1.77 - Starlight Park
We were joking about going to an amusement park together, at least I thought we were. But cutting through a small amusement park called Starlight Park is the quickest way back to our hotel. As Edan steps into my hands for me to boost him over the fence I can’t help but think about all the times we snuck out as teenagers and how we never had to do this. Eden perches himself on the stone wall and reaches down to offer me a hand. We land on the grass in synchronized soft thuds but stop in our tracks as a star shaped mascot stares at us from behind the costume head.
“Hey, what’s up,” Edan asks.
“Nice to meet you,” I add.
The mascot places a comically large hand covered in a white glove over its face but doesn’t say anything. We take it as a sign to just walk away. After walking around a small building, we make it to the main path of the amusement park. An artificial star swirling with pink, blue and purple lights sits in the center of the park with the words “Starlight Park,” in bright white letters across it. Souvenir stands and games are plentiful. A few rides stand out, one that takes people high in the air and drops them, a zero gravity experience, and a massive rollercoaster stand out. It’s a small park, and the rides are old, but it’s probably incredible for people who live on the station. It reminds me of the carnivals we used to go to as kids, but slightly larger.
“Well, I haven’t eaten all day and the drugs are wearing off,” Edan starts to walk before I’ve taken it all in.
“We should probably start heading to the hotel, it’s the smart play,” I follow.
“Can’t be running for your life on an empty stomach.”
We settle on some kind of orange burgers with purple fries. I hate amusement park food, it’s like sports food; designed to be weird. The food is always as bland as it is eccentric. I have to imagine the chefs ask themselves how to make something interesting, instead of making something good. I glance out the window as Edan finishes his food and spot another mascot. A different colored star, this one sporting a huge smile as well. It just stares at us through the window but Edan doesn’t seem to notice at all. I turn to point it out to Edan and as we look back the mascot is gone.
Outside I begin heading straight towards the hotel, but Edan keeps stopping me. Sometimes just to look at a street performer, other times to play a game. I understand that he’s no stranger to bounty hunters, and he trusts Tawa’s ability to get the bounty taken down. Still, being hunted isn’t something I enjoy, it typically ends poorly for me. I feel much more comfortable being the hunter. Edan throws balls at a stack of bottles hoping to win a prize that he could easily buy as I constantly watch the area looking for Ajani. After his third try, I can’t take it anymore.
“Hey,” I place a hand on his shoulder. “I know we said we’d do the amusement park thing, but I don’t think this is the best time.”
“Relax,” Edan places a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s just go on the roller coaster then we can get out of here. Just calm down, nobody likes a Serious Sherri at an amusement park.”
“Just the roller coaster, that’s it?”
“That’s all, scouts honor.”
“You weren’t a scout, but let’s go.”
We’re here in the middle of the day, but I expected a longer line. We’re able to get to the front in no time, but we let others go in front of us because Edan insists on riding in the front car. When we’re finally seated and strapped in, I spot Ajani, his huge frame standing above everyone else. I begin to struggle with trying to release myself from the ride.
“Wow, you’re scared,” Edan laughs.
“No you idiot, Ajani is standing in line. He’s staring right at us.”
“Oh shit,” Edan gets serious for the first time today, and begins to struggle with his own harness.
Ajani doesn’t even smile as he inches closer to us with each person added to the ride. When he reaches us, he simply smiles before heading to his own seat on the ride. He’s going to kill us on the roller coaster. I’ve never had much, if any, dealings with bounty hunters before this little excursion with Edan; but I have to say they are some sick and twisted individuals. Shootings in museums, chases through asteroid belts and now roller coaster murders. I take a glance as Ajani is strapped into the last car on the ride before I’m told to look forward as the cars begin to move.
Others shout for joy as the ride goes through the first loop and I’m only trying to catch a peak at Ajani. When I finally glance back, Ajani has somehow swapped places. He’s moved up a car, trading places with a man who now shares our look of panic. Edan and I share a glance, as he spots the same thing. We can’t break free of harnesses but he’s trading places. The ride goes upside down and there’s a panicked shout, not a fun roller coaster shout. When we’re back in the right direction, I glance again, and Ajani is another two cars closer. I just stare ahead and accept my fate. When he grabs me from behind, I’ll aim for his eyes. If he goes for Edan, I’ll punch him in the side of him in the ear and try disturb his equilibrium. When he doesn’t grab me, I glance again as we come to the end of the ride. There behind us is Ajani with a big smile on his face.
The ride stops and we take off the moment our harnesses are free. The few moments we’ll have while Ajani’s is being removed will be valuable. Rushing through the exit we spot a photo stand with pictures of the ride, Edan instantly runs off the path causing me to turn and follow.
“What are you doing,” I shout as Ajani makes his way calmly into the tunnel.
“I need the photo for the collection. We probably won’t have this chance again.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Just take a picture of it, we don’t have time to wait in line.”
“But I like the high quality version, you’ll appreciate it one day.”
Our photo comes on the screen and it’s the two of staring in horror and Ajani with a slight smirk on his face behind us towards the ride’s end. The same smirk he’s making his way towards us with. Edan is finally satisfied with his purchase as Ajani reaches us.
“I guess we’re going to have to fight because you wanted a pretty picture,” I glare at Edan.
“Nah, we’re good,” Edan laughs.
