Misplaced Trilogy

by Brian Bennett

  As they were corralled through the maze of railing like a herd of snails, Trey noticed how close he and Livy stood to everyone else in line. At such short range, the reflective lenses of Livy’s sunglasses did little to block the view of her oversized eyes. When he gained her attention, he lifted his own glasses to reveal he was projecting fully human eyes.

  Livy nodded, catching on immediately.

  Eventually, they arrived at the coaster’s loading zone and were packed into the tight cars in pairs of two.

  Livy was all smiles, and Trey was delighted to see her so happy. He turned to Zach and Amy in the seats behind him. Two thumbs up and broad smiles told him life was good.

  The track clattered loudly as they ascended the steep incline. Just before reaching the apex, the car rapidly increased in speed as the lead car dropped over the peak, pulling the remaining cars with it. In an instant, gravity reversed then ceased to exist. Whoosh! They plunged straight down, deafened by the roar of wind and screams of an elated crowd of passengers.

  They bottomed out several thrilling seconds later at a lightning pace and tore through several sections of dips and quick jerking turns.

  Trey turned to Livy with a grin so wide his jaws ached. She stared straight ahead, as white as the puffy clouds overhead, every hint of color drained from her face. Trey chuckled, but a part of him worried for her. It would be a long day for her if she refused the rides, or worse yet, a long day for him keeping her company.

  A quick turn threw him to the side, catching him completely off guard. When he regained his composure and the ride slowed in preparation for the next ascent, he nudged Livy. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad was it?”

  She turned to him slowly.

  Something in her expression worried him. Without speaking a word, she held up her sunglasses, clutched tightly in her fingers rather than on her face.

  It took only a fraction of a second for Trey’s mind to reverse. Less than a minute prior, seconds after racing over the top of the coaster, a camera had flashed, a moment captured for a ten dollar souvenir photo.

  Lemon

  TREY GRIPPED LIVY’S free hand while staring at his own sunglasses clutched in his fist. The speeding rollercoaster seemed to fade out of existence, leaving the two alone in the cramped car to ponder the significance of having their photos taken.

  A sudden jerk to the left knocked him back to reality, nearly cracking his ribs in the process. He shook away the pain as the loud screams and the squeal of metal against track rushed his thoughts.

  “It’s nothing to worry about,” he shouted over the roaring wind.

  Livy nodded, but her expression said otherwise.

  A sudden drop lifted his stomach into his throat.

  “Come on!” he yelled, filled with annoyance. ”Isn’t this ride over yet?”

  In the distance, a crowd of people came into view at the end of the track. He let go of Livy’s hand and pushed on his sunglasses. Livy did the same as the coaster slowed for the long straightaway leading to the exit.

  The moment the safety bar released from their shoulders, Trey and Livy were up and out of the car. Without looking back for Zach and Amy, they rushed down the ramp toward the small souvenir booth at the bottom. A pimply-faced boy sat on a stool staring blankly into the park, his back turned away from a wall of display monitors prepped to show off snapshots of the riders. Trey’s mind flooded with ideas for how to shut down the displays, all of which seemed likely to draw more attention than the photos themselves.

  He slowed, pulling Livy with him. “Get rid of him somehow and I’ll take his place. I’ll figure out the rest.”

  Livy sped up without acknowledging his plan. The moment she arrived at the souvenir stand, she turned instead to the screens, leaning over the waist-high bar designed to separate patrons from the displays. All four monitors still lit up with the identical White Lightning emblem. Livy looked over Trey’s shoulder toward the ride, and he fought for her attention by gesturing toward the boy on the stool, annoyed she hadn’t followed through on his scheme.

  “Hold on,” she said, under her breath.

  He turned to find Zach and Amy trotting toward them, a fast moving crowd hot on their heels.

  The screens flickered, then one-by-one displayed a photo of various riders in their deathly plunge.

  Livy frantically searched each image that appeared while Trey looked back and forth between her and the rapidly approaching horde. Zach and Amy slowed, apparently detecting the lack of life-threatening peril.

