Sssstep insssside, my tasty little ssssnacks. I have some special surprises for you in my laboratory if you're brave enough to enter, but please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, lest you become one of my experimentssss.

That's what the sign said outside of the Very Scary Laboratory. This one had a snake on it, wearing some sort of long white coat.

It was dark inside. Cody gripped the handle of her hammer with both hands, twisting slightly, and it gave off a soft, blue glow. Rafferty could see her relax a bit.

There was a group of small black carts near the entrance. They sat on top of a metal grate of some sort, which stretched further into the building.

"I guess we follow this," said Rafferty, tapping her foot against the metal.

"Right. It said we had to stay inside the ride. No wandering off," Cody said.

They had only walked a few steps when Rafferty noticed a platform to her right. Someone had painted on the wall behind the platform. SCREW THE NEW GODS, it said. Rafferty saw a rolled up sleeping bag on the ground. It was chewed up, like a mouse had lived in it for a while. There were some opened cans strewn around, too. Rafferty assumed they were for food, although she had never seen any wrapped in such colorful paper.

"Rafferty," Cody whined, urging her to get back on the path.

Stolen story; please report.

The group walked through the dark building, with only the light from Cody's hammer. Rafferty and Cody led the way, Trevor and Colin trailed behind. As they followed a wide turn to the right, they saw the first strange thing.

Rafferty had to squint to make out what it was in the low light. There was a table, and behind the table there was a turtle. At least, she thought it was a turtle, but it was standing on two legs and wore one of those white coats like the snake on the sign. It had a little bottle in its hand, and Rafferty thought it was supposed to be pouring something on a small lizard, which sat at the table.

Ahead on the left, there was another table, only this one was broken. The coat turtle was there too, but he was cowering in the corner. This platform was dominated by a much larger lizard, with a weird long snout, and great horns on its head. Its mouth was open, displaying a large number of plastic teeth. On the wall behind it, the letters RAAAAAARRRGH were painted very large.

People from Before were messed up.

"What is this place?" Cody asked.

"It's Albino Annie's Very Scary Laboratory," said Rafferty.

She meant it as a joke, but wasn't sure Cody took it that way. Cody grabbed her arm, and Rafferty didn't pull it away. For the next little bit, they walked together.

Rafferty felt something give under her foot, just a little. A figure rose up suddenly to her right and shouted "Help me!!! Please!!!"

Cody screamed and jumped into the air, swinging her hammer. The Blue ribbon that trailed the hammer illuminated the figure. It was dressed like a person, but had the head of a bumblebee. Behind it, Rafferty could see a larger, stationary figure. It was a giant spider, rearing up with all its legs spread wide. Except it had a human head.

Rafferty had to turn from the bright Blue burst as Cody's hammer struck the offending prop. When she turned back, the bumblebee man wasn't there anymore.

Cody stood there, breathing heavily.

"You understand that you just smashed someone who was crying out for help, right?" Rafferty asked.

Cody stared at her for a second.

"Shut up. It looked scary," she said before she turned and kept walking.

Everyone laughed, even Trevor, and Trevor never laughed during a mission.

Eventually the laughs subsided, and it was quiet again. It was only a few moments later that they heard noise overhead, like something was moving around in the ceiling.

"Maybe it's rats," said Rafferty, thinking about the shredded sleeping bag, and trying to make Cody feel better.

"Maybe," said Trevor.

But when Rafferty looked at her Jack, he was looking back at her, and shaking his head no.