They used to be so much in love. What was happening to them?
The cries of the witch queen soon faded as the Hudsons navigated another labyrinthian connection to the next chamber where they were met by the distinct sound of vigorous chopping. Then, emerging in the gloomy darkness, they saw a man in a blood-streaked apron swinging a cleaver, blood running down his arm while he chopped slabs of meat on a table.
Whoa! Gage said. Its the insane butcher!
Legs and arms, some twitching, were displayed on the hooks and chains near the butcher as he worked. His hair as wild as Medusas, his face contorted and smeared with blood, as he stopped his work to offer the Hudsons delicacies from an array of bowls. One was filled with eyeballs, one brimmed with fingers and another held brains.
Gross! Gage laughed.
No, thanks, Cal said.
As the Hudsons moved on with a small group, the light grew increasingly darker, making it nearly impossible to see each other, let alone Gages face. The actors and sets were of a higher caliber than Faith had anticipated and she worried that Gage was going to have nightmares after this.
She reached for his hand but he shook her attempt away.
Im not a baby, Mom!
Suddenly the air filled with a loud hellish combination of perverted circus music and a thousand fingernails scraping on chalkboards. They came to a clown, malevolent makeup covering his face. Enormous fangs jutted from his head. He sat before an organ on a stool of bones while playing a demonic tune on a keyboard of little skulls, offering entertainment at the gateway to the next chamber.
It was the darkest passage yet.
Faith felt the floor beneath them undulating as thunder cracked. They were walking on something twisting, rolling and squirming.
Something slimy and alive!
Sudden lightning flashes revealed they were on a stream of snakes.
Oh God! Faith screamed, rushing ahead, thinking they couldnt be realthey must be some sort of animatronics or CGI, though they sure felt real.
The connection, dimly lit with the lightning flashes, led them through a cavern-like passage overwhelmed with spiders and bats, forcing Faith to swat frantically at her face and hair.
Theyre not real, Faith assured herself, swatting around her hair.
Gage? Cal?
Right behind you, Cal said.
Continuing in the next narrow connection they were nearly blind in the dark. They came upon rumbling so powerful everything vibrated. Feeling their way forward they brushed against earthen walls that were moving, closing in on them, forcing them to turn sideways to pass through. Sounds grew louder with the foreboding rumbling and heightened the sickening sense of being crushed and entombed.
I dont like this, Faith said.
Keep pushing forward, Cal said. Itll be okay.
The walls were actually constructed of foam and, after the initial horror, the passage ended by opening to the next scene: a figure standing in a cemetery. Her skin was alabaster, her white gown torn and filthy as if shed just crawled from her grave. She hovered a few feet over the burial grounds threading around headstones, stopping before the Hudsons and snarling at them. Throwing her head back, she opened her mouth to vomit a stream of blood that gushed by them.
The executioner is coming for you and theres no escape!
Struggling to distinguish the entrance to the next scene, Faith, Cal and Gage searched the cemetery for an exit in vain before they were motivated to look again by the sudden rattle of a revving chain saw.
There, by the crooked tree! Gage shouted.
The lid of an upright coffin had opened, inviting an escape just as the executioner materialized from across the graveyard. A huge man, face wrapped in a ragged, grotesque mask, held the saw high over his head, gunning the motor as he approached them.
Lets go!
Gage ran through the coffin door, his parents behind him with the chain-saw maniac pursuing them.
They entered the final chamber where the floor was akin to a big plate, a flat, spinning wheel, large enough to hold a car. The room went pitch-black. Faith couldnt see her hand in front of her face as the floor rotated. She couldnt see Gage or Cal as the air exploded. Earsplitting, menacing metal music thudded in time with the sudden hyperflash of strobe lights, creating confusion and terror. In the chaos, Faith now glimpsed Gage and Calwas that them?moving on the far side of the spinning wheel.
Or was she seeing other people?
Gage! Cal!
The music roared and she failed to hear a responseif there was oneas the floor turned and turned, disorienting her. Through the strobes, she spotted half a dozen curtained portals just as the chain saws whine grew louder, alerting her to the fact the lunatic was in the room.
Save yourself! a recorded demonic voice boomed. Choose your exit now, or perish!