  Livy burst into laughter, still failing to draw the attention of the bored attendant staring at nothing at all.

  Trey tracked Livy’s gaze and found a pair of very unattractive photos. Both he and Livy had wide eyes and open mouths, their faces plastered in thrill and fear, their blurry images distorted by speed and wind. As strange as they appeared, they stood out no more than the mix of other hysterical riders.

  The mob soon overtook them, most continuing on without slowing; others stopped to scan the screens for their own images, ignoring everything else.

  Zach crowded up alongside Trey. “What the heck was that all about?”

  “Nothing!” said Trey. “Forget it; it was nothing.”

  Zach looked up at the monitors just before Trey and Livy’s images flashed away to be replaced by two other passengers. “Oh, I get it.”

  Amy squeezed in. “Get what? What happened?”

  Zach leaned to speak into Amy’s ear. Her eyes bulged and her head spun toward the displays.

  “Let’s go,” Trey said, grabbing Livy by the hand. “Who needs a souvenir? The pictures suck anyway.”

  Livy pulled up beside him with a laugh, swinging his arm playfully as they strode away. “You aren’t sore I didn’t follow your plan are you?”

  He cocked a smile. “Nah, it was a stupid plan.”

  Livy stopped abruptly, dragging Trey to a halt along with her. “We should wait for Zach and Amy.”

  He looked back at his concerned friends, feeling bad for getting them so worked up over nothing.

  When the couple caught up, Zach acted as if nothing had happened. “Where next?”

  “Let’s just walk around a while,” said Trey. “If we see a short line, we can jump in it.”

  The knot in his stomach had returned, and he wasn’t sure he could take more g-forces.

  Thankfully, the others didn’t argue and their group moseyed off in no particular direction.

  After meandering through the thick crowds to the farthest end of the park, Livy stopped short and gaped at something high above their heads.

  Against the backdrop of the blazing sun stood a towering structure shaped like the crow’s nest of a ship. The 150 feet high basket slowly lifted toward its highest point, where its passengers would soon get a birds-eye view of the entire park before being dropped like a rock to near ground-level in a matter of seconds.

  “No way I’m getting on that thing,” said Amy.

  Zach turned to her with disappointment. “Aw, come on. It’s one of the best rides in the park.”

  “Nope, forget it. Not gonna happen.”

  Zach looked to his friends. “What about you two?”

  Livy beamed. “Definitely!”

  Trey glinted at Amy, happy to have a scapegoat. “I’ll keep Amy company.”

  “No,” she protested. “Don’t worry about me. You guys go ahead; I’ll visit some of these little shops.”

  “It’s fine,” said Trey. “You two go. I’m staying here.”

  Zach and Livy began to back-step excitedly toward the ride entrance.

  Trey made a hand motion over his face. “Just watch out for cameras and stuff.”

  “Got it,” Livy said, turning with Zach to race away.

  Amy smiled. “You really don’t have to babysit me.”

  “I know. So, what shop do you want to hit first?”

  She laughed. “Take your pick. I’m broke.”

  He chuckled along. “May I buy you a lemonad
e?”

  “That would be great.”

  They strolled toward the distant refreshment stand and Amy moved closer. ”What’s got you so on edge, Trey? Is it those dreams you were talking about?”

  He stopped, surprised by her frankness. “Something like that.” He moved on, not sure how much she could or should understand.

  A few paces later, he hesitantly opened up. “I’m scared, Ames . . . not for me, for Livy. I just don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to her.” He swallowed hard. “It was bad after everything that went on with Gunther, but in the last few weeks, I’ve had those strange dreams. I just can’t shake the feeling something bad is coming.” He looked to her for reassurance. “Do you really think it could just be stressing about us all losing touch?”

  She nodded, adding a gentle smile. “It could be. It makes more sense than you getting all psychic on us.”

  Trey laughed, feeling his knotted stomach release, the thought of lemonade actually sounding pleasant.

