BatIM Five Trials

Chapter Twenty Three

The doors closest to her that she hadn't been to yet still remained closed, and she'd already been to the two on the right side of the room, so by process of elimination, it had to be the metal doors on the left corner of the room. Jade took a breath and walked over, the opened doors proving her right.

She stepped in, once again the metal doors slamming behind her. Once again, it had startled her, but she didn't linger on it for long, walking in. She hoped to be able to do this quickly, make up for lost time. She didn't like the unsettled feeling she quickly got, however, especially when seeing a dead Striker. She shook her head.

Remember, for Boris. She reminded herself as she walked in. Yet another set of metal doors slammed behind her, which startled her even more so this time because she hadn't expected them. Excessive much? She thought while looking at the doors. She turned to see what she had to face next. . . only to see. . .

A carnival ride? What's that doing in here? Looks like it's dormant. She made her assumptions based on first glances and impressions. She then spotted the recording on the table a short distance in front of her. She walked over to it to see Bertrum's label on it, but one thing out of the ordinary she noticed was a cord running from it and connected to a speaker in the room. She was wary, remembering Alice's warnings when it came to Inky on sound, but eventually, curiosity got the better of her. She pressed play.

"The biggest park ever built, a centerfold of attractions. Each one more grand than the one before it." Just to her suspicions, Bertrum's voice played over the loudspeakers in the room. "It makes my eyes come to tears at the thought. But then. . . oh, Mister Drew. For all your talk of dreams, you are the true architect behind so many nightmares! I built this park, it was to be a masterpiece! My masterpiece! And you think you can just throw me out! Trample me to the dust and forget me?! NO! This is my park! My glory! You may think I've gone, but I'm still heeeere!"

Jade stared in absolute shock as the once thought to be dormant carnival ride came to life and started moving before her very eyes. The four arms of the ride raising up as if the ride were ready to be ridden. Finally, the doors on the ride itself opened, revealing a massive human-like head with dead staring eyes, looking directly at her. Without warning, the arms started going quite fast. Stepping within range of them would be dangerous. All Jade could do was slowly back away, having no idea what to say or do.

With yet another suddenness unexpected, the right stopped, raised one of its arms, and brought it down as hard as it could, completely shattering the recording and table. Jade couldn't restrain from letting out a scream in fright as what was left were only shards of both and. . .

An axe! As the ride started up again, Jade quickly bolted forward, picked up the axe, then running back to get out of the raging attraction's way. She tried to analyze the ride itself, trying to remember the first few things her mother had taught her about machines and motion. Then she realized. The joints, those are pretty important. Maybe if I take them out, it'll immobilize him. . . but how? Almost like something had understood she'd mentally asked this question, the ride then tried to attack, aiming for her as it slammed two of its arms on the ground and paused as if trying to regain energy.

Something told her to charge, and that she did, quickly axing away at the joints on the ride. The ride lost two of its joints rather quickly, and Jade was about to jump to the other side of the ride to deal with the other two when the leg lifted back up. Her eyes widened at this and she went to turn and run to get out of the way but she started too late. Before she could get out of range, she was hit and flung to another part of the room, axe clattering to the floor and sliding toward her as pain exploded through her body.