//𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞//

Chapter 4 - Nothing Makes Sense

Everything was a mess. All the games were covered in dust, and plants, the rides in two or more pieces than they should be, and the food shops smelt rotten with age.

"If this place was so recently open, why is all this stuff so dirty." I glanced up at the two.

"What?" Julian asked, looking away from the games and towards me.

"How is everything dirty if people were just here for a carnival?"

Julian's posture straightened as he realized how odd it was, "That's a good question, I'm not sure."

There should be a carnival tonight. Why is nothing ready?

"Give me the newspaper–" tearing it out of his hand, I scanned it, "–1981."

"What?"

I don't know who asked 'what'. I didn't care. This paper was written in 1981, how the hell does that work?

"Guys I–"

Hyde pulled his sleeve over his hand and began brushing the dust off an old game. 'PONG' was bolded across the top.

I tried to repeat myself, but they were distracted. I guess it didn't matter to them.

"Hey Lanceyboy," Julian said, gesturing towards the game, "what font is that in?"

"Mecanorma's blippo bold," I said, hardly looking at the letters.

"That's probably the main reason you're considered a weird kid, you know," Hyde smirked. "You must be one of the only people ever to know the font of some dumb 70's game. Your mom must be so proud of you".

"Of course she is." However, I was 100 percent serious, because my mom loves me, and who else knows that off the top of their head.

Maybe I was just overreacting, there are so many explanations for why it's wrong. Maybe a typo in the year, or the time of the show. Something has to explain why it says 1981. Because Marylin just went missing, not 3 years ago. Instead of explaining, I chose to just walk off towards the Ferris wheel. I had time to explore while they were still distracted. People keep walking off on me so it's only fair. A small hole in the bottom of the Ferris wheel caught my attention. A small toad hopped past me and into the hole. For a small toad, it was quite loud. A lovely reminder that I cannot get silence anywhere. But without trying to hold a conversation I can read her excerpt in the paper.

A photo of a 1978 cutlass was included in the report so people know what to look out for. I've seen one of them around town, who drives it? Then it hit me. Rachel. Rachel drives a 1978 black cutlass. Holy shit. Julian must have noticed, that must be why he seemed so panicked to hear the last place she was seen. Are Rachel and Marylin even friends? They just don't seem like-

"Hello?"

I jumped back, flailing my arms in the direction of the voice. I might have screamed, which sucks because it would have been directly in the face of the security guard we met earlier.

"Sorry. I heard someone and figured it was one of you boys. I didn't want to scare you too much."

"You failed at the last bit."

She smirked, laughing a little. She seemed very laid back for a security guard, though she was young. Maybe she just trusted us? In this day and age, I wouldn't be so open to trusting anyone.

"You know I'm Marley, but what's your name?" she held her hand out for me to shake.

She seemed genuinely nice. Not fake police officers nice, when all they want is answers. She just seemed curious, which if I saw a bunch of random teenage boys casually wandering an abandoned carnival ground I would be too.

"What are you boys doing out here in the first place? I know you're here to look around and all, but what for?"

She didn't arrest us upon entering, so it couldn't hurt to tell her. Though she could just be gathering more reason to arrest us later. How vague could I get with an explanation?

"We are just looking for a friend, we think she might be here."

Pretty fucking vague.

Before she could question me more I shot one back, "And Miss. Densworth, I was wondering what you're doing here?"

"I patrol the woods and area by here, and sometimes I stop by," she smiled.

A genuine answer. She technically isn't supposed to be here either, which explains why she isn't busting us for trespassing. She'd have to bust herself too and I don't think she wants that.

"Hey Lancey!" Hyde shouted from behind a shed, "Come take a look at this!"

Marley and I started in his direction. She seemed nice enough, and it couldn't hurt to have the law on our side. Something rustled in the trees, so I slowed my pace hoping Marley wouldn't notice. But she kept going, so I turned back to look. It looked almost like someone was standing there, but were they? Stepping towards the trees to get a closer look, I heard it. Giggling, And then it ran. Before I could think I was chasing after her, scratching my skin on the branches I passed. What if it was Marylin? What if she needed help? Everything was a blur. My body moving too fast for my head to catch up with, I tripped on a tree root flying into a stump. When I got my bearings, it was too late. Whatever I was chasing, wasn't there anymore.

"Hey Lance," I heard Julian call out, "everything alright?"

"Yeah. I thought I saw something, but I guess not."