  “Two lemonades,” he told the girl behind the counter. “And a large popcorn. I’m suddenly starved.”

  Crow’s Nest

  TREY SAT ON a stone landscaping wall with Amy at his side. The two had nearly finished off the large tub of popcorn, and melting ice was all that remained of their lemony drinks.

  Trey’s phone vibrated in his pocket. “Here,” he said, passing over the popcorn to free his buttery fingers to manipulate the display. “Finally! They should get on the ride in the next pass.”

  He watched the crow’s nest slowly rise into the blue sky. Near the gate, Livy’s bright, spiky hair stood out clearly in the group waiting to board the ride once it plunged back to the platform.

  He grabbed a handful of popcorn, but before he shoved it into his mouth, he paused. “So, what’s up with you and Zach?”

  Amy furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged, wolfing down the handful of popcorn before answering. “Maybe it’s my imagination, but there seems to be trouble in paradise.”

  Amy pushed back the popcorn container. “You picked up on that, too?”

  He nodded, waiting for an explanation that didn’t come. “Don’t say it’s none of my business.”

  She shook her head, dejected. “You tell me. I can’t figure him out.”

  “I see. I guess I’ll have to talk with the dork myself.”

  Amy shot a conspiratory glance through the corner of her eye. “I didn’t put you up to it.”

  “No, of course not.”

  “But, if he does tell you what’s bugging him, please pass it along. . . unless I really don’t want to know.”

  “I’ll figure it out if I have to beat it out of him,” he said, prompting a grin. Anyone else might have taken him seriously.

  The deep roar of displaced air signaled the drop of the crow’s nest from high overhead. A symphony of screams accompanied the mighty plunge.

  Trey looked toward the line where Livy and Zach waited. Halfway between him and the ride entrance, a security guard in a black and white uniform watched him. Immediately, the man turned away at Trey’s eye contact. The guard casually strolled onward, speaking politely to park guests who passed.

  Trey rose to his feet. “Let’s wait for them at the exit.”

  As Trey stuffed their empty cups into a garbage can, the security guard stopped to flip through postcards on a display rack at a vending cart. Without warning, he glanced directly at Trey, then moseyed away in the opposite direction.

  “Yeah, let’s go,” Trey said, urgency in his voice.

  A few quick steps later, Trey stopped short. Another security guard leaned against the railing at the ride’s exit. Trey’s eyes shot back to the entrance gates. The crowd was moving again as new bodies filed into the location where Livy had stood moments before. He pulled out his phone, and as quickly as he could type, he texted a message. Get off the ride! Now!

  He turned on his heels and rushed for the entrance with Amy in close pursuit. Air blasts announced the ride was preparing to begin its ascent, and he glanced at his display. No reply.

  “Wait here,” he told Amy when they reached the long maze of people in line. He ducked under the railing and pushed past several patrons. “Excuse me . . . sorry! Excuse me. I’m not line jumping.”

  The large steel crow’s nest hummed as it slowly lifted above the heads of everyone in line. In an instant Trey’s memory flashed back to the hydraulic noises produced by the alien ship disguised as a utility vehicle. Panic struck him with the realization the ride might be more than it seemed.

  He steadied his nerves enough to convince himself no vibrations emanated from the structure. It was simply an amusement park ride.

  His phone buzzed in his hand, startling him to the point of nearly dropping it. Too late to get off, the message read. What’s wrong?

  Trey jumped the rail into the landscaping and dashed back toward Amy. The nervous look on her face told him she understood what was happening.

  “Plan B,” he said.

  A third guard appeared in the distance, moving slowly through the crowd.

  A micro-flash later, Trey had taken on the identity of the first guard, right down to the large belly hanging over his black leather belt. “Come with me, miss,” he said in a large voice he imagined would fit the body.

  Amy looked in all directions to see who might have witnessed Trey’s sudden transformation. Trey simply hoped for the best and politely escorted her toward the other side of the ride.

