Inferno Park (22 page)

If you’re not looking for that
, another voice countered
, what the hell are we doing here tonight?

Shut up, both of you
, he told the voices in his head.
We’re just swimming
.

Carter joined her on the hard-packed sand at the edge of the shore. A wave of warm ocean water drifted in, drenching their feet.

“This is so pretty,” she said. “I can’t believe you never come out here.”

“Too many memories.”

She nodded and waded out deeper into the water, the little waves breaking against her stomach.

They floated on their backs, looking up at the moon and stars. There was no contact between them, and very little talking. The mood was contemplative rather than romantic, but he liked just being with her, letting her presence quietly enrich his world.

“I wish I could just dissolve into the ocean,” she whispered at one point. “Just for a while.”

“I know,” he said.

He wasn’t sure how much time they spent out there, maybe half an hour, maybe an hour. By some unspoken agreement, they swam back to the beach at the same time.

“What’s in our picnic basket?” Carter asked while he toweled off.

“Mineral water and sandwiches.” She handed him one wrapped in parchment paper. “Sprouted-grain bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, with chevre and olive tapenade.”

“And you’re legally allowed to call that a sandwich?”

“What would you prefer? Meatballs and corn chips?”

“Yeah, give me that one!”

“You can’t live on junk food.” She handed him a bottle of Evian. “Your diet does more to shape your health than anything else.”

“I’ve survived so far.”

“By some miracle.” She opened her own bottled water and sipped it. “How’s your sandwich?”

“Not as bad as it sounds.” The bread was chewy but good, the vegetables crisp, the goat cheese tangy.

“You know, I’m really glad I met you,” Victoria said. “I felt kind of lost the first few weeks I was down here. I don’t think I belong in this town.”

“Nobody really belongs here anymore. That’s why everybody’s moving away.”

“I felt lost until all this craziness started,” Victoria told him. “Now I just feel confused. I still feel weird at school, like people think I’m strange.”

“You could try getting involved with more stuff. You could volunteer to take pictures for the school newsletter or the yearbook...”

“But that seems kind of cheesy. I try to be a serious photographer.”

“It’s good padding for your college application, though,” Carter said.

“You’re always thinking about the future.”

“Better than thinking about the past.”

“Maybe.” She crumpled her paper sandwich wrapper and returned it to the basket. “We need music.”

“I’ve got it.” Carter brought out his phone, which he’d stashed into the basket with his wallet while they swam.

“What time is it?” she asked.

“About ten.”

“Good. I don’t feel like going home yet.”

“Wait, I’ve got a voice mail.” Carter clicked the little envelope icon.

“Hey, it’s Jared,” the recording said. “We found that side entrance you told us about, and we’re going in. Where are you? Answer your phone!”

“What’s going on?” Victoria asked, in response to the shocked look on Carter’s face.

“Jared and his friends went into the park tonight. They’re already inside.” Carter checked the time on the missed call. “It’s from an hour ago.”

“We weren’t supposed to go yet,” Victoria said. “We still have to meet with the artist guy, do more research—”

“I told them that! I think they were just eager to go once they had the idea. They probably decided to go tonight and forgot to tell me until they were there.”

“Did you tell them it might be haunted?”

“I tried, but they didn’t seem to care. I hope they’re okay.” Carter clicked the phone number from Jared’s missed call. Jared must have changed his cell number since middle school, since Carter didn’t recognize it. It was an 850 number, though, the area code for their town as well as the entire Florida panhandle.

The phone rang three times, and then it made a clicking sound, followed by a mechanical whirr like an old-fashioned tape player. A man’s voice answered in a dead flat monotone.

“Thank you for calling Starland Amusement Park,” the voice said. “We are closed for the season, but you may leave us a message.” A loud beep sounded.

“That’s really weird,” Carter said as he hung up. “His number goes to a voice mail for the amusement park.”

“Why would they have an active phone number? They’ve been closed for five years, right?”

“That’s what makes it weird. Plus I thought he was calling from a cell phone, because he said they were just going inside when he called.” Carter tried again and reached the same recording. He sighed and stood up. “I’d better go in there and check on them. Can you drive me?”

