The Specter in Chuck E Cheese

The Dream Eater of Chuck E Cheese

The moon crested high above the glowing archway of TJ Max and bathed the Mall of America parking lot in its golden light. A soft breeze whistled across the craggy asphalt nudging abandoned shopping carts along the ground as if phantom patrons were finishing up their errands for the day. Busy shoppers bustled in and out of the mall complex carrying in tow their hopes and aspirations for a brighter tomorrow of suburban living.

Yes, the Mall of America was a place of magic for many. It was a shrine to deities of the greatest indulgences, an embodiment of reaching out for greatness and chasing your dreams. However, one establishment towered above the rest in these aspects. One building on this mighty lot was forged with the idea of preserving wonder and the magic of hope. That place was the pizza rat children’s casino, Chuck E Cheese.

Within its hallowed halls the screams of joy and excitement reverberated off the walls. Their voices swelled and joined the cacophony of game bells, point buzzers, and ticket machines creating the music of the night. Flashing lights, blinking screens, and flaring sirens filled the retro arcade with exciting and vibrant colors. An exhilarating pulse thrummed through the patrons of this sanctum as families of every clan and creed came together for celebration and unpaid childcare paired with bottomless margaritas. The children laughed and played, gorging on doughy cheese discs and slapping the game controllers with greasy unwashed hands. Much like the rising dough of the Double Cheeser Supreme, spirits were high this evening.

None more so than Timothy, or as he wanted his friends to call him now, Timmy. For today was his tenth birthday, he was practically a man now, and he couldn’t be more excited to be in the greatest place on earth with all his friends.

He called over to his best bud Diego who had under no direction from anyone dressed like a t-rex for the party. The boy had just slid down the nearest tube slide when he heard, “Hey, we’re about to have birthday cake, I’ll race you. Last one there is a rotten egg!”

Diego laughed and smiled showing a few missing teeth that the tooth fairy had recently paid top dollar for, or so Timmy heard. But as soon as he climbed out of the foam pit, he was off running.

Now Timmy wasn’t the best runner, his mother lovingly called him her little butter ball, and dad said he was going to make a great lineman one day. Whatever that meant. But he was several strides ahead of Diego and knew he could get his hams pumping in a pinch. There was no better motivator in the world than birthday cake. They rushed across the tumble zone, hopped through the ball pit, and came barreling into the pizzeria, traditionally named, the Cheezerria.

All around the table were the rest of his friends and family. His mother stood at one end of the table. The long strawberry blonde hair that she shared with Timmy bounced joyously as she laughed and swayed with some of the other parents. Apparently, she was already a couple Mountain Dewgaritas deep, but it didn’t matter to the boy, it was a party after all.

Triumphantly he slapped his hand on the table and panted, “I win. Take. That Diego.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a real Usain Bolt Timmy. Next time though, you better start where I start.”

The boys climbed up into their chairs and gathered around the table with the rest of the gang. Across from Diego sat Darren, a tall for his age brunette boy that Timmy had met on the playground. Their parents were already friends so it made sense that they would pair the two up. Beside him sat Timmy’s next door neighbor Melissa. Now, the little red head did tend to have a hot temper, but she was best at hide a seek and the boy knew that was an impressive skill on the playground. And finally next to her sat Awstyn. Timmy’s mother had once said that his proximity to the trailer park was the culprit for the unfortunate spelling of his name. But Timmy didn’t understand the geopolitical discrepancies when it came to being from the neighborhood or trailer park because he was ten.

He felt a strong hand slap on his back as his father leaned over with a massive, bearded grin. “Alright Timbo, you ready for some cake or what my boy?”

The kids around the table all gasped then joined the parents in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ as Timmy’s old man swung the greatest custom cake, he had ever seen in front of him. It was a perfect replica of a can of Chef Boyardee mini raviolis, his favorite thing in the world. The vanilla whites, red velvet reds, and emerald frosting painted the perfect picture of the world’s best after school snack. Stars danced in his eyes as he beheld the top of the cake, two tiny chefs stood on the can and held up the candles, a burning ‘1’ and ‘0.’