  As he approached the man guarding the exit, Trey opened his senses, feeling for even the slightest vibration coming from the guard. Nothing. The man was human. The only question remaining was whether he was truly being watched.

  The man pushed from the rail. “Where’s the boy?”

  That answered Trey’s questions. “He ran that way. You should go catch him. I’ll wait here for the others.”

  “What others?”

  Damn! “Uh . . . backup.”

  “Sure, I’ll go chase him for you, you lazy cow.” He looked in the direction Trey had pointed.

  “Yep, that way.”

  As soon as the man jogged away, Amy spoke up. “Quick thinking, Trey. That was great. The only thing better would have been to send him another direction.”

  Trey questioned Amy with a look, hoping his stupid expression translated through the projection of the overweight security guard’s face.

  “We have to go that way to get out of the park.”

  “Well . . . uh, I can’t think of everything.”

  The ground shuttered as the ride roared directly overhead, dropping straight toward them.

  Amy raised her voice over the ruckus of wind, machinery, and screams. “They seem to think it’s just the two of us. Zach and Livy can just walk out. You can lead me out looking the way you are now.”

  Trey peered off to the high walls surrounding the park. “It’ll have to work.”

  Before long, Zach and Livy bounced down the ramp amid the departing crowd. Zach appeared apprehensive to see a tubby man guarding his girlfriend, but Livy was quick to pick up on Trey’s true identity.

  “They’re onto us,” Trey said in his own voice.

  “Trey?” asked Zach, twisting his head.

  Trey patted his projected belly. “I guess I had too much popcorn.”

  All kidding was short-lived as Trey began to survey the area for other guards. In the distance, a young girl dressed in park attire exited through a gated area marked authorized personnel only.

  “I’m betting there’s a way out of this park other than the main entrance.” Keeping his security guard persona, Trey pointed the way. “Follow me.”

  As their crew scurried toward the restricted gate, something poked Trey in the back. He turned to see Zach snickering. “What was that about?”

  “I just wondered if you felt as jiggly as you look.”

  Trey rolled his eyes. “Remind me to smother you in your sleep.”

  Livy eased o
pen the large wooden gate and peered behind it. “The coast is clear.”

  One after the other, they ducked through the opening. On the other side, a long building stretched out in front of them, creating a narrow corridor between the building and the high wooden fence.

  “Which way?” Zach asked. “Left or right?”

  Trey stared into the close passageway that somehow reminded him of his eerie dream. The path on the left carried more of a resemblance. “Right,” he answered.

  “Wait,” Amy cried, studying the park app on her smartphone. “Guys,” she said, her face flushing white. “We may want to go back instead.”

  Before they could consider her words, the gate behind them eased open. Without a sound, they darted off to the right.

  Trey checked over his shoulder to see a guard turn the opposite direction without noticing them. He slowed to a brisk walk and shushed the others with a finger.

  Finally, they reached the end of the long building, and Trey cautiously peeked around the corner. Two park employees stood smoking beside a golf cart labeled courtesy vehicle.

  He turned, signaling their group back the direction they had come. At the far end of the corridor, the guard spotted them, and with no urgency, the uniformed man began a long stroll their way.

  The gate between them was closer to the guard, so even Zach, the runner in the group, would be hard-pressed to beat the guard to the gate. They would have to take their chances with the smokers.

  Trey turned and stepped around the corner like a man proud of his oversized belly, but before he could utter a word of his freshly concocted story, he froze in his tracks. Next to the two employees stood his big-bellied twin.

  In a booming voice, the real security guard shouted, “What the hell?”

  Trey spun on his heels. The guard at the other end of the building had picked up his pace. An unmarked door in the side of the building called Trey’s name, and he willed it to be unlocked. “In here,” he shouted.

  Two steps later, he clutched the rusty doorknob, and it turned easily in his hand.

  “No!!” shouted Amy.

  Before her words had registered, he flung open the door. Nearly a dozen security guards spun their heads toward him. He had inadvertently stumbled upon a hornet’s nest. “Sorry,” he said, slamming the door shut.