“So why do you love it so much?”
He shrugged. “I was stuck at home a lot as a kid, looking after mum. You know how it was for me back then.”
She nodded. It had always caused issues when they had first become friends. Everyone would make plans together, but AJ could hardly ever make them. Even going down the park had been too much of a commitment for him.
He shrugged again. “I watched a lot of television, and wrestling on a Friday night was my escape. My real life was so dull, but these big, colourful characters on TV were always having fun and causing mayhem. I was a powerless little kid trapped in the house, looking after a blind woman, but Stone Cold was out raising hell while The Rock was humiliating anyone who dared face him. I needed to know that life could be unpredictable instead of an endless existence of routine and chores.”
Samantha gave him a thin-lipped smile. “That makes sense. It must have been fun to live in a world full of heroes and villains constantly doing battle.”
AJ smiled back at her. “I see the way little kids in the audience look at me when I wrestle, and I know I’m giving them that same gift, showing them that they can put themselves on display and be who they want to be one day. That the powerlessness of childhood doesn’t last forever. Kids need to know the future is whatever they want to make it.”
Samantha chuckled, but she wasn’t mocking him. The way she looked at him was all compassion, and possibly something more. “Wow. I thought people watched wrestling for the violence.”
AJ took a swig from his beer. “They do, and I allow them to experience it without anyone getting hurt.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “From the way you were screaming in pain earlier, I don’t think that’s true. You be careful in the States, okay? I know you – you’ll give a hundred and ten to impress everyone, but it’s not worth it if you end up broken.”
“Yeah, well, that’s all in the future. Tell me how things are with you. I never see you any more.”
She looked down into her cup and swirled the wine around as if it were a magical whirlpool that would show her whatever she wanted. He was sure her hair was shorter, and for the first time, he saw slight wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. “Yeah, well, working for myself isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
“Really? I thought you were doing great.”
“I am, so long as I work every hour God sends. There’s so much competition out there. I trained to be an accountant because I thought I would be able to work for myself and make a good living, but it seems like everyone else had the same idea. If I lower my prices any more, I’ll be on minimum wage. If I increase them, my customers will go elsewhere. And people expect so much for their money. Some of my clients give me a carrier bag full of receipts and expect me to make sense of it within a week. It’s horrible. Worst decision I ever made.”
“So quit.”
“And then what? Go work for someone else? You were at Alscon with me. Don’t you remember how John used to be? Trying to get me into bed every time I made the mistake of smiling at him? Having a boss is just as much a nightmare. Life just seems shit whatever I decide to do. That’s why I’m so happy for you. At least someone has a bright future to look forward to. I just wish it wasn’t going to take you so far away.”
He shook his head and gave a sad smile. “I’ve only been on the other side of town, and this is the first time I’ve seen you in months.”
“I kept thinking things would get better. That all the hard work up front would pay off down the line. I’m still waiting for that to happen. I miss you too. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Maybe I took for granted how much you meant to me. Hey, perhaps you can take me to the States with you. I can be your accountant-slash-mistress.”
AJ felt a butterfly take flight in his tummy. “My mistress, ay? Didn’t know you thought about me like that.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Have you seen you? A girl can do a lot worse. And now you’re going to be rich and famous too.”
“Again, a long way from that. But nice to know you don’t objectify me in any way.” He gave her a playful nudge and then flipped his long blonde hair. “Anyway, I don’t want to think about it tonight.”
She tilted her head at him. “Why not?”
“Because it’ll make me sad that I’m not going to be able to hang out with you all any more. I just want to enjoy being with my friends one last time before everything changes.”
“You’re right, that is depressing.” She took a swig of wine and placed a hand on his leg. The warmth from her palm spread throughout his thigh and he hoped she left it there. It was weird. Nothing had ever happened between them – their friendship had always been too important, too ingrained – but perhaps drifting apart had changed things, made their friendship less of an obstacle.
Or was he just tipsy from the drugs and alcohol?
But she was the one who put her hand on my knee.
She’s my favourite person. Always has been. I’ll miss her the most. I’ll miss looking at her like this.
AJ put his hand on top of hers, seeing how it felt. It felt right. Then he smiled at her. “You want to go exploring? Check this place out properly?”
Her eyes flicked away. Either he had got the wrong impression and made her feel awkward, or she was nervous about exploring Frenzy’s belly. If he was honest, he was nervous too, but that’s what made it so much fun.
“Yeah, I’m up for exploring a bit. Will it, um, be safe? I mean, this part of the ride was meant for people, but you’re talking about, what, walking along the tracks?”
“There’s no power, so nothing dangerous can happen. Going from the state of the first two rooms, I think the rest of the ride will be in good shape too. A catwalk should run alongside the track all the way round, so we just need to stay on it. We’ll be fine.”
She smiled. “Then let’s go for a walk.”
He offered her his hand and stood up. “A gentleman would be most honoured to escort a lady.”
“Such manners. A man may receive a lady’s handkerchief.”
Both chuckling, they climbed out of the fishing boat and headed for the open archway devouring the tracks ahead. It was meant to resemble the mouth of a cave, but in the subdued light, it just looked like a deep black hole.
