Chasing Forever Down (Great White Surf Saga, #1) [Wattpad Featured Story] | ✔

Chapter 11: House of Mirrors

I know he's totally kidding and doing this not just for a reaction but to spite them. Still, I bury my face into his shoulder. It doesn't do any good because Linzi knows I'm laughing at them. I'm sure this is supposed to make me a terrible friend, but right now, I don't really care because it's about time someone bitched about their constant make out sessions, and I didn't have to be the bad guy. They've known each other, what, a total of three days?

Alston crawls into the backseat with us. Reed glances around at the seating arrangement when he gets in the Jeep, but he doesn't make any additional commentary after he sees Linzi staring out her window with her arms crossed over her chest. She might as well be bleeding teenage angst all over his passenger seat.

*****  

The distant streetlights and the glow of the moon barely light up the old carnival grounds. The wooden sign hanging over the arched entranceway creaks as it rocks back and forth in the breeze floating off of the ocean.

I try to imagine this place in its glory with children running, popcorn popping, and the games buzzing with noises of winning and laughter. But I can't hallucinate those images any more than I can imagine the taste of one of those awesome carnival funnel cakes. The ticket booths are falling in with weather damage, and rust eats the surface of the metal rides.

A.J. leads us around the sea creature carousel, and I want to unhinge the blue seahorse from the ride and take it home with me. He's Solomon – life sized – and I wish I could touch up his peeling paint and shine his golden pole until he sparkled like I'm sure he once did.

"A.J., you're seeking," Reed says. He looks over at me. "And you're hiding with me."

"Alright," A.J. says. "Just keep Lickety away from her."

"Shut up," Reed says. He looks over at me. "Come on. We're safe."

We leave A.J. on the old carousel straddling an orange octopus. He buries his face into a tentacle and begins to count to what is supposed to be one hundred. Alston and Linzi run in the opposite direction, past the rusted red and white tilt-a-whirl. Reed leads me through the shadows behind the pirate ship ride. A turquoise dragon takes up the entire side of the wooden ship, and his orange eyes face the sky. I've seen him before – on A.J.'s arm.

Reed grabs my arm and pulls me to him. "Stay close," he whispers. "We have to keep moving. We're going to sneak into the House of Mirrors, but you have to watch your step. The floor is metal, and it echoes."

We slide along the back side of the ship facing the ocean. I bet the view of the water at sunset from the high point of the ship was beautiful in its day. It's sad to know a place that once brought joy to so many people could go to ruins in such a short time. I wonder how often A.J. used to come out here.

We slip behind an old game booth, and Reed puts his finger over his lips. A.J. hollers in the distance that time's up. We haven't even made it to the House of Mirrors yet. I'm not sure I really want to if the ghost of Lickety Split and his other personalities might be lurking around in there.

"Trust me?" Reed whispers.

His hazel eyes are lit up by the moonlight, and his nice guy attitude overflows from his pores in a way that, any other time, would sweep me and any other girl off her feet.

"I trust you," I whisper back, not nearly as convincing as Reed.

The entranceway to the House of Mirrors is a long metal ramp. There's no way we can go inside without being seen and waking the spirits of the carnival grounds. Reed points to an emergency exit on the side of the building. He climbs in first and pulls me up into the old house with him. The light of his cell phone startles me in the darkness. It bounces off all the mirrors surrounding us.