Monsterland (12 page)

“Can’t be.” He shook his head. “It’s probably synthetic.” Wyatt looked at the uneven texture.

“Skin!” Josh shouted. “Ew, look, hair.”

They all peered closer. The parchment’s uneven border ended in a delicate fray. Wyatt touched it, feeling the coarse bristle of hair. “You keep it.” He shoved it to Nolan. “It’s probably a pig skin.”

“Well, I love me some pig skins.” Nolan laughed. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.” Nolan bunched it up to put it in his pocket.

“Where’s Jade?” Wyatt asked, changing the subject. He wanted to find a place to wash his hands. They itched where they’d touched the fur. He felt disoriented. Nothing made sense in the park. He had been to loads of theme parks and county fairs. This place was set up as though the planners threw down a bunch of swerved lines and named them as streets. And tickets to those parks were made from paper, plain old paper. Wyatt looked back at the main area of the park, feeling uneasy he was being led somewhere he shouldn’t be going.

“Creepy, right?”

Wyatt jumped when Nolan came too close behind him. He moved away. He watched his brother run down the lane, screaming, “Come on, Wy!”

Nolan laughed. “Yeah, come on, Wy.”

He looked at Nolan, wondering why he was being so nice.

“Jade wasn’t happy about being left behind. She’s a real scaredy-cat.”

It was full-on night now—the moon hung low in the sky, its round face mocking them. The LED street lamps were on, dusting everything in an orange haze. Its bright light cast an odd glow on people’s features, making their eyes disappear
into the shadows of their faces. He thought about Jade waiting in that line and picked up his pace.

Wyatt let Nolan propel him through the crowd knowing Jade would be at the destination.

Jade stood in the middle of a long maze held in place by metal stanchions. Nolan screamed her name while he waved his arm. She squeezed past the tightly packed people to run to them.

“How do you like it?” she asked, her face scrunched, indicating she wasn’t thrilled.

Wyatt pursed his lips, and something passed between him and Jade. He felt her small hand touch his fingers and squeeze them gently. He looked down at her, but Nolan interrupted him.

“Look, you can say Jade is Melvin’s guest, and I’ll go as yours. Otherwise we’re going to have to wait an hour and a half to get on this.” He looked around. “Where is that idiot?”

“I’m not going back there; you go be Melvin’s guest,” Jade said mutinously.

Wyatt scanned the crowd. “I don’t see him. Josh, let him walk next to you.”

Wyatt took Jade by the arm and started walking briskly toward the entrance of the ride.

Nolan moved quickly, matching their strides so they walked shoulder to shoulder down a winding path toward a short yellow fence designating the VIP section.

They saw Melvin eagerly waiting at the end where seven passenger boats pulled up, loading the awaiting patrons. The flat-bottom crafts were painted bright green with yellow canopies fringed along the top.

“That looks charming,” Jade said.

“Looks are deceiving.” Melvin turned to face them. He was chewing something.

“What are you eating?” Wyatt whispered fiercely.

“Charleston Chews.” Melvin’s teeth were covered with melting marshmallow, and his breath smelled of chocolate.

“You can’t eat here.”

“Stop being an old lady. They feed the werewolves until they’re in a stupor. They probably drug them too.”

“You don’t know that,” Wyatt responded

“Of course he does. He’d be stupid not to. Besides, they eat meat. They don’t care about chocolate,” Nolan told him loftily.

The attendant turned to look suspiciously at the boys, who clammed up. “Just get in the boat,” Melvin whispered.

The boat dipped in the swampy water as they entered. The attendant helped Jade to the last row of seats on the bobbing craft, directing Wyatt to follow her. Nolan cursed but entered the middle row with Josh. Jade paused, looking back at Wyatt, and then moved only halfway to the end, so that she was squeezed up against Wyatt. Melvin was at the bow. Nolan twisted to look at Wyatt and Jade, his face tight, his eyes narrowed to slits. He watched Wyatt, who gulped convulsively. It lasted for a long minute, and, when he finally turned around, Wyatt wondered who scared him more, the monsters in the park or Nolan. The quarterback swung his arm over the seat, letting his hand rest possessively on Jade’s knee. Jade’s face grew red, and she moved her legs restlessly, but Nolan’s hand stayed. The gears hitched and then groaned; the boat pulled away from the dock. A guide jumped onto the stern, standing slightly above them on a block. He held a mic in his hand and began the ride with a bored attitude. He fixed a bush hat on his head, and his khaki uniform had both a werewolf and the Monsterland logo on the pocketed chest. He advised them to
belt themselves in. To Jade’s obvious relief, the tight fit of the constraints forced Nolan to reluctantly remove his hand.

