Angie's eyes bulged. "W—what?" It sounded like she was about to cry.

"I can't find it." My hands were shaking. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"No," she rasped. "Please try! Juliet, we have to do something. It hurts!"

The female Horror that was once behind the counter steps up to us. "What seems to be the problem? You kids are causing a scene."

I pointed at Angie. "My sister was joking around and put on a mask, and now we can't get it off. It's hurting her skin."

The Horror grins, studying my sister. "Is she interested in buying it?"

Was she serious? I shake my head. "I don't think so."

"No, I just want to take this stupid thing off!" Angie confirms.

The Horror nods. "Well—"

"Take it off!" I heard someone yell.

I turn to see a pixyish girl and another girl beside her with dark hair approaching us. The shorter girl looked very frightened. Her eyes were wide as she stares at my sister. "Take it off," she repeats.

"I could if I would," Angie growled.

"Seriously, that mask is very dangerous," the girl warns us. "It can cause a lot of trouble."

The Horror winks. "Carly Beth knows a lot about masks," she informs us. "She's a Very Special Guest."

Another special guest? I thought. Billy was right, there were more of them out there.

"If you know so much about masks, then help me take this one off!" Angie told Carly Beth angrily. My sister curls her hands into tight fists, her chest heaving up and down. She wasn't acting like herself.

She nodded timidly. "Okay," she murmured. She seemed hesitant.

Her friend nudged her forward. "Help them, Carly Beth. Just don't even think about the Haunted Mask—"

"I know," Carly Beth replied. She turned to me. "Do you love her?"

"Huh?" I blurted.

"A symbol of love removes the mask," Carly Beth said. "That's the mask's only weakness."

It takes a moment for me to realize what she means, and I don't hesitate to hug my sister tightly. Angie manages to rip the mask off of her face. She gasps for air, dropping the mask to the ground. Her face was bright red, her brown hair sticking up in all directions.

The female Horror picks up the mask, dusting it off. Then she sets it back on the shelf. "Are you sure you're not interested in this mask?"

I shake my head. "N—no we're not, thank you." I follow Angie as she rushes out of the shop.

I decide to wait outside of the shop to thank Carly Beth and her friend for their help. Once they walk out of MAKE A FACE, I walk up to them. They seem shaken up, but plaster on smiles when they notice us approaching.

"Thank you for helping us, Carly Beth," I told her gratefully. "You're a lifesaver. How did you know what to do?"

She shrugged. Her cheeks were pink. "Those masks are very dangerous. I didn't want someone to go through the same thing I did." She then gestures to the girl standing beside her. "This is my friend Sabrina."

Sabrina waved. "So, are you guys' also special guests?" she asked.

I shake my head. "No, we came here for my senior trip," I explained. "We were on our way to another amusement park but got lost and ended up seeing the billboard for HorrorLand. So here we are. My boyfriend went to another store, and my brother and parents are here somewhere."

We began to walk through the crowded plaza. A Horror stands at a food cart, selling caramel heads. I look at the display as we pass by, seeing what looked like shrunken heads coated in caramel. Human heads. I shuddered. I hoped that they weren't real.

Angie walked beside me. "We met some other special guests," she informed the two girls. "Their names were Billy, Matt, and Sheena. Do you know them?"

Carly Beth furrows her brows. "No, I don't think so...but I have a feeling that something is very wrong here. One of those masks warned us when we were inside the shop."

"Warned you? What do you mean?" I asked.

"Th—the mask warned us that we were next," she stammered. Sabrina nodded.

I gasp loudly when someone wraps their arm around my shoulder. "Guess who?" the voice asked.

I rolled my eyes at the familiarity. Still, I decided to play along. "Dad?"

Andy laughed loudly and stepped in front of me. "No, silly, it's me!" He holds up a small gift bag. "I got you something at Gloomingdale's. I hope you like it. It was pretty expensive."

"Aw, you didn't have to do that." I smiled, feeling myself blush. Angie, Sabrina, and Carly Beth watched as I opened the black paper bag. I gasped.

Inside was a pretty necklace. It was on a long silver chain, and it had a skull charm that dangled on the end. Two bright green stones sat in the silver eye sockets.

