He held the lever forward as the green-painted tram weaved between merry-go-rounds and coasters. Clunk went the tracks underneath, metal wheels churning down the path. Every so often, the built-in whistle would go off, causing him to glance behind. Nothing but the cheery lights of rides come to life as he passes through. Cartoon animals plastered onto cardboard stands stare him down as his hand tightens on the lever.
In his other hand, a loaded plastic bag sways. Crumpled text on the outside reads words out in unreadable symbols. Pushing the lever further forward, the tram picks up steam. The entire carriage started to rattle as metal singed. Destination approaching, he yanks back hard. Bracing himself, the tram screeches to a halt. The bag swings forward, but his grip remains.
With the tram parked, the side doors swing open out into the sprawling amusement park. Already, coasters have roared to life nearby to greet him. Riderless, they whizz on past on spinning rails. Tests of strength booths light up, bells ringing. A funhouse has a dragon’s head billow out a green smoke. Behind him, he can hear the ascent of the drop tower as the motors groan.
Still holding his bag of scavenged food, he steps out onto sky-blue pavement. Little painted-on clouds make a wandering trail through the park. He’s alone. He’s always alone. Bringing the bag closer to his chest, he moves quickly. Staying in one place too long is a bad idea. The rides will give him away. They’re always too eager to greet and entertain.
He steps off the sky-blue path, moving between rides. Hidden machinery is clanking and whirring, powering the giants. A glance behind him. Nothing. He can see the posted signs now.
Employees Only Beyond This Point. Visitors Turn Back.
Past those signs came the signature grey concrete blocks. Out of place among all the color. A red door with even more signs. Before reaching for the handle, he looked up. It was ritual.
Suspended impossibly high up instead of a sky or clouds, there are yet more rides, more coasters, more fun. With it brought vertigo. Are you up? Are you down? Sideways? Only the park, looping in on itself. An inverted ring.
But what really drew the eye was in the very center, between the up and the down was the Mirage. The ghostlight sun of this place, a hovering manifestation of what happens when you close your eyes and press into them. Staring into it, he could hear the chatter of intelligible voices, cheering, laughter. The bustling of footsteps, vendors calling out. The Mirage grew larger, its amorphous boundary blooming.
It overtook everything. He felt deep underwater. The voices got louder, and he could hear a woman cry out a name. He tried to hold onto the word, the voice, the tone, but it was slippery and his head grew cold. Reaching a hand out, his fingers were too long. He blinked. Closing his hand into a fist, he was back on the ground. The Mirage was just a point in the sky. The land of the forever dusk.
Grabbing the handle, he didn’t dwell. Pulling the door open, he slipped inside to an air-conditioned hallway. The door clicked behind him. His feet tapped swiftly, the path always the same. Walk straight fifteen steps, turn left, open the yellow door.
It revealed a small room, a tiny ceiling fan working hard to keep circulation. In one corner was a pile of stuffed animals. Beside it and against the wall was a plastic table with an Employee’s Terminal. The bulky monitor was blank. Walking inside, he gave one final glance back. The hallway was empty. The yellow door closed.
He finally let go of the plastic bag. His stomach was cold. The collection of candy bars and branded chips could wait. Rubbing his face, everything felt cold. He was so close. If he just-. He lowered his hands and exhaled. The fan’s rattle masked it well.
Turning toward the plastic table, he banished the monitor’s black screen with a key-press. Immediately, the screen turned on to reveal red text against a dark background.
check he typed into the terminal. Hitting enter, numbers popped up, all marked idle. Okay. So he’d have to initiate. Thinking of what to say, his fingers felt stiff against the keycaps.
Four: I got closer with the Mirage. It’s showing me more of the before. I think. What about you, Three?
The message sat there for a few minutes. He didn’t move away from the terminal. A chiptune ding accompanied a response.
Three: same old same old. the before is tricky. But im having some revelations.
Six: aka he’s had none. the mirage just messes with ur head
Four: I don’t know. I keep hearing a woman’s voice.
Three: thinking youre getting closer to your name?
Four: Yeah.
Six: u both are so focused on that. does it really matter?
Three: yes
Four: Yes.
Thirteen: Haha really? You’re still trying with the Mirage? You’re just gonna remain stuck here. Thinking the before is gonna help. Only thing that’s gonna help is an exit.
Four: There is no exit.
Thirteen: How would you know, you’d never look for one.
Six: both of u, enough. *sigh* this happens every time. thirteen, ur two all over again.
Thirteen: For all we know, Two made it out.
Three: or hes lost.
Four: There’s no exits in Everland. We’ve figured this out long ago.
Six: *sigh* okay. if there is no exit we should at least try to find each other.
Thirteen: For someone who complains about the same thing happening each time, you also always bring this up. Hypocrite.
Four: Well, Eight tried to find you, and she’s gone like Two. I don’t want to risk you Six.
His fingers felt tight, staring at the screen. Every time this topic came up, a part of him worried she’d go off script. Actually push. Then disappear. Three sent something about the Mirage potentially helping them find each other. Just give him a little more time. Thinking the situation was diffused, he began to type something up again.
Six: im tired of waiting. im tired of being alone. i want to be around someone else. i want to see one of u. not just this text. i want u to be real
Six: im going to go out. And im going to find one of u. im going to find eight. i promise
Four: Six, that’s a bad idea. Don’t make promises like that.
Three: i get youre impatient. but dont be rash.
Thirteen: Hahahahaha. She’s gone.
His heart sank, this- this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. There were already so few of them active. Hurriedly, he typed in the check command into the terminal, but the number Six was offline. He turned around, looking around his room. As if Six would somehow manifest, making her promise true. He didn’t even know what she looked like. None of them did.
He stared at the monitor, seeing Three and Thirteen digitally duke it out. He should say something. His fingers hovered over the keys, but they shook. Say something. Say something. Say something. He turned off the terminal. He stepped back from the computer, gripping the side of his head. It was too closed in here. He couldn’t think.
Stumbling out of his room, the hallway was worse. Just an esophagus to get swallowed down in. Feeling the walls constrict, he dashed ahead, scrabbling to get a hold of the exit door handle. Shoving himself outside, he tried to breathe.
The entire world lit up, the Mirage condemning him for not stopping Six. Music, machinery, it all blurred together into a deafening cacophony. He ran as coasters crashed behind him, tumbling off their rails. The funhouse had smoke billow from all its windows, fire crackling. The drop tower screeched as empty seats plummeted. They slammed into the ground, the concept of breaks forgotten.
From all across the park, everything was coming to life. Starting up solely to mock him. Everything just adding to the chorus. Bells were piercing his head. He forgot the exact moment when he fell, but he was crawling against the ground trying to make his legs work.
Ahead of him was the green tram. Out. He had to get out. As far away from here as he could. He continued to crawl, his fingers scraping against the sky-blue paint. The funhouse had began to collapse on itself, pluming green smoke. He dragged himself through the open doors and onto the tram's floor. The cold metal was a welcoming sensation after pavement. Wasting no time, he jammed forward the lever. The wheels began to chug as he collapsed into his own hands and wept.
The tram carried him far away. Just like he wanted.
Deeper into Everland.