Chapter 3: Time and Time Again

Mack awoke at the back of the State fair. He jumped up quickly and was confused how he got down here. He ran over to the group of guys.

"Call 9-1-1 now! Holmes has been murdered!" Mack screamed. But he noticed it was a group of completely different people.

"Mack, relax. It's all gonna end again soon and you will be okay." Some guy in a black sweater said mockingly.

"What? Who are you? How do i know you?" Mack asked.

The man in the sweater scoffed.

Another guy with a badge jacket added "Mack, Aubrey and Melissa are over there. go talk to them."

Mack was more confused than before. He glanced back at the hotel and it was some condemned old building, no lights or signs praising the state fair. Mack ran over to Aubrey and Melissa.

"Melissa! What happened to the hotel?!" Mack was overwhelmed with adrenaline

"Babe, that hotel? I don't know why they haven't torn that junk down. It's been decades since that monster did what he did." Melissa was a little confused by Mack question, and in front of their daughter nonetheless.

Mack pulled Melissa aside. "Aubrey, go get us some cotton candy, we will be right over and then we are leaving."

"Mack, we just got here, what are you going on about?"

"Melissa, I was just in that building. It had a lobby, Marie was there and.. and...People were laughing" He was cutoff by Melissa.

"Mack. I told you, you needed some help. Wondering off in condemned buildings? Really? Maybe hangout with your family at the state fair that happens once a year?" Melissa was growing irritated.

"Where's John? We both saw Holmes go in there."

"Mack, John went home. You disappeared and they all left. The fair is a bit boring without their friend." Melissa said.

"I'll be right back, John is just a few blocks away, if I am going crazy, then he can confirm." Mack said as he was already jogging off in the direction of Johns house.

Mack was a few blocked from the fair and made it to Johns house. He was a bit winded but felt his adrenaline rush carry him the rest of the way. Jogging in cowboy boots was no easy feat. Mack pounded on Johns door. No answer. He walked around back. He had a cellar he had retrofitted into a basement for the purpose of guys hangout. The cellar doors were wide open, he had to be down there. Mack stumbled down the stairs and the lights flickered on. "Motion lights? Really John?" Mack hated this idea from a guy who ran construction but thought it wasn't the time to dwell on these thoughts.

John did keep a creepy clown costume down here, but it was no longer hanging on the wall. The lights went out, and Mack began jumping up and down like a fool trying to get them back on. They a loud crack was heard and the wooden flooring from above broke through. Trash bags came falling through, followed by the most putrid smell Mack had ever encountered. Then Johns body fell down and hit the concrete floor. He was wearing his clown costume. Mack stared in horror as he looked a John lifeless on the floor, battered and bruised. Lifeless eyes stared back at him. "John.. what happened?!" Mack let out a slight sob.

Mack ran back up the stairs and towards the carnival. It was time to get Melissa and Aubrey and leave. Mack was then struck from behind and knocked unconscious yet again.

"Wakey wakey sunshine!" Melissa's voice called to him. Macks vision was still blurry and he hadn't come to completely. Mack tried to move about, but could feel his body restrained.

Mack started to come to, and he looked around and realized he was in his living room.

"Two thousand, three hundred and forty eight times. That's how many times we have done this routine before it got sloppy as hell." Melissa said. "I mean, your soul was trying to hint to you in the truck, we all saw that. But the faceless man in the town square? I get it, these puppets are uncomfortable, but to do this so early? I wanted you to enjoy life a little longer before we snuffed it out of you."

"Melissa, what's happening? Where's Aubrey?" Mack was still confused why he was bound to a chair in his living room, let alone whatever Melissa was going on about.

"Look man, the others were a bit fun too, but we always enjoyed how close you were to a normal person in real life. I mean c'mon, you got Ted the helper in this place!" Melissa let out a laugh.

"Melissa! Enough! What the hell is going on?!" Mack screamed.

"That's enough Dad." Aubrey came in and duck taped his mouth shut. "This is my favorite part. Continue mommy."

"Thank you dear! Anyways, where was I. Oh! Yes! Okay, so, I will tell you what this place is, in a minute, I need the fear to soak your meat a bit. Catch what I am saying?" Melissa said as her eyes turned a glowing reddish color.

Mack couldn't help but still struggle with what Aubrey did or what he was seeing.

