Ruby Fridays

Chapter 19: Jaws of Hell

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N O W P L A Y I N G

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║ Gregorian Calendar ║ 01 - 08 - 2027 ║

║ Friday║ 2nd Midnight ║

The old circus tent loomed before me, its faded crimson and violet fabric fluttering eerily in the chill night air. It seemed to close in around me, suffocating and claustrophobic. 

An icy grip of dread and doom seized my heart as I thought of what horrors this place might contain. The shadows seemed to dance and whisper at the edges of my vision, mocking and jeering. 

"Fuck, Ruby. You better knew where this one will end," I was infinitely cursing myself under my breath as I take in the dread with my eyes closed. I knew I shouldn't go in, that this was a terrible idea. But my curiosity was piqued, and I had come this far. 

Grazing my eyes even more trying to shake the anxiety creeping up on me, I saw under the dim nights that the surroundings of the tent was a perfect chaos — where broken chairs and debris were strewn about, like it was remnants of some long-abandoned carnival. 

But something else caught the light of the moon — a dark stain on the floor, almost like a trail that led deeper into the insides of the tent. My heart hammered in my chest as I followed the stain with thoughts hammering my subconsciousness. 

What secrets were hidden within those musty canvas walls? 

What specters from the past were awakening as darkness fell? 

With these queries of dangerous curiosity getting the best out of me, and through the macabre and gloom of the midnight, summoning my courage, I grasped and ducked under the flaps of the tent and pulled them aside, stepping over the threshold into the musty gloom within. The air felt stagnant and dead.

I walked slowly down the central aisle, my footsteps muffled by the threadbare carpet. Everytime I took a step and the floorboards groaned under my weight as if the tent seemed to pulse and breathe around me, reminding like it was alive.

I entered through the tattered entrance flap of these velvet colored circus tent as the a rush of memories assaulted me — laughter and screams, the smell of popcorn and fear, and a child's joy mingled with terror.

I held my breath as if I was stepping into a nightmare. Cobwebs filled the corners and a musty smell assaulted my senses. Memories of childhood laughter and wonder seemed terribly out of place here. 

The interior was dark as a tomb. Shadows lurked and skittered at the edges of my vision. The old wooden benches creaked under unseen weight.

I fumbled for the flashlight in my bag and clicked it on. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I gasped. Its feeble beam revealed a nightmare. Rotting debris and trash were strewn about, which probably was relics of a long-abandoned show.