Maze of Mirrors

One night a girl, Stephanie, was driving home after she babysat twins. As she was driving she happened to pass an abandon fair ground that had been decaying in the middle of nowhere for quite sometime. Not giving the eerie place much thought she continued down the empty road. Listening to the late night tunes on her radio as it began to rain.          

Flipping on the window wipers she turned up the radio to distract herself from the thunder and lightening that seemed to suddenly surround her. As she was humming to the rolling stones her phone began to ring. She answered it as she was trying to keep her concentration on the road that was hidden behind a curtain of rain. While Stephanie was talking she suddenly spotted a fallen branch in the middle of the road and tried to avoid hitting it, but when she suddenly hit the breaks her car began to slide. She screamed on the phone as her car slammed into the branch.          

“Steph? Stephanie? You there?” her friend on the phone asked as the cell sat on the floor of the passenger side. Grabbing the cell Stephanie reassured her friend she was fine. “What happened?”          

“I hit a fallen branch” Stephanie said as she slammed her fist on the steering wheel cussing on the phone. “My parents are gonna kill me” she yelled on the phone.          

“Calm down, calm down” her friend said “How bad is the car? Can you still drive it?” Stephanie climb out of the car and inspected the damage on the car. The front bumper was dented a bit, but her right tired was punchered and was losing air fast.          

“I can’t drive. One of the tires got hit and is deflating” She told her friend as she got back into her car soaked from the rain. “I think I’m going to have to call a tow truck.”          

“That’s going to cost you a lot of money” her friend exclaimed.          

“I know but I have to get home somehow and I don’t want to stay out here when it’s raining cats and dogs.” Stephanie said as she slipped off her wet coat and threw it into the back seat. She glanced into the rear view mirror and she looked like a raccoon with her makeup smudging and her hair flat. With a sigh she returned her attention to the conversation “How much do you think it’ll cost me?”          

“Depends. How far away from home are you?”          

“In this weather…I’d guess a good hour or so.” Stephanie said as she peered out the window.          

“Bummer” Her friend said when the radio caught her attention.          

“Attention” some static. “Attention all drivers. We have just received word that there is a manhunt for a man named Calvin O’Conner. He is believed to be Caucasian, about 5’11, and 210 lbs., with blue eyes and shaggy brown hair. If you happen to see this man be aware he is very dangerous and contact the authorities immediately.” There was an eerie pause “Many of you young ones may not know this man, but us adults recognize this man by another name” Stephanie radio was being to the lose reception so she quickly turned the volume up. “The Dark Clown of ’98. An evil man that killed 28 people for kicks. So I warn you to be vigilant tonight and if you do run into him…God help you” and then it was all static. Stephanie could feel her heart ponding in her chest as she locked her doors and clutched her phone.          

“Steph? You still there?”          

“Bri, Bri I think I’m in trouble” Stephanie started to panic. “Some manic killer is on the loose and I’m stuck here.”          

“Don’t worry, everything will turn out fine.” But just as she said that Stephanie heard a thump come from the trunk. She glanced at the rear view mirror but she could see nothing through the rain and it frightened her.          

“Brianna” Stephanie whispered, “I think there’s something outside”          

“You’re just over reacting” and then there was another thump, but this time it moved the car. As if someone jumped on top of the trunk. Stephanie could feel herself on the verge of tears as she heard a screeching sound come from the back of the car to right above her head.

Stephanie could hear someone humming come from above her head as she gripped her cell phone.          

“Seven little children standing in line, one fell down into a mine” Suddenly Stephanie’s driver side window was smashed as shards flew in her face. She scrambled to the passenger’s side when she heard her friend’s voice sounding frantic.          

“What was that? What’s going on?!” Brianna yelled on the line, but Stephanie wasn’t focusing on the phone. All she could listen to was the shuffle of footsteps on the roof of the car.          

“Six little children standing in place, one was shot right in the face.” Then her windshield was smashed in as she screamed in horror from the pain of the glass cutting her face. She opened the car door and fell out of her seat when the shadowy figure on top of her car began to laugh. She quickly stood up and looked at the figure when it waved at her. The figure chimed with its movement as it sat down and looked her over. It picked up a knife and placed in on its lap bouncing the moonlight upon its face, but Stephanie could only see the person’s mouth. The figure licked his lips and then smiled sending chills up her spine. “Let’s play a game.” A male voice said, “Tag. That’s it. We’ll play tag and I’m it.” He said mockingly. “But to make things fair I’ll give you a five second head start.” Stephanie felt frozen in her spot as she continued to stare at the shadowy man that attacked her car. “I would start running if I were you” he said playfully and then his voice turned stern, “You don’t want to know what will happen if I catch you.” Then he licked his knife.          

