Misery County

Chapter 12 - Part 2

Cassie took in her surroundings. A few tall rides sat perched above the buildings on the far side of the grounds, but closer to her were other structures of indeterminate purpose. Had they been restaurants, maintenance depots, offices, she didn't know, but she supposed it didn't matter; they weren't being used for the same now, and that's if they were still even being used at all. Crossing the main walkway, she peeked into the doorless entrance of the nearest one. It was so dark. It almost seemed to resist the light wanting to come in.

A movement from the corner of her eye caught Cassie's attention. She turned to see what looked like a man in a black suit at the end of the path she was on. Focusing her eyes against the sun to get a better look, she wasn't quite sure what she was seeing. It may have been a man in a suit, or it may have been some sort of statue. It wasn't moving, and yet, it somehow looked like it was shambling very slowly toward her.

"We so seldom have guests here."

The words caused Cassie to bolt upright. She looked into the building once again, and in spite of the darkness, she could make out the man who spoke the words much easier than the figure in the distance.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," said the man in the building, a meek and harmless expression on his face.

"Not to worry," Cassie said through an exhale, not sure what to make of this stranger. He was wearing white sneakers, a clean but worn pair of jeans, a plain white tee shirt, and a flannel shirt over it. Cassie couldn't tell if she was imagining it, but the man looked a bit like a younger, thinner Eric, except he wasn't young at all. He might have been pushing forty, and yet he radiated this aura of youth.

"My name's Gomer, and you must be Cassie. We've heard so much about you. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

"Heh, Gomer, like that dim-witted soldier from the 60s." Cassie wasn't sure why that came out of her mouth before the many more important questions she had. Perhaps it was the adrenaline talking.

"I believe he was in the Marine Corps," the man said with a deceptively calm voice. The irritation in his eyes told another story, though Cassie could barely make them out as the man retreated backward, deeper into the dingy building.

"Yeah, I should know better. A friend of mine was in the Marine Corps, and he'd probably kill me for that mistake." Cassie followed him into the building, against her better instincts and apparently still too hopped up on adrenaline to respond to or sense any danger. "How do you know my name?" she finally managed to ask.

"Oh, Cassie. Sweet, young Cassie. I'd heard you were willful and a bit of a danger whore, but I never imagined you'd come here all on your own and unprepared."

"Why? All I see is an abandoned park and a lonely-looking guy."

"Ah, all you see, indeed, but do you stop to consider what you don't see?"

Whether it was the man's confidence, his chilling words, or the adrenaline beginning to wear off, Cassie was beginning to sense that she'd bitten off more than she could chew. There was no obvious threat at that moment, but a sensation in the pit of her stomach told her there was a good helping of that just around the corner.

"Invisible gnomes?" Cassie said hopefully.

"I'm afraid it's more sinister than that, my girl," the man replied.

"I'd try to guess, but I don't suppose we have the time for that."

"I don't suppose we do." The man was still lazily walking backward.

"So what's your story? You don't seem like any sort of monster." Cassie's inner voice was telling her to turn around and run instead of making small talk with this man, yet she let her morbid curiosity take the lead instead.

"Me? Oh good heavens, no. I'm no monster."

"That's a relief."

"I'm a necromancer."

"Well fuck. I'm going to go now."

Cassie turned around to the doorless exit, half-expecting a locked door to have materialized in its place, but what she saw instead was so much worse. A waxy-skinned man in a suit was standing in her way. He parted his lip, revealing a pair of jaws sewn together at the gums, and let out as much of a scream as his unmoving, clenched mandible allowed.