Ghost Train
The sun glared down over rural Louisiana. The heat was unbelievable, and it was only nine o’clock in the morning. The only theme park for hundreds of miles, Fun Land, was eerily empty, with the exception of its staff. Mitch and Ryan stood at the ghost train, chatting away idly. They each smoked a cigarette, and the smoke hung low around them. “How’s the wife?” Ryan asked Mitch. Mitch shrugged. “Same as always” he replied. “Wants me to leave the job, doesn’t bring in the dollars and she knows how bored I am.” Ryan had worked at Fun Land for over twenty years. Mitch had been here about six months. Ryan loved his job, but could tell Mitch was unhappy. Mitch hated the boredom, the routine, the repetitiveness, but that was what Ryan loved. He knew his job inside out, he was comfortable, he didn’t like change much. “Suppose we better test this baby” said Ryan, putting his cigarette out and clapping his hands. He pressed the button and the first cart of the ghost train set off. “Does anything unexpected ever happen?” Mitch asked, sounding bored. Ryan laughed. “No, and I like it that way” Ryan said, as he watched the cart on the monitor. The cart came back within a few minutes. “Let’s have a go” said Mitch suddenly, an excited look in his eye. Ryan chuckled. “There’s no need, it’s fine — “ “Oh, come on!” Mitch moaned. “I’m tired of every day being the same around here. Come on!” “Fine” Ryan grumbled, “It’s a kids ride, Christ.” The two men jumped into the next cart, Ryan staying standing to push the button before sitting down quickly. They slowly entered a dark cave, where water trickled down the walls. It was a rather slow ride, with witches cackles echoing around them and the odd skeleton jumping out. It was very dark but lit with a few lanterns here and there. “There, are you happy now — ?” Ryan never got his answer. The next thing he felt was unbearable pain as Mitch plunged a knife through his neck. The blood squirted out as Ryan yelled in pain. He tried to grab the knife but Mitch plunged it in deeper. Mitch pulled the emergency stop lever and the cart came to a grinding halt. He dragged Ryan out of the cart onto the rocks which formed the cave. He was shaking violently, blood pouring from his neck. His bulging eyes looked into Mitch’s, horrified. “Sorry” Mitch muttered, and he pulled the knife from Ryan’s neck and watched as he struggled to find his last breaths. Mitch pulled a large boulder from a nearby pile, held it above his head and brought it crashing down onto Ryan’s head with a sickening crack. Mitch took his knife and cut what remained of Ryan’s neck, and set to work.
It was time for the first ride of the day. Mitch stood at the entrance to the ghost train — having washed up, obviously — and smiled as the excited looking children lined up. The first few kids went off. Mitch watched the monitor intently. He looked up, however, when his supervisor arrived. “Where’s Ryan?” the balding old man asked. “I haven’t seen him, he’s over an hour late!”
The excited young boys cheered and whooped as the hurtled through the cave. A skeleton leaped out at them and they screamed.
“I don’t know, Bobby” said Mitch, feigning a convincing look of concern. “I’ll keep an eye out!” “Give me a heads up when he arrives, okay?” Bobby shouted as he walked away. “It’s not like him.”
The boys were feeling a bit bored but nearly jumped out of the cart when another skeleton jumped out at them — with a human head! It was even covered in blood! They were sprayed with some kind of liquid, which they presumed was water as they screamed with adrenaline. They couldn’t believe how real it looked.
“A heads up” Mitch muttered, with a grin. “Sure thing, Bobby. Sure thing.”