The lights went out.

Completely.

Milo Pockets stood frozen in the darkness.

He could hear someone breathing.

Someone else was breathing too.

And someone else…

Was eating chips.

Milo slowly turned toward the sound.

“Who is eating?”

Nora stopped chewing.

“Me.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m hungry.”

“We’re inside a haunted house!”

“Exactly. I don’t know how long we’re going to be here.”

Milo stared into the darkness.

“You’re planning snacks for a ghost emergency?”

Nora shrugged.

“You never know.”

A loud noise suddenly came from upstairs.

BANG!

Benny screamed.

Professor Pickle screamed.

Milo screamed.

Nora screamed because everyone else was screaming.

Then silence.

Milo whispered:

“Did anyone see what that was?”

Nora answered:

“No.”

Benny whispered:

“Maybe it was a ghost.”

Professor Pickle whispered:

“Maybe it was a monster.”

Milo whispered:

“Maybe it was a murderer.”

Everyone stared at him.

Milo cleared his throat.

“Or maybe it was a cat.”

Nora sighed.

“Why did you make it worse?”

“I was trying to make it better.”

“You failed.”

“Thank you.”

Suddenly, a tiny voice echoed through the hallway.

“Come and find me.”

Milo raised his flashlight.

The beam moved across the walls.

Nothing.

The voice came again.

“Come and find me.”

Benny grabbed Milo’s coat.

“Please tell me that’s a recording.”

Milo swallowed.

“It could be.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t.”

Benny grabbed him tighter.

“That’s not helpful!”

---

The flashlight suddenly flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then it went out.

Milo shook it.

“Come on.”

He hit it against his hand.

Nothing.

He hit it again.

Still nothing.

Professor Pickle reached into his pocket.

“I have a flashlight.”

Everyone looked at him.

“You do?”

“Yes.”

He pulled it out.

It was shaped like a banana.

Milo stared.

“Why is your flashlight a banana?”

Professor Pickle shrugged.

“Why isn’t yours?”

Milo didn’t know how to answer that.

Professor Pickle switched it on.

A weak yellow light appeared.

It lasted three seconds.

Then disappeared.

Professor Pickle stared at it.

“Oh.”

Nora sighed.

“Dead battery?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

Professor Pickle shook the flashlight.

“I think the banana is tired.”

Milo stared.

“That’s not how flashlights work.”

Professor Pickle looked offended.

“That’s how this one works.”

---

A cold breeze moved through the hallway.

Milo felt something touch his shoulder.

He froze.

Slowly…

He turned around.

Nothing.

He looked at Nora.

“Did you touch me?”

“No.”

“Benny?”

“No.”

“Professor?”

“No.”

Milo swallowed.

“Then who…”

A voice whispered directly beside his ear.

“BOO.”

Milo screamed.

“AAAAAAAAAH!”

He jumped backward.

He crashed into Benny.

Benny crashed into Professor Pickle.

Professor Pickle crashed into Nora.

Nora crashed into the wall.

Everyone fell onto the floor.

Silence.

Then…

A tiny laugh.

“Hehehehe.”

Milo slowly stood.

“WHO DID THAT?”

The small figure appeared at the end of the hallway.

It was a child.

A little boy wearing a black coat.

He held the golden key in one hand.

Milo pointed at him.

“You!”

The boy smiled.

“Me.”

“Who are you?”

The boy shrugged.

“Nobody.”

Nora stepped forward.

“That’s suspicious.”

The boy smiled wider.

“Good.”

Milo looked at Nora.

“Why is he happy that it’s suspicious?”

Nora shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

Milo pointed at the boy.

“Come here.”

The boy stepped backward.

“Come and get me.”

Then he ran.

Milo shouted:

“HEY!”

He chased him.

Nora followed.

Benny followed Nora.

Professor Pickle followed Benny.

The boy disappeared around a corner.

Milo turned.

The hallway was empty.

He looked left.

Nothing.

Right.

Nothing.

Behind him…

Nothing.

Milo stared.

“Where did he go?”

Nora pointed at the wall.

“There.”

A tiny door was open.

Milo blinked.

“That door wasn’t there before.”

