Haunted house

Day four.

After a good night's sleep Issac no longer felt the raging headache. Knocking on Quins door he was semi surprised as Quin opened it dressed and ready for the day: "You're up early today. No injuries I assume."

"It's never best to assume with me. I nearly suffocated in the blanket."

"How the hell?"

"Forget it, it's time to collect us some more points!"

"Some more?"

"That's right. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I obtained some points yesterday."

"At that restaurant?"

Quin nodded proudly: "Yup. Apparently they had a secret task there and I happened to succeed in beating it. Lucky huh?"

"Sure that's one way to call it. Unless."

"What?"

"It's possible that your 'close calls' come from your luck being used on such meaningless things."

Quins words were caught in his throat. Issac had successfully shocked him. He then brought the distracted Quin to the same breakfast table as the previous day. Snapping back to reality Quin frowned: "Hey I wanted to go to that other place."

Esterfield had an abundance of food spots. Quin could eat at a new breakfast place every day and not repeat for at least half a month.

Issac checked the menu: "No way. I want to eat here."

"I thought you were the one following me here."

Issac didn't look up: "Didn't you say to do what I want?"

Quin reluctantly picked up his own menu mumbling: "I didn't mean mess with my meal plans."

"Quit pouting, this place has great breakfast options."

"Yeah I noticed because we ate here yesterday."

"Exactly."

Quin realized that sometimes Issac gets in these annoying moods. His ability to talk you in circles until you give up was really hard to deal with. Usually Issac only did this occasionally to mess with people but Quin hasn't known him long enough to know that. Therefore he logged it as one of Issac's annoying traits.

Having already decided to partner with Issac this month he figured it was best to keep each other in good spirits. Giving up, he happily ordered about the same as yesterday. With a few new daily specials of course.

Issac: "Well you certainly don't stay upset for long."

"If you want to eat here today then that's fine. We'll try the other places another time."

"Oh?"

"Yup. And besides you're right about this place having a delicious menu."

Issac lowered his eyebrows: "Whatever."

The food arrived and they ate in silence. Quin was quiet because he was eating a lot. Issac was quiet because he was slightly annoyed. He preferred when Quin was upset. He grumbled internally: "This idiot is just too optimistic sometimes."

After eating they followed the same route as yesterday continuing down the long list of rides left unchecked. Day four ended much the same as day three. Quins dolphin shriek was as loud as ever. And Issac ended his day with yet another headache.

Quin went out for his late night snack. He found a new night restaurant and ordered one of everything. This place really was meant for late night snacking and only served small portions of their food. After each new item, he'd eat then continue down the menu and order the next. After reaching the end of the list he decided to pack up for the night and got up to leave. A tug on his arm pulled him away from the door.

"Wait wait, don't leave yet."

Quin turned around: "Do you need something?"

"Are you by chance participating in this year's game?"

This felt familiar.

The person speaking was one of the restaurant's staff. Following close behind were the manager with a certificate and another waiter holding a participants list.

Quin responded with a nod: "I certainly am."

Happy faces spread across the room. Similar to the previous night's events Quin had unknowingly completed a restaurant's food task.

"To order one of everything on the menu!" One of the customers cheerfully enlightened him.

Quin gave his name, took the photo with the crowd and headed back to the inn. After cleaning himself up he went to bed. His eyes closed he thought: "I wonder why these restaurants have such easy tasks?"

None of the hidden food tasks were meant to be easy. Quin often forgot that it was his own eating habits that were strange and assumed that the tasks were level one difficulty.

Day five.

After three days of park exploring , Quin and Issac finally completed all of the rides. Earning their twenty points they went to a new dinner restaurant to eat.

Quin: "You don't seem as dizzy today."

Issac: "Watch it."

"What? It's not like it's my fault you get sick after a few rides."

It was his fault. That many rides might make a normal person a little sick. But it was actually Quin's constant screaming that caused most of Issac's damage. Quin was obviously completely oblivious to this fact and instead took it as Issac having a weak stomach.

Issac stopped glaring at him and ate his food silently.

"What did I say?"

Day six.

Today Quin met Issac in his room: "Okay so now that we're finally done with the themed rides we can move on. Arcade games or adventure courses?"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Quin checked the map: "I don't think so. We've done everything in this area so moving down the path we have the courses and the games."

Issac pointed to a house on the map: "Here."

Unblinking, Quin looked at the house: "I.. I think we're good."

"You're skipping it?"

"Look I don't know if you've noticed but I can get a little jumpy when things get scary."

Issac tilted his head with a suspicious look: "You may have been screaming but I'm pretty sure you were having a blast."

"True. But haunted houses are different."

"You're scared of haunted houses?"

"Less the houses and more the darkness."

"There's no way you're scared of the dark."

"Relax, I'm not afraid of the dark, I just get a little fidgety when I can't see properly."

