But there is a light
In the dark, and I feel its warmth
In my hands and my heart
Why can't I hold on?
It comes and goes in waves
It always does

1994~Lafayette, Louisiana

A young woman walked through the fair in town, holding her five year olds hand in hers. He looked all around, his eyes shinning brightly as he looked at all the lights around him.

It smelled like cotton candy and kettle corn through the night sky. Screams of laughter sounded through their ears as well as side conversations as they passed by people.

"Mommy! Carousel!" The boy jumped, his hand tightening on hers from his movements.

His mother laughed, a wide smile on her lips as she nodded. "Yes, yes. I remember. I have to buy us some tickets. Come on". They made their way to the ticket booth. Once they arrived, she let go of his hand and reached into her purse.

"How much for the carousel?" She asked the man behind the ticket booth.

"It would be $2 each but I recommend..."

The man's voice trailed off to the five year old boy. He stood by his mothers side, looking down at her pretty white and red heels that she wore. He then looked to the crowd of people and a man caught his eye.

The man was looking right back at him.

The man held a pink cotton candy stick in his hand. The man pointed to it and then to the boy. The boy smiled widely and nodded his head.

The man gestured for him to come over.

The boy did.

"Hey, kid". The man greeted with a smile.

"Hi". The boy greeted shyly.

"Say". The man handed the boy the cotton candy. The boy immediately started to pull it apart and eat it. "You're one of those kids that was born on October 1, 1989. Right?" He asked. "I read about it in the newspaper".

The boy nodded. "Uh-huh". The boy said.

"You have a power?" The man asked.

"Uh-huh".

"Thought so". The man grinned menacingly and then grabbed the kids hand, the cotton candy fell from the boys hand. "Hey! Let go!" The boy tried to get out of the man's grip as the two walked further into the crowd. "Don't worry, kid. My friend here is going to take you on the carousel".

"Here". The man passed the boy to a woman. "Take the kid. I'll deal with the mother".

The woman grabbed the boys hand and started to walk further away from the ticket booth. The boy excited to go on the ride.

"Alright, I have the-" The mother stopped as she saw her son was no longer there. She looked around, panic now striking her.

"Thomas!"

"Thomas!" She shouted and started to walk, looking everywhere. "Has anyone seen my son?" She asked. Her heart pounding in her chest. How stupid she felt. She only looked away for a few minutes but how could she know?

"Thomas!"

"Ma'am. My wife found your son, he is over here". The man walks up to her.

"Oh, thank goodness". She breathed out.

"Follow me". He led her through the crowd to one of the exits of the park which was empty.

"Where is he?" She asked, stopping and looking down the exit.

The man didn't say anything. He only pulled her to his chest and inserted a syringe into her neck. The woman gasped and tried to pull away but he held a strong grip.

"Don't worry, Alice. This won't hurt at all and it's very quick". He whispered the last part into her ear and she slowly started to not fight back and then she soon went limp.

The man carefully placed Alice's dead body on the floor before walking through the exit.  He tapped a device on his ear.  "Mother is eliminated.  Heading back to the facility".  He said.

"Prepare Thomas.  Wipe his name first".  He ordered.

"What should we call him, sir?"  A woman asked over the line.

The man thought for a moment.

"Dread"

Thomas breathed out heavily, wiping the condensation from the bathrooms mirror.  He looked at the black lines that were scared on his face and he felt disgusted.  Disgusted of what was created of him and the sudden darkness he would feel at times.

Thomas gripped the sink below him, feeling that darkness once more. "Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts". He told himself closing his eyes.