Benny shook his head.

“Maybe it was.”

Milo stared at him.

“You noticed it?”

“No.”

“Then why did you say that?”

“I wanted to sound intelligent.”

“Don’t.”

“Okay.”

---

Milo opened the tiny door.

Behind it was a narrow passage.

Nora looked inside.

“Should we go?”

Milo shook his head.

“No.”

Nora smiled.

“Good.”

Milo nodded.

“Finally, someone agrees with me.”

Nora walked inside.

Milo stared.

“What are you doing?”

“Going inside.”

“You just asked if we should go.”

“Yes.”

“And I said no.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you going?”

“Because you’re always wrong.”

Milo sighed.

“That’s unfair.”

“Is it?”

Milo thought.

“Probably not.”

They crawled through the passage.

It was so narrow that Milo’s shoulders kept hitting the walls.

Benny was behind him.

Professor Pickle was behind Benny.

Nora was in front.

Suddenly…

Nora stopped.

Milo bumped into her.

“Why did you stop?”

“Something’s blocking the way.”

“What?”

“I don’t know.”

Milo moved closer.

He felt something soft.

He touched it.

It moved.

Milo screamed.

“IT’S ALIVE!”

The thing screamed too.

“AAAAAAAH!”

Everyone screamed.

The tunnel became filled with screaming.

Then the thing said:

“Stop screaming!”

Everyone froze.

Milo whispered:

“Did the thing just talk?”

The thing answered:

“Yes.”

Milo stared.

“Why are you inside the wall?”

“Why are YOU inside the wall?”

Milo paused.

“That’s a good question.”

Nora moved forward.

“Who are you?”

“I’m stuck.”

“That’s not a name.”

“I know.”

“What’s your name?”

The thing sighed.

“Harold.”

Milo blinked.

“Harold?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you stuck inside the wall?”

Harold became silent.

Then he answered:

“Because I walked into it.”

Everyone stared.

Nora asked:

“How?”

“I don’t know.”

Milo frowned.

“How do you not know?”

“I was walking.”

“Yes.”

“Then I hit the wall.”

“Yes.”

“And now I’m stuck.”

Milo looked at Nora.

“That makes sense.”

Nora shook her head.

“No, it doesn’t.”

---

They eventually pulled Harold out of the wall.

He was a short man wearing a park security uniform.

He dusted himself off.

“Thank you.”

Milo looked at him.

“Are you the park security guard?”

Harold nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then why were you stuck in a wall?”

Harold looked embarrassed.

“I was investigating.”

“Investigating what?”

“The ghosts.”

Everyone became quiet.

Milo’s eyes widened.

“You’ve seen ghosts?”

Harold nodded.

“Many.”

“How many?”

“Seven.”

Benny screamed.

“SEVEN?”

Harold nodded.

“Maybe eight.”

“Maybe?”

“One of them was wearing a hat.”

Milo frowned.

“How does that change the number?”

“I wasn’t sure if it was a ghost or a very pale man.”

Nora rubbed her forehead.

“Great.”

Milo looked at Harold.

“What happened to the ghosts?”

Harold pointed deeper into the house.

“They live here.”

Milo swallowed.

“All seven?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because the park is haunted.”

“We know that.”

Harold shook his head.

“No.”

He lowered his voice.

“You don’t understand.”

Milo stepped closer.

“Then explain.”

Harold looked around.

He whispered:

“The ghosts aren’t haunting the park.”

Everyone froze.

Milo frowned.

“Then what are they doing?”

Harold pointed toward the ceiling.

“They’re hiding from something.”

Silence.

A cold wind moved through the hallway.

Nora whispered:

“From what?”

Harold looked terrified.

“The clown.”

---

A loud laugh echoed through the haunted house.

HA HA HA HA HA!

Everyone jumped.

Milo turned toward Harold.

“The clown?”

Harold nodded.

“The clown isn’t a ghost.”

Milo frowned.

“Then what is it?”

Harold whispered:

“Nobody knows.”

The lights suddenly came on.

The hallway was empty.

Milo looked at the others.

“Where’s Harold?”

Nobody answered.

Milo turned.

Harold was gone.

Benny screamed.

