Tales from the Crypt

Tales from the Crypt: Tourist Trap Revisited (Part 1 of 2)

by Inferno

Storycodes: M/f+; bond; tape; rope; kidnap; nc; X

Writer's Note: This story was inspired by one of my all-time favorites, the cult-classic horror movie "The Tourist Trap" which starred Tanya Roberts before she was on Charlie's Angels and Chuck Connors in his "post Rifleman" years as an actor. The images used to illustrate this story are from the movie from www.terrortrap.com (a horror fan site), videos for sale www.centaurcelloid.com, and various clubs found in Yahoo!.

"Hello horror and damsel in distress fans. Crypt Keeper here. With the holidays coming around the corner with people traveling all over the world visiting the sights and sounds with this advanced technology, people still turn up missing. Just like this little tale of a group of young women that encounter a tourist trap that offered more than just gaudy trinkets. Nehehehehehehe!!!!

Tourist trap revisited (part 1 of 2)

While northeast America was cold with the approaching winter season it was fairly mild as the beaming sun shone is the clear blue sky in the southern region of the country. The five friends continued traveling south drove in an SUV down the highway. It was a women's only vacation for the them as they went south; most of their boyfriends went north to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs play to catch some National Football League action while getting some autographs.

Driving was Becky, who was about 5 foot 3 inches tall with a slender frame with brown eyes and dark brown hair that went down to her neck. She was dressed in a black tank top with loose fitting blue jeans. Next to Becky was her friend Molly, who was around 5 foot 6 inches tall with a petite frame and long brown hair. Easily the most reserved of the five, she was wearing pair of black slacks and a red sweatshirt. Sitting in the back seat were Anne, a slender college student with short blonde hair, her friend Chandra, a graduate student who with long reddish brown hair, and Nikki, a 24 year old blonde dressed in a white long sleeve shirt and pair of jeans. They were en route to a week long vacation at a lake resort, meeting their friend Colleen, a 28 year old junior executive taking some time off to reunite with some of her college friends. The resort's location was secluded, requiring a lot of travel on local and service roads. Pulling off the main highway, the two traveled several miles along the winding and secluded roads.

"How much further to the lakeside resort?" asked Nikki.

"A while..." answered Molly as she checked the map. "...another 50 miles or so... we'll get there by this evening."

"Early evening.... ouch..." groaned Chandra as she briefly stretched out and sat back on the seat. Becky simply laughed as she continued driving down the road.

Suddenly, Becky started hearing a strange noise from the engine and started to slow down.

"Molly, do you hear that noise?" asked Becky. Molly responded with a look of concern. "Yes, I do. I think we need to pull over."

Agreeing as the sound increasing the volume Becky pulled off the highway and onto a small access road and deep into the woods, along a gravel and dirt road until finally the she eased the jeep to a stop. A mixture of steam and smoke shot from underneath the hood as she turned off the engine.

"That can't be good...." spoke Chandra in a worried tone of voice.

"Maybe it's just the radiator that's overheated..." hoped Becky as she popped the hood open from the driver's seat and saw a wave of smoke, steam, and heat emanate from the engine. The five friends got out of the SUV and lifted the hood open.

"What do you think? Bad battery?" asked Chandra, peering over everyone's shoulder.

"I don't know." replied Becky as she checked the battery connections and engine, seeing no visible cracks or leaks. "At least there's no fuel or oil leak. Too bad we didn't see a gas station on the way on this road."

"There's nothing out here." sighed Anne as she looked around and saw nothing but forest. It was late afternoon when their SUV broke down, as the five sat and waited for a passing motorist to come by. Unfortunately for them it was a secluded area, with no vehicle passing through nor could they even hear a vehicle moving along one of the other service roads.

Just then an old tow truck came driving down the road. Becky flagged the vehicle which pulled over in front of her SUV.

