𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒌𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 !

Lizzy Morris stared out of the car window at the dreary landscape before her, fat raindrops obscuring her vision as she counted the trees in the dark forest surrounding her. The Morris family was very close to their destination: a small town called Port Lawrence. Lizzy's dad had gotten a job offer as a financial advisor for their local bank. It paid well and was in a good, quiet place. Life in the city had just become too much for him, for all of them, and she was thankful for the sudden change.

"We're almost there," Dad said. He glanced at the siblings through the rearview mirror, a big smile on his face.  "Just gotta make this turn...I think..."

"Honey, please don't tell me you forgot the map again." Mom sighed. Lizzy's dad was old-fashioned and always insisted on keeping a map on hand, even if he never ended up using it.

"I didn't forget it, it's in the glove box."

Mom rummaged through the stacks of insurance papers and crumpled receipts that were tucked into the glovebox of our small Toyota. She threw her hands up in frustration. She shook her head.

"No. Not in there." She slammed it shut, a big frown on her face. "Carl, you always do this!"

"Peggy—"

"Why don't we just ask for directions? It's clear that you don't know where we're going," Mom groaned.

"Directions?" Dad cried. "Look around us. All we've seen is trees for miles!"

"Guys, don't start arguing," Lizzy said, hoping to stop their bickering before it got any worse.

She was the calm one in the Morris family. As the older sibling, she decided to be the mature one and the peace-keeper. But sometimes her efforts don't work out. Her parents were both stubborn and temperamental, which often led to arguments, and her younger brother, Luke, was a total pest. She always had to keep him under control. Speaking of which, he was sitting beside her in the backseat of our cramped Toyota, jabbing her in her side.

"The Mad Pincher strikes again!" he cried. Luke pinched her arm. He is the very opposite of calm. He has way too much energy, and is totally goofy. He can't even stay still for ten seconds. She knew he was just trying to annoy her with his recurring joke. Lizz tried her best to ignore him.

It's hard to get mad at someone when they look exactly like you.

The Morris kids both had the same honey-blonde hair and blue eyes, and were both pale and skinny. He was an inch taller than Lizzy, even though he was a year younger than her—he was sixteen, whilst she was seventeen. Their mom shared their respective hair and eye color. Their dad, on the other hand, with his dark hair and dark eyes, looked like he didn't even belong in the family at all.

Her parents' bickering comes to a sudden stop when the generic pop music station switches to loud carnival music. Her dad winced and turns down the radio. The annoying stabs of organ music fill the car, and Lizzy cringed at the sound.

"Come families! Come, friends! To a place that's grand!" The over-the-top carny announcer belted. "For fun and thrills, visit...HorrorLand!"

Luke and Lizzy exchanged a glance. Six months ago, the Morris family visited a horror-themed amusement park called HorrorLand, after they couldn't find the place they were looking for. There were no crowds, no lines, and the admission was free. It seemed like a pretty cool place at first, and kind of silly. But that was before the heart-stopping ride on the Coffin Cruise. And that terrifying experience in the House of Mirrors. The rides in HorrorLand became a little too creepy. A little too real.

Then, their parents went missing. Luke and Lizzy searched everywhere for them and were later told by park workers in monster costumes, called Horrors, that they had left the amusement park without them. Terrified, Lizzy, Luke, and his friend Clay searched for them in HorrorLand. When they found them, they were all forced to compete in the HorrorLand Monster Obstacle Course. After making a narrow escape, the Morris family was confronted by a woman who called herself the HorrorLand MC. She told them that they were contestants on HorrorLand Hidden Camera, a game show run by monsters. Lizzy had gotten so angry at her words, that she tried to take off her mask—and realized that it was her face!

She threatened the family and cornered them until they were close to the edge of a gross purple pond. Lizzy had gotten a wild idea, all thanks to signs around HorrorLand that scribed 'NO PINCHING!', and pinched her. The MC deflated like a balloon. They made their narrow escape, jumping onto one of the brightly colored HorrorLand buses. But when the family made it home, they were given free passes for next year. Lizzy threw them away as soon as she was given them.

It sounds silly, right? But it was all very scary for them. People visited HorrorLand, especially since it had become a popular amusement park in the past few months, and thought it was all a joke. Only Lizzy and her family knew the truth—HorrorLand was an amusement park run by real monsters, and their intentions were very clear.

They wanted to torment their human guests with their own demented version of fun.

Lizzy stared down at the thick purple and green three-ring binder sitting in her lap. Just days before their move to Port Lawrence, she received this odd package in the mail that had no return address. When they opened it, the siblings were shocked to find that someone had sent them the pages of the Official HorrorLand Welcome Guide.

The only question they had was...who?

