Creepy - Mayhem Mountain

Episode Date: September 24, 2018

The thing about nostalgia...you only remember the good parts...***Written by CK Walker with guest narration by Molly Lankford, Rob Weeks, Owen McCuen, Collins Van Gorden, Adam Days, Victoria Juan***Please consider supporting the podcast at Patreon.com/Creepypod or creepypod.com/support***You can also subscribe to us on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ3SrH_3fsROXFAjomKcUtw***Produced by Steve Blizin, Puzzle Audio***Title music by Alex Aldea***Intro/Outro Narration by Joe Stofko Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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please visit the reward tiers at patreon.com slash creepypod. Now, this is creepy. A podcast dedicated to sharing the most famous, chilling and disturbing creepypasters and urban legends in the world, Whether these stories truly happened or not simply fabrications is for you to decide. These stories may contain graphic depictions of violence and explicit language. Listener discretion is advised. Creepy Presents

Mayhem Mountain by C.K. Walker. In two miles take exit 19 for Valley Park Drive South. Siri chirped from my sister's. phone. Charlotte, turn that off. I know where I'm going. You sure about that? I mean, it has been a couple decades, Mark.

Please. Like I could ever forget where Adventure Valley is. Come on. We spent every summer of... There it is! I sworeve briefly into the oncoming lane as Charlotte thrust her arms in front of my face to point it excitedly out the window. There's Adventure Valley.

Oh my God. What ride? is that? That coaster, it was called steel something, right? No, no wait, that's Mayhem Mountain, isn't it? I gently pushed my sister's arm out of my face and back over to her seat. I couldn't falter for excitement while I was trying so hard to control my own giddiness. Felt like we were kids again. Yelling and bouncing in the back seat of my parents' cars at first shining rails and wooden planks of the park's roller coasters came into view above the treetops. That's the steel viper.

Mayhem Mountains on the other side of the park. And that wooden coast over there is the Excalibor. Oh, yeah. I remember those. I was always too much of a wuss to ride the Viper, but I rode the shit out of the Excalibur. Well, Charlotte, you're an adult now. I think it's time to take on the Viper.

As long as the contractors have tested it and given it the okay, I'm in. That was really the question, wasn't it? We didn't know which rides had been inspecting and cleared and which one's heading. I sent up a silent prayer that Mayhem Mountain was counted among the rides that had. I'd left Brandon several voicemails asking about it since he was one in charge of everything. But with how fast things have been moving since we bought the park, I couldn't fault him for being a busy man.

If you told 12-year-old me that my crazy hyper, wild-eyed friend Brandon Decker would end up graduate in cum laude from Northwestern business school. I would have laughed in your face. Brandon? No way. Tyler? Maybe. But never Brandon.

In fact, half the reason I think he chose a business designation was because of Adventure Pally. When the park had closed in 1989, Brandon had gathered us all together in his basement end, with a gravitas and solemnness I'd never seen it in before or since, asked us to make the pact. At the time, the promise had been the most serious vow that five, 12-year-olds could ever make. High off an entire summer of Adventure Valley Fawn, we agreed, with all the ceremony of a meeting of Parliament, that we would one day come together and buy Adventure Valley Amusement Park. Of course, back then we planned to just buy it and ride the roller coasters into the ground.

We decided which friends from school we would let in and which enemies would be barred from the gates. It had always been our park. It was only right that we should have it. It had taken 20 years, but we eventually did fulfill our promise. With a hell of a lot of pushing from Brandon, and a sizable offer of collateral from Tyler, the bank could agree to give us the multimillion dollar loan to buy, repair, refurbish, and reopen the park.

The size of the loan that the six of us were responsible for gave me nightmares for several weeks. How would this place ever turn a profit? It had been closed decades ago after operating in the red for several years. The county had experienced a high number of runaways and missing persons in the area in the last years of the 1980s. The entire region was on edge as the cases mounted and people in the area became depressed and suspicious of each other. It had absolutely killed park attendants. But seeing the first cresting waves of roller coaster rails through the trees, made me all but forget about my financial worries. This was Adventure Valley, for Christ's sake.

