch of TV execs laughing their butts off at the way we are floundering and running.”

  “Mason, really?” asks Jack, who rolls his eyes at this new revelation of his friend.

  “Yeah, really.”

  This time Amy decides to put the kibosh on the theory by saying, “Then explain the talking snake, the talking wolf, the—”

  “Special effects. A guy in a costume. You know they can make anything in Hollywood these days.”

  “Mason, that ridiculous,” says Amy with a sigh.

  “No, think about it,” counters Mason. He is not willing to let go of his idea, although the talking snake sure seemed real enough to him.

  Mason wonders, Maybe the reality show is a silly idea? But, he thinks it is the best idea anyone has offered yet.

  Peering carefully around the room, Mason clears is throat and announces, “Okay, I've been thinking about a plan.”

  Amy chimes, “Oh great…you thinking.”

  Mason, ignoring the sarcasm, continues, “No, listen. That squirrel, right? Remember him? Well, he got into this building, probably through some vent like Scotty said. Okay, so look right above your heads.”

  Above the teens is a large square vent covered by a metal grate.

  Mason keeps going, “So far, we've just been, like, wandering from room to room. So when we got in here, I stared looking around. You see, I saw this movie just last week about a secret agent trapped in an old warehouse that was set to explode. He climbed up a stack of boxes and squeezed into a large vent in the ceiling. He made his way through the vents and got out of the building before it blew to bits. What if we found a shaft like that and made our way to the exit?”

  A low laugh escapes from Amy's mouth. She says, “Oh, that's brilliant, Mason. We'll just climb right up. What are we going to do—move some of these rocks and scale them? Or, better yet, we could levitate.”

  “Hey, I'm not crazy. I saw one of these vents in the lab a couple of rooms back. And the table in there would be perfect to stand on.”

  “I'm not going back,” Amy counters obstinately.

  Mason chuckles to himself and then mutters, “Oh yeah, your wolf.”

  “And the snake, genius,” retorts Amy.

  “Amy, I think it's a great idea,” declares Scotty.

  “Of course you do,” says Amy, frowning at her brother.

  Scotty gives a terse look to his sister and asks, “What does that mean?”

  Amy sighs and says, “You know exactly what I mean.”

  “I make my own decisions,” defends Scotty. The boy crosses his arms in defiance.

  Amy laughs and says, “Sure you do.”

  “Just shut up, Amy,” attacks Scotty.

  She continues the coaxing, “Is that you talking, or Mason?”

  “I'm serious,” Scotty moans.

  “You wanna check with Mason first to see if he's gonna back your play here? ‘Whatever you say, Mason.’ ‘Should I jump, Mason?’ ‘How high, Mason?’”

  Just as he always does, Scotty withers.

  Mason sees the tide turning away from his idea, so he presses Jack, “What do you think, Jack? It's worth a shot, right? I mean, if there is a wolf or something trying to get us….” Mason supplies a dramatic pause for Amy. “Then he can't get us up there,” finishes Mason with a twinkle in his eye.

  Jack looks to Amy and once again recalls the two glowing eyes. He responds, “Actually, it's not a bad idea.”

  “There you go, Jack!” affirms Mason. “Great, that settles it. The next time we see a vent, we try the plan.”

  “That is unless we find an exit first,” adds Jack.

  “Right,” agrees Mason. “Now let's move on.”

  Amy dares a few steps toward the cave and says, “I don't like the idea of going in there, but looks like that's the only way out.”

  “Hey,” Scotty says. “Remember the last room, the one with the snake? There was another set of doors.”

  “Yes, you're right,” Amy agrees.

  Mason says, “If you guys are too scared of that cave, why don't we go back into the snow room and make for those doors. Maybe we could go back to the lab and climb into the vents?”

  “It's either the cave or the snake,” Scotty concludes, clearly not liking either option.

  Mason can tell Jack is thinking hard because he's chewing his upper lip.

  “What do you think, Jack?” Amy asks.

  Jack looks at Amy and smiles. He says, “I think we go back to the last room. I have to admit that stack of bones and the warning of the narrator settles it for me. We got past the snake once, we can do it again.”

  “Have you got an idea?” Scotty asks Jack.

  “Yeah. I do.”

  Chapter 43

  Clyde takes a hand towel from his waist and wipes his forehead.

  “So you left them there in the Giant's lair?” Gwen asks.

  “We've been over this. When I came back to the spot where I left them, they were gone. I just don't get it. Where are they? The ride does not take this long.” He rubs his head. “You said the ride has not stopped working out here?”

  “Yeah. You totally confused me when you said the power was off inside.”

  Another empty train exits the final set of black double doors.

  “Clyde, don't worry, those kids probably got off the ride during one of the power outages you talked about. They don't strike me as troublemakers. They'll come walking out any minute.”

  “I hope your right.”