AJ grabbed one of Greg’s LED lanterns. “I need to take one of these, Greg. That cool?”
Greg had already started heating up some beans in a mess tin over his portable stove. Ben and Tasha were sitting with him while Ashley was waving her phone about in the corner. “Where you two off to?” he asked in a tone that seemed oddly disapproving.
“I just want to check out the ride,” said AJ, shrugging.
“You can come if you want?” said Samantha, which confused AJ once again as to what she was thinking. Was she scared to be alone with him? Or just acting normally?
Stop overthinking things, AJ.
Greg looked at AJ with a strange expression, and if AJ didn’t know better, he would’ve said he could see a glimmer of hurt in his friend’s eyes. Did Greg have a thing for Samantha? That would be crazy – AJ didn’t even know if he had a thing for Samantha – because Greg was with Ashley.
“That cool, man?” AJ asked again.
The strange expression dropped from Greg’s face, and he shrugged the boulders that counted for his shoulders. “Yeah, whatever, man. I’ll catch you up in a bit, unless I’d be interrupting something?”
AJ huffed. “Why are you being weird?”
“I’m not. I just thought we’d explore this place together.”
Ben tutted. “You need a cuddle or something, man? No one’s leaving you out, Greg. We’re gonna be partying all night, so let the lovebirds go for their walk.”
“We’re not lovebirds,” said Samantha, clearly embarrassed by the suggestion. “We’re just going to take a look around.”
“Yeah,” said AJ, realising now how stupid he was for thinking anything would happen between them. They were just friends. “I’ve be
en looking forward to checking this place out for a year. I’m just a bit eager.”
Greg turned his attention to his sizzling beans. “Yeah, no problem. Go have fun. Like I said, I’ll catch up.”
AJ gave Samantha a little nudge, letting her know he was ready to exit this strange conversation. She looked at him and nodded, then whispered, “That was weird. Now I want to go exploring in the dark even more just to get away from this atmosphere. Shall we depart?”
“Yes, my lady. Let’s do so at once.”
They headed through the archway and into the tunnel. Into darkness.
Chapter Twelve
The LED lantern cast silver shadows over everything and gave the tunnel an almost heavenly aura. Samantha edged along the catwalk, her wine sloshing in its cup. “I can’t believe we’re doing this. How much trouble would we be in if we got caught here?”
“Probably none,” said AJ. “Technically, we’re trespassing, but it’s not like we’re stealing or intending to bury a body. It’s just a bit of mischief.”
“The night is still young. Who knows what could happen.”
He smirked at her in the gloom. “You plan on killing someone?”
“Why d’you think I agreed to come this weekend? I’ve been planning on murdering you all for years. Starting with you!” She pretended to stab him, poking him in the ribs and making him snigger. He grabbed her wrists and fought her away playfully.
“Always thought you might be a serial killer,” he said, still holding her arms. “You have that look about you.”
“If I killed you all tonight, wouldn’t that make me a spree killer? To be a serial killer, I would have to space the murders out, right?”
“It’s scary that you know that.”
“Netflix teaches one a lot about murdering.”
AJ smirked. “God bless streaming services, the saviour of the antisocial. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve watched Fawlty Towers at three in the morning.”
Samantha was about to reply, but she unexpectedly stumbled. AJ grabbed her waist and kept her from falling off the narrow catwalk. She ended up laughing hysterically as he held her in his arms.
“Yikes, are you okay?” he asked her.
“Yeah, I am okay. I’m having a nice time. God, it feels good just to take a break and act stupid for a night.” She sipped her wine, which she had somehow managed not to spill. “I think I’m a bit tipsy.”
“Me too,” AJ admitted, and it felt good. It wasn’t just Samantha who needed a break. He’d been under a lot of stress himself. A lot on his mind. For tonight, at least, he could let it all go.
Samantha made no attempt to remove herself from his grasp, so the two of them just stood there embracing. The longer it went on, the less AJ wanted it to end.
I’m not imagining this, right?
Eventually, Samantha broke away. She stared down the tunnel ahead and lifted AJ’s arm so that he held the lantern a little higher. Light spilled further along the tracks. “Hey, AJ, what’s that?”
They walked along the catwalk and reached a wider area. A village scene featuring a family of four emaciated figures – a man and a woman huddled together with their starving children. They were all staring up at the sky as if in prayer. AJ cast light over each of the faces and shuddered at how real their desperation appeared.
Samantha pulled a face and pressed close against him. “That’s disturbing.”
“It’s just part of the ride’s narrative,” he said, more to himself than to her. “Guests play the part of fishermen during a famine. It’s up to us to feed the village, but we have to make a pact with Woden first. A sacrifice must be made.”
“A sacrifice?”
He nodded. “The ride’s big finale. I’ll let you find out what it is for yourself.”
She groaned. “Oh, it’s not going to scare me, is it?”
He just smiled. They walked on past the village scene and continued on to the next area. Originally, the little fishing boats would have passed through an area of swampland with dead fish – just props, of course – floating on the water. But now the pretend river was dry, and the tracks, along with their sudden bumps and shuffles, were exposed.