I immediately slip the necklace over my head and give Andy a tight hug. "Thank you, Andy! I love it."

"I'm glad," he said with a smile. Then, he noticed two new additions to our friend group. "Who are they?"

I introduce them to him. "Andy, this is Carly Beth and Sabrina."

They both waved, giving him polite smiles. Carly Beth was blushing. I could already tell she was a very shy girl.

"Nice to meet you," my boyfriend replied. "I was about to meet Tommy at the Haunted Theater. Do you guys want to come?"

"Sure!" I turned to Angie and our new friends. "Is that okay with you guys?"

The three girls nod, and we make our way through the crowd to the Haunted Theater. Creepy organ music filled the air as we got closer to the entrance. A poster of a vampire laughing hung on one wall. VAMPIRE COMEDY TOUR—ONE NIGHT ONLY! it read.

The inside of the theater was long and narrow and packed with park guests. The seats were decorated with white sheets, which was what I guessed was meant to be ghosts. Screaming faces decorated the long purple walls. Horrors dressed in purple and black usher uniforms guarded the Very Special Guest section, where Carly Beth and Sabrina were sitting. I practically had to squeeze through the many narrow aisles to find a vacant seat near my brother. Angie and Andy sat on opposite sides of me. I was glad that we were close to the stage.

"You guys made it just in time," Tommy says in a hushed voice, his eyes glued to the stage. "Mom and dad decided to check out some other stores. Something about getting a souvenir to show to her students." My mom taught kindergarten at our local elementary school. She loves her job. I don't see how, though. I couldn't imagine teaching a classroom full of snotty-nosed kids.

Tommy stuffs something into his mouth and holds out his hand. "Want one?" My stomach churns when I see he's holding a handful of wriggling cockroaches.

"Gross!" Angie hisses in disgust.

He grins, showing off the brown chunks stuck between his teeth. "Don't worry, they're just gummies. They don't even taste bad."

"Only you would eat something like that," I retort, tugging my skull pendant along the long chain.

Shadow ghosts floated across the purple curtain onstage as we waited for the show to start. People around us talked in hushed tones, clearly excited about the person that was about to perform.

"Who's going to be performing?" Andy asked.

"Mondo the Magical," Tommy whispered in response. "He's, like, famous. He helped build the Haunted Theater."

"Wow," I replied. That was pretty cool.

"Amaz-O is better." Angie's response surprised me. She had gone through a magic phase when she was younger, but I couldn't believe that she still remembered her favorite one's name.

"That guy?" My brother scoffed. "He's so old, I bet he couldn't even pull a rabbit out of his hat."

I ignore my siblings and glance over to see a Horror ushering two more people into the Very Special Guest section. I tap Andy's arm. "Hey, there's Billy and Matt," I whispered.

Andy lifted his head. "Yup, that's them." Then, his eyes narrow. "Where's Sheena?"

I feel my heart skip a beat. "I don't know," I responded. "She wasn't with them at the mask shop."

I watched as the two boys spoke in hushed tones to one another, so quietly that I couldn't make out a word they said. Sabrina was enamored by them, whilst Carly Beth seemed curious. I tried to get their attention, but the two boys didn't seem to notice my presence.

"Oh, there's Matt," Angie gushes, tugging on my arm. "Should I say hi?"

I shake my head, my eyes still on the two boys. "I already tried. They must be stressed out about something."

I lean forward, attempting to hear their conversation. I couldn't help but be nosey—after all, they had told me about HorrorLand, I was curious to see if they had any additional information.

"Billy, I saw them drag Byron into this theater," I overhear Matt say. "I'll bet they are holding him backstage."

Who's Byron? I couldn't help but wonder. Is he another special guest?

Billy kept turning around, looking at the Horrors guarding the aisles. "Stay cool, Matt," I heard him reply. "Just act as if we're here to see the show. Maybe when the lights will go down, we can sneak out and search for Byron."

"Attention, everyone," a voice blares over the loudspeaker, interrupting my curiosity. "Mondo the Magical is backstage casting a spell on himself. Unfortunately, he turned himself into a pigeon. The show will begin as soon as he turns himself back."