If we opened the gates, people would come. There! There, there, there, that's our exit. I pulled off the interstate and took a left under the bridge. Less than a mile later, we came upon the acres of the park's parking lots to our right. We turned in and drove all the way up to the front near the gates where several other cars were parked. Alexis, Minnie Cooper, an old Cheval and a Honda Civic. Another rental car like ours. Looks like we're the last ones here. She was right.

As we pulled up next to Alexis, I noticed a group of people standing next to the ticket booth, waving at us excitedly. Oh my God, is that Tyler? Jesus, he's lost some weight. He's so skinny now. And Brandon's losing his hair! Holy shit, is that Koji?

Koji got hot. Calm down, Paris Hilton. These guys are my friends. They're off-limits to you. Same rules as when we were teenagers. Besides, half of them are married. Really? Which half?

I raised an eyebrow at Charlotte and shook my head and amused bewilderment. My little sister never had outgrown her boy craziness. Wait. Who's that? What? That's Scott. You know Scott. Not Scott. Scott looks exactly the same.

The girl next to Scott. Oh. I put this off so long that I'd actually forgotten to tell my sister at all. That's Danny, Scott's girlfriend. Danny as in Danielle Bircher? Well, yeah. My sister gave me such a horrified look that you'd think I'd betrayed her to her death. but it was fleeting and quickly replaced by a sly smile.

Fine by me. I'm sure she's not the same person she was in high school. We're all adults now, right? Now come on, let's go. A sigh relief escaped my chest as I slammed the car door and followed Charlotte over to the entrance. Though I saw most of these guys every year seeing us all here together,

standing at the ticket booths of Adventure Valley. Not me a sort of happiness I hadn't experienced them. in many years. Mark fucking Lantus. I can't believe it. Tyler had an edgy commanding voice that probably made his many employees shudder and scatter. But I knew him like a brother, so his bravado just made me laugh. Can you believe it?

I asked as I gave him a hug and a slap on the back. Back at the front gates. $15 a day doesn't seem so ridiculous now. $15 a day, my ass. Brandon said as he shook my hand. By my math, it looks like we'll be charging about $65 a day. I'll pay it. Charlotte smiled as she gave Kogi a hug.

Are people really going to pay $65 a day? I mean, even Disneyland only charges $85, and there you get access to two parks. How could I forget? Brandon shook his hat. One of our investors works for the mouse. Pity they won't let you design any artwork for this place. Come on, man.

I'm not an artist. I'm an engineer. Don't you mean Imagineer? Charlotte winked at him Koji sighed and shook his head. Yeah, I fucking do. As Brandon and Charlotte teased Koji, I made my way over to the side of the ticket booth

where Scott and his girlfriend were conversing. I didn't know why Scott was being so standoffish, but I thought it might have something to do with the investment. Scott, the least while off of us six, worked at his dad's collision shop and hadn't had a whole lot of money to invest. I thought maybe he was embarrassed about the money, but now, watching lean against the booth was slowly shifting eyes. I realized it wasn't that at all.

Scott was just stoned. Same old Scott. What's up, burnout? My brother. I haven't seen you in like 15 years. How about a brohug? Scott smiled and pushed him. off the wall to come give me a quick hug.

Hey, how's it going, man? Fuck, look at you. What's your diet, man? Rabbit food and lettuce. You're not going to get any ladies with that skinny body. Your mom doesn't seem to mind. Hey, Mark.

I'm Danny. Do you remember me? Danny Bircher? Scott's girlfriend gave me a shy smile and stuck her hand out so we can engage in a stiff handshake. Yeah, I think so. You're in my sister's class, right?

Charlotte Lantis. Danny had the decency to look embarrassed. Yeah, but we weren't really friends. That's putting it lightly, I thought. We were freshmen when you guys were seniors. Yep, I do remember that. Maybe I should just get it over with. I called Charlotte over and the reintroductions of the two girls while awkward.

It was over pretty quickly to everyone's relief. We were all eager to get into the park. It was odd not stopping at the ticket windows and even otter to walk around the rusting turnstiles of the front gates. I delighted in reminding myself that we owned this place now. Brandon gave us a quick tour of the park. Not so much of the geography, we all knew that inside now. But of the hypothetical layout and reorganization of the park as he saw it. The Excalibur is going to need the most amount of work, according to Rich.