“I’m going in with you.” She got up and pulled on her jeans over her wet swim suit.

“There’s too much weird stuff happening with the park. I’d feel better if you waited in the car with the engine running and ready to go, in case it’s too freaky in there.”

“You’re not going in by yourself.”

Carter didn’t keep up the argument very long, because he knew Victoria was determined to pay a return visit to the amusement park anyway. He’d hoped to put it off a lot longer, though, if he had to go back at all. Now he felt responsible for sending in Jared and whoever Jared had dragged along.

They shook the sand from their towels as they climbed the rickety steps over the high, moonlit dunes.

Chapter Fourteen

Jared led the group along the concrete path under Crashdown Falls and past the Log Drop, swinging his flashlight. He stopped when he reached the round central plaza of Pirate Island, and everybody stopped with him.

“Holy shit,” he whispered. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

He’d expected nothing but overgrown, collapsed ruins. The last time he’d been here, five years earlier, the pavement itself had shattered into irregular little pieces that made walking almost impossible. Now everything looked completely intact, at least in this corner of the park, as though the park were still in operation and had simply shut down for the night.

“What’s wrong?” Becca whispered. His girlfriend was walking very close to him, her arm through his.

“It’s exactly like I remember it, before the sinkhole.”

“Of course it is,” Finn said. “They locked it all up and left it here.”

“I remember that place.” Derek nodded at the giant red wooden crab, scratching his patchy goatee. “They had fish sandwiches. No crab, though.”

“This is all so creepy,” Tamara said. Her friend Elissa, the freakish girl with the purple lipstick that just
had
to be reapplied every fifteen minutes, clung close to her side. “Do you guys think it’s really haunted?”

“Shh! Don’t say that!” Elissa whispered.

Heath, the large, quiet, lumbering sophomore with the golden earring, lagged behind the girls, walking alone and saying nothing.

Jared shook his head. He was probably the only person in their group who’d actually been there when the sinkhole had opened. Clearly nobody but him understood the kind of destruction that had hit the park.

Now everything in the park looked intact, not even dirty or neglected. Harpoon Lagoon and the Gone Fishing game were still there, closed down and padlocked as though waiting for business the next day. He couldn’t see the bumper boats in their elevated concrete pond, but the green dome of Jungle Land was illuminated by spotlights, which made no sense at all.

“Why are the lights on?” Becca asked as they passed Jungle Land. Statues of tigers and elephants cavorted out front, in the zigzagging rope bridge area where people lined up to ride.

“Yeah, there shouldn’t be any lights,” Elissa said.

“Probably solar or something,” Finn said. “My grandma has those in her front yard. Little fucking gnomes holding solar-powered spotlights.”

“Remember, we are kind of looking for Reeves and that other kid while we’re here,” Jared said.

“Who cares about them?” Derek snorted. “I just want to get hammered.”

“Even if they came here, would they really stay here for a week? Or is it two weeks now?” Becca asked.

“Closer to two weeks,” Heath said from the back of the group, a rare vocal moment for him. His voice sounded hoarse, probably from never being used. “And if they’re still here, it’s because they’re dead.”

“Thank you, Heath,” Becca said.

“Seriously? Dead?” Tamara asked.

“Why would you say that, Heath?” asked Tamara’s friend Elissa.

“Maybe there’s some psycho serial killer guy living in here,” Derek said. “That’s who put up the lights. That’s who killed Reeves and Kevin. Probably watching us now.”

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” Tamara announced.

“I’ll protect you, girl,” Finn said, dropping back to walk alongside her. Tamara smiled up at him, while Elissa frowned.

“Dude, where are you getting this psycho killer stuff, Derek?” Jared asked.

“Look around,” Derek said. “I’ve worked with my uncle before, clearing out foreclosed houses. A place gets neglected for a couple of years around here, there should be weeds growing up through the pavement, vines climbing the buildings...some of those wooden booths should have plants growing on top of them by now. The jungle comes back fast. Somebody’s been taking care of this place, weeding it, touching up the paint...” Derek shook his head. “Somebody’s been here. A lot.”

