Scary Stories

Tunnel of Terror part 3

And another.
Soon, Rachael thought. Not much longer. It was a cheap ride in a cheap amusement park. There was no way the ride would last much longer.
It didn't.
A few more lurches and she felt a bump as the car pushed through another pair of swinging doors.
Rachael quickly dropped her hand and opened her eyes. The car was back at the start of the ride. She stumbled off and went through the door marked with the EXIT sign. Bright light made her blink.
"Cool," Penny said.
"Kinda cheesy," Trish said. She looked at Rachael. "Well?"
Rachael shrugged. "It was okay."
As she walked along the railing, the ticket man smiled at her. Then he closed both eyes tight for an instant.
Rachael turned away from him. He knows, she thought. But he couldn't. And even if he did, so what?
"Come on," Rachael said, tapping Penny on the shoulder, "how about the bumper cars again? What do you --"
The words froze in Rachael's mouth as Penny glanced back toward her. Penny's flesh had turned ancient and wrinkled. Her teeth were yellow and broken, her hair nothing more than wispy strands of white. Rachael gasped and closed her eyes. When she opened them, everything was normal.
"What?" Penny asked. "Is something wrong?"
"No." Rachael shook her head. She looked away. My imagination, she thought. The ride just made me imagine that. She stared at a tree across the path. A man hung from the lowest branch. A thick rope circled his neck. He swung slowly in the breeze. A buzzard sat on his shoulder.
Rachael gasped and pointed. She looked toward her friends, then back at the tree.
The image vanished. In her head, Rachael heard the words of the ticket man: We always give you what you pay for.
Rachael realized she was still pointing. Her eyes locked on her fingers. Her own hand turned to fleshless bone.