Brandon's head contractor. A roller coaster made a wood exposed to the elements for all these years. We'll keep as much of the original structure as is safe, but we might have to rebuild most of it. Do we have the money for that? Scott asked loudly as he walked behind us with Danny. Yeah, we have the money for that. Ah, Mr. Moneybags. That mini-dealer's chef treating you good?

I nudged him hard with my shoulder. Tyler stumbled, but kept enough composure. to push me back into a passing Truro stall. Those six BMW dealerships are treating me very well. Well enough to serve as the sizable collateral we needed. Brandon added. So? Charlotte ran up behind us and threw her arms around Tyler and Koji.

Can we ride some rides? Are you kidding? Why do you think we're here? I'm just here for Mayhem Mountain. I said clapping my hands and rubbing them together eagerly. Brandon threw up his hands. All right, fine. I thought you guys would be interested in how your investment is coming along. Koji snorted.

All we're interested in is the projected ROI. And, more importantly, which rides had passed safety inspection. Oh. Brennan stopped walking and tried to look annoyed and, failing that, he smiled. A little over half of them are ridable. Suddenly everyone was talking at once. Is Steel Viper open? Yep, that one's all.

What about Snapdragon? That one's good to go, too. Renegade Falls? Nope. The water's not on. High roller? Yes. Space spin?

Oh, yeah. Power tower. They're doing the inspection this week. There was only one ride I really cared about. Mine and Brandon's favorite. What about Mayhem Mountain? Fuck, yes. He answered a collective groans from the rest.

Mayhem Mountain had always been our thing. The others had always been happy to ride high roller and snapdragan into exhaustion. Brandon and I always split off towards the end of the day to ride Mayhem Mountain into the twilight hours. Uh. Charlotte shuddered. I hate that ride. It's boring as hell! Koji agreed.

I hope to size something similar for Disneyland Hong Kong. We put it in Fantasyland for fuck's sake. Hey, that ride's awesome. It's long and it goes upside down. Charlotte's even too scared to ride it. I'm not scared. of that ride. It just gives me the creeps. Something

about it just, I don't know, seems off. All right, look, we'll start at this end of the park and work our way towards the back. That way we can ride every ride that's past inspection, including Mayhem Mountain. And Snapdragon. Tyler added, and the

others nodded excitedly. Yes, every ride. And of course, we can ride them, you know, as many times as we want. Hell yes, brother. Koji high five, Brandon, we headed down the street towards space spin. Our progress for the park was blissfully slow.

Everyone wanted to ride every ride multiple times, and one person always had to stay in the loading area to operate the ride. It only took an hour or two to forget that I was a fully grown 35-year-old man. Being back here, running through the lineways with my friends, arguing who got first row in the first car. It was like being 12 years old again. Still, my eyes were constantly drawn up over the buildings into the distance, to the back of the park where the high gleaming rails of Mayhem Mountain shined in the unobstured sun.

There'd be no arguing who had the front row of that coaster. It was me and Brandon. It was always me and Brandon. Charlotte Tyler and Koji were the most like children, constantly running ahead and arguing over which ride to get on next. yelling back to ask Brandon if this one or that one have been clear by the contractors. Brandon and I held back from the group a bit, discussing ideas and possible improvements for the park. Scott and Danny took up the rear of the group, quietly talking and lighting joints.

When we arrived at the Enterprise, a simple ride that consisted of spinning cars on a circular track, I offered to flip the switch while the rest of the group rode to access. The Enterprise always made me sick when we were. we were kids. Brandon offered to stay on the platform with me to chat while everyone else wrote the ride. I flipped the switch to turn the ride on and the cars spun away from the loading area. The Enterprise signage came into view. I sighed.

All day I've been trying to ignore the bright graffiti spray painted all over the park. But the words painted over the signage of the Enterprise were impossible to ignore. Where did the missing kids go? and the rest of the graffiti in the park was much the same. Most said things like, Where are they? Runaway Row. Find Ryan Kinski.

