Chapter 8

Chapter Eight
The first room in the haunted carnival was a room marked Caged Bill's Slaughter House. Limbs of bloody human remains hung from chains and sat in pools of blood on dirty wooden tables.

Chloe looked around the room in disgust as she led Richard and Martha in the middle of the crowd.

Martha, walking behind Richard, placed a hand on the young man's right shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Richard glanced over his shoulder to her with a smile. "Of course. It is nothing but a few cheap thrills."

Martha nodded and looked around the red lit room. "I did not see any ticket takers or booth, isn't that strange?"

Richard let out a laugh. "Don't tell me that you believe all this nonsense."

Chloe shrugged as she held onto Richard's right hand. "They do take themselves seriously."

Suddenly a loud scream was heard from behind the line! The three turned to see a young woman grabbed by Caged Bill and thrown onto a nearby table. He raised a meat cleaver into the air, but before he could throw it down on his victim, her boyfriend jumped on the butcher. The boy friend cursed and slammed his fists into the cage around Bill's head. Bill slammed an elebow into the young man's head and sent him flying backwards!

The crowd screamed in terror, shoving into one another and pushing the three forward.

Martha pulled Richard aside from the crowd and Richard pulled Chloe with him. The line of terrified people ran forward laughing and screaming.

Richard and Chloe let out a laugh.

Martha looked around in shock. "Did you ... What happened back there?!"

Richard continued to laugh, heaving. "Oh Martha, don't believe everything you see tonight. It is only a hoax."

Martha darted a glare at Richard. "He just killed that girl and all you do is laugh!"

Chloe pointed at Martha while laughing. "Is she always this serious?"

Richard made a face and nodded.

Martha grumbled and marched passed the two laughing at her.

———————————————————————

The next room was marked The Field of Crows. The room was enormous and filled with rows of fake plastic corn stalks. In the center of the stalks was a hallway that led into a dark room.

The crowd line continued with caution with the three following with Martha stomping with anger. As they neared the center of the hallway, Richard grabbed Martha's shoulder to stop her. Martha turned to face Richard with a scowl.

"Come now cousin, it is all in good fun."

Chloe looked over Richard's left shoulder with a caring smile. "We didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Martha let out a heavy sigh. "No, I should apologize. I guess I need to ease up a little."

She looked at Chloe with a smile. "Can you give us a moment dear?"

Chloe looked at Richard and then nodded to Martha before walking around the two cousins further into the hallway.

Martha waited for Chloe to be out of earshot before hastily whispering to Richard. "Why are you so calm? It is unlike you to be laughing all the time."

Richard gave a chuckle. "Maybe I am just happy?"

Martha tighened her lips. "What is wrong with you?"

Richard shrugged with a large grin. "I am having fun with you and Chloe ... Maybe more with Chloe. You are too serious." He laughed. "Zachary was right, those pills take the edge off ... I have been wanting to tell you how serious you can be for years."

Martha's eyes widened with shock. "What did Zachary give you?"

Richard shrugged. "Valium. He halfed the dose so I won't pass out."

Martha let her jaw drop and a gasp escaped her throat. "That little demon!"

A loud mechanical hiss sounded followed by a loud bang, like metal slapping against metal. Without warning two giant black crows leaped out of the corn stalks! They sat on metal tracks and jolted to every move. They stood at eight feet and were covered with fake black feathers. Cheap looking Christmas lights bugged out the eye holes in their heads and their harsh metal beeks were covered in dry blood. These robotic birds would leap out, mouths gaping open and wings sprung wide. Their wings quickly wrapped around two frightened tourists and pull them back into the fake stalks.

Chloe as well as the rest of the group jumped back with terror.

Martha turned from Richard and glared in horror. "My God." She exclaimed in a gasp.

Richard gave a worried smile as he swallowed hard. "Perhaps ... They are apart of the show?"

Chloe ran back with a laugh and wrapped her arms around Richard. "I am not going through there."

Richard rubbed her shoulders. "It is alright, it is all a part of the show." His voiced sounded worried.

Martha turned back to Richard and Chloe. Her eyes stared passed them and her face turned dead white. "Richard." She said in a warning tone.

Richard glanced over his shoulder and saw the blood covered, meat cleaver weilding, fat butcher named Caged Bill.

Chloe let out a gasp of fear. Richard shoved the poor girl forward. "Go!" He let out.

The three ran down the hallway, nearing the frightened set of customers. As they neared, another crow leaped out and grabbed another person! The crowd screamed in terror.

Martha stopped. Chloe stopped and pushed against Richard. "I don't want to go."

Richard patted the worried girl's back. "It's alright. It is only ..." He stopped. Blood ran down the corners of his mouth.

Chloe looked down and shrieked in horror as a machete protruded out of Richard's stomach.

Blood ran down the wound as the blade slipped back. Richard stared down in shock at the blade wound made in his chest.

The masked face of Scarecrow Jack leaned into Richard's left ear from behind. "It is only part of the show."

Richard fell onto his knees and heaved. Chloe leaned forward to grab him. Tears ran down her face.

Richard stared forward at Martha running towards him with outstretched arms. Yet, as Martha neared the two, she was snatched away in the robotic wings of one of the crows and pulled into the stalks!

Scarecrow Jack hissed with laughter as he walked around the fallen Richard and Chloe who held onto Richard tightly.

"We really need fifteen souls. That is the nightly quota." He grabbed Chloe's arm with his free hand and pulled her to her feet. "So you will be a nice addition to the family."

Chloe fought back, screaming Richard's name. Scarecrow Jack slapped her across the face and grabbed her by her long hair. As he drug Chloe by her hair towards a group of customers running from him, Jack glanced over his shoulder. "He is all yours C.B."

Richard fell onto the ground. Blood ran out of his mouth as he stared helplessly at Chloe being drug by her own hair.

Caged Bill walked over to Richard's feet and grabbed the dying man's left leg. With one hand, Caged Bill drug Richard towards his area on the other end of the hallway.

Richard's arms rested against the floor as his own blood left a trail. His eyes stared at the ceiling. He twitched and gasped as blood ran out his mouth. For a moment, Richard's face was covered in shock, but then a large smile grew on his face as his teeth became yellow and crooked.