The Unfolding Horror of the Amusement Park

"Teacher White…"

"…Stay with me…"

"Teacher White, please stay with me." Julie's severed head pressed gently against Eric's face. Astonishingly, Eric did not feel terror or chill; instead, she sensed the presence of a real eleven- or twelve-year-old girl, her neatly tied ponytail fragrant with shampoo, cheeks likely touched by a tender dusting of baby powder—a delicate, sweet aroma. This youthful spirit clung affectionately to her, radiating vibrant life and vitality that stirred within Eric an unexpected surge of tenderness and maternal affection.

Eric parted her lips, poised to utter a word of assent, but searing pain jolted her back to awareness.

Pain—agonizing pain! Seizing hold of her fleeting clarity, Eric instantly grasped the gravity of her predicament.

The illusion of life vanished, Julie's head disappeared, and an icy wind swept over her cheeks. The Ferris wheel had reached its zenith; through the fractured window, she beheld the entire park's desolation.

Not a soul remained; all vibrant hues dulled to muted decay. Rusting, abandoned rides creaked mournfully in the chilling breeze.

Glancing downward, she found her hands clenched into fists, dripping with blood; fractured finger bones protruded grotesquely—no wonder the pain was unbearable!

Using her own strength, she shattered the cabin's glass pane; her upper body leaned outward, one foot perched on the chair. Had she not regained consciousness, she would have plunged to her death.

A weight pressed against her back—it was the head once again.

With formidable force, it struck deeply, nearly thrusting Eric out of the cabin.

Thankfully, her other foot, yet to step upon the chair, clung fiercely to the leg, anchoring her.

"Teacher White! Stay with me!" Julie's voice twisted into obsessive malevolence.

The strength was overwhelming!

Eric felt the chair groan beneath her; its screws must have loosened. Her mind raced, recalling the fragrance she'd sensed earlier. Rapidly, she produced a bottle of baby cream from the supermarket aisle.

"This is for you."

The cream tumbled onto the floor—its green package adorned with a frog—the classic children's cream, one Eric had used in her childhood.

A miracle ensued; the phantom's grasp ceased.

Eric seized the opportunity to pull herself back inside.

Sitting, gasping for breath, she glimpsed the dreadful head suspended midair within the cabin, its hideous visage unchanged, though its murderous gaze fixated upon the cream lying on the floor.

Two ghostly hands retrieved the cream; those eerie eyes followed its movement.

Eric forced a smile, unwrapped the cream, twisted open the lid, and presented the white ointment to the spectral head.

"Would you like me to apply this for you?"

Julie hesitated long and hard. Gradually, the hostility ebbed, her voice returning to normal.

"My… my face is so dirty…"

"I will clean you up."

From her bag, Eric retrieved a packet of wet wipes and cautiously wiped away the blood and grime from Julie's face. Only after using the entire pack did she scoop some cream onto her palm, warmed it gently, and tenderly applied it to Julie's visage.

Throughout the process, Julie's gaze never left Eric.

As the cleansing continued, her eyes slowly narrowed in serene appreciation.

Though half her skull was missing and a quarter of her face gone, Eric strove to conceal any sign of unease.

"I remember my mother… that day when I left, she helped me wipe my face. Even though I'm grown up now—graduating elementary school—she still insists on tending to me. I'm so annoyed," Julie suddenly confessed.

She reopened her eyes; Eric feigned ignorance of the lingering malice flickering within, oblivious also to the crimson light still pulsing within the cabin. Producing a pink knit cap adorned with a bow, Eric said, "The window's broken and the wind is cold. This hat is for you."

Julie's eyes fixed entirely on the cap. Rolling her ocular orbs toward the jagged void in her skull, her heart wavered. "Is it free?"

This time, her yearning was genuine; even the cabin's red glow ceased flickering.

"It's yours—free of charge," Eric affirmed resolutely.

As Eric helped her don the hat, Julie's ghostly aura dissipated, and a smile blossomed upon her lips. In the next moment, Eric's vision blurred; laughter from Diane and the other children filled her ears.

"I made a wish just now! Julie, what did you wish for?"

Eric found herself returned to the original cabin. The other six children reappeared; the windows were whole. Outside, the amusement park bustled with life; the chorus of children's laughter resonated throughout.

Only the wounds upon her hands remained indisputably real.

Chapter 63: The Dreadful Transformation of the Amusement Park

Gazing at Julie, she saw the girl smiling sweetly as she whispered to Diane, "Of course, wishes must remain secret, or they won't come true!" Adorned in a pink knit hat embellished with a dainty bow, Julie appeared incongruous amid the blazing midsummer sun, yet no one found it strange.

Sensing Eric's gaze, Julie turned, lightly touching her hat and beaming a joyous smile his way.

Eric returned the smile, then bent down to purchase a standard healing pack, swiftly treating her wounds.

Relieved at the efficacy of the ordinary remedy, she surmised her injuries had likely been caused by the shattered window, thus not necessitating a supernatural healing pack.

The Ferris wheel slowed and came to a gentle halt; as their cabin door opened, Eric led the children down.

