The old cart trembled violently, knocking Pakston and Lyanata around like little puppets. Lyanata was holding a tissue to her mouth, as if to hold in the sickness caused by the shaking, as well as the nauseating odors coming from outside. There was no question about it, it had a been a while since the city had done any work here. It must be part of the folklore, thought Pakston…
Spanish Version
A perfectly renovated road to access one of the most terrifying islands of the World of Twelve wouldn't make sense! In a way, he liked it. Pakston had been dreaming of this trip for such a long time. When Lyanata booked it for their 20th wedding anniversary, he was so delighted that he started jumping for joy like a little child! Lyanata, on the other hand, did not share her husband's enthusiasm for visiting Rifik Island… But she loved him so much, there was nothing she wouldn't do for him. After a good three hours of travelling, the couple finally arrived at their destination. The coachman shouted to his dragoturkeys, who came to such an abrupt stop that Lyanata was thrown onto the front bench, squashing her nose against the glass window separating them from the coachman.
"Oh! Apologies, ma'am!"
Lyanata didn't reply, but her answer was written all over her face. Pakston, impatient to explore the island, was already out of the carriage.
"Well, here you are, lovebirds!"
"How exciting! Can you believe it, my love?? We're here!"
Lyanata remained unmoved. From the looks of things, her husband's enthusiasm hadn't caught on.
"There's something I have to tell you…", the coachman admitted. "You're the first people I've seen so happy to be here!"
"My wife and I like to live on the wild side. That's why she said yes when I asked her to marry me!", responded Pakston proudly, winking in his wife's direction.
"Yes, but… All the same! Ghouls, Chafers, not to mention what happened to the employees of the Ag…"
"Oh, sweetheart! Look! An exact replica of a ghoul's skull! Look how well made it is! Fascinating!"
Ignoring their coachman's advice, Pakston rushed to the park entrance portal and grabbed the skull. A little annoyed, the old man waved them away, then set off again. Lyanata watched him leave, worried and intrigued by what the man wanted to tell them.
She broke out of her trance and went over to join Pakston. Once in the park, Pakston didn't know where to look first. He was amazed by everything around him. The realism was incredible. Ghoul bone imitations, as well as those of adventurers and monsters of all sorts, were scattered around all over the ground. Marks of macabre scenes fed their imaginations. They heard cries and screams of agony, carried by the wind. Lyanata moved forward, paying no attention to where she stepped, dumbstruck but also terrified by what she was seeing. She told herself that her husband has very peculiar taste, indeed…
"Over there! It's our hotel, the Ghouldon Palace. Let's go and check in to our room. I'm exhausted from the trip, and I need a good shower."
The surroundings appeared deserted. Pakston thought that it was a good choice to come out of season. The Ghouldon Palace also seemed eerily quiet. At reception, two hostesses were sneaking a nap. Pakston chuckled under his breath.
"Look, love, even the employees are disguised as Ghouls! Those two look like they've been waiting for tourists for a while!"
Lyanata was uneasy. She had a bad feeling about this island… They both headed to their room without bothering to wake the receptionists. They took the run-down stairs, which were covered with a scarlet-red carpet. Brownish stains and messages written in blood decorated the walls all the way along to their door. "HELP", "RUN!", "The Ghouls will get you!", "A friendly Ghoul is a dead Ghoul!", "Get out before the Shustuft Crust swallows you up!
"I love it! It's so realistic! They've really gone all out! I wonder if it's tomato juice or red jelly… It almost seems real! Tell me it doesn't send a shiver down your spine", said Pakston, giving his wife a friendly nudge with his elbow.
But Lyanata wasn't laughing. She took advantage of the fact that she was walking behind Pakston to wipe off a little of the dried red liquid with her finger, and brought it up to her mouth. Her heart started racing. Her instinct was right. There was no doubt about it, it was REAL BLOOD!
Do you want to know what happens next in the adventures of Pakston and Lyanata?
Find the following installment in the next issue of Gamakna!