“God, Comet. This place is seriously creepy.”
The old water park used to be a big hit among the desert dwellers of Starfall. Run by the charismatic Wailord and his team of Water-types, residents from all over could play in a huge oasis among the endless stretch of desert. It was great, until one of its employees—a Vaporeon—met an unpleasant end after a faulty wire shorted out in one of the pools. After news of his death emerged, the number of visitors dropped drastically, until the park closed down less than a decade after it opened. Now, it’s rumored to be haunted by malevolent ghosts.
“That’s exactly why we’re here, Solstice,” Comet purred, triumph gleaming in her eyes, “Everyone gets so creeped out by this place that they don’t go anywhere near it. It’s been abandoned for years.”
They had been on the run for days; it seemed like the entire kingdom of Starfall was on a crazed manhunt for Comet and Solstice. To be fair, killing an esteemed diplomat is a good reason for everyone to be upset, but it was an accident. Besides, as Comet often said, running from the law was much more fun than wasting away in some town council meeting all day.
“E-even so,” Solstice whimpered, drawing closer to Comet as they ventured further in, “Should we really be here? The infrastructure must be so worn out…kinda unsteady, you know? And what if there really are ghosts here—”
“Oh please,” Comet snorted, cutting Solstice off, “Ghosts of what? The ghosts of balloons accidentally released by children? Ghosts of employees who were too stupid to check if the lights were off before diving headfirst into a pool? Believe me Solstice, if that’s what we’re up against, I’m pretty sure we can take ‘em.”
Solstice rolled her eyes, but she knew that Comet was trying to reassure her. They walked into the heart of the park, passing under an intricate network of sagging, decaying slides. A nearby wall had been covered with graffiti depicting the death that sealed the park’s fate; the artist had left nothing to the imagination. Passing by what must have been a snack bar, Solstice’s curiosity got the best of her, and she peeked over the counter to see a fully stocked shelf, with most of the food still in its packaging. She contemplated taking some of it for herself and Comet, but thought better of it when she opened a cabinet and sent a horde of roaches scuttling for cover.
Shuddering, she tried to wipe the gruesome sight from her mind as she ran to catch up with her partner. They trekked on in silence until Comet made an abrupt turn into one of the more intact buildings. It seemed to be a changing room. The tiled floor was cracked and littered with rat droppings, and roaches scurried across peeling wallpaper. Old towels, sporting mold and an impressive array fungi, were strewn about the floor. A broken shower head dripped steadily in one corner, soaking a half-eaten mildewed shoe. The stench of the room overwhelmed Solstice’s senses, causing her to retch.
“What do you think, Comet?” Solstice huffed between heaves, “Home sweet home, am I right?” Aware of her partner’s concerned gaze, she searched for a dry spot on the floor to curl up on. A few seconds later, she heard Comet shuffling around the room, following suit. As the two of them huddled together on the floor of the room, Solstice was fully convinced that nobody would ever look for them in a place as miserable as this.