"Julie, did you enjoy the Ferris wheel?" Eric inquired.

Julie nodded eagerly. "Let me stamp your paper, Teacher White."

Unfolding the sheet, Eric watched as Julie pressed her thumb firmly upon one of the boxes. Though no inkpad was present, a vivid crimson fingerprint mysteriously appeared.

"What shall we try next?" Eric folded the paper and addressed Diane, second in line.

Without hesitation, Diane exclaimed, "Teacher White, I want to ride the drop tower!"

"…Very well. Let us proceed."

The drop tower evoked an immediate sensation of peril, yet Eric could not refuse. She finally grasped the truth veteran players had warned: in supernatural dungeons, one must confront even the ghosts head-on.

As she turned to leave, Teacher Li emerged with his students, bearing a freshly earned stamp. Yet his countenance darkened upon learning that his second pupil wished to brave the haunted house. Eric felt no sympathy; she understood all too well that she too must eventually face that dreaded attraction—it was unavoidable.

The drop tower required no queue; eight seats aligned in a single row. Eric took her place squarely in the center, carefully examining her equipment. As the seat ascended, she glanced sideways, noting Diane's radiant excitement. Inwardly, she pondered—could Diane be swayed too?

Moments later, she admonished herself—not to rely perpetually on supermarket aids. How did other players manage without such advantages? She must learn to adapt.

The tower climbed steadily to its apex, amid the crowd's mounting anticipation. Then, with a sudden whoosh, it plummeted.

"Ah!"

"Ahhh!"

Screams erupted all around.

Though Eric had never experienced a drop tower, her prior exploits in ordinary dungeons—climbing and leaping—qualified as "extreme sports." Thus, she steadied herself calmly, feeling only an accelerated pulse.

The seat rose halfway, then dropped again swiftly, eliciting another round of cries.

This time, the plunge reached two-thirds of the height—presaging an imminent, full-length freefall.

As it ascended once more, the amusement park was engulfed in a swirling mist that obscured all sight.

The chorus of visitors' voices ceased abruptly.

"Teacher White…"

Diane's voice trembled nearby. Deep within, Eric acknowledged the inevitable.

Steeling herself, she looked over, expecting to find Diane's face grotesquely deformed, but was startled to see her still unchanged.

Previously ebullient, Diane now appeared frightened.

"Teacher White, I think my harness is loose—what do I do? I'm so scared." Diane clutched her safety belt anxiously. Upon inspection, Eric saw the clasp was indeed slack.

Though Eric had meticulously checked every child's harness before the ride, these belts now appeared aged and dilapidated.

"Don't move. I'll fix it!" Eric soothed.

Reaching out, she found the buckle utterly broken; the moment she touched it, it crumbled into shards.

"Ah! Teacher White!" Diane cried in terror.

The seat ascended relentlessly—soon reaching the summit before plummeting. With Diane's harness compromised, death was all but certain.

"What do we do, Teacher White? I'm so scared, sob…" Diane whimpered.

Unflinching, Eric examined her own belt; its buckle quivered precariously, unlikely to withstand much longer.

She realized this must be another spectral illusion akin to the Ferris wheel encounter. Her choices now would determine her fate.

"Teacher White!"

She seized Diane, whose weight was substantial. Bracing herself, Eric tightened her embrace, muscles straining under the effort.

Diane gasped.

"Hold onto my neck!" Eric commanded firmly.

Diane complied immediately.

Snap!

The belt failed entirely. Diane screamed in panic.

Yet hands gripped firmly beneath her arms, restraining her fall.

"Teacher White!"

Clenching her teeth, Eric held Diane close as the girl, recovering from shock, clung desperately—her grip so fierce it nearly strangled Eric. Ignoring discomfort, Eric swiftly retrieved the thickest rope from the supermarket's stores, binding Diane securely to herself before looping it around the loosened seat.

"Don't be afraid! Teacher's got you!"

In mere seconds, the makeshift restraint was complete just as the seat crested the apex.

With two groaning creaks, the tower plunged violently downward.

"Ah! Aaaah!" Diane buried her head in Eric's embrace, trembling with fear.

Clutching Diane, Eric felt the drop's velocity surpass previous descents.

The roar of wind whipped past her ears, mingled with the grinding of failing machinery. A rusty screw grazed her brow—instinctively, she flinched just enough to avoid a fatal injury.

Thick fog enveloped them as harrowing screams echoed endlessly. Yet amid the terror, Eric perceived Diane transforming in her arms.

No longer human in form, Diane resembled a heap of decaying sludge. Gazing downward, Eric caught a half-closed eye within the muck, its gaze brimming with unmasked malice.

"…White… Teacher…"

Armed with prior experience, Eric controlled her racing heart, pale but resolute. Summoning a fragile smile amid the icy gusts, she reassured, "Do not fear. Teacher White holds you safe."

From the sludge emerged a cruel maw, mercilessly sinking its teeth into Eric's neck.

Agonizing pain overwhelmed her senses as darkness encroached.