"With twists and turns and flips and spins! Our rides are a riot! So strap yourself in! If your tummy is grumbly, please don't be shy! We've got oodles of treats to try!"

Lizzy is pulled out of her thoughts as the announcer on the radio continues broadcasting HorrorLand. HorrorLand often changed locations, which was something she and Luke had figured out after they visited six months ago. As far as she knew, the park only had one central location: and it was right near Port Lawrence.

How convenient, right?

"So come for adventure, and for fantasy, too! Your HorrorLand friends will be waiting for you..."

Dad turned off the radio, leaving the car in total silence as he drove. He cleared his throat. It was clear that he didn't know what to say.

"That dreadful, frightening place," Mom murmured, crossing her arms over her chest. Her brows pinched together and she shuddered. "Why would anyone want to go there?"

"Because they think it's just a joke," Luke said. "But we know the truth. Right, Liz?"

She pushed a strand of honey-blonde hair behind her ear. Then stared down at the binder in my lap. A sketch of the HorrorLand map she had drawn poked out of the top of the binder. She tucked it back into its designated spot. Then, with a sigh, she placed the thick binder in her brown leather satchel.

"Right," she said softly.

Lizzy didn't want their parents to find out that she had the binder filled with confidential information about HorrorLand. If they found out, they would make her throw it away. This was the key to letting the world know that HorrorLand wasn't as harmless as it claimed to be. Only Luke knew of her plans.

Once she had enough resources, she planned on creating a blog to expose HorrorLand's dark secrets. Escape HorrorLand was the name she had decided to call it. Luke thought she was being obsessive over the amusement park, but she was determined to keep people out of HorrorLand.

The car slowed to a stop before Lizzy even realized they have already reached their new neighborhood. Lizzy stared up at their new home. It is an older split-level home that has been remodeled for a more modern style, with a fresh coat of gray paint on the exterior and a new roof. Something about it still felt retro and inviting, despite its updated appearance. There were two homes on either side of theirs. Lizzy spotted a teenage boy on the sidewalk, doing tricks on his skateboard. He was pale, and wore denim jeans and a black hoodie, along with a faded black baseball cap.

She stepped out of the car, tossing her satchel over her shoulder. The air is cool, the chilling autumn breeze making goosebumps rise on her arms. She wish she had worn a jacket. It was too cold here. She sucked in a deep breath, pushing the negative thought out of her mind. This was their new home, and Lizzy had to be optimistic.

She was the calm one in the Morris family, after all.

"Well, guys, this is it," Dad announced with a proud smile. "Our new home."

He popped open the trunk, preparing to unload the few items of luggage they were able to bring in the car. A U-Haul truck pulled into the driveway behind them, and two clean-shaven movers climb out of the cab. They start to unload their bigger items, like the couch and reclining chairs.

"Looks boring," Luke said with a shrug.

Mom was quick to reply, sighing in contentment. "Just like I wanted." Her hands were on her hips as she stared up at their new home.

"Hey!" Lizzy heard a voice call out. She turned to see the same boy she had seen earlier on his skateboard headed in her direction, a wide smile on his face. He attempts to do a kickflip, but misses the mark, stumbling forward. His face smacks the pavement.

"Ouch," she cringed. She grabbed his arm, helping him to his feet. He shook his head, seeming a little dazed. Lizzy was perplexed by the fax that he seemed unfazed by his hard fall. "Are you okay?"

He looked down at her, since he was a good bit taller than her, then grinned. Lizzy saw that his palms were scraped, the skin raw and bleeding. He wiped the blood onto his jeans before speaking.

"You must be the new neighbors," he said. He removes his baseball cap, revealing a head full of curly dark brown hair.

"Wow, word must get out pretty quickly around here," she replied with a laugh. She wasn't used to the onslaught of kindness. Most people in the city weren't too friendly.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's a small town kind of thing. I'm Lucas." He had a bright, dimpled smile and dark brown eyes framed by full lashes. He was very cute.

She returned his contagious smile. "Lizzy Morris. Thank you for the warm welcome."

"Yeah, of course." Lucas smiled, ducking his head a little. "I always have to give a warm welcome, especially when it's to a pretty girl."

She felt herself blush. "Do you often impress them by falling on your face?" She joked, giggling.

Now, he's the one who laughed. "No. I promise I'm actually good at skateboarding. My dad was sort of a, uh, daredevil, so I guess I like to follow in his footsteps. Last week I jumped off the roof of my mom's diner on my bike."

She cringed at the thought. The Morris family had passed by the small blue diner, the Harbor Stop, on the way. It was very crowded and seemed to have a lot of customers. "How'd that go?"

