Author's note:

René's appearance is the only one you need to know (his description is in the text). You have the freedom to imagine the rest of the characters in any way you want.

* * *

"I still can't believe you guys dragged me into this"

"This is what you get for losing a bet, now man up and hurry, it's after midnight already."

"Are you chickening out? Hahaha, we're not even at the gate! "

A bunch of high school friends were on their way to an abandoned amusement park, to mess around with the one who lost a bet. Of course they came up with the "brilliant" idea to let him enter a run-down haunted house, which was one of the old attractions there. To make the dare valid, he was supposed to exit it at the other side of it.

The night was warm, the scenery eerie but calm. The full moon was shining brightly, so that they didn't even need to turn their flashlights on. Finally, the noisy group passed an old, rusty gate which wasn't even closed shut, just stood there opened halfway through. Mike looked around. It was so weird to see a happy place like this to be so empty and quiet.

"Huh? It looks much smaller than I remember it..."

"Everything feels smaller when you grow up, duuuh!" Nathan commented.

"Yeah, you were this small, remember? Hahaha" Kyle made a hand movement past his knees, indicating the height of his friend.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's get this over with." Mike huffed.

Soon after, the boys were standing at the entrance to the haunted attraction. "Horror House" was written on the big, tilted sign, right above the entrance. The building was so shabby, it actually emphasized its purpose of being spooky.

"Ok. Here I go…"

Mike took a step forward and grabbed at the door handle. It was unlocked, and opened with a loud creak. Large cobwebs were swept to the side. A cloud of dust danced in the moonlight.

"We will wait for you at the other side, it will be amusing to see your face after you're done!" Lenny chuckled and waved with his hand.

"Yeah, we'll hold the camera ready to immortalize the glorious moment!" Nathan added, joining the chuckle and waving with the others.

Mike just rolled his eyes with a sigh, turned his flashlight on and went in. Maybe if he was involved in this bet a few years earlier, he'd be afraid to enter, but today all those monsters inside seemed cheesy to him. He shrugged seeing a zombie with chunks of its flesh missing, exposing bare bones here and there. Things change when you grow older, that's for sure.

Mike sighed. Getting to the other side will be easy, so he'll do just that as fast as possible, and they can finally go home. He passed the broken huge spider doll hanging on a synthetic cobweb, the werewolves, vampires, ghosts and evil clowns. He wasn't scared but it was a bother to do this. He knew his friends were probably hiding somewhere with a camera to surprise him with a jumpscare.

"Hah, as if" he thought. "Not with me."

Few steps later he heard a thud, as if something small had fallen on the ground. It did give him a small chill, but he quickly regained his posture, expecting his friends on the move. He pointed his flashlight at the source of the sound. A ragged stuffed toy was lying on the ground, just where he passed by.

"Funny, I don't remember this thing here."

Mike approached it and poked it with his shoe, turning the plushy around. It was a bunny covered in stitches, it was missing an eye and an ear.

"Ew, filthy. Was it supposed to be Frankenstein monster's teddy, or something? Wow, so lame."

The intrepid young man shook his head, turned around and continued his walk.

He was already halfway through as he heard another noise. This time it was a faint giggle.

"Hah, thought so. They just couldn't let it go and continue with the lame shenanigans. So cheap." The boy thought in mind and smirked.

Soon the giggle changed to a chuckle and the chuckle to a loud laugh.

"Oh come on, I know it's you guys. Kyle, I recognize your stupid voice!" Mike's yelled into the void, without stopping his walk, but the laugh still echoed through the corridor.

"Man, just quit it! It's so lame!" The boy mumbled annoyed.

The laugh finally stopped, and soon Mike was on the other side, where the others waited for him.

"Here he comes, our brave warrior! Do you need a change of pants?" Kyle smirked.

Nathan took a photo with his mobile, in which Mike is to see flipping him off with both middle fingers. The Horror House's exit loomed in the background behind him.

"Hah, who, me? Pffft. Geez guys, your pranks were so lame"

Mike waved with his hand, and gave each friend a few bumps on the torso with his fists.

"What pranks?" Lenny blinked tilting his head.

"That stupid, filthy plushy and the laughs. I expected more effort from you, really."

The friends looked at each other wondering what Mike meant.

"But we were here all this time."

"Man, you really don't know when to quit huh? Never mind, let's just get out of here, I'm done with your stupid jokes."

"Hey, aren't you the one who tries to scare us?"

The boys chattered and decided to leave. But just as they were approaching the gate, a tall figure, hard to recognize in the shadows of night, was standing in front of it, as if waiting for them.

"Now, now, now, you're leaving so soon? But the fun isn't over yet."

A man's voice was to hear.

"Huh? What the hell?"

Kyle squinted his eyes, when a sudden bright spotlight illuminated the figure, revealing a tall man in a white mask, matching his white hair. He was wearing some sort of odd, but dapper purple ringmaster attire, complete with a fitting hat and a cane. The fabric on the back of his jacket was sticking out on the sides in the shape of bat wings.

"It has been a long time, since we had visitors here, oh joy!"

He clapped with his hands, and, as if by magic, the abandoned park started to slowly awaken from its slumber. The colorful lights turned on, one by one, spreading through the area and brightening it with colors. Carnival music started to play from the speakers, but it was a bit distorted, sounding rather creepy and disturbing. Aside from those changes, the place itself didn't warp to its old greatness. It was still rusty and worn out, the objects broken and dusty. With the lights on it was more macabre than ever. The blank eyes of the carousel horses were gleaming menacingly and the Ferris wheel screeching terribly, after it was set in motion. One of the carts broke off and fell with a loud thud. The boys looked at all of that, speechless and disorientated.

"Oh, my bad, I think it's been out of order a while longer that I imagined. Oh well, we can still have some fun the old-fashioned way! AH-HAHAHA!"

The odd man twirled his golden cane in his hand.

"Huh, I recognize this laugh... back in the spooky corridor. I thought it was you, K!" Mike looked at Kyle.

"Wha? No way, do I ever sound this bad? Who the hell is that wacko anyway?"

Kyle pointed at him, the man was now surrounded by a small group of weird plushies. "Weird" because they weren't cute, they all looked horrible, stitched, missing their fluffy limbs, some of the stuffing showing off from the gaps, as if someone would pick them up from garbage bin.

"Ooooh, but please mon ami, can't you tell?"

He spread his arms wide with a swing, a big smile on his face where the mask didn't cover it.

"They call me René Lunatique. Je suis le Monsieur Loyal of this place! Hmm, I think a 'ringmaster' is what you call it over here, heheh. And those are my minions, aren't they terribly adorable?"

He chuckled and bowed with grace, the raggy minions staring at the boys from behind the man, their eyes gleaming white.

"Welcome to my domain!"