And the missing are now dead. Similar sayings could be found in town spray printed across a few dilapidated buildings in the industrial district. Brandon's eyes avoided the sign, but I could tell he was thinking about it too. Do you think the reason they shut the park down? I mean, do you see that being an issue for park attendance? I asked as casually as I could. Brian was quiet for a few moments as he waited for the ride to slow to a stop so he could flip the switch again. Nah, I don't think so.

Low attendance issues aren't actually what shut the park down. They aren't? This surprised me. Nope. When we were negotiating the sale of the park, I was given access to the park's financials in the 80s. So they weren't operating at a loss? Oh, they were.

But this park has operated in the Reds since opening day in the 70s. Half of the revenue was being fed back into something called county services, whatever that is. The bank couldn't tell me and believe me, I tried to find out. County services. I'm used. Yep, bizarre. And according to the paperwork, the park was closed because the owner didn't want to live here anymore. And he couldn't be bothered to wait for a decent arson.

offer on the property, so he just sold it to the bank for next to nothing. So he was a rich guy. I leaned back against the rail to stretch my back. And an idiot. Yes, to an extreme in both cases. The owner of the park was Abel Beset. Abel Beset? Related to that French billionaire, I'm guessing?

Brandon nodded. Mm-hmm. Yep, Michael Beset. He built this park for his son in the 70s. Abel was never really what we would call business inclined. I've always heard him described as simple. I can't believe the son of a billionaire lives in this area. Well, not anymore.

He moved on decades ago. I shook my head in disbelief. Who'd have ever thought our simple little park was owned by him's billionaire's son? Hell, I may have even sat next to him on rides and had no idea. You guys want to go again? Brandon yelled to the others as the ride came to a stop. I'm ready to move on! Koji yelled back.

Anybody want a ride again? No. Nope. Nope. A chorus of voices replied. It was near 5 o'clock when we finally arrived at Mayhem Mountain. As the sun began to set a familiar panic and urgency welled in the pit of my stomach. It took a moment for me to realize that we didn't have to leave when the park closed this time. because the park didn't close. We could St. Dale's sunup if we wanted to.

He's eagerly approached the turnstile for mayhem out and Tyler spoke up behind me. Listen, can we run into town and grab something to eat before we ride mayhem? You really want to ride mayhem after we eat? Ask Kogi. Good point. There's only one loop. Danny rolled her eyes. Two.

Don't forget the any roll. Yep, two. Scott answered. Plus, it's a two-minute ride. If your food isn't sitting well, you've got a long wait till it's over. Look, let's ride it a couple of times, then go eat. When we come back, we'll see how we feel. Everyone nodded, and we started walking through the lineways up to the platform.

When we reached the loading dock, I was excited to see our favorite green cars sitting on the track. Front seat! Brennan I yelled simultaneously as the train cars came into view and everyone behind us groan. I'm staying here Charlotte said I'll just work the launch pad thingy Still scared after all these years, Sharr? Scott teased her

Shut up, burnout Scott laughed and tossled her hair Before running and jumping into the first car Behind Brandon and I Danny got in next to him And then Tyler and Koji took the second car We pulled the shoulder restraints down And they locked in place

Ready? Yep Brendan yelled back Send the car through Charlotte pulled the lever and the brakes disengaged. As a car moved forward, I turned to Brandon. Did we get the green car on purpose? I yelled to him as the coaster clinked around the load platform

and began the clattery climb up the first lift hill. Yep. We set cars through here all morning. I made sure Rich knew to lead the green machine in the loading bay. Awesome. As the train climbed up the lift hill, I made no attempt to hide my utter glee. I looked out over the expanse of park and couldn't believe it was mine. Every track, every car, every turnstile, every screw from the front gate to the overflow parking lot in the back. It was all ours. How I wish I could go back in time until a young

me waiting in the two-hour line from Mayhem Mountain, one day you will own this place. And as we crested the hill and the train fell into the first drop, I realized I essentially had gone back in time. at least I was screaming like a 12-year-old, as was everyone else behind me. We dipped into the first tester hill and then banked hard and up to the second lift hill. We dropped from there, down into the vertical loop, banked around a set of gift shops, up briefly and then down a small hill in any roll. When we arrived back to the loading bay, we were all screaming and whooping. Charlotte didn't even have to ask. just smiled at us and sent us through again.

