Everyone Out
It was standard procedure to evacuate the ride. A long line of people filed out curious, worried, or annoyed.
He glanced at the monitors as park security tread up the emergency stairs to the front car. Weirder things had happened since they opened, but when he took a second look, he stopped breathing.
New Ride
Ken had been part of the amusement park for a while. One would think that a new kids’ ride would be something exciting, but it just ended up another boring element during tedious shifts.
As metal went up and bits and pieces fell into place, he noticed something amusing … and a bit odd.
Hello Toby
In its half-finished state, the new ride looked very creepy. Mix that with a tired employee with far too much imagination.
This is how "Toby" was born. He was a little boy who, through a tragic accident, haunted the ride – at least that’s what Ken told anyone new. Soon, everyone was adding their own twists and details.
What's That?
Ken was a founding creator of some chilling park lore. It might have been juvenile, but it was harmless.
The grand opening rolled around and Ken sat at the blinking ride controls, the whiff of popcorn came across the air. When his partner tapped the monitor and asked, “Is that a kid?” He thought it was a joke.
Follow The Rules
But he looked over and saw a young boy in the front car, clutching the safety bar and looking terrified.
“Stop the ride!” Ken said. “Evacuate the others.” It might have been an over-the-top reaction, but it was the rules. Ken held his breath. How did he even get on there? This was bad.
Just A Moment
Two park security approached the boy. “He’s really scared,” Ken heard over the radio.
“We’re just gonna let him sit for a minute until he’s ready to come down.” A cold pit formed in Ken’s stomach. They couldn't wait too long.
Too Long
He stared at the scene. It was as if everything was frozen in time – the boy staring ahead and no one moving.
Ken shook his head and said, “I’ll go help with the evacuation.” It was better than waiting. Would they get in trouble? The others filed out in a grumbling line. He looked at his watch and the exit … no one appeared.
Suddenly Gone
This was taking too long. He went back up to the control room, where his partner leaned out the window, trying to get a better look.
“He off yet?” he asked. "They've been trying." She went back to the monitor … and turned pale. “Where did he go?!” Sure enough, the spot was empty.
Only A Second
Security was just as shocked. They had only turned around for a moment, now there was a missing child in the park.
Everyone left their stations and started running around the ride. Kids could be sneaky and fast. Right? Ken felt the pounding in his chest grow. They widened their perimeter. Nothing.
Lying Video?
It was a heated argument between the staff – who was responsible for the disaster?
Ken rushed back to the controls. The last thing he needed was to be blamed for this. He backed up the recording and played it again. There were the guards and the kid. But after just one second, the boy was gone.
Find The Boy!
There was no standing up and walking away. There was no jumping.
His shaking hand hovered over the buttons. No, no … this wasn't happening. One blink and the seat was empty. By that time, the managers had arrived. They chalked the recording up to opening-day bugs. They were more concerned with the child.
Payback?
Ken picked at the cuff of his uniform as he walked through the park. Everything was shut down and everyone was searching.
There had been the tiny hope it was just payback for his stories, but things had escalated to the point where that was no longer possible. One manager approached their group.
Nothing Else To Do
“We’ve looked over the rest of the security footage. The boy isn’t anywhere one it and no one has been reported missing. He must have found his family.”
The ride staff tried to argue back. “If something else comes up, we will look into it. We’ve also called the police.” Ken looked back at the ride.
Questioning Reality
The lights made the evening air take on an eerie glow. The wind picked up and he felt a deep shiver down his spine.
He was logical enough and deeply skeptical. Seeing is believing after all … but what had he just seen? Was there actually a Toby? Had he just seen a real ghost?
Moving On
In the following weeks, it was chalked up to human error. However, Ken did everything he could to avoid working at those particular controls.
It didn’t help that the staff rumors and stories exploded. In the end, Ken left his job, but the questions always stayed with him. If there was a Toby, he could be someone else's problem.