Davey, Sarah said softly, calmly, of course, the point is for it all to be very scary. Vampires, ghostsbut theyre not real. Its a spooky fun place for Halloween. There are all kinds of made-up characters here.
No. Real bad things.
They all let his words sit for a minute.
The actors in theretheyre not evil, Davey, Suzie said. Come on, youve seen creatures like that beforeand the ones who walk around, theyre high school kids like us or college kids, and now and then, an adult actor without a show at the moment! You know all about actors, buddy. There are pretend vampiresand werewolves, mummies, ghostsyou name it.
No. Not werewolves. Not vampires, Davey insisted. Bad people. Like my dad said!
You love actors and movies, Sean said. Sean knew Davey had a skill for remembering everything about all the movies and, because of that, he always made sure Davey was on his team for trivia games. When they werent playing trivia, however, Sean had a tendency to ignore Davey.
Sean seemed to be trying with the rest of their group to engage Davey, but he kept looking at his watch. He wanted to move on.
You shouldnt go in! You shouldnt go in. Its bad. Very bad, Davey said.
Its just a haunted house! Tyler said.
I love you, Tyler, Davey said. Dont go. My father...he was next to me. Yes. He was next to me. All the things he taught me. Hes dead, I know! But hes with me. He said not to go in. He said there would be bad men and you have to look out. He was smart. My dad was a marine! he added proudly.
Thats kind of sick! Hannah whispered to Sarah. Does he honestly think...
Davey, Sarah said softly. Your dad loved youyou loved your dad. But hes gone.
Im not going! Davey said stubbornly.
He should come, Tyler told Sarah. If you give in to him all the time...its not good. Dont make him into a baby. Hes several years older than we are. He turned to Davey. You know I love you, buddy, right?
Davey nodded. We dont have a weapon. Im not going.
Davey, Im begging you...please? Sarah asked.
Davey shook his head, looking at her. There were tears in his eyes; he was obviously afraid she was going to make him go into the haunted house.
Just go, Sarah told the others. Davey and I will get a soda or...hey, there are a bunch of movie toys over there. Well go look at the toys.
Tyler sighed. Ill stay with you.
The others had already fled like rats.
Not even Suziesome best friendstayed behind.
Just Tyler. Staring at her.
Go, she told him, suddenly feeling put-upon.
Sarah
Go!
He stiffened, squared his shoulder, shook his headand walked on quickly to join the others.
Im still so confused. What scared you so badly? Sarah asked Davey, leading him to a bench. At least she could sit. Her steampunk adventurer boots were starting to hurt like hell. You were fine when we first got here. The haunted house we went in was made up to look like that one from the movieyou know, when the kids get lost in the woods and they find the house, but everyone in it is crazy! The father likes to hang people, the brother plays with a Civil War sword, the sister sprays poison and the mother chops up strangers for dinner. It was creepy cooland they were all actors.
Yes, they were actors, Davey said.
Then why are you afraid of that one? She pointed to the house where her friends were now in line, Cemetery Mansion. It was a good, creepy representation from a horror film where people had built over a graveyard and the dead came back to kill the living for disturbing them.
Its evil, Davey said. He shoved his hands into his pockets and shivered. I saw them. Dad told me to watchI watched. That house is evil.
How is it evil? Its honestly much the same. The themes are different. There are a lot of fabricated creaturessome cool motion-activated stuff, like robotsand then more actors. People just pretending. We went through the one houseit was fine.
He nodded very seriously and then pointed at the Cemetery Mansion.
That one, he said. Its wrong. Im telling you, Sarahit is wrong. And I like Tyler. And Suzie, he added. He didnt say anything about Sean or Hannah.
You meanyouve heard they got the characters wrong somehow? We havent been in it to see what the house is like, Davey.
No, we cant go in, he said insistently, wetting his lips as he did when he got nervous. No. Its wrong. You can feel it. It isnt scaryits bad. Evil.
She looked at the house. It was spookythe theme park had done a good job. Images were hazily visible in the windows: creatures that had just crawled from the grave, bony, warped, black-and-white, like zombies or ghosts, horrible to behold.
You should stop your friends from going in there. Make Tyler come back. He wanted to stay with you. But you were all stubborn and mean.