We went twice more before we finally got off the ride. Koji walked over to check out the control panel while the rest of us taunted my sister. You sure you don't want to go, Shar? It's awesome. No, I'm good. I have no problem being the Carney for this ride. She laughed. Come on, Charlotte, just one time. One time, and we'll leave you alone.

Tyler urged. No, no, no, no, no, no, no way. Not interested. I'll ride anything else, though. Hey, do you guys know what track B is? Koji asked. Track B? What do you mean?

Brandon walked over to Koji at the control board and raised an eyebrow. That's weird. Hmm. It's probably just the track they used to get the cars into the storage bay. Scott said with a shrug. No. Koji said. That's called a transfer track.

Track B has to be something else. Yeah, well, I've been on this right enough times. No other is no other. track. Yep. Tyler agreed with me. He has. So, should we try it? Brendan tested. Fuck no. Said Charlotte.

If you don't know what track B is, that means the contractors don't know about it either. Which means it hasn't been inspected in at least 20 years. That's suicide. Look. Koji said. If track B exists, then even the most incompetent of engineers would have found it during an inspection. And Rich cleared this entire ride. Brandon nodded. It's probably just the ride in reverse.

We're good. Well, we're in. Announced Scott from the other side of the track, though Danny didn't look quite on board with the idea. Mark? Tyler asked. Yeah? I guess I'm in.

What's the worse that could happen? We get funneled into a repair bay? All right. Then I'm in, too. Tyler said hesitantly. Koji shrugged. Here goes nothing. He flipped the switch over to track B in a moment later,

a loud metallic scraping some distance away filled the park. This one lasted almost a minute. I studied the familiar silver roller coaster into the pink sky, the setting sun. But I saw no physical changes to the trap. I looked over at Brandon, and a shrug of his shoulders told me he didn't either. Shall we?

Scott asked, gesturing to the train car as we just disembarked. I gave Charlotte a question and look, but she shook her head empathetically no. So it was just the six of us again. It's only right, you two take the bow of the ship. Oh, captain, my captains! Tyler gave a mock salute. I laughed and hopped into the right side of the front row.

Brandon crawled into the seat next to me. Tyler and Koji got in behind us, and Scott and Danny took the back. We pulled the shoulder bars down and they locked into place. Are you sure about this? Charlotte asked when everyone was settled. Danny said something from the place a few rows back, but all I heard was Brandon yelling. Pull it!

The brakes released and the train rolled away from the platform and into the twilight of dusk. The lights had lit up on the track where we'd been arguing when the roller coaster looked absolutely beautiful. I was filled as awe and reverence at what this place truly meant to me and my friends. It was a symbol of our youth and innocence

and blissful ignorance of the world. It was our own little bubble with happiness. The coaster again climbed the lift hill. And from the top, Brandon and I studied the track, but in those few seconds I saw no difference. Brandon looked over and I shook my head at him disappointedly. By the time we reached the vertical loop halfway through the right, it was clear that there was no track beat. But it was hard to be upset because I was still on Mayhem Mountain.

And I found it an impossible challenge not to smile. We banked around the now brightly lit gift shops, up to small Tester Hill and then back down to the iny roll. Except the iny roll was suddenly above us. We'd missed it. Instead, the track now descended into a large square hole in the ground behind the gift shops. And we were headed directly into it. I was in too much shock to scream or even move.

The black hole swallowed us in an instant we descended to it. instant we descended into complete darkness. I felt a comfortable pressure leave my shoulders and realized that the shoulder bars had released. I gripped the front lip of the ledge of my seat and heard the terrified screams of my friends behind me as a coaster suddenly spun into what felt like in any role. I was too scared to do anything but hold on for dear life. Some part of my brain registered that the G-forces of the role probably would have been enough to keep me in the seat if I had let go.

Probably. came out of the in-year-roll and dropped again, hard. As the roller coaster dropped, the room suddenly lit up around us and I saw the track below arcing up and roll-light tester hill. As we hit the bottom of the hill of the shoulder bars lowered mechanically.