On the final note of the song Timmy could feel the strap on his birthday cone hat reading ‘Birthday Big Boi’ move under his chin. His father adjusted the cone to sit a little further back on his head. “Blow out them candles and make a wish big man. And make it a good’n.”

Timmy’s heart was beating quickly now as he stared at the flames in reverie. Could he really wish for the one thing in his heart that he knew he wanted? Would it be okay for him to have his dream come true right here, right now? He had to try. After a deep inhalation he blew with all his might and all his hope for his dream to come true. As the flames extinguished the party cheered and clapped for the birthday boy and began to pass out cake. However, Timmy just sat there, dumbfounded that it didn’t happen. His wish hadn’t come true.

Dejected the boy sat quietly while the rest of the group talked and laughed. Reeling with the discovery that dreams don’t come true, Timmy finished his third slice of Boyardee cake and went to pout over by the Whack-a-mole. He ruminated on the abysmal truth while chewing on his lip and halfheartedly smacking critters. Every time he missed, he felt less and less of a child. Now that he was a man, was the magic of dreaming gone? It made sense when you think about it. Look at any adults’ wrinkly face, they don’t seem that happy. Well maybe his mom did when she was on the sauce, and dad did have a weird thing about fancy cheeses. Either way, it seemed he was now being forced into adulthood and had to do manly man things. But what?

It was then he heard Diego call over to him as he walked up with the gang. “How does someone look so bummed playing Whack-a-mole?” “Yeah,” Melissa sneered, “What’s your deal Timmy? Cake give you a tummy ache?”

No, it wasn’t the cake that had bothered his tummy. It was the burning injustice dreams had given him and the desire to prove himself worthy of being a man now. No more kids’ stuff, no more wishes, no more hopes, no more dreams. Only man stuff. He needed to test his courage. Whirling on his friends he heatedly spoke to them with the determination of a child soaring on the wings of a sugar induced high.

“Guys, what’s the scariest thing you could do right now?”

Darren rubbed the back of his neck, “I mean you could go talk to the clown making balloon animals. But it’s mostly scary cause he’s really into hugs.”

“No. No we are not hugging Handsy the clown. I need something really scary. Jumping off a building scary! C’mon guys I need something to prove I’m a man now.”

From the back of the group Awstyn chimed in, “Well, my brother told me a ghost story one time. But we need a room to turn out the lights n’ stuff. Ma took my last lighter after I lit that sparkler in daddy’s butt crack while he slept but I had a spare. Snag me a candle and we can get spooky.”

It had taken the gang less than ten minutes to snag one of the candles from the cake and find a bathroom that had no one in it. The parents were too distracted now to differentiate wild children roaming and a tactical acquisition mission. This late in the evening the Dewgaritas were flowing, and Timmy’s dad was too busy wrangling mom to be bothered with the child’s holy quest. He slammed a cake slice in front of some of the adults for appearances.

But now as the children sat in the dark of the boy’s bathroom with the lights out, a lone chef holding up the partially melted but aflame again zero, the gloom had settled in on them. All around the children the darkness of the bathroom wrapped about them like a stuffy blanket. Timmy watched as Awstyn held out the candle to him, the boy’s green eyes reflecting the fires light. “It’s just like I said man. If you do it, you’re brave. But ain’t nobody done it and lived.”

“So, I hold the candle, say my dream, then say her name into the paper towel dispenser three times?”

“Only if you’re brave enough man.”

“Why the paper towel dispenser?”

“Because when she shows up, she dispenses her wrath on children with a dream.”

Finally fed up with the stupidity of boys Melissa yells, “Oh for cripes sake, Awstyn this is the most butt brained story anyone has ever made up!”

The boy spun on her, “Can it Melissa you don’t even have a wiener and yer in the boy’s bathroom! Probably messin’ up the ritual and what not.”

“At least my name isn’t spelled like I bathe in Mountain Dew,” she muttered.

Timmy had decided it was time, there was no more room for words, only manly action. It was time for him to be a grown, brave adult. He stretched his hand out to Awstyn, “Hand me the little chef.”