“Doctor Vincent Conrad has long had a fascination with monsters. Funding the Everglade expedition with his own money, he expected to search and find Bigfoot, or, as it is known in Native American folklore, Sasquatch.”

The boat glided over the water, its bow making arrow shaped ripples on the still surface of the artificial lake. Iridescent dragonflies hovered over the water, frogs croaked, and the air became thicker. It grew darker, the dense brush growing over the water, the sound hushed. The howls began, softly at first, and then building in intensity and frequency as the strip of water narrowed. He had read somewhere that the water ride was behind glass walls to keep the patrons safe from the werewolves. He fidgeted restlessly. They were completely out in the open.

The boat rode low in the water; Josh leaned over, splashing the palm of his hand on its dull surface.

“Keep your hands in the boat!” the attendant shouted.

Josh looked back, an alligator swerved close, his long snout snapping open as he snatched his hand from the water. He looked up at the speaker.

“Indeed, the wildlife is real and not animatronics as originally reported.”

“They’re not robots?” Wyatt demanded.

“Dr. Conrad decided that if the monsters were real, so should all elements of the park.”

Wyatt felt Jade move close so that their thighs touched. Taking a deep breath, he placed his shoulder in front of hers, as if he were protecting her.

“As I was saying, Mr. Conrad and his staff stumbled upon an unexpected colony, that special May first day. They were in
one of the waterways, much like this, when, all of a sudden, they made contact.”

The boat lurched sideways, the impact sending them spinning in a half circle. Jade screamed, and Wyatt sucked in his breath, grabbing her around the shoulders and pulling her close. He heard Melvin shout with joy.

The announcer laughed nervously. “With an impact very similar to that, Vincent Conrad made the discovery of a lifetime. He found a pack of werewolves living in—hey!”

The boat was smacked again, this time propelling them almost to the other side of the bank. They craned their necks, peering into the dense water only to see muddled images of something swimming close to the boat’s side. The guide reached into his back pocket and whispered urgently into a two-way radio attached to the lapel of his shirt.

Up ahead, Melvin stood, pointing to an outcrop of rocks. Wyatt heard Jade gasp. His own mouth went dry. Lining the boulders were five beasts, so large they blocked the light from above. Their long yellow teeth gleamed. Saliva dripped from their mouths like they were rabid; they panted deeply. Melvin stood at the prow, howling, his eyes closed in ecstasy. Josh pressed himself back into his seat so that his head almost touched his brother. Nolan crouched low.

Wyatt looked at the wolves, their eyes bright with intelligence and something else. One walked out so that it was almost above them, his long body quivering with rage. His huge head lifted upward, his mouth opened, letting loose a long, chilling call. He turned, his eyes narrowing with menace.

The boat stalled and then drifted. The attendant pushed his intercom frantically. He flicked the ignition, and the boat roared to life once again.

Melvin reached up, his face filled with wonder.

“Sit down!” the driver ordered. “Now!”

“Mel!” Wyatt called, breaking his trance. “Sit.” He turned to the guide. “Is this part of the show?” he asked frantically. “Is it?”

The man ignored him, his face solemn. Wyatt felt a mixture of fear and the niggling doubt that he was being made a fool.

Melvin slid silently into his seat.

They traveled under the ledge, so close they could hear the uneven panting. Drool dripped into the boat floor. Jade made a noise, moving so close she was practically underneath Wyatt. Slowly, the boat slid through the water. Wyatt turned around. The animals were gone, but he felt his skin crawl. He knew they were watching. Peering through the thick leaves, he searched the foliage, but could see nothing. Josh looked back at him nervously.

“That was creepy. Right, Melvin? Mel?” Josh cried.

Melvin was gone.

“Melvin!” Wyatt stood on the rocking boat. The attendant cursed and ran toward the bow, his face white.

The canopy over their heads stretched with the weight of something heavy. Jade screamed, burying her face in Wyatt’s shoulder. Nolan scrambled to move to the back of the boat. A hand dropped over the top of the boat, a Charleston Chew clutched in the palm.

Melvin’s face appeared under the fringe—he looked like he had blond ringlets.

“Melvin!” Josh yelled.

“I want my money back,” Melvin called to the attendant. “It’s all fake.”

He hopped into the boat, water sloshed over the edge, soaking their sneakers.