Sarah heard the words and spun around to stare at Davey. But he didnt even seem to realize he had spoken to her.
He was looking at the stand where there were all kinds of toys.
Sarah suddenly smiled. His eyes were wide; he was happy to look at the toys. Davey loved the movies and he loved toysthat made movie-inspired props and toys extra special.
Lets go see what they have, she told him.
* * *
THIS IS WRONG, Tyler said as he got into the line for the haunted house with Suzie, Hannah and Sean. What was one more haunted house? he asked himself, irritated that he had let Sarah push him away. No matter if it was their idea or not, Davey had gotten them the tickets. Hed been patient enough to dial his phone over and over and over again.
And Tyler knew that Sarah was feeling aloneas if Davey was her responsibility, and she wasnt about to burden anyone else.
Tyler loved her. He knew they were both lucky, both blessed. People referred to them as the Barbie and Ken of their school. He liked to think it wasnt just that he played football and she was an amazing cheerleaderfor any team the school put forth. He tried to be friendly, kind, sympatheticand he worked hard in class.
Naturally, he and Sarah had been intimatethough not in a way that would give others a chance to tease them. They were discreet and very private; Sarah would never do anything to disappoint her parents. But in their minds, marriage was a given. Sometimes, in the middle of a class, Tyler would smile, imagine being with her in such an intimate way again, when they both laughed, when they grew breathless, when the world seemed to explode. She was an amazing lover and he hoped he reciprocated. Sex was fireworks, but life was loving everything about herher great compassion for others, her integrity. He liked to think that he was similar in his behavior.
Leaving her on her own tonight hadnt been considerate in any way.
Im going to go back and wait with Davey and Sarah, he said flatly.
Go back where? Hannah asked him. Theyre already gone. And besides, Miss Stubborn Pride isnt going to let you stay with her. Im sure you already tried to and she sent you after us. She doesnt want you to have a lousy time just because she has to.
Tyler gritted his teeth and looked away. She isnt having a lousy timeand neither am I, Hannah. I love Davey. No one out there has a better heart.
It was true, though, that Sarah and Davey had walked off somewhere.
He should have firmly ignored Sarah when shed pushed him away. She was usually bright enough to be angry if someone didnt understand that hanging out with Davey was like hanging out with any friend...
And Tyler was suddenly angry himself; they wouldnt be here at all without Davey. Davey had won the tickets.
Oh, come on, Tyler! Hannah said. Its okay! The retard is her cousin, not yours.
He wanted to slap Hannahand he was stunned by the intensity of the feeling. In his whole life, hed never hit a girl. And Hannah was a friend. She was usually...fine.
Hannah, you know calling him that is not okay. Not cool. Hes just like you or me, Tyler said.
Maybe like you! Sean said, laughing. Not me. Hey, come onthis is supposed to be the coolest thing here, ghosts coming up out of the ground from all over. They say the creaturesanimatronic or whateverare the most amazing, and they put their best scare actors in this one. Tyler, come on, we take Davey with us all the time. But this is our night. Its our last Halloween together. If he doesnt want to come in, screw it!
Not to mention that, as I already pointed out, we dont even know where they are anymore, Hannah said.
Yep, well, I do have a cell phone, Tyler said.
Tyler, leave it, Suzie said. She looked guilty, too, he thought. But maybe she was right. We have VIP ticketswe get to move into the express lane up there. Well be out soon and then well explore the food boothsDavey will like checking those out! And well hug him and tell him that he was rightwe should have stayed out. It was really scary, so now were all hungry!
An actor in some kind of a zombie outfit came toward them, using a deep and hollow voice to ask for their tickets. They showed their passes and were moved up quickly in the line.
They entered the mudroom of the Cemetery Mansion. Bloody handprints were everywhere. They were met by a girl in a French maid outfitwith vampire teeth and blood dripping down her chin.
Enter if you dare! she said dramatically.
A terrified scream sounded from within. And then another. And another.
The place had to be amazingly good.
Ah! said the maid. I say again, enter if you dare! Those who have come before you seem to be just...dying to get back out!
She opened the door from the mudroom to the foyer and stepped back.
Tyler thought she looked concerned. As if...
