Unmasking the Nightmare

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Allergic to Spandex

It felt like I was walking through a distorted dream.

It was a familiar environment that I had often associated with optimistic freedom and happiness as a child, but the recent accident that had taken place here had tainted my perception. It was unsettling how much a little amount of time could change something.

Since the incident involving my mom, Coaster Cove had been shut down to the public. The paved crossroads that led to different attractions and vendors weren't bustling with whiny toddlers and wearied parents. The roller coasters weren't zipping lively along their twisting rails, rattling along with the agonized screams of the unfortunate riders. The game stands weren't buzzing with cheers, stuffed superhero figurines that stank of mildew hanging lifelessly from the prize shelves. There was a sense of doom and eeriness that settled in the thick air, mingling with the misty fog that clung to the ground.

I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I had brought along a jacket to protect my body from the steady drizzle of rain and the wind that whistled hauntingly, chilling me to the bone. Sighing under my breath, I unfastened my indigo cape from around my shoulders and tangled it fiercely around my upper torso. I forced myself to keep my head bowed in a pointless effort to ignore the rides and attractions that blurred past my vision, not wanting them to distract me from my mission.

My focus shattered when a very-familiar, colossal structure danced on the outskirts of my vision, and I tilted my head upwards and sideways, wincing when a few raindrops pelted my face and dripped into my eyes. The jade coaster rails looked even more menacing than I remembered, my mind burning with the memory of when Sabina and I had ridden the Fahrenheit a few weeks ago. I thought being forced to ride a roller coaster was the worst part of the day, until the incident happened.

My mom lost her hearing and powers that day, and it felt like her sense of identity had died along with all of her key traits that had made her Light Luster.

I swallowed the rising lump in my throat as I flicked my gaze across the warped coaster tracks, as if the ruined ride held the answers I sought. The coaster train that had once been hanging off the side of the rails had plummeted into the pond beneath, the vermilion train partially-submerged and reduced to a mass of mauled metal that didn't even resemble a coaster train anymore.

Goosebumps rippled up my arms and I clenched my jaw as the horrific memories of my mom's incident flooded my mind, overwhelming my emotions. How would I have acted differently if I had known that would be the last time she would hear my voice? How did she cope with eternal silence? Did she blame me?

Probably. But one heart could only tolerate so much blame and guilt before it hardened and numbed. I had unintentionally caused destruction and numerous deaths, and chaos and I were becoming well-acquainted. I didn't know how my stupid organ continued to beat when so many had stopped. The children at my elementary school, Crystal Clash...Cheyenne.

You have a job to do, Nicole, I coached myself, swinging my glare away from the wrecked roller coaster. You can wallow in your negative thoughts later.

My pace quickened as I hurried away from the Fahrenheit, hoping to avoid the dark memories that clung to it. The whole amusement park reeked of past regrets and failures, but now I had a purpose. Every step I took was one step closer to executing justice, and maybe a bit of vengeance too.

I hadn't expected to return to Coaster Cove so recently after the incident, and I certainly hadn't expected to return with a supervillain flanking my side either. But drastic times called for drastic measures, and I knew we were one step closer to figuring out Nightmare Nova's secret identity and the mystery surrounding Cheyenne. Surely Riptide had answers...