The car went up over the small tester hill and then brake to start up another tall lift hill. I took my first breath since dropping through the ground and looked around, tuning out the screams of Danny and Tyler behind me. We were in what can be described as a cavernous room, and I only assume it stretched the furthest reaches of the park above. There were lots of vertical loops, high drops and sharp curves that put the track perpendicular

to the ground. Throughout the entire sub-level, building lamps dotted the way every 30 feet. They put out a dreary yellow glow as far as the eye could see, but many were burnt out, and parts of the track disappeared in the darkness. But in the dull yellow edges of the light, I saw something that registered in me as a horror beyond death. Far away from us in a section of shadowy track. I saw a high crest of a peak hill which reached almost the ceiling of the giant room. And then the track just, suddenly the feel of the horrible reality of the world outside my mind began to bleed in. Danny was screaming uncontrollably.

Tyler was crying, bawling even. Koji was yelling at Brandon, who was looking straight at me, hitting my life. leg hard and repeating my name. As the cars continued to climb, I finally gave him my attention. I didn't want to be alone in the fear anymore. What is this? It was all I could think to say.

We have to get off this ride. We have to get off this ride, Mark. I fucking know, man. We're going to die. I fucking know, man. I yelled as we reached the top of the hill and dropped over the other side. I squeezed my eyes shut until I felt the shoulder bars once again release, and I bit my lift keep from crows. I opened my eyes and choked as I watched the track up ahead of his band up into a

vertical loop. I reached up and tried to pull the shoulder bar down, but it was locked in place. Hang on! Hang on to the seat! I yelled as loud as I could. As we approached the loop, I felt a brakes engaging, slowing the car, and a tow cable catch beneath my feet. We were being pulled up through the loop, but too slowly for gravity to keep us in our seats. As a train began to invert, I felt my feet rise from the floor of the car. My hair fell over my face and my butt left the seat. I closed my eyes and tried to block out the screams of terror from behind me. I concentrated on my death grip of the ledge of my seat as we were under the track.

We remained upside down for what felt like eternity. Finally the pressure began to ease. My butt dropped in my seat and my feet to the floor. The white noise subsided from my ears and I heard coaching. He's screaming. He's dead! He hit the trap down there! Brandon yelled at me, wide-eyed and crazy-looking.

I was finally seeing the Brandon from my youth. The shoulder bars descended again. This time locking in tighter. We came out of the loop and spat up and down several tester hills. I tried to study the track ahead of us as we went through the safer parts. I thought I saw water reflecting off the metal rails somewhere in the distance. Brandon sobbed in his seat. seat.

Mike, what are we going to do? I don't want to die, man. I don't want to fucking die. I don't know. I don't know what to do. I'm sorry. I'm fucking scared too. I answered him.

We banked around the corner of the room and the shoulder bars released again. This time we dove into a curve that put the left side of the train parallel to the ground. And it was a long drop. I gripped the edge of the seat tightly as before. But this time I kept my eyes open and was able to catch brandy's began to slip out of his seat. By the time the train righted itself, I couldn't tell it'd been lost. Most of the screaming behind me had turned to loud sobbing or silence.

The shoulder bar didn't re-engage and I felt the car's brake slow the train down again. I didn't have to look to know what was coming next. It was another inverted loop. This one was tall and large, and I could tell we'd be upside down for longer. Someone behind me began screaming again. again. Danny, I think, as I tried to take measure of breaths and position my hurting hands back under the lip of the seat, Brandon did the same and looked over at me as the car started

up the loop, with tears streaming down his face. I don't want to tie in here, man. I shook my head back at him, because I could think of nothing to say. I felt tears leave my own eyes as we reached the tipping point of the loop and my feet again left the floor. Before we were even completely upside down, I felt my back began to slip down the seat. I thought if I lost my grip, I could try to grab for the shoulder bars when I fell out of the car.

The car suddenly stopped, and I opened my eyes to see we were completely inverted. I grunted loudly at the pain and immense effort it took to keep my grip on the seat. The car started to move again slowly, and I heard Brandon say something to me. I looked over at him just before he slid out of the car. second he was there next to me next he was falling falling away from the car i saw brend and tried to grab the shoulder bar on the way out but he couldn't keep his grip on it i watched him fall and i saw him break his back on the track below and he stopped moving i stared down at him as the car continued to move slowly around the loo and he stared back up at me dead or dead

dying. By the time the car hit him on the way out of the loop, he was completely gone. The shoulder bars were engaged and we went through a dreadfully long period where nothing happened. We were secured to our seats by the restraints as the coaster spent what felt like several minutes racing over hills, banks, curves, even in any room. Without the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I felt the shock began to wear off. It was replaced by panic and fear unlike I had ever experienced. And I decided that was the point of this section of track. To build and facilitate an unbearable fear. I felt the brakes engaged finally and looked ahead to find the loop where we were surely entering.