His happy thoughts were of Esme. Her smile, her laugh.

~~~

"Woah! This place is cool!" Esme's voice rang.

"Esme?" Both Diego and Lila asked at the same time.

"Hey!" She greeted them with a smile.

"How did you?" Lila asked from her spot at the sushi bar.

"She wandered". Diego answered and Esme nodded.

"You know me so well". Esme smiled at her brother, her hands behind her back as she swayed back and forth.

"This place looks exactly the same by the way". Lila pointed to her from her earlier comment.

"That's new". Esme pointed to the sushi bar.

"I'm finding Stan". Diego then headed for the doors.

"Stan!"

Esme watched him go and then looked back to Diego. "I heard the conversation on my way over here." Esme stated.

"Did you?" Lila asked, sushi in her mouth.

"That wasn't very nice." Esme continued with a smile.

"Well, Esme-"

"If you hurt my brother. I will kill you." Esme's smile dropped as she looked at her with murder in her eyes.

Lila slowly stopped chewing the sushi.

"Esme! Lila! Get over here!" Diego ordered from the doors.

"Did you find him?" Esme asked.

"I can't...I can't get out. The doors won't let me". Diego pointed behind him as the two walked closer.

Esme looked down, looking at the tiles, tilting her head to the side slightly and then shrugged.

"Yeah, I am never eating here again." Lila looked at the ground but because of a passing cockroach.

"You have the attention span of a fruit fly". Diego commented making Esme laugh.

"Esme. You have one of a goldfish". Diego commented as he passed by her.

"Hey!" Esme stopped laughing.

"Where are you going?" Lila asked.

"To get help finding Stan." Diego walked over to the check in area where the bell was.

"Are you sure there are people here?" Esme asked, following after him.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! No!" Lila shouted as she ran over to him when he was reaching for the bell.

Diego hit the bell and the lights started to flicker along with a gong sound vibrating through the room. The lights slowly turned dark and some even yellow.

The three slowly started to back away and walking to another section of the hotel. The three places their backs to one another when hearing a growl of some kind.

"You hear that?" Lila asked in a hushed voice.

"I hear it". Diego answered.

"Mhm". Esme was ready to fight if needed. Diego grabbed a knife from his waist.

"We need to get out of here." Lila told them.

"Not without Stan." Diego told her.

Diego went to throw his blade but instead got hit with something else. Loosing a few of his fingers. Esme's eyes widened from his bleeding hand.

"Well, that's unfortunate." Was all she said.

"Go!" Lila pushed Diego. The three starting to run towards the elevator. Esme got there first and continued to hit the button.

"Open. Open. Open. Open." She pleaded as she turned back seeing the figure. Once the door open they rushed inside. Esme continued to press the door closed button a million times.

"Go! Go!" Diego shouted once the doors opened back up. The three running down the hallway while screaming.

"What is that thing?" Esme shouted as they ran. Diego ran into a wall, almost falling.

"Don't fall!" Esme grabbed onto him, guiding him around the corner as he let out a grunt of pain from his missing fingers.

"Come on!" Lila told the two.

They continued to run even faster hearing the echoes of the unknown things feet following after them. Once they got back to the room, Lila opened up the painting door.

"Diego. Go!" Esme pushed him in and followed after him with Lila right behind.

Once they got to the original room they put their backs against the door. Esme hoping the thing wouldn't come through.

"Oh. That's a lot of blood. That's a lot of blood". Diego said, holding his bloody hand now.

"Don't get blood on me." Esme told him seriously.

The thing pounded against the door but they held their weight on it.

"Push harder." Lila told them.

"Nobody is home!" Esme cried out as the door pounded against her.

And then nothing.

"It worked". Esme told herself.

A loud slurping was heard and the three turned around seeing Stanley drinking from a slushee and eating a slim jim stick.

"Stanley?" Esme asked.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Diego said.

"Where the hell were you been?" Lila held her arms out to her sides.

"What? A kid doesn't have time to get a slushee and a slim jim?" He asked them.

"What flavor did you get?" Esme asked.

Stanley was about to answer but the hotel shook again and then Stanley let out a scream before he disappeared. His items falling to the ground.

"Oh, shit". Diego breathed out.

Esme looked at where Stanley once stood. Even though that wasn't really her nephew she felt grief. After all, he was just a kid. The more time past, the more she felt that this was truly going to be their last round.

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