Stranger Tides
Page 24
Still mulling over her meeting with Mark, and trying to sort out what was said, she spotted everyone’s beloved gargoyle, dressed in Atlantis attire and making balloon animals for the kids. Lisa couldn’t help but smile. Leftenant aside, Cheeves always had been her favorite and was one of the “Big Five” major Stranger World characters that guests had expected to meet and greet in every park, regardless of theme.
As she made her way toward the nearest tunnel entrance, she spotted another theme park staple. As usual he was perched on his lamppost, only this lamppost and been swapped for a torch-bearing pillar and his ringmaster’s outfit was now a toga.
Normally, the extremely popular Lamppost Man was far too busy with park guests to ever take notice of her. Maybe it was because she was out of costume, but their eyes locked, and for a full ten seconds, they just stood there like that, simply staring at one another. Surprisingly, it was the Lamppost Man who blinked first. He smiled knowingly, tilted his head to the side and then pointed toward a distant Titan, who even now was beginning to awaken from his week-long slumber.
As Lisa cast her eyes toward the massive volcano in the distance, the Great Destroyer belched violently. In a matter of seconds, the top of the mountain was gone. In its place was a raging plume of fire and lava spewing from its maw. She could only watch as a black and dreadful cloud, embroiled with flames and lightning, filled the sky and enveloped the town in sudden darkness.
Everyone tilted their head back to watch the awesome spectacle of man-made nature. One guest began laughing nervously and now another couple began backing away. Echoing her own thoughts, the oafish merchant standing next to her said in a thick New Jersey accent, “I didn’t expect it to look so… real.”
It did look real; and majestic, breathtaking and terrifying all at the same time. Wow, the creationeers did quite a realistic job. So good in fact, she found herself backpedaling away from it without even realizing it. She glanced around at the other park guests to see if they were as intimidated as she was. The guests were also backing away. She found herself staring at the fat merchant with the beautiful, biological slave. When he saw her looking at him he asked her in a wavering voice, “This is normal, right?”
Lisa felt herself nod.
“I mean, I heard it looked real, but I never expected anything like this.”
Lisa was about to reassure the frightened park guest that everything was going to be alright, when the sound of missiles soaring through the air caused her to lift her eyes skyward once more. As she did, an endless downpour of glowing volcanic rock, some no bigger than pennies, others fist sized, descended down upon them; one of which, bounced off her shoulder. Ow, that really hurt. I don’t think it’s supposed to hurt.
Another tremor shifted the stone tiles beneath their feet. With a stupendous crack, the city street opened up and a chasm swallowed up several terrified citizens.
This can’t be right. Confirming this thought, a woman near Lisa kept shouting, “Something’s wrong, something’s gone wrong!”
The fiery hailstorm increased, and now everyone was covering their head with seat cushions, silver platters and anything else they could find. Even the biologicals were playing their parts (or were genuinely frightened) and seemed frantic to get away. the well-endowed merchant’s wife kept screaming in character, “The sky is falling, the sky is falling!”
Amidst the pandemonium, only the Lamppost Man, perched high upon his lamppost, seemed unaffected and unafraid. If anything, he appeared thoroughly amused by all the chaos happening around them.
More missiles of lava rock rained down upon them. Several lamps shattered, spilling their oil and fueling numerous fires. Within minutes the roof of the theater collapsed. The destruction of other buildings soon followed.
Something is definitely wrong!
Only a mere few minutes ago, the nearby waters in the bay were glistening off a sun in a cloudless sky, and the streets had been alive with friendly banter. The taverns and the shops were brimming with inhabitants enjoying the vast amenities Atlantis had to offer. Yet, now, the sun was blocked out by ominous clouds and those same happy citizens were shrieking for someone to save them. She had never actually experienced the Atlantis Day of Reckoning before, but this couldn’t possibly be going as planned.
The shrieking woman was right, something had gone wrong; people were getting hurt and dying all around her.
Lisa snatched up a basket, emptied its contents and used it as a helmet to protect her head. As she sought cover, a myriad of theories ran through her head; technical malfunction, corporate sabotage, a terrorist attack? She became increasingly frightened. Man-made or not, the volcano was trying to kill her, and everyone last person within the park. It had happened before, only not on such a large scale as this!