But there was none. We were high, almost at the top of the ceiling and we slowed to a stop on a straight away. ahead was a drop, and at the bottom of the hill, a series of four tracks with a transfer stack just before they split off. Each track had fiber sulfate of color, red, orange, green, and blue, right before racing off in different directions. I felt an urgent shaking of my shoulders and turned around to hear what Koji was saying. Which track are we connected to?

I looked at the transfer stack. Green. Where does green go? It was hard to hear him over the sound of Danny sobbing from the second car. I tried to trace a green track through the building, constantly losing it and finding it again. I wasn't sure, but it seemed to end at the lift hill had seen earlier. The hill with no track at the top. It ends at that hill!

I yelled back at him and pointed. Danny cried louder. Fuck! While we were stopped, our rubbed from my hurting hands. together. As I looked down at them, I noticed something new in the car. At some point, a small blinking panel had flipped over in the wall in the front of the car. It had four colored buttons and an old analog timer. The timer was so old and damaged that though the numbers were clearly changing, I couldn't see how long we had. We get to choose! I said and explained

what I was looking at. Can you see which track ends where? Koggi asked. I followed all the track as best I could, but the rails circled and slid in between each other. It was hard to tell which track went where. I think the blue track ends at the big pool in the corner. The red track ends in a wall, and the orange one just drops into a hole in the floor, like the one we came down here through, I think. There's no way out, dude, said Scott from the second car. His voice was unsettlingly calm.

They're just telling us how. how we're going to die. We can still find a way out of this. I answered quietly, more to myself than to him. Choose the pool. Scott said, and I could hear tears in his voice. I've heard drowning isn't an awful death. I've heard it's calming at the end.

No, choose the hole in the floor. Said Koji. It's possible it drops down into another cavern like this. There might be more track, which means more time to figure out how to live. You don't think we'd be the first to choose that option, do you? option, do you? Scott asked him. And no one that went missing ever came back.

There's just more death in that hole. I don't want to die like this. Koji begged. And at least it's a chance. Danny was still whimpering in the back and offered no suggestion. It seemed the decision was up to me, and I had to make it fast. I knew I didn't want to die by dropping off the track.

I didn't want to drown. Perhaps the quickest death was the wall. more than likely would all be killed instantly, less suffering, less time to think about our fates. But the truth was, I wasn't enough entirely positive which track ended where. It was all educated guesswork. And my time was up. The orange! Let's go down to the second floor!

If there is one. Scott and Danny said nothing and Koji choked out the last words I'd ever hear him say. Push it before it chooses for us Before I could think about it any longer I pushed the orange button and committed us to whatever death it led to We heard the metallic scraping the track transferring below Once the orange track was securely connected The brakes of the car release and the train rolled slowly toward the drop

Danny started screaming again As we dropped down the hill I got a better view of the orange track There was a vertical loop at and didn't look as high as the others we've been through. In fact, it looked like there was a chance to fall wouldn't kill us. If it wasn't an optical illusion, and if the shoulder bars disengaged for the loop, we might have a shot at living through this. I owe back to everyone behind me.

Let yourself fall out of the loop. The one up there. Which didn't matter, because I didn't think I'd have the courage to let go of the seat anyway. We race along the track and out of banks, curves. At one point, we passed along the pool and looked down. Below the water's surface, the track ended above an even deeper pool. I could see the shadows of several coaster cars at the very bottom. I suddenly felt the brake engaged and realized we were coming to the loop. I tested the shoulder bar by pushing up on it, but it stayed locked. I was somewhat relieved

in the moment to know that I wouldn't have to make the decision to fall out now and gamble on the orange track. But suddenly, the rest of the restructed. restraints released. As we started up the loop, I gripped the lip of the seat tightly and turned my head back to look down. It looked like we were very high, and I only hoped the ground was the loosely packed dirt that it looked like. I had to choose now, the fall or the hole. I chose to fall. As I began to slide up the seat, I yelled at the others to let go and fall out of the car. And then I closed my eyes and let go. I felt my head cracked the shoulder bar on the way out.

