The horror theme park was ahead.
The lights flickered casting long shadows across the entrance.
A crooked sign creaked above the gate "WELCOME TO HELL"
"Why does it look like that." Zoe muttered, hugging her arms.
"It's just for effect." Jace said.
Vasco cracked his knuckles, forcing confidence "Hah! It's nothing, I'm not scared of stuff like this.."
"Your voice is shaking." Zack said immediately.
"I-IT'S NOT."
Hyunjin said nothing his eyes scanned everything.
Entrances, Exits, corners, blind spots.
Even the staff, especially the staff.
"Too quiet.." he murmured.
"What?" Daniel asked.
Hyunjin shook his head "Nothing."
But his gaze lingered on a masked worker standing near the gate.
The worker wasn't moving, not even slightly.
They stepped inside.
The moment they crossed the gate, the noise from outside disappeared.
Silence.
A deep silence.
"Okay, that's weird." Zack muttered.
Even Vasco didn't said anything.
The park was empty.
Hyunjin's eyes narrowed "I think we came to wrong park."
A laugh echoed somewhere in the distance.
Zoe flinched "What was that?"
"No idea." Daniel replied, though his expression hardened and sweating.
They approached the haunted house.
It stood taller than the other attractions
Old and rotting.
The windows were pitch black.
No light inside.
A faint creaking sound came from within.
Zack stopped walking "Yeah, no."
Vasco grabbed his shoulder shaking "Come on, Don't back out now.."
"I'm not backing out," Zack snapped "I'm just reconsidering my life choices."
Hyunjin stepped forward, he stared at the entrance.
Then smiled.
Zack noticed immediately "Why are you smiling like that?"
Hyunjin glanced at him "Just this feels real."
"Real?" Zack frowned.
As they got closer the door slowly opened on its own.
Creeeaaak…
"Alright," Jace muttered "That's definitely automated."
"Yeah," Zack said quickly "Totally normal, completely normal."
They stepped inside, the door shut behind them.
Bang.
Darkness swallowed everything.
No one could see anything, then dim red lights flickered on.
Just enough to see shapes.
The air inside was colder.
"Stay close.." Daniel said.
Everyone instinctively grouped up.
Except, Hyunjin he walked slightly ahead.
Alone.
A whisper came faintly "leave.."
Zoe grabbed Mira's arm "Did you hear that?!"
"Hear what?" Vasco asked.
"Nothing." Zoe said quickly, but her grip tightened.
A figure moved at the end of the hallway.
Tall.
Then gone.
Zack's breathing got heavier "This isn't normal."
Jace nodded slowly sweating "Yeah, even for a theme park."
Hyunjin stopped walking, everyone almost bumped into him.
"What is it?" Daniel asked sweating.
Hyunjin didn't turn around "We're being watched."
Silence.
A soft tap, tap, tap sound came behind them.
Crystal's voice was low "This place isn't the one we wanted to come.."
Hyunjin's lips curved "Yeah." his eyes narrowed
From somewhere inside a door slammed shut.
Then another, then another.
BANG, BANG, BANG.
The red lights flickered violently.
Something stood right behind Zack.
Smiling.
Then darkness again.
"Okay," Zack whispered, frozen "I'm officially done.."
"AAAAAHHH!!" Zack's scream tore through the hallway.
"RUN!!" Crystal shouted.
No one argued they turned and run.
The red lights flickered behind them something was chasing them.
Zoe grabbed Mira's hand then Zack immediately pulled Mira onto his back mid-run.
"I GOT YOU DON'T LOOK BACK!" he yelled, voice cracking.
"I wasn't planning to!" Mira shut her eyes tight.
Big Daniel surged ahead.
Fast, faster than the rest.
His instincts kicked in pure survival, he pushed forward like something was right behind him, leaving the others trailing.
The a presence, right beside him.
Daniel's eyes widened, Someone's here
He turned "AAH!!"
Hyunjin was right next to him Inches away.
Running at the same pace.
"Relax, it's me." Hyunjin said.
Daniel exhaled hard "Don't do that!"
Behind them
Zack was struggling but still running, Mira on his back drenched in sweat.
Even Vasco "Why does it feel like something's actually chasing us?"
No one answered.
Because it did.
A faint laugh echoed again, closer this time.
"Faster!" Jace shouted.
The exit door appeared ahead Light spilling through the cracks.
"THERE!" Zoe pointed.
They pushed harder, one final burst.
BANG!
They burst out light flooded their vision.
People.
They stumbled to a stop, one by one.
Breathing heavily even Jay, who had been silent the entire time, leaned slightly forward, catching his breath.
Zack gently set Mira down, then bent over, hands on his knees "I'm never doing that again."
"Agreed." Jace muttered.
Vasco sat down right where he stood "That wasn't normal."
Hyunjin started laughing.
Zack looked up, confused and slightly annoyed.
"Why are you laughing?"
Hyunjin wiped the corner of his eye "Nothing." He straightened up, still smiling.
Then glanced back "So this was your horror theme park?"
They all turned.
And froze.
The haunted house.. was gone.
In its place was just an empty space.
Like nothing had ever been built there.
Silence.
Zoe's voice trembled "Wasn't it right there?"
Jace adjusted his glasses slowly "It was."
Crystal narrowed her eyes, trying to rationalize it "That's not possible."
Hyunjin's smile faded, his eyes widened "No way," Then under his breath "Fuck."
He looked around again "That was real."
Zack straightened, still shaken "I'm serious, that's the last time I ever go to a horror park, ever."
"Same." Mira nodded immediately.
"Agreed." Zoe added.
Vasco raised a hand weakly. "I second that.."
They moved away from the area, finding a quieter spot.
Time passed, minutes turned into hours.
The tension slowly faded into conversation.
Stories, jokes, arguments.
They started getting comfortable with Hyunjin as well.
"Still," Zack said at one point, glancing at him "you're seriously weird."
Hyunjin raised an eyebrow "How?"
"You ran toward the front," Zack said "And you were smiling in there."
"Who does that?"
Hyunjin leaned back "I was doing it for fun."
Hyunjin's eyes drifted, back toward where the haunted house should've been.
That wasn't normal.
And whatever that was.. his fingers twitched slightly.