  He isn't sure Gwen believes him about the power outage inside, and he can't blame her. He does not want to press the issue. It would only make things more complicated. Still he can't help but wonder if the strange power outages had a connection with all the other bizarre events that had unfolded in the Enchanted Forrest.

  “Gwen, you remember that night when you….” Clyde stops himself before asking her about the strange calliope music, but he is tempted to ask her about it now.

  “What night, Clyde?”

  “Never mind. Just thinking aloud.”

  “Clyde, what are you not telling me?”

  He wants to tell her. He wants to let someone else in on the dark secret of the ride he had kept hidden from all of the other employees. It would be nice to have someone share the burden. Still, when we had told the police all he knew about the Douglas Finch in
cident, they thought he was loony and dismissed the information way back then. However, tonight was the first time he had heard that ominous music for himself. In the end, nevertheless, he decides not to pursue the matter with Gwen, although the guilt yanks at his already strained nerves from leaving the kids.

  “Nothing. Just getting too old for this stuff, Gwen. It's getting late. Look, I am going to radio for some help. I'll get another employee to go back in with me. I think you should look for the parents. Not sure who brought them here tonight. The Braddock boy usually gets dropped off. Maybe all of them were, but we need to make sure just in case a parent is lurking around here somewhere. I don't want them coming after you or me because we didn't let them know what is going on.”

  “Good plan. Do you want me to call anyone else?”

  By the girl's tone, Clyde knows the “anyone else” is Howard Snodgrass. He tells her, “No, not now. No reason to panic him, yet.” But he knows this is a lie.

  Although he doesn't want to, Clyde determines to go back into the Enchanted Forrest. His concern for the kids overcomes his reluctance to ever venture into the Dark Ride again.

  Chapter 44

  “So, we are all good with the plan?” Jack asks.

  All three heads nod solemnly. For now, at least, they are on the same page.

  Approaching the entrance to the snow-covered room, Amy cracks the door open with her long stick. A cold breeze engulfs the travelers.

  “Mister Snake, we have a bargain for you. Are you in there?”

  There is a period of silence, and Amy looks back to Jack and shrugs. Mason stands behind Jack's right shoulder, listening intently for any word from the viper while Scotty grips Lucky, who, for his part, is missing a chunk of his posterior and quite a bit of stuffing.

  Then, with a feint hiss, the snake says, “I am listening.”

  Based on the sound of its words, the teens perceive that the reptile is clearly on the far side of the room.

  “Okay, you, stay where you are. Do not move, or the deal is off,” Mason warns.

  “I am game. Enter. No one is stopping you.”

  Amy places one foot inside the door and tilts her head into the room. The snake is visibly coiled at the foot of the doors they intend to take.

  “Stay where you are,” she calls.

  “I heard you the first time. I have not moved. What is this deal? Does it involve hurling sharp objects at me?”

  With the coast clear, the three boys follow Amy into the room.

  Jack chooses to ignore the mocking statement of the snake and coolly responds, “We know you want out. Scotty here was afraid you were going to betray us.” As he says this, Jack starts to shiver and rub his hands together.

  “He was the betrayer. Did I not offer you a prize of great value?”

  “Look, that is in the past. We talked things over and are prepared to take you up on your offer. Let's just get out of the cold, okay?” Jack urges.

  The reptile hisses, uncoils, and inches forward.

  “Then I guess we have struck a bargain. One of you will take me to the next room, and I will show you the item.”

  “Right,” says Jack. A look to Amy signals that the plan is under way.

  Mason steps forward cautiously and says, “I will pick you up—just don't do anything stupid. Oh, and you're not getting in my shirt. I don't care how cold you are.” To his left, Amy inches forward.

  The snake's body ripples from side to side as he slithers towards them. Mason kneels down with his hand extended.

  When the snake is only a couple of feet from his hand, Mason yells, “Now,” pulls back his hand, and rolls to the right. With a lightning fast motion, Amy slams the stick down at the snake. Then a torrent of chaos breaks loose. The snake has suspected a rouse and darts hard to his left, avoiding the thundering strike, which results in Amy grimacing in pain as the stick reverberates on the hard frozen ground.

  The viper is now full of rage. It hisses ferociously and, with mouth agape, lunges.

  Jack is caught by surprise, and this time, he isn't able to prevent an attack.

  Chapter 45

  Scotty has no idea how the snake is able to hurl himself so high in the air. He can only watch as the viper shoots through the air and hits its target. The fangs sink deep into Jack's shoulder.

  A look of intense shock washes over Jack's face.

  “Jack!” Mason yells from his crouched position.

  Amy prepares for another swing, but it is too late. The creature is dangling from the boy's body.