“I’m reporting you as soon as we get back!” The employee stomped over to Melvin, making the boat rock dangerously.

“It’s a hoax. There are no werewolves. Vincent Conrad is a big phony.”

“You can’t get your money back,” Josh said, pulling the candy from Melvin’s hand. “You didn’t pay to get in.”

“Just sit down,” the worker told him.

“Or what?”

“It’s the rules.” He looked behind them, realizing they were creating a traffic jam of boats. “Look, it’s going to get better.” He scanned the faces in the boat. “I’ll let this incident go. It’s opening night, but you have to obey the rules. Fasten your belts please.”

Melvin made a rude sound.

“You won’t be sorry. I promise.”

Melvin hopped over the seats, Nolan slid back into his place, and Jade took Wyatt’s hand, lacing her fingers with his.

The ride attendant grabbed the wheel, pressed the throttle, and the boat chugged forward. “It’s all real; you’ll see,” he promised.

Wyatt looked back as they passed the large outcrop of rocks, seeing the jerky movements of the wolves, and pointed to them. “They’re harmless, Jade. It’s not real.” He leaned close, whispering in her ear. “It’s probably all fake.”

“You better hold on!” the attendant warned.

The boat suddenly dived down a vertical drop that had to be at least fifteen feet. The echoes of their loud screams sounded canned, as though they were in a cavern. They landed with a jarring thud that doused them with cold water. He lost his grip with Jade’s hand as they both clung to the rails. The boat rocked, dipping so deep that water sloshed over the sides. Wyatt’s eyes
adjusted to the misty, thick air. He looked at his brother, who sat with his mouth open, his breath coming in pants. Wyatt was as white as a marble statue, his eyes bulging from his head. He could barely make out Melvin in the front of the boat. He slid his hand over, taking Jade’s cold fingers within his own. He heard her expel a deep sigh. He looked sideways, and saw a ghost of a smile on her lips. He had the urge to kiss her, but squeezed her fingers instead. He felt the softness of her hip next to his. It was twilight, on a bayou, the sound of croaking frogs filling the atmosphere. Jade’s head was pressed against his chest. He held her close, their beating hearts pounding in unison. Up ahead, they heard the steady sound of screams mixed with wild howls.

Banjo music filled the cavern. The air was oppressive; low-hanging Spanish moss dipped into the water. Fireflies lit up the gathering darkness. It appeared to be twilight.

“Look up, the sun is setting,” the attendant whispered, gesturing to the manufactured sky.

The lake was covered by the dome, creating a weird echoing sound. The water amplified the splashing of the boats.

The guide gestured to the glass ceiling. “That glass is impenetrable. Four elephants can stand on it. It won’t even crack.” His voice was a sibilant whisper.

They heard other attendants repeating the information to their passengers.

“Werewolves can eat four elephants for breakfast,” Melvin challenged loudly. Several chuckles emanated from nearby boats that had heard Melvin.

An artificial sky turned from lilac to purple. They watched a thin strip of fiery sunset line the horizon, painting the choppy waters crimson. The sun dipped low and then winked out. The thick glass was transparent. Dark, hulking shadows flitted past them. They made out the silhouettes of men and
heard primitive cries of “No!” mixed with howls that seemed to come from the bowels of hell.

Melvin was out of his seat, causing the boat to rock again. “Werewolves have a superior sense of smell.”

Jade looked around nervously. “Do you think they can smell us through the glass?” she whispered. Wyatt placed his arm around her narrow shoulders. She fit against him as if they were made for each other. He caught Nolan turning around, the whites of his eyes gleaming in the gathering darkness. The boat shuddered violently, and Nolan grabbed the bar in front of him.

This time the attendant’s eyes darted around the space above him, his stance alert.

“Come on, already!” Melvin called out. “Show yourself!”

Jade peeked from her haven in Wyatt’s arms. Wyatt noticed that Nolan and his brother sat closer together.

Melvin pointed, crowing with excitement.

Pressed against the glass, a man stood, his face a mask of agony, his hands gripping his head.

Wyatt sat transfixed, their eyes meeting, and, this time, he knew the contact was real, and he shivered. The man’s eyes blinked, his eyes turning golden. The LED moon appeared overhead, full, its pocked face mocking the man. He climbed on the struts holding the dome, lifting his face toward the beacon in the sky, letting loose an earsplitting howl. The veins stood out in his neck; his hand fisted and pounded the glass. He had a collar fitted tightly around his neck, a green pinpoint of a light under the jaw.