The Funhouse (ON HOLD)

Part 4: Who...? What?

      Dennis paced back and forth over and over, thinking about the instructions. He, Rex and Alan were sitting on not-so-comfy-anymore couches while the others fell asleep somewher else out of tiredness. Rex reread the map. There must be some way to escape the Funhouse without doing any of the things that annoying weird kid in pajamas wanted them to do. Dennis recited the instructions again, leaning against the cool wall. "One girl shall relax for a day, another shall try not to slay. Judgement shall be upon them all, thinking one will never fall. A small accident, a strange incident...  what's that supposed to mean?" 

      Alan sighed. "It doesn't make sense, I know-- all of the instructions do. All I know is one of us, a girl, will die."

     Alan avoided eye contact as he said 'die'. It just felt right to do so. "But how?" Rex asked. He looked up from the map, his glasses sliding a little lower, but he pushed it back up with his index finger. "How can anyone die here?" He had a point. The room they were in, the room for 'Round two' was so harmless and techy-looking that you wouldn't dare think it could kill you. But then again, there are computer viruses that almost kills you whenever it breaks down your device, but Dennis reconsidered that. There was no signal in the Funhouse. Alexa tried to call for help earlier and failed. 

     "Hmm..." As Alan thought about it, a girl's scream broke his trance.

     He and Rex stood up, like if they didn't stand they would be eaten by their own legs that want to stretch. "What was that?" Dennis was wide-eyed. The scream was loud, so it must have been inside the room. Close. Then it hit them. Dennis yelled, horrified. "ALEXA!" He dashed off to them, with Rex and Alan not far behind. He stopped when he saw Steve, Sarra, and Damien staring with the same expression as he did at the tanning machine that was moving about.

     Someone was inside, thrashing about violently in an attempt to somehow shake the lid off. "Alexa!" Rex said, rushing to Steve's side, who was trying to open the top to help her out. 

     "What happened?!" Alan asked Damien. The albino boy sank to the floor and sat. 

      He hugged his shoulders, swaying himself from side to side, and murmuring, "She's gonna die she's gonna die she's gonna die." Alan wanted to slap him out of his thoughts, but Dennis stopped him. He knew what he was about to do before he even did it. 

     "Don't." He said in a stern yet horrified voice. "We have to help Alexa first. We'll know the story later."

     "But there WON'T be a later!" Alan responded, looking back at the tanning machine where Alexa had been trapped in. A grimace found its way on his features.

     "Don't you see? It's already happening!" Dennis said nothing. Yes, he knew it was happening, but what could he do? He was too stunned to act on time, and he can't even think straight. 

     "It's shut tight!" Rex pulled his hands away from the machine before they burnt. Steve kept trying, and his hands looked like they were deep-fried already. 

     He bit his lower lip to keep from screaming in agony at the pain. "Steve! Stop it!" Sarra yelled. "You might get yourself killed, too!"

      "BUT ALEXA!" Steve was groaning now. "We can't just leave her like this!" Sarra didn't know what to do. Without thinking, she yanked her twin's arm back and threw him on the floor with a loud 'thud'. The others were caught by surprise as Sarra pulled a survival knife out of her short's pocket. Only Steve was the one who knew about the weapon, but he never expected her to use it for real. He gasped. "Sarra, don't!" He tried in vain to call out for her.