“You might have a point,” Jared said as they stepped onto the midway. The wide central avenue was badly cracked, but not full of holes and jagged asphalt edges jutting up like he remembered. It would have taken a huge amount of work to smooth all those broken chunks into a level surface.

He walked into the center of the midway, gaping, feeling himself go weak.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Becca whispered, staying close to his side.

“It shouldn’t be like this,” Jared said. His heart was pounding. “Some of these buildings should be collapsed or burned. That cotton candy stand, I know I saw that on fire...”

“I still can’t believe you actually saw all those kids die,” Becca said. She sounded more impressed than horrified. “That must have been amazing.”

“The carousel was gone before I looked. I saw the swings go down. Then it spread toward the roller coaster...” Jared was staring off into deep space, seeing all of it again. “We waited until she came out of Inferno Mountain, and then we ran.”

“Who?”

“Me and Carter.”

“Who came out of Inferno Mountain?” Becca asked.

Jared shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is this place is all messed up—”

“Oh, yeah! Are you people seeing this?” Finn started up the midway toward the front gate.

A soft light glowed from somewhere down the midway, and Finn was running toward it. The rest of the group followed slowly, Jared and Becca slowest of all.

“Come on, man,” Heath said as he passed them. “Maybe it’s what we’re looking for.”

“Are you having bad memories?” Becca asked him.

“No, I’m good.” Jared was determined not to look weak or scared in front of everyone. “Let’s go.”

The soft light seemed inviting, a warm, happy color that made him feel hungry. As he and Becca walked closer, catching up to the rest of the group, the source suddenly became clear: a booth shaped like an old-timey wooden beer keg, about twelve feet tall. The middle third of it had swung open like a door to reveal the single large serving window.

The neon letters above the window read THE KEG STAND, and smaller neon signs advertised BEER and CIDER. The wide counter at the front of the window was occupied by rows of clear plastic cups filled to the top with beer: pale ales, reddish ciders, dark lagers and stouts, dozens of beers just sitting out waiting to be taken. They were cold, too, judging by the hundreds of tiny droplets of moisture clinging to the outside of each cup.

“Holy cow, is it free beer night?” Finn asked.

“I wouldn’t drink it,” Jared said.

“Why not?” Derek asked him.

“Because, man, it’s just sitting out here. Where did it come from? Who poured it? Is it five years old or what?” Jared asked.

“Don’t look five years old to me,” said Heath. The big sophomore picked a lager and took a big slurp.

“Eww! Did you see that?” Tamara asked Elissa. “He actually drank it!”

“What’s it taste like?” Becca asked, her upper lip curling a little in disgust. Even then, she was damned pretty, Jared thought, with her big, dark eyes and soft lips.

Heath drew the cup away from his lip with a funny scowl on his face. He held the cup up as though inspecting it.

“What, man?” Derek asked.

“That’s the best beer I ever tasted,” Heath said. “Wonder what brand it is.”

He downed the rest in two long slurps, foam streaming down the sides of his face. He tossed it aside and guzzled another one, pausing only to belch.

“We’ll see if it kills Heath,” Finn said. “Then we’ll know if it’s safe.”

“Hell, I ain’t waiting.” Derek grabbed a black stout, peered into it, and took a tiny sample sip. His eyebrows shot up, and he took another big taste, then a full swallow. He held the cup out to Finn. “This is good. Try it.”

“I’ll get my own. God knows what kind of diseases you get from those skanky girls you hang out with.”

“Like your standards are so high,” Derek said. “I’m surprised you don’t have wiener rot.”

Finn grabbed a cup of dark beer, dipped his finger into it, and tasted it. He had the same reaction as Derek, taking several more drinks right away and nodding. “Yeah. That’s good stuff. I’ve never tasted anything like it. What do you want to drink, Tamara?”

“Guess.” The white-blond girl smiled, and Finn leaned in close to her face and pretended to study her. Beside her, Elissa scowled, as though she didn’t like Finn getting too close to her friend.

“I’m going to say...cider,” Finn finally guessed.

“Good guess.” Tamara held out her hand and Finn gave her a cup of the reddish drink.

“It’s really good,” Tamara said. “Oh, wow.
Really
good. You should get one, Elissa.”