Until the End

CHAPTER ONE

(Lumine's POV)

"Guys it's finally our turn!" Himari announced, her voice squeaky with excitement.

River laughed hearing that, he had been watching her as if he'd been waiting to see her smile.

In the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Arcel staring at the tracks as people got off.

He looked intense.

One by one, people got onto the roller coaster. Mari grabbed my hand lightly, pulling me into the seat next to her.

"Honestly, Mari. The things I do for you." I sighed, pulling the seatbelt tight.

Arcel and River got into the seats in front of us, Arcel combing his hands through his hair.

Once the roller coaster started moving, my eyes were clenched shut.

My stomach twisted at the thought of opening my eyes, the wind blowing my hair in my face.

"This is the best time of my life!" Himari shouted, full of enthusiasm, followed by Arcel screaming, who did not sound too happy.

The roller coaster went at a fast pace, slowing down right before loops and drops. Who created roller coaster loops, honestly. What if someone falls off?

After a few minutes which felt like what i could only describe as pure agony, the ride finally slowed down to a finish.

"Wow, Arcelio. I just love the sound of you screaming in my ear." River teased. "Yeah, whatever." Arcel replied.

Arcel looked as if he had just came back from the dead. He shook his head, brushing away the strands of hair in his face, like he had something personal against it.

For someone that smart, I didn't think he would be a coward. I honestly didn't expect that from him- which is weird, because I never even talk to him, so I shouldn't be making assumptions about him...

"Did you guys have fun?" Himari asked, her eyes glowing bright. She looked at us as if she was expecting enthusiastic replies.

"Sure we did. Isn't that right, Arcel?" River said, leaning his arm on Arcel's shoulder.

"I don't get you, Mari." I said. But she was already distracted. Not again...

She looked around, and eventually pointed at a tall bush hedge. "Let'sgo there!" She suggested, and so we did.

It turned out to be a maze. Mari paid for our tickets and dragged us in. "I'll buy the first one to get out whatever they want from here," River offered.

A few minutes went by and I had already lost track of everyone, but I do see the exit. I wonder what I should make River buy... Just as I was about to leave, Arcel swifted right past me. Seriously? Damn.

Outside the maze, there was no other way to enter back into the amusement park. There were walls sealing it off. I guess the amusement park only goes this far, so we'll probably have to go back in the maze to go back into the amusement park.

"Why is the amusement park sealed off from here? That's kinda sketchy..." River commented, making his way out.

Yet, after a few minutes, Himari still hadn't returned.

"Why is Mari taking so long?" I asked, "She probably got lost." River replied. "I'm gonna go back in to look for her." I said, going back in the maze with River following behind me, leaving Arcel waiting outside.

"We're gonna be the ones stuck at this point..." River said, I nodded in agreement. "Mari?" River and I took turns calling out her name, as we got closer to where I believe the entrance was, I started to hear Mari's voice calling back to us.

It took us long enough, but we finally found her.

"Once you go out, there's no way back into the amusement park. Lets just go back through the entrance of the maze, I'll text Arcel." River informed.

But after several minutes of searching, the entrance was gone. "I swear, it was right there!" Mari said, pointing at a bush. "You're not insane, I remember it too." I told her.

"This is getting weird, let's just go back to Arcel. Let's hope he stayed put." River suggested.

"Took you guys long enough, you could've texted me. I was getting tired." Arcel said quietly.

I turned to look at River, "You said you'd text him."

River took out his phone, "I did, Just look- wait, my phone is glitching. How do I turn it back to normal..." He muttered, his fingers fumbling with the buttons.

Arcel checked his phone, but the same thing happened to his phone. And all of ours. There were only about 3 apps, and they could barely function.

Arcel let out a groan, "What's wrong with this? It's getting dark- and we can't even call an Uber?"

I looked around, the sun was starting to set. "Theres a road over there, maybe we can just follow where it goes..." Mari said, pointing at the road in question.

"I feel like I'm in a fever dream." I commented, and everyone except Arcel laughed.

On the road, Mari approached a lady sitting on the benches to ask about our whereabouts.

"What did she say?" We all asked when Mari came back.

"Huh, strange. I couldn't really understand anything she said. It mostly sounded like gibberish. She mentioned something about not going out at night? I'm not sure."

"If you couldn't understand anything, why were you nodding the entire time?"

Arcel asked, and Mari responded with a chuckle.

River glanced at the sky. "Well, it's about to be night soon enough."

It's taken a while for the worry in me to set in, but now that it has... what are we supposed to do now?

We ubered our way here, no way we could walk back home. I doubt I even know the way to school.

"So, what now? Do we ask more people?" Mari asked, and without waiting for a reply, she went up to the nearest person there was.

I followed after her, maybe her brain is just- fuzzy? Or maybe mine is.

Mari asked a few questions, but every reply the man gave sounded the same, yet no meaning. All I can tell is that it's definitely not english.

Somehow, Mari managed to keep a smile on her face. Mari kept the conversation going for a few minutes, and each second that passed, the man's replies started to sound more... defensive? Or aggressive. I'm not sure since I'm assuming this based on his tone, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. Mari however didn't seem to notice.

"So sorry, but I think we have to head back home now, thank you," I told the man, grabbing Mari's hand as we walked back to Arcel and River.

"Well?" River asked with a look of concern on his face. "Mari's right, It's all gibberish-maybe it's another language. Also the guy seemed a bit pissed."

Arcel sighed. "We're stuck here, no phone, no ride home, and we can't even understand these people." He groaned.

"I mean, at least we can still understand each other?" Mari said, flashing a warm smile at him.