The warm wax toasted his palms as Timmy grasped the little figurine. In his mind the shadows danced around the tiled room, teasing him like ghouls wanting him to enter their darkness. In the candlelight his reflection warped on the aluminum creating a disjointed and wonky looking little boy. He felt small under the pall of darkness, and childish in his fear. The silence - only interrupted by the children’s small, quickened breaths and Timmy’s causal IBS outbursts – attempted to throttle all life and courage from the room. No, he wouldn’t succumb to childish fears, ghosts weren’t real, and neither were dreams.

Timmy leaned into the paper towel dispenser nearly touching his face to it and whispered,
“I want to be Chef Boyardee. Bethany Ball…Bethany Ball… Bethany Ball.”

The flame on the candle suddenly blew out plunging the children into absolute darkness. Not one of them made a sound, each holding their breath waiting for something to happen. There was a slam of fist against metal and all the children shrieked at the sudden burst of noise. Then another slam, and another. Every hit became louder and came quicker with each crash. It sounded as if someone was stomping down a hallway made of tin and began running. The thundering slams became deafening to the point where they clasped their hands over their ears. Then it stopped. The children’s ears were ringing but silence had now filled the room.

In the clamor Timmy had dropped the little chef and tried to turn to Awstyn, “Awstyn, d… do you still have your lighter?” “Yeah man gimme a sec. Gah dang what was that?”

There were two flickers of light in front of the child before the flame held true and dimly lit the room. The children turned to their friend and froze in horror.

Awstyn arched an eyebrow, “What are you nerds staring at?” Then turned around.

Standing at the edge of the shadows with its back to them was a figure. Looming higher than the bathroom stalls the black cloaked thing was so tall its head pressed bent to the ceiling. It’s long fire red hair hung matted and tangled, seemingly blowing in a breeze that wasn’t there. The creature was heaving – shaking really- and with each rattled gasp it hissed out the air through what sounded like clenched teeth. Awstyn licked his dry lips, “Mam, this is a boys bathroom you can’t-“ Slowly the creature reached to its side and drew a finger longer than the children’s arms down the wall, dragging its clawed finger nail. The screech reverberated through the room stabbing at the children’s ears and freezing their hearts.

Then in a voice that sounded like three people talking at once, it spoke. “Oh, stupid child, what could have possibly possessed you to bring me to this wretched place?”

The things body began to shake more. Convulsing now it snapped out its other spindly arm and gripped the bathroom stall wall. Metal groaned and began to give in under the massive pressure the creature squeezed on it.

Of all the children cursed with lockjaw Awstyn remained undeterred. “Lady I gotta say yer strong as hell. I would never have dreamed someone could-“

“Dreamed? DREAMED?” The creature wailed, “Still your tongue you little grub, lest I rip it from your petulant skull.”

There was a quiet tinkling as the group collectively soiled themselves in the dark. Awstyn’s hand holding the flame began to tremble as the creature lowered itself down, bending its grotesquely long legs in a crouch. The limbs snapped and cracked as if they haven’t moved in centuries. When it ceased its’ descent, in an awful calm it spoke again. “If there is one thing, I cannot stand more than disgusting, sniveling, children…”

The creature slowly turned its head around to meet the children’s gaze with its empty, white eyes. Its face was that of an old woman. Skin, wrinkled to the point of decay sloughed off the nightmare fiends face as it stretched its mouth into an unnaturally large smile. Split, bloody lips parted revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.

“It’s dreams.”

The thing roared and reached out of the darkness, but Diego was ready at the door ripping it open and letting the kids tumble over each other out into the open. The Salvadorian slammed the door shut and stumbled backwards into the dog pile of friends.

“Guys, we need to find our parents. This is real, this is…”

He stared mouth agape as all the children caught his gaze and looked out into the Chuck E Cheese complex. All the lights except a few emergency floodlights were out. The lone beams cast lines across the dark and brooding architecture. Jungle gyms looked like gas piping plants, the arcades looked like abandoned warehouses, and the foam pits looked black as a pond in the night. But the worst part of it all, was the lack of people. All the children, the staff…Their parents, all gone. This once wonderous place of joy and camaraderie, was now a vast and empty killing floor. It was the creatures hunting ground.