"Oh yeah, the fainting."

"Oi you were the one appearing out of nowhere."

"You still knocked yourself out though."

"You're not wrong."

"Anyway, let's do it."

"Excuse me?"

"We're doing the haunted house. It's an easy task. We just have to explore the place and get out. Easy."

Quin was flabbergasted: "Okay I know that you like to do whatever you set your mind on but I really don't think that we should."

Issac got up: "It'll be fine. In fact it'll be great. We're going."

His arm being pulled, Quin was dragged out of the inn. They got breakfast to go and Issac led them straight to the haunted house.

Greeting the GM, they entered the building. It was dark but not blinding. The path was lit enough to see where you were going. After a minute or so Quins nerves had actually relaxed. He really wasn't all that terrified at these kinds of things. It was his own reactions to danger that really put him on edge.

After turning a corner Quin suddenly felt like he was being watched. He paused in his step and turned to look behind them. Hearing a sound Issac also turned back. There was nothing but darkness. The two looked at each other and turned to face forward again only to be met with a loud thud as something hit the ground before them.

Both were quiet. Issac was the first to move. He bent down and turned the heavy object over. It was a corpse. A fake corpse obviously. He raised his eyebrows and turned back to face Quin. Eyes wide, Quin stared at the corpse with a blank look.

"You die of fright?"

Quin blinked: "Almost." Suddenly he smiled his usual smile and laughed a little: "This really is kind of cool isn't it?"

Issac frowned and stood up. Quin was spooked but it was only for a moment and couldn't even compare to when he knocked himself out: "I thought you said that you were scared of coming here?"

"Well I'm definitely concerned about it."

"So what, it isn't scary enough?"

"Oh no it looks very real. But it wasn't the jumpscares that I was really worried about."

Issac thought for a moment. Thinking that they were done speaking, Quin stepped forward again. Issac suddenly stopped him: "Look at me for a second."

Quin turned his head and before he could blink a hand had snatched away his glasses. He was petrified.

"You know what, I don't think you need these right now."

Quin talked through his teeth: "What?"

"I just feel like you're not scared enough. And what's the point of a haunted house if you aren't even a little scared."

"No no." Quin quickly shook his head: "I was scared. I was absolutely scared. It startled me stiff."

"I just don't buy it." Issac stuffed the glasses in his bag and started moving forward: "Now we can continue."

"Wait!" Quin immediately latched onto Issacs arm: "Actually we shouldn't do this! We should just go back. I thought this was supposed to be easy? Why make it more difficult? What was that sound?!?"

Issac pried Quins hands off of him and continued moving forward. Quin was now almost blind as a bat in the darkness and was shrieking at every little sound he heard.

"Oh my god! Ahhhhh!! Issac! Where are my glasses? What is that?"

Issac was finally amused by Quins reactions. The ear curdling scream was definitely a down side but after riding with him for days Issac has now grown a better resistance to it. Issac kept them at a swift pace and watched as Quin practically fumbled through each room.

Surprisingly Quin is actually pretty agile even without his glasses. His shaky legs were coming from the constant jumpscares at each and every turn.

By the time the two reached the center halfway point Quin had basically nailed himself to Issacs leg. At some point Issac couldn't pry him off and decided to just leave him there.

The centre room was slightly brighter than the other ones. Along the wall was a table with a fake skull and a card attached to it. Picking it up, Issac checked its contents.

It read.

Congratulations on making it here. This symbol on the wall is for your proof photo. Take a photo with yourself, the symbol and the skull go earn points!

Issac shook Quin off his leg: "Hey we made it. You can let go now."

Determined Quin held onto Issacs leg: "As if. There's still a part two. I know it."

"That's true but if you want the photo you have to get the camera out of your bag."

Quin grumbled but eventually slowly let go. Sitting up he opened his bag and grabbed the camera: "So? Where is it?"

"It's along this wall behind you. Here hold this."

Quin traded the camera for the object. He was still dazed from his agitated heart and held the object confused: "Hey, what is this?"

Looking at the symbol Issac responded with an indifferent tone: "Human skull."

Quin had already spent all of his brain power on making it this far. He had long since lost the ability to differentiate between the props as real and fake. Upon hearing Issacs response he was sent into another state of shock. His eyes rolled back as he fainted the second the words reached his ears.

Unfazed Issac bent down and caught Quin before he hit the ground. He then positioned himself, the unconscious Quin, along with the skull in his hand in front of the symbol and happily snapped the picture with a cheerful look in his eyes. Tucking away the photo and camera in his bag he put the skull back, grabbed Quins ankle and dragged him out.

At the end of the path the smiling GM ready to add their points was speechless at the sight. After logging his points Issac continued to drag Quin's unconscious self to a nearby bench. Tossing him to the side, Issac sat down himself and took this time to relax.