Ben awoke to pain and confusion. The sky was black, clouds blocking out the moon and stars. As he tried to move leaves rustled around him reminding him of where he was. The ache settling into his body reminded him of what had happened. He had to find the others and tell them about John and the maniac on the ride. As he made his way from the Haunted Mansion he heard screams in the distance. At first he thought it might be riders and only hoped there’d be no further bloodshed. Soon he realized the rides were shut down. The park was empty around him. No more lines, no lights, just trash blowing in the wind, the creak of metal and wood settling, and the steadily louder cheers of delight and cries of torment. By the time he came close to their source he’d made it to Freak Show Alley. The sign was gone and torches had been lit along the alley. There were footprints and drag marks headed into the alley. Drops and smalls puddles of dust covered blood followed. As he was investigating these he realized the screams had stopped. The tension was palpable as he crept forward toward the large, canvas tent that housed the Freak Show and slid underneath the outer wall. Everything inside was silhouetted against the bonfire in the center ring; everything except the main attraction, his friends. He saw Sarah locked in a cage keening with rage and hunger, her eyes as black as coal and locked on John. Poor John was being used like a puppet by the Mother creature. Her hand was still in his throat. She used it to move his head and jaws. She was using him to entertain her daughters and any of the other monsters who cared to watch. Ben couldn’t help staring until he saw John blink. He was still alive and unable to stop what was happening to him. Mother must have severed his spinal cord without killing him. She was jerking his body about splattering the audience with the blood that still ran from his wounds. Sarah howled with hunger when a few drops landed on her face. The twins began laughing and painting each other’s faces with crimson designs. Ben tore his eyes away hoping for some reprieve from the evil in front of him. It was not to be as looking upward he came upon the source of the tormented screams he’d heard earlier. It was Jenny. Tied to slowly turning spit and hung above the fire. Her clothes were in tatters, her skin flayed and hanging in many places, blood dripping down to sizzle in the flames. She started screaming again and now he knew why. It was Dave, grabbing and tearing at her flesh. Rending skin apart to get at the muscle underneath, ripping it from bone to feed his inhuman hunger. Her left leg was cleaned down to the bone in most places and he was tearing the last pieces from her right calf. Ben couldn’t imagine how she still lived, let alone remained sensate, and Dave, well he’d undergone his own changes. Skin now a greenish grey with ragged chipped teeth and empty sunken eyes, his stomach was leaking what he’d already eaten. Chewed bits of Jenny squeezed out of the finger sized holes left in his abdomen. Between the sounds of his chewing and Jenny’s skin crackling as the flames slowly cooked her Ben couldn’t help being sick and vomited noisily. He started backing away but the nausea he felt on top of the persistent aches from his fall made his attempted run hitched and clumsy. He just wanted to get out, to get help. He fled as quickly as his injured mind and body would allow. The park’s entrance came into view. He was just thinking he might make it when something hit him from behind. He felt a burning slash across his back and saw a pale form disappear into the shadows. A groan sounded from behind him and lumbering steps passed by behind the trees to his right. He couldn’t see what was making the sounds. Then he heard it again, just like the dark room in the Mansion, the evil echoing laughter. Its source slowly resolved as someone stepped out of the shadows. It was the ticket man. “Haven’t you enjoyed our seasonal show,” he asked with a wicked grin. “I thought you folks were just dying for a good scare.” “Who, er, what are you,” Ben shouted. “Why I’m Mr. Davis. You’ve already met my big sister and her beautiful daughters. I’m sure you’ve seen other members of our little clan throughout the park. Didn’t you read the sign on the way in? This is a family operation, young man.” His mad cackle erupted again. “And like any old family we are always looking for some new blood,” he said and gestured around him. The lights came up and Ben shuddered as he realized he was surrounded. There was Sarah crouched like an animal, licking his blood from gleaming fingernails. Dave shambled forward still grinding a rib between his rotting teeth. John loomed out of the darkness, held aloft by a scaled, spike covered arm eyes begging for release and throat still leaking a steaming trail of crimson in the midnight air. They closed in with the rest of this family of freaks. Ben clamped his eyes shut and began begging to go home. He felt sharpened claws slicing into his chest as Mr. Davis spoke again. “Didn’t you know, son? Home is where the heart is.”

I apologize if the formatting sucks. This is my first story submission on reddit. I had tried to submit to Tor last year but when I finally got a response it was that they had never gotten it.