Fallen Angel

5. Scare at the amusement park

"Hey, guys! Today they open the amusement park that Aurora saw announced. Do you want to go there tomorrow, as it's Saturday? My father has been given four tickets!"

A few weeks had passed and Aurora, Ethan and Olivia had spent a lot of time together and had become closer, especially the girls with him. Aurora didn't really like it, because the jet-black haired boy kept bothering her when he wanted to, but her friend loved spending time with him. Also, recently a reserved classmate who had a hard time making friends, Connor, had recently joined the group of friends. Everybody called him Connie. Aurora immediately noticed that he was always alone, and immediately started talking to him and opening the door to her group of friends. Although she was quite shy, she knew all too well what it was to be alone, and especially what it was to feel alone. She didn't want anyone to feel that, if she could help it.

So, Olivia showed up after class with four tickets in hand for the four of them to go to the park the next morning and spend the whole day there. They all showed a lot of enthusiasm. They agreed that they would go there at 10am.

***

Aurora, as always, was the last to arrive. She wore a dark green and black dress with frills that reached above her knees with an ensemble beret. Ethan couldn't help but be in awe of her beauty, as well as Connie, who had long been attracted to the girl but was too shy to admit it.

"Let's go?" she asked, looking at them all.

"You are late and now you're in a hurry?" protested her friend.

"Come on, Olivia, don't get angry! Now I'm here, we can enjoy the park all day!"

Aurora entered very excited.

"Wow, looks like she was more excited than she looked," Connie said nervously.

The other three entered behind her. They went on different rides and ate a few sweets while walking around the park. It was very big and full of families smiling and having nice moments with their loved ones. In fact, it was Aurora's first time going to an amusement park, at the age of twenty-two. Her parents abandoned her when she was a child, and her older brother, who had taken care of her until she was 18, had gone abroad some time ago. She didn't know much about family love, and she was too stubborn to admit how lonely she felt, but Olivia had been with her since they'd met in kindergarten and had been inseparable ever since. Because of this, Aurora lived in the same block of flats as Olivia. Aurora's brother had taken it upon himself to provide her with a flat near where her friend lived so that she would not be alone, as their families were also friends. She had always been grateful.

"Hey, what if we go to the Phantom Manor?" suggested Ethan, after riding a few roller coasters.

"No, you are joking."

"Come on, Aurora, it can be fun. What are you afraid of?" he couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm never afraid!"

"So, what's the problem?"

Aurora had no choice but to follow them if she didn't want to stay sitting on a bench.

"Ugh, it's very dark... How scary!" said Olivia.

"Oh my God she's a liar, she's always said it's her favourite ride," Aurora thought. But seeing how she was holding on to Ethan's arm, she understood that it was another of her strategies to get his attention and be in contact with him. The couple entered, followed by Aurora and Connie. The girl noticed how he started to shake.

"What scares you, Connie?" she asked sweetly.

"What? Oh, no, no... I can't be afraid; I must be brave... There's Aurora next to me..."

The girl smiled seeing the effort he was making, but it was obvious that he had goosebumps. Ethan was checking back every now and then to see if they were both okay, especially Aurora, just like he used to do when they came home from class together. He was glad to see that today, however, she was not alone.

The house was very large, full of dark corridors, cobwebs and old furniture. The pictures on the walls showed pictures of a family that had lived there in the past but had died under strange circumstances. The youngest daughter's ghost was said to still run around the house and could occasionally be seen in the hallways. It was obviously special effects, but the sounds and images were very real. In fact, there was a moment when Connie ran out of the house in fear of a zombie coming out of the ground, leaving Aurora alone. She tried to follow him, but soon she was left in the dark, with no one around. Alone. Again. As always.

In front of her was a painting of a little girl sleeping on a bed. It was a bit of an odd picture to be in a Phantom Manor. But it scared Aurora a little, because that girl's solitude represented her whole life. She looked at it for a few seconds and felt as if she was being absorbed by the work of art. Then she was aware that she was surrounded by darkness, and she was so afraid that she screamed and started to cry, crouching, covering her ears so that she could not hear the voices in her head telling her that no one loved her and that's why she would always be alone.

Ethan stopped when he heard the scream.

"Aurora," he said.

"What? What are you saying, Ethan? Aurora is with Connie, don't worry."

"I'm sorry, Olivia. We meet at the exit."

"But why..."

The boy separated from her arm and ran out in the direction of the scream he had heard and the cries that did not stop. His angelic eyes helped him navigate the darkness without too much trouble. Finally, he found her, and the scene he saw broke his heart.

//

I forgo to ask you in the last chapter but... are you enjoyint the story so far? Let me know your thoughts! Thank you for reading <3