“He disappeared!”

Nora stared.

“Maybe he ran.”

Milo shook his head.

“No.”

“Why not?”

Milo pointed at the floor.

“Look.”

There were footprints.

Harold’s footprints.

They stopped in the middle of the hallway.

There was no door.

No secret passage.

No trapdoor.

Nothing.

Just footprints…

And then nothing.

Milo slowly stepped backward.

“Okay.”

Nora looked at him.

“Okay what?”

“I’m officially worried.”

“Only now?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting.”

---

Suddenly…

A bell rang.

DING!

A voice came from the speakers.

“FIRST CLUE.”

Milo raised his head.

The voice continued.

“THE GOLDEN KEY OPENS THE DOOR.”

Nora looked at the tiny golden key.

Milo frowned.

“Which door?”

The voice laughed.

“FIND IT.”

Then the speakers went silent.

Milo looked around.

“There are probably hundreds of doors in this park.”

Nora pointed down the hallway.

“Then we’ll check them.”

Benny looked nervous.

“All of them?”

Milo nodded.

“Yes.”

Benny sighed.

“Why do I feel like we’re going to die?”

Professor Pickle raised his hand.

“Because we’re probably going to die.”

Everyone stared at him.

He smiled.

“Just a guess.”

---

They began searching.

The first door.

Nothing.

The second.

Nothing.

The third.

A broom closet.

The fourth.

A room filled with mannequins.

The fifth.

A bathroom.

The sixth…

Milo opened it.

A clown was standing inside.

Milo screamed.

The clown screamed.

Nora screamed.

Benny screamed.

Professor Pickle screamed.

The clown stared at them.

Then said:

“Why are you all screaming?”

Milo pointed.

“YOU’RE A CLOWN!”

The clown looked down at himself.

“Yes.”

“That’s terrifying!”

“Why?”

“Because you’re a clown!”

The clown frowned.

“I’m a clown. That’s my job.”

Nora looked at Milo.

“He’s got a point.”

Milo stared.

“Whose side are you on?”

The clown sighed.

“Can I help you?”

Milo looked suspicious.

“We’re looking for a door.”

The clown pointed behind them.

“There’s one.”

Milo turned.

A door was standing in the middle of the hallway.

It hadn’t been there before.

Milo slowly approached.

The clown watched.

Nora followed.

Benny followed Nora.

Professor Pickle followed Benny.

Milo held the golden key.

The door had no handle.

Only a keyhole.

Milo smiled.

“This is it.”

He inserted the key.

CLICK.

The door opened.

Inside was a small room.

There was a table.

On the table was a photograph.

Milo picked it up.

He stared.

The photograph showed four people.

A young man.

A young woman.

A little boy.

And…

A clown.

Milo frowned.

“Who are they?”

Nora looked at the photograph.

“I don’t know.”

Benny pointed at the little boy.

“Wait.”

Milo looked.

The little boy was holding a golden key.

The same golden key.

Milo’s eyes widened.

“That’s the boy we saw.”

Nora nodded.

“But this photograph looks old.”

“How old?”

Professor Pickle adjusted his glasses.

“At least twenty years.”

Milo stared.

“Twenty years?”

The clown stood behind them.

“Yes.”

Everyone jumped.

Milo dropped the photograph.

The clown picked it up.

He stared at it.

For the first time…

He didn’t look funny.

He looked sad.

Milo noticed.

“Who are they?”

The clown didn’t answer.

Nora stepped forward.

“Who is the boy?”

The clown looked at her.

“My brother.”

Silence.

Milo stared.

“Your brother?”

The clown nodded.

“Yes.”

“What happened to him?”

The clown looked toward the door.

“He disappeared.”

“When?”

“Twenty years ago.”

Milo’s eyes widened.

“The boy we saw…”

The clown nodded.

“That’s him.”

Benny whispered:

“But he hasn’t aged.”

The clown looked at him.

“Exactly.”

---

Suddenly…

The room became freezing cold.

The photograph fell from the clown’s hand.

A child’s laughter echoed.

“Hehehehe.”

Milo turned.

The little boy stood in the doorway.

The golden key was gone.

The boy smiled.