Lucas shrugged. "It was cool. My mom was pretty pissed about my new dirtbike and the fact that I could've broke my nose, but I like my dad's old bike a lot better anyway. Think I might try my skateboard next."

She nodded. "I'd love to see one of your stunts sometime."

She felt her heart beat faster when she spotted the faint blush on his cheeks. "Yeah, totally," he replied. "Maybe you'll be lucky to see me succeed for once."

"I could be your lucky charm," Lizzy teased.

Lucas seemed pleased with her answer. His smile only grew wider. "I like that." His iPhone began to ring in his pocket, and he took it out, groaning when the screen lit up. "I'm sorry, I gotta get going. My mom is gonna kill me if I don't get home soon. I hope I'll see you around, maybe at school?"

She smiled, nodding. She kicked a rock with the toe of her shoe before replying, "Yeah."

He got on his skateboard, placing his cap on her head. She blinked in surprise, reaching up to tug it off, but he shook his head. "Keep it. Consider it a welcome gift. Catch you later, Lucky Charm."

He smiled, causing her to blush once more. With one final glance in her direction, he's gone. She watched as he sped down the block, before going out of view completely.

"I'm happy to see you're already making friends, Lizzy."

Lizzy whirled around with a start, not realizing her mom's sudden presence. "Oh. Yeah, me too."

"He was very cute," she continued, winking.

"Mom!" She cried. She yanked Lucas' baseball cap off of her head and clutched it to her chest.

Luke cackled at her embarrassment, much to her frustration. "Lizzy's got a crush!"

She faced her younger brother, scowling. "No, I don't. I barely even know him."

"That doesn't mean anything." Luke grinned.

"Hey, Luke!" Dad called out. He's standing at their open trunk, gritting his teeth as he struggled to balance two large cardboard boxes on top of one another. "Help me carry some boxes inside, will ya?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Coming, Dad!"

Mom handed Lizzy a small cardboard box filled with her essential items, and she walked up the creaking porch steps. She grimaced as the top step let out a loud groan when she put her full body weight onto it.

"Still needs a little work," Mom commented as she brushed away a spiderweb that clung to the porch railing. She frowned. "The realtor promised it was much more clean than this. Hopefully, the inside will look much better."

She sucked in a deep breath and turn the brass doorknob, opening the front door of her new home. She was pleasantly surprised at the bright white walls that were coated with a fresh coat of paint. Everything seemed open and bright, with two large bay windows in the living room, and the kitchen was painted a cheerful dandelion yellow, bringing some warmth into the otherwise cool tones of the house.

"Go ahead and pick out your room before your Dad makes you help with the rest of the boxes," Mom said with a laugh.

She nodded eagerly. The tall staircase before her seemed dark and foreboding, but she flipped on the light switch, illuminating the oak steps with a bright yellow glow. It made her feel much better as she ascended the stairs, and turned down the corridor.

Upstairs, surprisingly enough, was the dining room, as well as three bedrooms and two bathrooms. She immediately fell in love with one room in particular—it was painted a pale green color with white trim, and what excited her the most was a seemingly brand new white bookshelf already placed on one wall, along with a round beanbag chair beside it. Her bed was vertical against one wall, with a large closet adjacent to the bed. They must've known Lizzy would like this room—it was already fully furnished.

"What do you think?" she heard Mom ask.

"You did this?" She spun around. She can't stop myself from beaming.

Her mom nodded. "Your dad wanted to make you happy. After all, it's been a tough couple months for you. For all of us." She shuddered. Lizzy knew she was thinking about HorrorLand. The nightmares of the amusement park haven't left them since they visited it.

She pulled her mother into a tight hug, resting her head on her shoulder. She embraced her tightly, kissing her hair.

"Thank you," Lizzy whispered. "I love it."

"I knew you would, Lizzy. Come on, let's go outside. Your dad has another surprise waiting for us."

She nodded eagerly, and Mom lead her outside. To her shock, she saw a large red SUV parked in the driveway.

"Dad! This is awesome!" Luke cried.

"I got this from a car salesman in Port Lawrence," Dad said. "It's used, but I think it will work just fine, right?"

"Yeah," she said, smiling. Despite its used condition, the car was clearly well-taken care of. Lizzy opened the driver side door. Its interior was clean, seemingly spotless despite one rip in the black leather seat.

"We didn't win that free car, so I figured I would make up for it." Dad sighed. Then, he smiled before adding, "That was the most awful thing about HorrorLand. Well, besides those monsters trying to kill us."

"Thank you, honey," Mom said sweetly. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Luke gagged dramatically, pretending to stick a finger down his throat. Lizzy laughed.

Maybe life in Port Lawrence wouldn't be so bad after all.

Or at least, that's what she thought. But in reality, the nightmares had just begun.

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