It wasn't like the slow motion fall. It was over before I realized I'd actually let go. One moment I felt an intense pain as my head hit the bar, and the same moment I realized I was on the ground. I hadn't even had time to realize the possibility of hitting the track below or getting run over by the cars. I opened my eyes in time to watch the cars speed over the track above me. Pain didn't hit me all at once.

A blissful second before I felt it. Then I was in agony. I had hoped my body was so in shock that I wouldn't feel much of the pain. But I felt at all. I concentrated on keeping my eyes open and trying to catalog the damage. There was blood on my clothes, but I didn't know what part of my body it was coming from. I heard screaming as well, but I didn't know if it was in my head or if it was coming from my friends as they were. approached the end. I didn't want to move. Didn't think it was safe to move, but I knew I had to,

if only to pull out my phone. With trembling fingers, I pulled the thing from my pocket and brought it to my face trying to focus on the screen. But it was shattered and refused to even turn on. I threw it away from me and then realized the silence. With a great amount of effort, I rolled over around to my stomach and drake my broken body across the ground towards where I thought I remembered seeing the hole. I crawled for what seemed like hours. And maybe it was. Sometimes I tried to stand or even kneel, but the pain of my back and ribs was too great. I passed out several times from shock and pain, but eventually I made it to where the track disappeared into the ground. I pulled myself to the edge and looked down inside the hole. The track ended just below the

surface. It was a natural shaft with walls made of rock. I didn't know how deep it went and didn't want to. It was a fate that only narrowly escaped. But then I thought my friends were down there. Maybe someone survived. My voice echoed loudly down the shaft. No answer. Scott? Nothing. I reached for a nearby screw and dropped down. the hole. It took half a minute to land. And when it did, there was a tink as it hit something metal. The small sound echoed up the shaft and out into the cavernous room and I realized this place was built with acoustics in mind. I rolled over onto my back and studied everything I could

see from where I was, staving off my body's desire to pass out again. I felt nothing but numbness when I finally saw what I was looking for. A long, panoramic window in the far wall. I knew what Track B was for, and I finally let myself slip away into the darkness. I remember very little of my rescue. There were lots of people in uniform and my sister yelling. Pain.

Lots of pain. I was in and out on the way to the hospital, but I remember I passed through the room behind the window at some point. and from my stretcher through the chaos I saw in that room a single chair facing the window it was covered in a deep layer of dust I was never visited by anyone official let alone ask to give a statement

Charlotte stayed by my side at the hospital for months while I recovered she wouldn't say much about the day though she finally did tell me something she said that they wouldn't let her ride with me to the hospital that someone offered her a ride. On that drive she'd been spoken to by two people that had convinced her to never speak of what had happened and to convince me of the same.

Whatever they threatened her with had her begging me to agree. And I did. I'm still to this day learning to walk without aid. I never saw Mayhem Mountain again. The loan defaulted and Adventure Valley was bought out by an unknown LLC, which bulldozed it and built a block of apartments over the top.

They're still empty to this day. I don't like the dark anymore. It reminds me of the horror my friend's experience as they looked down and saw the trek and before they disappeared into that hole. I try not to think of what they must have felt as they fell down the shaft into complete darkness. Strapped to a roller coaster. Waiting for the terrible end. I wish I'd chosen the pool.

if only to save them from that fate. As for the billionaire's son, he was only simple in the fact that he was a man of simple tastes. And he still is. I looked him up once, only a few years ago. He owned several amusement parks now, all sizable but small enough to be popular

only in their specific regions. In fact, one's not very far from where I live now. I thought about going many times, just to check, just to see. But then I realized I probably didn't need to search all the rides in the park to know. Because I know that somewhere in that park, some ride in some corner, has a track B. For more information, including pictures and videos of the stories told on this podcast, or to suggest stories for future episodes.

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