“Found you.”

The clown stepped backward.

“No.”

The boy looked at him.

“You shouldn’t have come back.”

The clown’s face changed.

He suddenly looked terrified.

Milo whispered:

“What’s happening?”

The boy raised his hand.

The door slammed shut.

BANG!

The room became completely dark.

A voice whispered:

“THE SECOND CLUE.”

Milo looked around.

“Who said that?”

The voice answered:

“THE CLOWN IS NOT THE VILLAIN.”

Everyone froze.

Nora looked at the clown.

The clown stared at the boy.

Then the voice continued:

“THE GHOSTS ARE NOT THE VILLAINS.”

Milo swallowed.

“Then who is?”

A deep laugh echoed through the room.

Not the boy.

Not the clown.

Something else.

Something much bigger.

Something much closer.

The voice whispered:

“THE PARK.”

The walls began shaking.

The floor moved.

The room stretched.

The door disappeared.

Milo grabbed Nora.

Benny grabbed Professor Pickle.

The clown grabbed the photograph.

The little boy vanished.

Then…

The entire room transformed.

The walls became colorful.

The floor became a giant spinning platform.

Music began playing.

Milo looked around.

“We’re not inside the haunted house anymore.”

Nora stared.

“Where are we?”

The clown pointed upward.

They looked.

A giant sign appeared.

WELCOME TO THE MIDNIGHT CARNIVAL.

Milo’s face went pale.

“What is the Midnight Carnival?”

The clown whispered:

“The part of the park that doesn’t exist during the day.”

The music became louder.

The rides began moving.

The Ferris wheel spun.

The roller coaster started.

The carousel laughed.

Yes.

The carousel actually laughed.

Milo stared.

“Why is the carousel laughing?”

Professor Pickle shook his head.

“Maybe it knows a joke.”

Suddenly…

A voice echoed through the carnival.

“FOUR GUESTS.”

Milo looked up.

“Again?”

“FOUR SECRETS.”

Nora stared at him.

“What’s your secret?”

Milo froze.

“My secret?”

The voice continued:

“ONE OF YOU…”

The lights turned red.

“…HAS ALREADY BEEN HERE.”

Everyone stared at each other.

Milo’s heart stopped.

Nora looked confused.

Benny looked terrified.

Professor Pickle looked surprised.

The clown looked nervous.

Milo whispered:

“Who?”

A spotlight appeared.

It pointed directly at…

Professor Pickle.

Everyone turned.

Professor Pickle stared at the light.

Milo stepped closer.

“You’ve been here before.”

Professor Pickle slowly removed his glasses.

His face became serious.

“Yes.”

Milo’s eyes widened.

“When?”

Professor Pickle looked toward the haunted house.

“Twenty years ago.”

Nora gasped.

“Why?”

Professor Pickle looked at the clown.

Then at the photograph.

Then at the place where the little boy had disappeared.

He whispered:

“Because I was the magician performing the night that boy vanished.”

The entire carnival went silent.

Milo stared.

“You know what happened to him?”

Professor Pickle’s hands began shaking.

“Yes.”

“Then tell us!”

Professor Pickle looked terrified.

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because…”

A loud bell rang.

DONG!

The carnival lights went out.

Professor Pickle whispered:

“…he wasn’t the only person who disappeared that night.”

A second bell rang.

DONG!

The ground shook.

A third bell rang.

DONG!

The clown suddenly disappeared.

Milo shouted:

“WHERE DID HE GO?”

A child’s laughter echoed from somewhere in the darkness.

Then…

A fourth bell rang.

DONG!

The voice returned.

“THE MIDNIGHT CARNIVAL HAS BEGUN.”

The lights came back on.

But the carnival was empty.

Nora looked around.

“Benny?”

No answer.

Milo turned.

“Professor Pickle?”

Nothing.

Milo was alone.

Then he heard footsteps behind him.

Slow.

Heavy.

Getting closer.

Milo slowly turned.

A giant shadow stood behind him.

It was wearing a clown mask.

Milo swallowed.

The figure leaned closer.

And whispered:

“YOU’RE NEXT.”

Milo screamed.

TO BE CONTINUED…