Tales From a Cursed Playland

Prologue

I finish putting the last piece of tape on the box full of my clothes. College was interesting but I’m thankful it's over. Dual majoring takes the majority of the fun out of college, but it's worth it. Stepping back, I look at my dorm of four years. Completely empty almost as if I was never here. I reach for my phone sitting on my bed. To my surprise there are 13 missed calls and 34 texts from my older sister.

“Shit” I mumbled under my breath knowing she's going to murder me. I open my phone to call her back when I hear a knock on my door. Its after graduation almost everyone has already left the building. Reluctantly I opened the door, well, I tried at least. My efforts proved no good when Cadie completely shoved my door open.

“Uh, not that I'm not excited to see you but why are you here” I ask my energetic counterpart standing in the doorway. 

“Awe, do I have to get permission to see my lil sis?” She proclaimed loudly with a bright smile on her face. “Not necessarily, however you never come see me so who died” I say in between laughs

“Eh well... you know, gramps?... Well we kinda own a company now?..." She said with a saddened smile.

“Woah could’ve given me a warning before I made a death joke” I explained light-heartedly. So we own a company, okay, what does that entail? I just need her to talk while I swallow the seriousness of the situation.

“Well, you know gramps’ old project, Coco’s, right? Well he left the whole company and everything for that to us in his will…heh.”

“The robot place? Holy, I remember going there as kids. That's literally the reason I went into engineering” I wasn't lying, Coco’s wasn't the only thing my grandfather owned. Amiri Technology and Industries was my grandfather's life's work

“Heh yeah, I remember playing in the arcade there, man that place was kinda my childhood.”

“Well it seems that now it’s going to be our entire adulthood as well. Honestly, what are we going to do?” I wanted to be as rational as possible. Of course I didn’t want to sell our family legacy, but we have to think rationally here.

“I say we put both our college degrees to  work and fix up the old place” Cadie replied happily, a smile on her face. I wanted to agree immediately, but I was still a little hesitant.

“Uh yeah” I said slowly while picking at my finger. “When would we leave”

“Welp speaking as the next flight to Hurricane, Ohio doesn't leave til Friday, I guess we leave in 3 days! That gives me plenty time to pack, same for you." The overly energetic women replied once again with a bright smile.

“Wait, where are you staying Cadie?” Ever since starting college I stayed on campus in Boston, but Cadie lives all the way in LA.

“Well, I'm currently staying in some shabby hotel since I came to visit you for your graduation, but I still have my condo back in LA.”

“Um, yeah, do you mind staying here and helping me pack? I don’t need everything, but whatever you do dont throw away any journals'' I stammered.

“Eh sure, I'll help but you owe me 5 bucks.” She deadpanned. “Uh okay” I reach my hand out to grab my wallet, pull a five out, and hand it to her. Turning around I resume packing boxes.

“Yo, these drawings are yours?” Cadie asked picking up a couple sheets of paper with designs for animatronics on it.

“Oh yeah” I explained laughing nervously, “I designed them just because I like having a face for my AI but I didn’t do in depth training for robotics so they were never finished”

“Hm, I'm sure I could draw up some actual blueprints for these guys and build them, shouldn’t be too hard,” Cadie said, looking over the drawings.

“Wait, you can’t be serious? That was like a fever dream. I have AI built for most of them already. I've also been working on a prototype I want to try out” I explained.

“I mean I do have a degree in robotics so I’m sure if we worked together, we could actually make these guys.” Cadie looked up, smiling at me.

“This…this is amazing, Cadie. Okay listen, pack all the journals and leave the rest. I can buy new stuff anyways. I am going to make a few calls and get us on the first flight out of here tonight” I exclaim. I’m excited, like actually excited for something. I’m ready to live.