Flash Fiction Spooktacular

Twisted Amusement - Jaylie Wright

Twisted Amusement

By Jaylie Wright

“Are you now seeing the error of your ways, Ingram?” My brother, Celio, asks when he appears before me.

Two months ago, I chose to leave heaven. To humans, this is foolishness; but the desire to fall in love was overwhelming! That desire ate away at me for many millennia, and the burden of eternal life without love became too great. So I finally made a decision: I would renounce my eternal life for a mortal one on earth, enabling me to find the love of a woman. With my wings and gifts stripped, I cast myself to earth.

“I’ve no reason to believe my coming here has been in error. Kuma and I are in love, something you wouldn’t understand. I’ve only called upon you to ask why the men of earth are being killed. The despair in this world rivals that of Hell!” I exclaim passionately.

“Does it grieve your soul?” Celio asks coldly. Celio is many things, but cold has never been one of them. I furrow my brow in concern, confused by his reaction to what I’ve said.

“I do not understand why you ask,” I state bluntly.

“Because you tipped the balance, brother! When you chose to renounce your position, it placed a pureness in this world. To maintain balance, a demon was permitted entry to this world as well. Unlike you, she’s been left unchecked and maintains her powers,” Celio snaps.

The balance…I never considered the implications of my coming here. I figured that with my powers stripped, it would not matter. Suddenly, I realize of whom he has spoken!

”Abyzou,” I hiss.

“Yes, Ingram. She is attempting to fill a void that cannot be filled. What little purities there are in men’s souls work like a drug, causing her to crave more. She is sucking them dry, then leaving the drained bodies on display. Seeing the madness it is causing the women is simply for her own twisted amusement. Ingram, we need Abyzou to leave earth, or there will no longer be a human race,” Celio looks hard into my eyes, stressing the dire need for Abyzou to be cast back to her pit.

“I will consider it,” I vow. “I will not risk losing my time with Kuma, though.”

“If you choose to save them all, you’ll find Abyzou in the abandoned amusement park in Krieg City. Be watchful! Abyzou has commanded that the human women bring you to her as a sacrifice. They believe she will leave if they do,” Celio says before he ascends back to heaven, leaving me in contemplation.

Like a demon would keep its word! I huff at the thought, then quickly exit and begin my trek toward Krieg City. After a few hours, I hear people. Their footsteps are many, and their voices sound feminine. This isn’t surprising, considering the recent deaths have all been men. As I approach a cluster of trees, a group of armed women step out from behind them.

“It’s him,” the woman in front hisses to the women standing just behind her. “It’s the raven-winged angel!”

I feel my brow furrow as I look at them. How could they know my identity? Or the fact that my wings were black?

“Capture him!” She cries out just before I hear an attack coming from behind.

Dodging them successfully, I begin running. A few miles into my run, I see the women have not given up, nor do they struggle to keep up with me. Normally, I have no physical struggles, but today, my body is overwhelmed. I curse myself for the sleepless nights of which I’ve partaken recently, ignoring the fact that I am now mortal. My stomach rumbles in hunger, my mouth seems to dry itself out even more just to prove my thirst, and my legs burn and ache from the exaggerated exercise. My long, curly black hair tangles, and I genuinely wonder if it will become just one solid dread lock by the time I am able to rest. None of these things have been issues for me in the past when I had my powers.

Pounding. Pounding. Pounding! It’s the only thing I hear - the constant, rhythmic pounding of my feet against the earth. I have no choice but to continue running. If I still had the powers I once had, this would not be necessary. What can I say? The heart wants what it wants, and everything else be damned. I chuckle at the irony, seeing as I am facing my damnation now.

Ahead of me, I see a large amusement park that looks as though it has been abandoned for years. The sun is setting, casting an eerie lighting across the steel skeletons of structures once meant for merriment. The sky morphs into a haunting teal color, with the remnants of the sun’s orange glow barely visible. Stealing a glance behind me, I see hundreds of women have joined in on the attempt to capture me.

I push myself harder, trying to outrun these crazed women. Approaching the amusement park, I swiftly grip the chain-link fence and climb it, launching myself over the top and landing hard on my feet, leaving me stunned for just a moment. Looking back, I realize these women are not slowing down, their faces etched with fierce determination. They are fighting for survival!

Pushing myself into a run again, I pass old booths and rickety rides, their light bulbs mostly dark with a random bulb alit. The rides have rusted, sections of metal broken apart with jagged edges exposed. As I run through the uneven, darkened walkway, I hear that some rides are actually turned on. A cackling laugh startles me when I round a corner, and I see a dimly lit sign saying “Fun House” above a structure from where I assume the sound came. Because the women have not caught up to me yet, I figure it best to duck inside in an attempt to throw them off so I can escape.