As AJ cast the glow of his lantern, he discovered several nozzles embedded into the fake scenery. They were part of the ride’s atmospherics, intended to spray water and gusts of air. The overall effect must have been fantastic. He wished he could have ridden Frenzy in its prime.
“Stinks in here.” Samantha put the back of one hand against her nose.
AJ saw mould all over the tracks. “There was probably standing water here for years,” he said. “This area was meant to be a foul swamp and, ironically, it probably became one after they abandoned it. Come on, let’s check out a bit more before we rejoin the others.”
Samantha swigged the last of her wine. “Yeah, I need a top-up before I murder you all.”
The next part of the ride was when the thrills would have started in earnest. The track dropped suddenly and turned a sharp right into a new area unseen from the swamp. It was a wide trench that would also once have been full of water. A couple of machines stood mounted on either side of the tracks and would have created waves. The most impressive part of the scene was the gigantic face glaring down at them from above.
Samantha stopped on the catwalk and stared up at the huge face in awe. “I take it this is Woden?”
“Yeah, I think this where people on the boat would’ve made a deal with Woden to end the famine. The original ride had audio. Woden spoke in this horrible booming voice. His whole face moved. The boat would have rocked about too, almost capsizing. It must have been terrifying.”
“It’s terrifying now, even without all of that. That thing is huge. It’s like the faces on the mountain in America. Mount Rushmore, right?”
AJ nodded. “It’s certainly something. I don’t know how the ride makers managed it. Even Disney would have struggled to create something like this back then. Maybe even now.”
The face wasn’t flesh, but a mixture of stone and wood – like a mountain and an oak tree had birthed a monstrous child. The eyes were jet-black glass and the scowling lips were like two oak branches pressed together. Hair dangled from the massive head in straggly, snake-like vines.
“The eyes used to light up red,” said AJ. “The lips moved, the hair dangled. Wow.”
Samantha was grinning at him. “You’re so cute. Next month, we’re going to Alton Towers, okay? I need a day off, and I want to spend it with you acting like an excited kid.”
“You think I’m an excited kid?”
She rubbed his arm, awakening the pain in his shoulder “It’s a good thing. It’s infectious.”
Despite the pain, AJ didn’t move away. Samantha looked into his eyes. She began to lean forward.
“We should, um, head back,” said AJ, suddenly feeling weak in the legs. For some reason he was panicking. He tried to tell himself that he was just being mindful of Greg. It was right that they should discover at least part of the ride together as a group. They should go back and get him.
Samantha frowned at him. “Oh, yeah, okay. You’re right. We came here to be together.”
AJ nodded and smiled, but he felt like he was smiling awkwardly. His lips felt stretched out and flat. He was suddenly very self-aware. “M-Maybe we can talk some more later.”
“Yeah, sure. You’re just thinking about Greg and his beans, aren’t you?”
“Ha! You know me so well.”
They turned around and headed back along the catwalk. The stench of the swamp hit them before they got there, and AJ felt the back of his neck tingle as he walked away from the giant stone face glaring at their back. He had the strange feeling that it might suddenly come alive while he wasn’t looking, bright red eyes flashing with hatred. But when he glanced back, the face hadn’t moved. Silent. Still. Implacable.
Something rushed across the tracks in front of them and made both of them yelp. The shadow raced in and out of th
e lantern’s narrow glow. Samantha hopped back and almost fell off the catwalk again.
AJ caught her once more, his shoulder grumbling at the act. “It’s just a rat.”
“Oh, it’s just a rat, is it? No problem. Just a dirty, bitey little rat. With rabies.”
“What do you expect? Animals make their homes where people aren’t.”
“Well, now people are, so they need to bugger off.”
AJ grinned. “I’ll send out a memo. Come on, they won’t bother us if we don’t bother them.”
Samantha walked hurriedly. As much as she was a modern, confident woman, she still wet herself at the sight of spiders and mice.
They made it back to the village scene and were faced once again with those starving children and their desperate parents. AJ tried to angle the lantern so as not to highlight their emaciated faces, but he quickly realised something was wrong.
The father figure was missing.
AJ grabbed Samantha’s wrist, accidentally hurting her. “I’m sorry,” he said, “just… one of the figures has disappeared.”
She frowned. “What are you…? Oh my God. Oh my God! Are you messing around? The dad is missing! Where did he go?”
AJ studied the tunnel ahead, but all he saw was shadows and the gentle glint of the tracks. No way could the figure have moved on its own. It was an animatronic, and there wasn’t any power.
So where was it? Where was the emaciated, starving father?
AJ moved in front of Samantha, keeping a hand on her so he knew she was there. “Stay still. Let’s just… We shouldn’t panic.”
“Too late. Already there. You said they’re animatronics, right? So how could it have moved without any electricity?”
AJ squeezed her arm. “I don’t know. Let me think for a second.”
Something shifted in the darkness again, moved across the tracks in a zigzag. Another rat maybe?
Please let it be a rat.
Something moved again, this time closer.
With a scream, Samantha shoved past AJ and made a run for it.
“Sam! Wait!”
She didn’t turn back. Fear had taken her reins.
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