The Coaster Town Killer - My Entry for #finishthestory

Coaster Town

by @zeldacroft

“Carl, I’m not telling you again. No.” The teen shook his head emphatically as he shut his locker. John started to walk away, with Carl close behind. Most of the students had already escaped after the release of the final bell, leaving the two teens mostly alone as they exited the grimy public school halls.

“Aw c’mon, man, my first shift starts tomorrow and I promised you’d be there,” Carl begged.

“I don’t understand, why did you even take the job if you knew you needed another person?”

“Because I knew I could count on you. My oldest, most bestest friend. Buddy, Old Pal?” He nudged John in the ribs, who rolled his eyes and started walking faster out of the building. John could feel his resistance waning under the shallow arguments and incessant prodding. Saturdays were valuable, but it was almost summer and getting a job wouldn’t be so bad if he could do it with a friend. He could still make Carl work for it though.

“I don’t know, I’m not liking all this peer pressure,” he teased. “Mrs. Campbell would be very disappointed in you.”

“Peer pressure doesn’t include perks like Coaster Town has,” Carl clarified.

“What perks?” John questioned.

Carl stopped and faced him, taking a dramatic, deep breath.

“Fifteen percent off park entry!” He exclaimed, inciting an amused eyebrow raise from John and a chuckle from a passing teacher. “Plus a free pass for the Twister of Doom and free hamburgers from the café!”

“Oh, I’m sure unlimited hamburgers won’t get old fast.”

“They pay over minimum wage, too. Seriously, this could be our big opportunity for some cash before summer hits.”

They were nearly outside, the fresh late-spring air drifting in through the open door. It was a nice change from the mustiness and body spray overdoses, and it made John almost look forward to working at a theme park. He felt the call of freedom in the form of sunlight breaching through the school windows. Stepping outside, the afternoon warmth of the sidewalk between the brick institution and the emptying parking lot won him over.

“Did you say we get to work outside?” John asked. Carl’s face lit up with optimism.

“Yep, at least most of the time.” John stepped next to his bike, one of the last few chained nearby. He ignored the eager inquisitiveness emanating from Carl as he unshackled the bicycle and stood up.

“Well, I suppose I could give it a try, anyway,” he conceded. Carl did a strange sort of clapping dance motion as his grin grew its customary vastness.

“Thanks John, you won’t be sorry,” he promised as he proceeded to unhook his own bike. “And don’t worry, they provide our costume and everything.” John halted.

“Wait, our costume? Singular?” John could have sworn he heard the job description as entertainers, plural.

“Yeah, the mascot costume. I haven’t seen it yet but I’m sure we’ll fit.” Carl climbed onto his bike as John filled with horrific regret.

"So, kids you did not have any heavy food right? And you came through the emergency gate I had shown you?"

John turned to glare at Carl a frown beginning to form. Carl slapped him on the shoulder and addresses the man in Coaster Town overalls speaking to them. "Right. Mr. Crowder just as you said. And we parked our bikes in the trees outside the side gate."

John grunted a two syllable acronym at Carl and turned again to the tall, white haired, gaunt faced Mr.Crowder. He is definitely not eating any heavy stuff. John thought.

"Er.. Mr.Crowder; Carl said you'd be paying $12 an hour?"

"Damn right! And three breaks of fifteen minutes each with free burger and soda coupons."

"But you just said not to eat heavy stuff."

But Crowder was already turning and looking at his mobile phone.

"Come On."Carl urged.

The two teenagers followed him into the gloomy interior of the shed. As the door closed the sounds of music and laughing and the screaming of kids- the usual celebratory mayhem- diminished to occasional shouts. The bluish LED lights were dim and the interior showed the huge space divided into five rows with boxes, machinery and spare parts stacked every few feet in numbered slots marked by florescent paint on the concrete floor.

"Nancy! I got 'em mascots." Crowder shouted into the gloomy interior. Nobody replied, about halfway in he stopped and pointed out the costume.

"This is Neddy. Wait here Nancy will show you the ropes and when you come back here she'll give you the vouchers to cash at the entrance kiosk. She'll be here any moment."

Again he pointed waving his hand a bit, this time at the floor near Neddy, like when telling a dog. "Sit boy. Sit down."

John and Carl were looking at the nearly fifteen foot tall, blue and yellow dinosaur suit. It had a zippered opening about five feet long which was hanging open.

"$12 an hour, easy you said." John fumed.

By the time the boys got over realizing the trouble they were in Mr. Crowder had left.

Carl was adjusting his hair. "Wait till you see Nancy. She is bomb man. Brunette and...she is an angel I tell you."

John punched Carl in the shoulder. "You didn't mention Nancy. So you trying to game me huh."

"Come on pal. Just help me out here." John just glared at him

"OK John; just today then we'll walk away."

"Come on this way." somebody shouted out from the row to the left shining a torch light towards them.

The boys had to go single file past Neddy, the walk space was narrow and gloomy. Carl who was leading nearly slipped and fell as he stepped on to the tarp spread on the ground. John held him and pushed him ahead. They saw the torch lying in the middle of the tarp. And then Carl fell with half a shout. John turned to see Mr. Crowder swinging a monkey wrench at his head and raised an arm in defence.

The wrench broke his wrist all the way. The bone splintered and punctured the skin and the hand hanging at an impossible angle. John screamed and fell to his knees, he kept screaming till a second blow knocked him out.

Mr. Crowder tied and gagged the boys and rolled them in the tarp. Making sure that both were alive and breathing, they would perform for him tonight. He than brought back the two bicycles and dismantled each. The chasis he blow torched beyond recognition and the rest he spread into the pile of spares around the shed. Now nobody would know they were here, Nancy could but she was well and truly stoned when he had taken her to speak to Carl. Tonight he would enjoy Coaster Town.

THE CONTEST: https://steemit.com/contest/@bananafish/finish-the-story-contest-week-59

PICTURE CREDIT: commons.wikimedia.org