"So, Ted, the helper. In real life, luring helpless women in to trap them. Beat them. Murder. Holmes, the hotel of horrors, should have stuck with pharmacy if you ask me. Love stuffing that guy in a chute every single time. Then there's Harold D. Or as you may know from Earth, Doctor Death. Jeffrey was a crazy one. We kidnapped him and made his restraints a little loose, so he could escape. We staged a cop on the nearby road, made the cop ignorant to his pleas for help and then took him and cut him up. Jack the town butcher, was Jack the ripper, He's been here a freakin while, let me tell you. We made ourselves women, gave him his memories and then mutilated him. Then John. OH MAN, what a creep!! I mean, clown costume. You humans are weird and that guy, takes the icing on the cake. He even begged for you Mack. To save him. But you. You are among them. You are one of the most vile humans that ever walked that planet. Cause you, would burn women and children in their living rooms while they were tied up. The husbands had to watch as you slit there throats when the screaming stopped. You were one messed up son of a bitch. But you know what. I wanna hear your side. So here's a little bit of your life back in your tiny little brain."

Mack felt a rush of cold air flowing inside his skull. Memories and pain overwhelmed him. He began to vomit through the tape that covered his mouth.

"It's a side effect. Cause we put some humanity in there, so when you realize everything you've done. You feel every single god forsaken victims pain." Melissa said laughing.

Mack looked around, head was swirling about. Memories of the horrific things he had done. He looked out the window and saw hundred of people, victims standing there. Cheering and clapping. Like this was some kind of beautiful show for them. Aubrey ripped the vomit covered tape from his mouth.

"Speak worm, before we begin the show." Aubrey, his once sweet little girl, a monster said with a smile.

"what... what are you?" Mack barely got out in between breaths.

"Oh oh oh, can I tell it this time mommy?" Aubrey said eagerly.

"Of course dear, but make it quick, we don't wanna keep Him waiting. You know he loves the ending the most." Melissa said.

Aubrey cleared her throat. "Mommy and I are special. We come from a planet outside the solar system you understand. The Mystic grants all shapeshifters two options. Loyally serve the shapeshifter deity with Purgatory, or live natural lives on the dark side of the planet. Seeing as I am a small shapeshifter, this one was a no brainer. Plus, me and mommy spend time at the fair every day we torture you killers!" Aubrey was losing focus on her excitement about the fair again.

"Focus Aubrey, he freaks out when you tell him this part." Melissa said.

"Right mommy! So, on planets deemed civilized and advanced like Earth or Olympus, and such, we pluck evil souls that are damned to hell and bring them here! We ripped each soul a million times, and force them each to be tortured in our own little magical world and then we piece it all back together again and RESTART!" Aubrey's excitement was overwhelming and the crowd outside cheered.

"But why not allow me eternal suffering in hell then? Is that not worse fate for me and these other people you call monsters?" Mack said in a monotone voice

"Well silly, purgatory has to meet a certain quota. When the souls run low, so does our power! We feed on it! Our deity, Mon'gal, loses his strength, and then there's nothing stopping other entities from reaching the Mystic and that puts a lot more beings in danger! So, we thank you for being so horrible, so that we may feed on you for eternity!" Aubrey said and smiled at the crowd of people outside. They once again cheered.

"Well, that's all the time we have for you. We will see you again tomorrow Daddy!" Aubrey said as she pulled out matches and lit them simultaneously and dropped them to the rug. Aubrey and Melissa walked outside to joined the onlookers in celebration.

Melissa spoke loudly to the crowd. "Do NOT let these mistakes happen again. I love freaking these monsters out, but sometimes they need to ripen a little more before execution." Murmurs began amongst the crowd and then they all nodded in agreement. The living was in a full blaze now. Macks screams filled the air and Aubrey hug her mother. "Do you think I can feed the horses tomorrow instead of cows?" Aubrey asked. "Of course dear" Melissa replied.

Macks thrashing about in his restraints stopped and he began to burn. By the end of it, he was charred like the figure he had seen in the mirror of the truck. Lucky for him, he will see it all again tomorrow.

**Intermission- Begin Cycle 2350**

Mack ran downstairs to see what the screaming was about. To find Melissa and Aubrey wrestling around while breakfast was cooking. Mack set the table, happy as ever.

"Babe, you feel like it's a little hot in here?" Mack questioned.

"Oh I definitely think it's a bit hot." Melissa replied "Hey Aubrey, can you go feed the horses real quick for me? I think your dad is a little exhausted from working last night."

Aubrey nodded, smiled real big and ran outside to feed the horses.