  The pain in Jack's shoulder morphs into fury, and he reaches up and catches the snake just under its head. A loud violent yell erupts from him as he yanks the snake hard. It relinquishes its hold, but Jack's shirt rips and flesh tears away as fangs rip from the wound. Staggering, Jack steps back, and with his left arm, he shoves the door behind him open. Then he deposits the snake into the cave room and with a forceful slam shuts the door.

  From its new abode, the viper hisses, “You'll never get out of the woods alive!”

  All three rush to Jack.

  “Oh, man!” screams Jack, “Ahhhh! It burns!”

  “Are you okay, Jack?” Scotty asks but immediately chides himself for the foolish question.

  “Yeah, it just…. Crud, did you see that? He just leaped up before I could…. Oh, man!”

  “Jack, I'm sorry,” consoles Amy. “He just moved so fast. After he bit you, I couldn't take the risk of hitting you.”

  “It's okay, Amy. You tried.”

  Stretching his shirt at the collar, Jack observes the wound. It's puffy and hot. Two small deep red holes circled in white are accompanied by streaks of torn flesh where Jack had ripped away the snake's head.

  “Oh, Jack, it's nasty,” says Amy.

  Jack seems unfazed and says, “It will be okay.”

  Amy looks doubtfully at him, but he tells her, “No, really, it already feels better.”

  “I wonder what kind of snake that is?” asks Scotty, giving voice to the question none of the others want to address. “It could be poisonous, Jack. Should someone suck on the wound?”

  Jack forces a smile in spite of the pain and says, “I don't think that will be necessary, Scotty. I'll pass. Look, it's not getting any warmer in here. Things didn't go exactly according to plan, but we're here and the snake is not blocking our way.”

  Another grimace from Jack

  Chattering, Amy asks, “Are you sure you're okay, Jack? We can wait here a little longer.”

  “No,” Jack states, “We are all freezing.” Then after a pause and a deep breath, he adds, “Maybe once were in the next room, we can stop?”

  Mason says, “As long as you're okay, all right then—let's go. I say we go back to the lab.”

  “No,” counters Jack, “Let's just press on. If we don't find the exit soon, then we can head back.”

  Scotty prepares for an argument, so he is surprised to hear Mason say, “Okay.” He thinks, Wow, that was easy. I guess even Mason has a heart. He's letting Jack call the shots after the bite.

  Mason leads the group to the set of doors across the room.

  As they pass over the frozen floor, Scotty decides to ask Jack about the snake. “Was it just me or did that snake seem to have a round head?”

  Jack replies, “I don't know, Scotty, I wasn't thinking about that. I know what you are getting at, though. You want to know if the snake was poisonous or not.”

  Scotty continued, “Well that's not entirely true, you see there are a few poisonous snakes with rounded heads, but it is very uncommon in America.”

  “Not sure those rules apply to talking snakes,” Jack responds.

  “Jack, most American poisonous snakes have a triangular shaped head, and for the most part, the old story about all triangular-headed snakes being…”

  Scotty stops talking as Jack crumples to a heap on the cold, snow-covered floor.

  Chapter 46

  Not more than ten seconds ago, Jack appeared fine. Now, his
fragile body lies shivering on the frozen ground Only Scotty had suspected the worst, and now his suspicions are vindicated: the viper is obviously poisonous. If ever he has wanted to be wrong, it is now. Scotty arrives at the boy's side and calls, “Jack!” looking desperately for any sign of consciousness. Soon, Mason and Amy are there, too.

  With anguish and fear in his voice, Scotty announces, “He's poisoned, I knew it.”

  “Jack, can you hear me? Please, Jack!” Amy cries.

  There is no response.

  Jack's eyes are rolled up into the back of his head. He is clearly oblivious to the world.

  “What do we do?” Amy asks, looking at her brother and then to the panic-stricken face of Mason.

  “I saw a bunch of books on healing back in that lab room,” Scotty says in a rushed tone. “We can at least get him outta here and put him on that table.”

  Not waiting for help or confirmation of his idea, Scotty attempts to lift Jack's body. Mason leans down and quickly lends a hand. The boys struggle with the dead weight and drape Jack's arms over their shoulders. There is no time for delay.

  Amy kicks open the doors to the strange laboratory. She sweeps the skeleton that had occupied the metal table off to the floor and says, “Set him on here.”

  The boys gently pick Jack up and hoist him onto the slab. Then Scotty quickly runs to the nearest shelf and begins cycling through the books. He is soon joined by Amy, who begins pulling book after book off the shelf.

  Mason calls to Scotty, “Is it too late to suck out the poison?”

  From over his shoulder, Scotty responds, “Maybe not, go ahead.”

  He peeks over his shoulder to see if Mason will follow through with it and sees him fumbling with Jack's shirt and then pausing over the wound.

  Mason looks intently and then calls out, “Just find something, Scotty—I'm sure it's too late!” Then, looking gravely at the boy, he says, “It's going to be okay. We're going to figure something out. You stay with us, Jack—stay with us!”