A slam against the door jolted the kids from their contemplation. As the bathroom door cracked open, out of the darkness long spindly fingers reached out methodically tapping the edges of the frame. “Oh no. All alone, are we? Fret not little grubs. It will be over soon, and no one will hear your SCREAMS.”

“Run!” Timmy wailed, and the kids scattered in all directions. As Timmy ran his heart pounded in his chest, his clothes soaked with sweat, and his veins began pumping Chef Boyardee cake. He stumbled through the jungle gym bashing into structural posts and framework. The once soft foam that had coated the playground had now rotted away into stiff and decayed shreds. In the shadows behind him he could hear the creature skittering after him, scraping it’s too long fingers on the linoleum. He could picture the long gashes those giant finger nails left in the ground and would soon leave in him. Timmy needed a hiding spot, and he needed it now.

“Where are you going Timbo? You’re not supposed to go off alone, ARE YOU?”

Somewhere out in the darkness he heard two terrified shrieks. It had to of been his friends, Timmy’s panic had now reached full tilt. Wheezing he weaved in and out of different sections of the decrepit play pin. The further he went in the darker it got, until finally he could only make out the silhouettes of the bars. Panting he spun around looking for anything he could make out, then heard a child’s voice.

“Hello? Is someone there? Are you lost too?”

Straining his eyes he peered into the gloom of the jungle gym, and saw a small form, swaying side to side as it shuffled through the darkness. It was another kid, lost in the dark, wandering the jungle gym. As they got close, he reached out and was about to tap them on the shoulder when a hand clamped over his mouth and pulled him back against the wall. Timmy squealed in terror against the hand until Melissas familiar voice whispered in his ear.

“Don’t touch it, it’s not a kid. Not anymore.”

As the swaying form stepped out of the shadows and passed through one of the stray beams of light the boy could feel his heart drop straight into his pants. Or maybe he was going to need new pants. It was a little girl, but her skin was pale and waxen, and her head lolled to the side swaying with every limping step. And where her eyes were supposed to be, were only empty bloodied sockets. Yes, Timmy was definitely going to need new pants.

“There’s more of them in here, they’re trying to catch us for Her.”

To his side Diego whispered, “Darren and Awstyn got nabbed as soon as we ran. They dragged em away to the ball pits.”

Melissa released her hand and after a gasping breath Timmy spoke. “We have to save them guys. That thing is going to eat them. I am not having my friends eaten on my birthday.”

Melissa nodded, “Then you two turds follow right behind me. I know the way just don’t let anything touch you.”

Off the three ran scrambling through jungle gyms, sliding across blood slicked slides, and weaving away from shambling corpses. The horror they felt watching the zombies was only outweighed by the fear that their friends might become one. As they ran, from every shadow and every corner they could hear the creatures voice, taunting them.

“Run run run little grubs. It only makes the feast that much SWEETER.”

The trio crawled into a tube tunnel and up a ladder into one of the bubble domes of the playground. The corpses were slow, and the children were sure they couldn’t climb as most didn’t have arms. As they gazed through the smeared plexiglass out onto the floor, they could see ball pits. And laying on the ground not moving were Darren and Awstyn.

“What do we do now?” Diego whispered in a panic.

Timmy looked down on his poor friends, it was his fault that they were there and in danger. All because he was stupid and wanted to be manly. Well, he wasn’t going to let his stupid mistake get his friends killed.

“You two wait for me to go out there. I’ll get her attention and you grab the guys.”

“Timmy that’s crazy, you’re going to get eaten.”

“I’ll just run away super-fast after you guys get away. Don’t worry Diego,” he lied.

Melissa nodded, “Alright we will give you a signal after we grab the boys, then you get that fat butt moving.”

Timmy shuffled through the tube tunnels until he found a slide to the bottom. He took a deep breath, then slid down and out onto the open floor of the playground. The second his feet hit the floor he immediately scanned the shadows for the creature. All around him the darkness reached out seemingly consuming more and more of Chuck E Cheese, as if the creature were eating the building itself. The boy swallowed and slowly started walking towards the ball pits. Just across there gloomy depths lay his two companions.