Terrified Stephanie ran into the forest yelling for help while avoiding fallen branches and stumps.          

“Help!” she yelled when she heard leaves rustling behind her.          

“Five little children standing in a row, one had bread and killed by crow” She could feel herself trying to run faster when she came upon the abandon fair ground. The moonlight revealed the tattered tents and run down rides with dirt covered posters on the wooden fences. Stephanie could hear the man coming and hid behind a rotten away cotton candy stand.          

“Four little children standing so still, one fell down in to a mill.” The voice trailed off into the distance as he passed her. She knew he had passed her and was ways away, but she couldn’t relax. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was bound to lose his sick game of tag. She leaned on the wood trying to catch her breath and relax if only for a bit. The rain was coming down hard now and the ground would betray her when she started running again. Leaving footprints in the mud to her hide away she felt trapped. Remembering her cell phone Stephanie reached into her pocket, but nothing was there except for some change. Realizing she must have dropped it when she fell out of the car she started cursing when she heard the man’s voice cut through the rain.          

“Three little children standing with all their might, one was spooked and died of fright” His voice was enough to motivate Stephanie to start running again. So she ran into the nearest building to avoid leaving anymore tracks. Stephanie ran into the darkness and ran head first into a wall. She fell and rubbed her head when suddenly she heard footsteps. Quickly getting to her feet she felt her way into the building when tiny lights on the floor lit up revealing her reflection. She turned around and again saw her reflection in the dim red lighting. Everywhere she saw herself in the mirrors that surrounded her. Stephanie navigated her way through as best as she could until she felt completely lost.          

“No” she whispered to herself when she final came to a dead end, “no, no, no, no.” She repeated out loud as she banged her fists on the mirror. She heard a chime and quickly turned around.          

“Two little children shaking in fear,” his voice surrounded her and she could feel her legs about to give way.          

“Where are you!” she yelled with a mixture of emotions and the man appeared in the mirrors around her.          

“One ran off and drowned at the pier.” Then he stepped back into the darkness. Fearing for her life Stephanie started running in different directions trying to find the exit. “One Little girl all alone,” The voiced chimed behind her when a white gloved hand covered her mouth and pulled her close. Stephanie tried clawing at the hand, but the man was too strong. Still, she tried to rip away at the glove, but all she managed to do was knock off one of the bells he had worn. She kicked and clawed at the man, but nothing seemed to faze him. Stephanie glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw a red nose along with smeared black and white face paint. He smiled at her and she suddenly could feel death loom over her. Stephanie tried to look into the man’s eyes to find any human trait that could possess him to free her. Only what she saw made her even more scared of him.          

His eyes were empty, hallow, and black. They looked completely devoid of any human emotion. She started to struggle more and his eyes seem to smile with dark humor when he leaned into her smelling her hair. Stephanie could feel his breath warm her ear as he whispered into it, “I showed up and took her throne.” On the verge of tears Stephanie was pushed away and then blacked out.          

The next morning the road was closed as police officers examined Stephanie’s stranded car. The area was being swarmed by the K-9 unit trying to pick up Stephanie’s scent from her jacket. Dogs searched the forest after gaining her scent as helicopters buzzed in the sky. An hour later the dogs lead the police to the abandon fairground right to the Mirror Maze entrance. Officers walked in slowly calling out for Stephanie with a flashlight in on hand and a gun in the other. When they finally reached the middle of the maze their eyes fell upon a gruesome scene. Stephanie sat leaning against a mirror with blood soaked clothes. Her eyes were open and her nose red covered in blood. Her shirt torn and pants missing revealing red stains on her beaten up legs as she sat in a pool of blood that left drag marks all over the room.          

The officers stepped out of the maze and radioed in on what they found. They waited a few minutes until the coroner came to remove the body before returning to the crime scene. As they guided the coroner through the maze an officer suggested that the coroner prepare himself. When they finally reached Stephanie’s body the coroner was taken aback before he examined the body. Kneeling by the corpses it was immediate that she had been raped and stabbed after taking a blow to the head. When it came time to move the body Stephanie fell to her side revealing a bell sewn to her ear like an earring and a carving on her chest.

It.