Faith sensed that the saw-wielding lunatic had stepped onto the wheel and had her in his sights. That saw better not be real, she thought before jumping to one of the curtained portals. Her heart skipped as the floor beneath her gave way and she fell onto a cushioned rubber slide that dropped in darkness for a few seconds before gently delivering her to the lighted, safe world outside.
Catching her breath, Faith stood, stepping aside as a teenage girl slid down the chute behind her. Blinking in the sunlight, regaining her composure, Faith looked around the landing zone of half a dozen chutes that webbed out to deliver visitors on a large air mattress.
Hey! Faith spotted and joined Cal, whod exited at the farthest chute. That was wild! Wheres Gage?
Cals grin began melting as he looked at her, then around.
Hes not with you?
No, I thought you had him?
No, I saw him with you.
Cal, wheres Gage?
Faith and Cal searched the chutes delivering a thrilled survivor every few seconds. Gage would be next. He had to be next. The seconds grew to one minute as their hearts continued to pound. Two minutes passed, then three.
Time ticked by with no sign of Gage.
3
I cant believe this, Cal said as he and Faith walked the perimeter of the chutes, searching the slides and the clusters of people shuffling along the exit barricades for Gage.
He wasnt there. He wasnt anywhere.
Maybe he got out ahead of us and ran to another ride? Faith said. Maybe he went to a food stand?
I doubt it, but wait here for him and Ill check.
Cal shouldered his way through the exit lines, battling frustration and unease while searching the rivers of people that were flowing into the midway crowds. Gage wouldnt have left the chutes without us, he thought. He knows better. Unless he was confused and figured wed got out first and left without him? Maybe he rushed to the next ride. No. No way. Hed wait. Hes a good kidhes sharp, like his mother. No matter how tempting the midway would be hed wait for us.
Come on, Gage, come on. Where is he?
Cal continued, turning full circle, bumping into people, scanning faces of boys Gages age until they began blurring. Cal scoured the Polar Expressnothing there. Then he stopped in front of the Zipper where Bob Segers Hollywood Nights was throbbing amid the grind of the thrill rides diesel and roaring crowds.
Cal continued, turning full circle, bumping into people, scanning faces of boys Gages age until they began blurring. Cal scoured the Polar Expressnothing there. Then he stopped in front of the Zipper where Bob Segers Hollywood Nights was throbbing amid the grind of the thrill rides diesel and roaring crowds.
No sign of Gage.
Quickly, he circled food stands that were selling burgers and fries, pizza, ice cream, nuts, pretzels and cotton candy, scanning the people ordering, waiting or those eating at the small tables nearby.
No sign of Gage.
Cal thought it unlikely Gage would travel down this way alone in such a short amount of time, and trotted back to Faith at the Chambers of Dread.
Her hope that hed have Gage with him died on her face as they exchanged sobering looks.
He hasnt come out here, Faith said, turning to the chutes. Do something, Cal!
Near them, they saw a man in his thirties wearing a work shirt with an embroidered Ultra-Fun Amusement Corp roller-coaster logo above his left pocket, a ball cap and Ray-Ban sunglasses. Obviously a midway worker, he was helping women recover at the slides, his rolled sleeves displaying tattoo-laced biceps.
Our son hasnt come out yet, Cal said. Can you help us?
The man was unshaven; his long hair curled from his cap, the toothpick in the corner of his mouth punctuated an expression that told Cal hed been everywhere, seen everything, heard it all and was bored.
People get hung up in there. Take it easy, pal, hell be out.
Hes only nine! Faith interjected. He was right at the exit curtains with us and hes not here. Its been more than five minutes!
Cal saw Faiths body reflected in the mans mirrored glasses as he assessed her summer top and shorts. His toothpick shifted and he nodded to the Chambers.
Did you see him on the spinner?
Yes, if thats what you call the last thing before these slides, yes, she said.
Hang on. The man unclipped a walkie-talkie from his studded belt, turned and spoke into it. Alma, its Sid. We got a straggler in the spinner. He turned to Faith. Whats he wearing?
A Cubs T-shirt, ball cap and sand-colored shorts, khakis, Faith said.
Got a lotta kids wearing that same stuff, he said.
A blue Cubs shirt and ball cap, Cal added. And hes wearing sneakers, blue SkySlyders.
How old did you say?
Nine, Faith said.
After Sid relayed Gages description into the walkie-talkie, it crackled and a womans bored-sounding voice said, Roger. Stand by.