As if people actually were dying to get out.
* * *
CAN WE GO look at the booth over there? Davey asked Sarah.
He gave her a smile that made her ashamed. She had been secretly bitter; shed wanted to go with her friends. It wasnt terrible that she should want to; she knew her feelings were natural. But she felt guilty, anyway. Davey wasnt being mean, she knew. He wasnt hurting her on purpose. He had his irrational fear set in his mind.
Come on! She caught his hand and led him to the toy stand. This one was stocked with prop weapons.
There were all kinds of great things: realistic plastic ray guns, gold-gleaming light-up lasers and much more. There were fantastic swords, like from some 1950s sci-fi movie, she thought. They were really coolsilver and gold, and emitting light through plastic blades that shimmered in a dozen colors.
They were cheap, too. Not like the licensed merchandise. It was called a Martian Gamma Sword.
Sarah smiled, watching Daveys fascination.
She worked three days a week after school at the local theater and could easily afford the toy sci-fi sword. She paid while Davey was still playing with it.
Okay, good to go, she told him.
He looked at her, surprised.
I bought it, Davey. Its yours.
His eyes widened. He gave her his beautiful smile again. Then he frowned, appearing very thoughtful.
Now we can go, he said.
Pardon?
We have to go, he insisted. I can save them nowTyler and Suzie. I can save them.
Sarah couldnt have been more stunned. She smiled. Maybe they could catch upand if not, well, shed still be able to say shed experienced the most terrifying haunted house in the citythe state, maybe even the country!
Come on! she said. Sure, I mean, it will be great if we can save them. So great.
I have to go first. I have the Martian Gamma Sword.
Okay, Im right behind you! Sarah promised. She hurried after him.
They dont like this kind of light, you know.
Who doesnt like it?
Those who are evil! he said seriously.
He had his sword ready and held in front of himhe was prepared, he was on guard!
Sarah smiled, keeping behind him. She hoped he didnt bat an actor over the head with the damned thing.
* * *
TYLER DIDNT KNOW when it changed.
The haunted house was incredible, of course. He knew the decorations and fabrications, motion-activated creatures and the costumes for the live actors had been created by some of the finest designers in the movie world.
The foyer had the necessary spiderwebs dangling from the chandelier and hanging about. As they were ushered inthe door shut behind them by the French maida butler appeared. He was skinny, tiny and a hunchback. Igor? He spoke with a deep voice that was absolutely chilling.
Tyler had to remind himself he was six-three and two hundred and twenty pounds of muscle. But just the guys voice was creepy as hell.
Cemetery Mansion! the butler boomed out. The living are always ever so careless of the dead! Housing is needed...and cemeteries are ignored. And so it was when the Stuart family came to Crow Corners. They saw the gravestones...they even knew the chapel housed the dead and that a crypt led far beneath the ground. And still! They tossed aside the gravestones, and they built their mansion. Little did they know they would pay for their total disregard. Oh, Lord, they would pay! They would be allowed to stayforever! Forever and ever...with those who resided here already!
Suddenly, from thin air, haunts and ghouls seemed to arise and sweep through the room. Suzie let out a squeal. Even Hannah shrieked.
Good old Sean let out a startled scream and then began to laugh at himself.
It was done with projectors, Tyler realized.
To your left, ladies and gentlemen, to your left! The music room, and then the dining room!
They were urged to move on. The music room hosted a piano and rich Victorian furniture. There was also a child sitting on the sofa, holding a teddy bear. She turned to look at them with soulless eyesand then she disappeared. A figure was hunched over the piano. Suzie tried to walk by it; the piano player suddenly stood, reaching out for her.
She screamed. The thing was a motion-activated figure, one who would have done any haunted mansion proud. It was a tall butlerblond and grim-looking, with a striking face made up so that the cheeks were entirely hollow. It spoke with a mechanical voice. Come closer, come closer... I can love you into eternity!
It was nothing but a prop, an automaton. But it was real as all hell.
Suzie ran on into the next room.
The dining room...
At the head of the table was a very tall manan actor portraying the long-dead head of the household; a man in a Victorian-era suit, wearing tons of makeup that had been applied very effectively. He was sharpening a knife.