He hopped into the first pool and felt a chill run up his spine as the icy orbs touched his skin. The balls were frigid to the touch and gave the feel of a cold pool of water. His teeth chattered as he crossed the pit and shuffled towards his friends. Then his leg brushed against something. Suddenly there was a vice like grip on his leg and Timmy squealed as corpse children rose from the balls to surround him. Their too pale faces and far-seeing eyes surrounded him and began grabbing at his clothes. He screamed and slapped at their hands and faces. But the undead were too strong, they dragged him to the side of the ball pit and held him there.

Then, laughter suddenly came echoing from the shadows. Timmy turned his face towards the ceiling as that laughter became louder and louder. “Brave little Timmy. Come to save your friends?”

That awful skittering could now be heard from the darkness of the ceiling. He tried his hardest to gaze into the gloom and track the creature’s movements, but all was shadow.

“Down here child.”

Timmy brought his gaze down to floor level and came face to face with the creature. Its massive eyes were endless pools of white, it’s rotten flesh stank of death, and the too wide smiled was streaked with blood. Again, Timmy screamed as the thing snatched him up in one giant spindly hand, hoisting him up over its head.

“Now, you will never wish for anything again. Wretched child.”

Timmy heard a useless whistle as Melissa and Diego apparently grabbed Darren and Awstyn. But it didn’t matter, there was no where for him to run, he was about to be eaten. He closed his eyes refusing to meet the horror that awaited him and instead thought of his dream. Timmy would have been the best Chef Boyardee there ever was. Happily making raviolis for his mom and friends, maybe he would even have his own recipe. He could see his smiling face on the can, sauce staining his white apron, and holding a big thumbs up to anyone holding the can. As the boy thought of his most wonderful dream, a soft glow began to come from his body.

“Wha- what are you doing? STOP IT.” The creature shrieked and threw Timmy like a fat sack of potatoes into the ball pit.

The boy crashed into the orbs and scrambled to stand up in the pit. As he inspected his body his skin did indeed have a glow to it. But the creature’s hand was now also smoldering. It was his dream. No wonder the creature killed children with a dream, because dreams were the only thing that could hurt her. In an instant Timmy knew what to do. He straightened the ‘Birthday Big Boi’ cone hat on his head and yelled to his friends.

“Guys! I need you! It’s our dreams that hurt her! Get over here!”

Diego and Melissa laid Awstyn and Darren on the floor and ran over to their friend. For the first time the fiend took a step back from the children and stared at them as if not believing what she was seeing.

Timmy held out his hands, “Take my hands and say your dreams. The one thing you want most in the world, believe in it.”

The creature roared at them, “Shut your fat little mouth. Nothing will save you, not-“

“I want to be Chef Boyardee!”

The creature lurched back as if it had been struck in the face and stumbled back again. Diego and Melissa stared with wide eyes then squeezed Timmy’s hands. Each of the children began to chant their dreams, and with each evocation the creature howled and began to burn.

“First female president! First female president! First female president!”

“Pool full of Jello! Pool full of Jello! Pool full of Jello!”

“Chef Boyardee! Chef Boyardee! Chef Boyardee!”

As the children chanted the glowing light from their dreams burned the creature and chased away the darkness in Chuck E Cheese. Their voices swelled over taking the beasts howls and the light drowned out everything around them in a bright flash. In an instant their ears filled with screams of joy and laughter. All around them the cacophony of a night in Chuck E Cheese returned. Children ran about jumping and playing games, parents laughed and talked over boozy drinks, even the teenage pizza boy was behind the counter hating his life. They were back.

Awstyn sat up as him and Darren slowly awoke, “Gah dang, I gotta lay off the Mountain Dew, I had the worst dream.”

Timmy’s heart soared as he saw his friends look around and begin to smile. Before he could say anything, his father called over to him.

“There you are Timbo I’ve been looking all over for you. Your mom puked in the ski ball machine and they’re asking us to leave. I’m sorry but we will have to finish the party at the house.”

Timmy smiled and looked around at all his friends who were smiling and laughing.

“That sounds just fine with me dad, can everyone come with?”

“Of course they can my boy. And thanks for being so understanding, that was very mature of you.”

Yeah. It was he thought.