Laughter erupts in the theater. The seats around me are slowly beginning to fill as more and more families come in. I try to continue listening in on Billy and Matt's conversation but to no avail. I couldn't hear them over the excited voices around me.

My eyes wander to the stage as the lights begin to dim. A bright spotlight shone on the stage, bobbing back and forth. Music blared through the speakers.

"The show's about to start," I whispered to my boyfriend, a wide smile on my face. I couldn't help but be excited. I hadn't been to a magic show in years.

Tommy leaned over in his seat and pressed a finger to his lips, shushing us. Angie rolls her eyes. I choose to ignore my annoying brother.

My eyes are glued to the stage as the spotlight focuses its attention on Mondo the Magical. He was a lot shorter than I expected him to be. He wore a black tuxedo with a big red bow tie. A long purple cape was attached to the shoulders of his tuxedo. He smiled as he stared down at the audience and took a bow.

Everyone clapped. I watched as he pulled two eggs from his ears and waved them around. Then, there were four eggs. They disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"You'll like this one better," Mondo announced, almost as if he heard someone make a snide comment in the crowd. Mondo's assistant steps out on stage, pushing a bubbling black cauldron. She was very pretty.

"I love her outfit," I commented to Andy, who nodded. He was more focused on Mondo than her, though.

Mondo waved a hand over the cauldron. He formed one fist into the shape of a cup and pulled a white rabbit out of it. I clapped, and Angie did too. I guess she liked his tricks after all.

"Here is a trick that only Mondo can do!" he announced with a smile. Someone cheered. "A trick no other magician has even dreamed of."

He held the rabbit in the palm of his hand. Its pink nose twitched. I lean forward in my seat, watching with anticipation as he appears to stick his free hand into the rabbit's tiny mouth. Then, he pulls a hat out of its mouth.

Tommy guffaws. He thought the trick was funny.

Mondo bowed. When he stood up, he made a strangled sound, grabbing at his throat. His eyes began to bulge. I gasped as he stuck two fingers down his throat and pulled out a ping-pong ball. Then another, and another. A dozen ping-pong balls bounce along the stage. The audience laughs.

"Mondo has a big mouth," he says. "Anyone like to play tennis?" He opens his mouth even wider and pulls out a tennis ball.

Sabrina whispered something to Carly Beth, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. As if he heard their conversation, Mondo smiles and says, "Here's one that you won't be able to figure out!"

His blonde-haired assistant rolls a large coffin-shaped box onto the stage. "Say goodbye to my assistant, Rhonda," Mondo said. "She is going to disappear forever!"

I watch as the magician pulls open the lid of the box, and then bangs all four sides of the box with his cane. "Solid wood," he announced. Then, he points for Rhonda to get in the box. "Goodbye, Rhonda. It's been great!"

I hold my breath as she waves goodbye to the audience, and then steps in. Mondo blows her a kiss and once she's inside, he closes the lid. "We'll never see Rhonda again," Mondo says with a shake of his head. "Who wants to be my new assistant? I need a new assistant every day!"

"I bet you'd be a good assistant, Juliet," Tommy teased.

I shook my head. "No way. I can already bet you that the pay isn't worth it."

Mondo pulled a yellow blanket over the box. "Everyone count with me!" I leaned forward in my seat, counting along. I was anxious to see how this trick would turn out. "One...two...THREE!" He pulled the blanket off of the box and tossed it somewhere on the side stage. Then, he tugged open the lid. I peered inside, hoping to spot some sort of hidden door or lever.

"Empty!" he cried. A plume of black smoke rises out of the box. When the smoke clears, Mondo gasps.

Angie grabs onto my hand, holding it in a tight grip. "Ow, you're hurting my hand," I whisper, and try to tug my hand away.

"Juliet," she whimpered. "Is that..."

My eyes are glued onto the box, and I feel my heart begin to pound. I couldn't believe it, even if I was seeing it with my own eyes. A dark-haired girl stood in the assistant's place. I recognized her almost immediately.

She stepped out of the box, blinking rapidly. A collective hush fell over the audience.

Billy jumps to his feet, and I watch as he struggles to speak. "My sister!" he finally managed to cry out. "SHEENA!"