Surprising even herself, Lisa shouted, “Everyone stay calm!” but she was ignored when a giant boulder of red hot magma came hurtling down upon them and impacted the area like a mortar round. Several victims were blown sky high into the air.
Then, almost as quickly as it had begun, the hailstorm began to decrease.
Oh, thank you, Lord.
Just when she thought the worst of it was over, she witnessed a massive tidal wave of hot molten-ash, accompanied by a continuous roar, sweeping down the street toward them. The mob saw it too and formed a human wave of flesh and began trampling toward her.
In an instant, Lisa went from professional park employee trying to calm everyone down to just another panicked soul, desperate to outrun a monstrous black cloud of crushing, burning debris.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lisa saw the wave of molten ash overtake the grinning Lamppost Man first. It would happen to her too, only a second later.
Choking on the poisonous gas, Lisa made one final dash for the stairwell that would take her to the safety of the tunnels below. She didn’t get more than a few feet before the hot cloud of volcanic ash enveloped her body, searing her flesh instantly. Ash filling her lungs, she was already beginning to feel the effects of petrification as she was rendered immobile.
There was a brief moment of disembodiment. She couldn’t see, hear, or even breathe, -it was more horrible than she could have ever imagined.
As her body became forever entombed, adding to the necropolis of the dead all around her, and for all eternity, Lisa’s last thought was simply… We finally went too far.
Thank you for visiting Stranger World!
We hope you enjoyed your visit and come back soon.
For advance tickets for your next visit, you can find all of Mr. Castle’s books on Amazon or simply follow the link to his website: www.JackCastlebooks.com
Other Bestselling Novels
By Jack Castle:
STRANGER WORLD
“Jack Castle-style’ is officially now a thing! The lines of imagination and reality never have been so blurred as they are in the amazing yet sinister theme park so creatively envisioned by Jack Castle!”
-Joe Butler, Spokesman Review
STRANGER REALM
“Buckle up for another amazing thrill ride through the fantastical worlds created by Jack Castle! “Stranger Realm” is one of those books where the destination and the journey are equally enjoyable, -and we can’t wait to board the next one!”
-Spokesman Review
EUROPA JOURNAL
On the ocean floor of Jupiter’s ice moon, a team of astronauts find the body of a missing World War II pilot. And in his hands is a journal detailing how he was taken to a place with no recognizable stars. As the walls of the ancient, underwater structure collapse around the space explorers, they discover their names written within the journal’s pages.
“Where 'Close Encounters' stopped, Jack Castle pulls out the stops and takes readers into the unknown.”
-The Spokesman Review
BEDLAM LOST
A small town Deputy and a New York ballet dancer are both running from their brutal pasts. They awaken in a remote Alaskan town with no roads in or out. As supernatural terrors haunt t
heir dreams, and move to their waking hours, they struggle to find a way out.
"A creeeeepy sci-fi thriller that brings back the terror of early Dean Koontz and the mystery of the first season of LOST."
-Joe Butler, Editor for Spokesman Review
WHITE DEATH
An Anthropologist and a team of criminologists race against time to solve gruesome homicides at an isolated research facility in the Arctic, while someone, or something (thought to be extinct) is hunting them
“Fast paced and frightening. This one took my breath away!”
-Publisher, Brian Hades
THE REVENANTS
In the Badlands of South Dakota, an eclectic group of weary survivors make a last stand against an unholy destruction in a mysterious rundown motel.
“Chilling, Rivaling Stephen King at his Best!”
-The Spokesman Review
About the Author:
Jack Castle has been labeled by the Coeur D’Alene Press as the “Man of Adventures!”
He has traveled the globe as a professional stuntman for stage, film, and television. While working as a stuntman for Universal Studios, he met Cinderella at Walt Disney World, and they were soon married.
After moving to Alaska, he worked as a tour guide, police officer, and Criminal Justice professor. He has been stationed on a remote island in the Aleutians as a Response Team Commander, and his last job in the Arctic Circle was protecting engineers from ravenous polar bears.
His novels have been consistently ranked as the Top 100 Bestselling books on Amazon and are available worldwide in e-book, print, iTunes, Kobo and Barnes and Noble. For more information on Jack and his books, please visit: www.JackCastlebooks.com