As Ajani nears us Edan reaches towards a mascot and snatches a tray of food. He tosses the food onto Ajani before shoving the mascot as well. I’m stunned because that’s not something I’d expect, and the mascot seems to have fallen onto of Ajani taking him down for a moment. He shouts what seems more like a roar than words.
“Run,” Edan shouts at me and I don’t hesitate to follow.
We take off at full speed, with me slightly trailing behind Edan. I take a quick glance back to see Ajani and the mascot still tangled in a mess of food. The park is starting to get fuller as the day goes on, more mascots, more street performers and more park goers. The whole thing could be dangerous, but the hotel shouldn’t be much further. A familiar shout as Ajani begins to catch up running at full speed. He barrels through two mascots as he gains ground on us.
“In here,” Edan pulls me to the left
He takes out another mascot as I barely read the sign saying describing this as The Knossos Labyrinth of Horror. Usually, I hate mazes but as we head down a ramp, I’m relieved, hoping this will allow us to put some space between us and Ajani. Those hopes are dashed when we enter the labyrinth and there are glow in the dark arrows pointing which direction to go. Edan rips them off the walls as we go deeper inside, probably hoping Ajani will get lost. The whole thing is more haunted house than maze, but when one of us is a hardened combat veteran and the other is an intergalactic spice pirate it’s pretty hard to scare us. It doesn’t help that all of the decorations are star themed as well. Monsters jumping from behind hidden doors painted with stars are hardly equivalent to the horrors I’ve witnessed.
“You scared yet,” Edan asks.
“Not in the slightest.”
If there is a God, they’ve got a funny sense of humor and a great sense of timing. Immediately after answering the question, we hear shouts and pounding as if walls were being broken. As the lights come on, my suspicions are confirmed. I can’t see Ajani but the dust in the air confirms my suspicion. He is absolutely breaking through walls and anyone in his way.
“We should probably run,” I turn to Edan, but he’s already running.
I take off after him and quickly pass him, following the arrows towards the exit of the maze. Park workers who were here to scare us moments ago, poke out of their hiding spaces confused as to what’s going on. I want to tell them to run, but I also can’t really explain why their place of employment is being destroyed. I ram through the exit door as Edan slams into my back. The two of us go tumbling forward into the park. Edan laughs as a push him off me; this is still fun to him. I dust myself off and look around. We’re right outside the hotel. The problem is there’s probably thirty mascots standing before us, some of which are holding bats, chairs and spatulas. I take a step forward and each of them steps forward in the most intimidating way mascots can.
The exit door behind us lets out a thud as it’s kicked off the hinges. Behind us Ajani stands covered in dust, what appears to be remnants of mascot costumes and possibly a little blood. I’m sure the blood isn’t his.
“We can work this all out,” Edan speaks loudly enough for everyone to hear him.
“Kill them all,” one of the mascots shouts.
The mascots rush forward and Edan takes a fighting stance. I shove him out of the way as Ajani takes a big swing with his staff. I lose all breath and fall to my knees as the staff lands in my gut. From the corner of my eye, I spot Edan squaring off with Ajani. I’ve never been beaten by someone in a mascot costume before but there’s a first time for everything. It’s both painful and comforting. They are throwing hard punches and kicks, but the costumes are soft. It reminds me of combat training, taking blows while wearing pads and helmets. I ignore their attacks and focus on regaining my breath until I’m ready. I just keep my head covered, until I see an opportunity.
I wrap my arms around a mascot’s leg and start to pull myself up using them as a brace. Back on my feet I instantly wrap my arms around his waist and lift running forward. We fall over several other mascots; but I roll through to my feet and quickly follow with a strong punch to a mascot. I doubt the punch was strong enough to knock them out but it’s enough to make their head piece a hinderance. Standing on my own feet I’m perfectly capable of blocking, parrying and landing attacks on uncoordinated mascots. Edan backs into me leading me to wonder where Ajani is. The shout behind me lets me know he’s turned his ire to the mascots and is quickly going through their ranks.
The mascots begin to swarm him, one after another each grabbing at a piece of his body until they’re all attacking. Ajani is lost in the sea of mascots with a hand reaching through the mass of costumes every so often. For a brief moment there’s silence as the ball of mascots completely absorbs Ajani, his hand sinking until it’s out of sight. In an instant, bodies are thrown about as Ajani stands tall having tossed aside his attackers.
“We can beat him,” Edan sounds confident.
“Not the way he was manhandling us. Professional fighters have weight classes for a reason. Sometimes you can overcome the odds, but not all the time.”
Ajani begins to stretch and make his way towards us slowly as if he were some kind of horror movie monster. We don’t move, but take up position ready to make our final stand against the monster, choosing to face our death instead of run. I’m not sure if his steps are heavier or the blood pumping through my head is pounding in my ears. Just a few arm lengths from us Ajani pauses and presses one of his massive fingers to his ear and nods.
“Bounty is canceled,” he calmly speaks the best words possible.
“I don’t suppose you want to get a beer,” Edan smiles at Ajani.
Glancing at the damage done to the park and the broken bodies of mascots I doubt we would be welcome here. Ajani obviously feels the same as he turns to leave us, he states, “Perhaps a different time in a place we have not destroyed.”
“He’s a nice guy,” Edan waves goodbye. “Most bounty hunters would have just tried to shoot us on sight.”
I crouch down slowly before taking a seat on the ground, “you must do this more than I thought.”
“You get used to it.”
