Escape from Doom! (Mr. Tophat)

Chapter 7

Hannah gave her daughter a confused look for a moment, before speaking up. "Have you made any friends with Graham's friends?"

"I haven't met any of his friends yet. I don't think I have any classes with them. Then again, I don't really know. I only met Graham after I ate lunch, while i was taking a moment to myself. While Graham and I were talking, I kind of forgot to ask him about his other friend's names, or if they have the same classes as me. But I can do it tomorrow when I see him," Rachel said.

"No, it's fine. I'm just happy that you're finally making friends without you mentioning anything about your nightmare about that creepy carnival. I don't want anyone encouraging you to talk about that nightmare, as you have finally given up talking about it," Hannah said as she drove away from the school.

The whole ride home Rachel watched as the scene went by as her mother drove home. On the way home, Rachel felt her mother's glances on her every once in a while. Rachel felt bad for blowing her mom off, but she didn't want her mother asking anymore questions about Graham and his friends.

Rachel continued to stare out of the window, only to sit up straighter in her seat. Rachel had spotted the young woman from across the street of the school, only now she was standing on the side of the road, watching her. Rachel let out a shocked gasp as she jumped up in her seat.

"Mom, pull the car over, please," Rachel begged.

"What? Honey what's going on," Hannah asked.

"Please mom, I think there is someone who needs our help," Rachel said while giving her mother a pleading look.

"Honey, what are you talking about? There is nobody on the side of the road," Hannah said starting to grow concerned for her daughter.

"Please mom. I saw someone. She needs our help," Rachel tried again.

Hannah noticed the concern in her daughter's tone, pulling off to the side of the road; a little way where Rachael saw the woman. As soon as Hannah pulled to the side of the road, Rachael quickly took her seatbelt off before throwing the car door open and running to the woods where she had spotted the woman standing before; while ignoring her mother's calls.

Rachel continued to race through the woods, following the path deeper into the woods until she found the woman standing in front of her waiting.

"Who are you," Rachel asked.

"I'm someone who has come to warn you," the woman said.

Rachel gave her a confused look before speaking up. "Warn me? Warn me about what?"

"Do not go to the carnival. Stay as far away from the carnival as you can. Keep your friends away from the carnival as well," the woman warned.

"I don't understand. The carnival of Doom is only in my nightmares. It's not real," Rachel said.

"I will not say it again. This is your last warning. Do not go to the carnival at all. Avoid it at all costs," The woman said before disappearing from in front of Rachel's eyes.

Rachel stood there staring at the spot where the woman had disappeared from.

How on earth is that even possible? Is my mind playing tricks on me? Did I really see that woman standing in front of me, or did my mind make it up, to try and justify why I'm having nightmares, of the Carnival of Doom, Rachel thought to herself.

Rachel shook her head, turning around getting ready to make her way back while looking down. Rachel was about to take a step back down the path that she led her to the middle of the woods, when she heard someone whispering her name.

Rachel looked up and noticed that she was no longer in the middle of the woods, where she was speaking to the mysterious woman. Rachel looked around, before turning to leave the tent, but was stopped by someone calling her name, preventing her from leaving. Rachel turned back to the center of the tent, feeling chills running down her spine.

Rachel turned around only to see Mr. Tophat standing in the middle of the tent smiling at her.

"I'm waiting for you Rachel," Mr. Tophat said before a smirk graced his lips. "It's been so long since we seen each other, don't you think? Don't worry though. We will be seeing each other really soon."

"No! You aren't real! You're only part of my imagination. All of this is," Rachel said with her arms wide open, pointing around at everything around her. "It's all fake. I'm leaving now." Rachel turned to walk out of the tent, but was greeted by the sight of Mr. Tophat holding the woman from the woods, by her neck

Rachel's eyes widened as Mr. Tophat squeezed the woman's neck until he snapped it.

Rachel jumped awake gasping as she looked around, realizing that she never was at the Carnival of Doom. It was all a dream. But was it trying to tell me something? Warn me about something that is going to take place, Rachel thought to herself before she was broken out of her thoughts by her mother calling her name.

"Huh," Rachel asked.

"I asked if you are alright. You were fidgeting quite a bit in your seat. Did you have that nightmare again," Hannah asked while looking at her daughter with concern.

"I'm fine. I guess I was a bit tired after school today," Rachel said noticing that they were in a parking lot. "I thought we would have been home by now."

"Honey, I stopped at the store to grab a few things I forgot earlier. When I pulled into the parking lot, you were sound asleep. I didn't bother to wake you, because I thought you were exhausted," Hannah said before starting the car, making her way home.

Hannah parked in the driveway, before she and Rachel grabbed the groceries and Rachel grabbed her school bag before heading inside.

Rachel was helping her mother put groceries away, when she reached in one of the bags, pulling out a flyer. Rachel read the top of the flyer, before she felt a chill rush over her.

Hannah turned and noticed Rachel was frozen by the counter, where the bag that Rachel was unpacking groceries was still full. "Is everything alright, Rachel?"

"Mom, where did you get this flyer," Rachel asked, showing her mother the flyer for the grand opening of the opening of the carnival that was in town.

Hannah walked over, gently taking the flyer from Rachel's hand. "That's weird. I had told the person at the store that I wasn't interested in going to the carnival in town. Unless you really want to go, then we can go."

"It's fine mom. I'm kind of too tired to go to the carnival tonight. That and I really need to get my homework done. Don't want my teachers thinking that I'm a bad student," Rachel said before making her way up to her room.

Maybe my dreams were trying to warn me about this. But why is this happening to me now," Rachel thought to herself as she laid down on her bed.

"Armani dear, my beautiful little white dove," Mr. Tophat said as he slowly approached Armani, as she took a step away from him. "What did you think you were doing?"

"I don't have a clue as to what you are talking about, Markus," Armani replied, hoping that Mr. Tophat would leave her alone.

"You don't? So, you don't remember trying to warn precious little Rachel to stay away from the carnival? You don't remember warning her to warn her friends to stay away," Mr. Tophat asked.

"You don't have to worry about her. She's no threat to you or your precious carnival. She doesn't remember any of it. So that doesn't make her a threat at all," Armani said.

"She is still a threat, because she's beginning to remember everything," Mr. Tophat said.