As I leave the midway and enter, I am absolutely flabbergasted! Deceased bodies hang on the walls, litter the floor, and drape over the haunting decor. The air is thick with rancidity and dust, the smell of the car.casses mixing with the stagnant smell of mildew is enough to turn my stomach, causing me to vomit the little bit of acid I had within me. “Fun house” really is not an accurate name! I turn around and push the door, but it had locked behind me, making the true exit my only way out. I did my best to steel myself, feeling sorry for each of the men who have lost their lives as I clamber my way through the house of horrors. The sounds of this participatory amusement facility only added to the depravity of my surroundings - the moans, cackling, and screams echoing within the walls. I curse myself for choosing this as a place to hide - knowing that those hunting me are sure to hear exactly where I am.

Looking around, I realize that when this amusement park was built and running, they must have had a separate entrance and exit for the employees. Surely, if anything needed fixed, they would not enter or exit the way the customers would go! Nor would they want to be seen working. I begin feeling the cloth covered walls in the spaces between the bodies. Soon, I find what feels like a doorknob. Twisting the knob, I push the door open. Behind it, I find a passageway, but there are no lights in this hall. I feel my way through the dark path, making sure that there are no more bodies to be found within. My hands brush against the unsanded wood posts and plywood walls, cobwebs and the occasional spider latching onto my skin and splinters burrowing into my fingertips as I continue forward. I feel like this is my only chance to find a way out without being caught.

After a few minutes, I hear the women enter the fun house. I quicken my steps as quietly as possible. In my haste, I end up running into the door like a fool! I press my palms against the door, practically willing the noise I just made to be reabsorbed into its cold, metallic surface. Gently, I press the metal lever and slowly swing the door open before stepping out. The cold air bursts into my lungs, cleansing them of the foulness they had taken in only moments ago. I glance around and when I deem it safe, I begin another run through the decrepit surroundings of a place that once brought joy to people.

Again, the pounding of my feet is the only sound I hear. I know they will soon find me, but hope is a thing that surfaces even when it shouldn’t. My mind continues to try to figure out a way to have it all - a life with Kuma and Abyzou sent back to her pit. Maybe if I just leave now…

“What do I sense? A man with purity unlike any I’ve consumed before!” Abyzou’s wicked voice echoes throughout the park. Her voice sounds as raspy and hollow as she is, her words slurred due to the high the blood of man has given her. “Bring him to me, and I will spare the men you love!”

I know her promise is worthless, but these women feel they have no choice. More footsteps join mine as I run toward the center of the park. A vacant Ferris wheel looms above, and the twisting of my gut tells me that the circular ride is where I will find her.

“Abyzou, let us settle this between us. You do not belong here! Go back, leave humankind alone, and find your purpose where you were meant to be!” I call out, hoping the logic of my words will persuade her to leave.

But her response berates my ears, her evil laughter a cacophony.

“Try all you want, but your fate will be the same as the thousands before you,” she vows.

The women who had previously hunted me have encircled me, creeping in slowly to force me toward the Ferris wheel. It switches on, and Abyzou makes her descent from the cart that had been at the top. Her ashen skin is a stark contrast to her blue-black hair, her lips stained from the blood she has already devoured. Her black eyes are hollow as she looks at me.

It is then that I see Kuma come out from the booth that runs the ride. Did she know that they were after me? She looks into my eyes as if she is begging me to look away. She mouths the words “I love you” as a tear slips down her cheek. In her hand, she grips a cross that has the end filed down to a spike. The gold plating of the item reflects what little light there is coming from the wheel like a small beacon in the darkness. That’s what Kuma is to me - my beacon of light in this darkness.

“Ingram,” Celio’s voice permeates my mind. “Look at Kuma. You cannot allow her to do this. It will forever change that innocence that drew you in.”

“So I simply dispatch Abyzou myself?” I ask him mentally.

“To send her back, you must leave as well,” he says pointedly.

“Can we not run? Can I not grab Kuma and leave the humans to Abyzou?”

“Do you want to risk the life of your unborn son?” He asks, striking my heart with his words.

A son? With Abyzou left on this planet, he would fall to her eventually. I cannot allow it. My heart aches knowing that there is no way to truly win. Celio knows that I have made my decision.

“You’ll need these to go up against her,” he says calmly.

Immediately, I feel my powers rush through me and my wings twitch just beneath my skin, begging to be released.

“How -” I begin asking, but Celio cuts me off.

“She didn’t leave her powers behind. Just evening out the playing field,” he says amusedly. “Send her back, Ingram.”

I look at Abyzou’s smug face, watching confusion wash over her as I unfurl my wings. Brazenly, I charge her, knowing that I am about to lose everything, and Kuma will witness it.

Pen Name: Jaylie Wright

Books: Zari on Dreame and Always Choose Dare on Resurgence Novels

Fa(eb00k: Jaylie Wright

Insta.Gram and t****k: authorjayliewright

Fa(eb00k Group: Jaylie’s Steam Room