Your people can see in the dark? Cal asked.
We got infrared cameras everywhere in the Chambers and Alma watches from a control desk.
Several moments passed with Sids silent calm countering Cal and Faiths anxiety, projecting an attitude that this sort of thing happened all the time. He scratched his whiskered jaw, then raised his walkie-talkie again.
Check the graveyard and the crusher.
Stand by. I think... the radio said. Yup! Got him. Hes coming your way.
Oh, good! Faith said, relief washing through her.
He should be at the chutes about...now, the radio said.
A middle-aged woman with glasses whooshed down one slide, then two teenage girls shot down another, then a big-bellied man followed by a boy in shorts and a Cubs T-shirta red one. The kid looked more like twelve.
Thats not Gage! That boys not our son! Faith said.
We need to do something now, Sid! Cal said.
Sid held up a hand to stem their rising concern and he spoke into his radio.
Alma, thats not him. Go back fartherthe witch, the clown, the butcherand double-check. Shorts and Cubs T-shirt. Nine years old.
A blue T-shirt! Faith said.
Sid shook his head. The cameras dont pick up colors, just shades, black, white and in between.
A few more tense moments passed, then Faith said, Sid, were losing time and this is getting serious. Gage couldve fallen. He could be hurt or unconscious in there! Youve got to shut it down, turn on the lights and let us search for him now!
Relax, maam. We have procedures for these situations.
Then use them, dammit! Faith said.
Hang on. Sid pulled the walkie-talkie to his mouth and took a few steps away, but even with the noise Faith and Cal could hear him.
Still nothing, Alma?
Still looking.
Call a Code 99.
Vaughn wont like it.
Call it. Sid turned back to the Hudsons. Whats your sons name?
Gage Hudson, Faith said.
Sid nodded and relayed it to Alma, setting in motion Ultra-Fun Amusement Corps procedure for a serious incident at an attraction. Within minutes, more staff emerged amid radio dispatches and workers talking on cell phones. Some went to various points to help visitors leave the Chambers of Dread through emergency exit doors and down stairs, apologizing and handing them vouchers for a free return. Other staff converged at the chutes. One of them, a man in his early sixties with a white cowboy hat and aviator glasses, had a private huddle with Sid before he came directly to Faith and Cal. He was wearing a navy golf shirt with the Ultra-Fun logo.
Vaughn KingI run the midway attractions. He nodded. Well find your son, folks. King, face tanned with neat, trimmed white stubble, presented an air of authority as he turned and spoke softly into his phone.
Cal and Faith heard a loud announcement being made within the confines of the Chambers. It was muffled but they could make out a womans voice on the PA system calling Gages name, telling him to report to a staff member.
Weve shut down the ride, King said. We turned on all interior lighting. Weve got staff inside who know every nook and cranny looking for your son. All the actors at the scenes are looking, too.
Does this happen often? Cal asked.
Kings gaze was fixed on the Chambers as he stuck out his bottom lip.
It happens. In Kansas City, we found a teenager whod huddled in a corner of a set, her eyes shut tight. Shed refused to open them. Found the Chambers a little too scary. In Indianapolis, we had an eighty-three-year-old veteran off his medication who wandered behind the butchers scene without the actor knowing. Found him sleeping behind the meat props. In Cincinnati, a woman fainted near one of the spinners exits. Unfortunately, no one noticed until we searched for her. It happens.
What about the exits? Faith asked. We never saw exit signs inside.
Theyre dimmed but activated and illuminated in an emergency.
Gage couldve gone out one of them, Cal said.
An alarm goes off when theyre opened. Staff wouldve been alerted and that didnt happen.
Ten tense, solid minutes passed without results. King glanced at his watch, then spoke softly into his walkie-talkie. He looked at his watch again, bit his bottom lip and turned to Faith and Cal.
Does your son possibly have a cell phone?
Kings question thrust the situation up to a more serious level.
For a second Cal recalled how Gage had begged them for his own phone. Most of his friends had phones. But Cal and Faith had said noit cost too much, he was too young, hed be tempted to use it in class to play games. Theyd refused to give him his own phone for all those reasons, at first. Then theyd caved and got him one, and Gage promptly lost it. They got him a second one and hed lost that, too. So that was it. No more phones.