"Hello, ladies, what can I do for you?" asked the middle-aged man. He appeared to be older man in his early 50s as he got out and sat nonchalantly on the hood of his truck to relax. He had blond hair, a black cowboy hat and wore a blue work shirt with blue jean overalls. Resting on his knees was what appeared to be a shotgun at first glance, but was actually a novelty walking stick carved and stained to resemble one. He seemed like a nice enough person.

"Our vehicle broke down.." explained Becky.

"Well, how about if I tow it free of charge to my garage and take a look at it?" offered the middle-aged man.

"That'd be great. Thank you...Mister....." replied Becky, trying to ask for a name.

"...Slausen." smiled Slausen. "Just call me Slausen."

* * *

Slausen hooked up the SUV to his tow truck and drove a few miles down the road to his garage. Slausen drove a couple of miles and pulled into the museum, with on the front a faded sign "Slausen's Lost Oasis". He then parked the truck and opened the doors, revealing the museum that also served as his home. Inside the museum was a conglomeration of souvenirs and remnants of the Old West. What struck all five women were how realistic looking the wax dummies around were.

"Here we are... Slausen's Lost Oasis. Finest display of the Old West in the county." smiled Slausen as he showed off the items in the museum, featuring Union and Confederate heroes from the Civil War, and various characters from the Old West and Indian Wars. There was a heavy layer of dust over everything, as if customers had not visited it in several months.

"It will take me one or two hours total to go to the auto parts store in town and do the repairs. Dawn can come with me into town so she can drive the SUV back once it's fixed. It's a good thing the auto parts store in town is open on extended hours, as is the mechanic." explained Slausen. "It won't be long before I and my friend get you ladies on your way. Sorry I don't have a working phone."

"Sure. And please, don't apologize. You're doing me and my friends a great favor helping us out like this." cheerfully replied Dawn, grateful for the lucky turn of events. She and Slausen then left the museum and got into his truck. They heard the truck start up and pull out, heading back down the access road with the SUV in tow.

"That crazy coot gives me the creeps." sarcastically said Nikki. "There's something not quite right about him. Old guy living out here all by himself in this deserted old shop? There's something really strange about this whole thing."

"He's probably just lonely, Nikki, stop giving him the third degree." replied Molly, defending Slausen. "If it wasn't for him we'd still be stranded on that old road."

About an hour passed. Bored, Anne looked out the window and saw a large white house in the distance. "Hey... there's a house not too far from here, and there's a light on. I wonder why Mr. Slausen never mentioned that to us before."

Nikki put on her sweatshirt as the sun started to set as the red and orange sunlight streamed through the windows.

"Nikki, where are you going?" asked Molly.

"To check out that place... maybe they have a working phone and we can call Colleen at the resort about us being late." said Nikki. "Besides, I don't like the idea of being cooped up here.

"Nikki.... don't..." pleaded Molly, asking her friend not to leave.

Nikki gave a cocky smile to Molly, Anne, and Chandra. "If I'm not back in 15 minutes, form a posse."

Nikki made her way down the dirt trail, which sloped down a hill and towards the white house. It was a few hundred meters from Slausen's place, and as Nikki turned around she could vaguely see the lights on at Slausen's museum and home. Nikki reached the house and knocked on the door and saw the lights on inside, but heard nothing. Several seconds passed and there was no answer after she knocked a couple more times. Nikki tested the doorknob that was unlocked and opened, and entered the large house. She walked to the source of the light, sliding open the double doors into what appeared to be the main living room.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" innocently asked Nikki as she entered, seeing only mannequins of old men and women sitting on rocking chairs inside.

"Oh my god..." muttered Nikki in shock as she observed the mannequins arranged in the living room like some deranged display.

"Nikki...." whispered a voice in another room.

"Who said that?" asked Nikki as she looked up and slowly followed the voice into the next room. "Hello?"

"Nikki...." whispered the strange voice again. Nikki cautiously entered the next room, which appeared to be an empty storage room although it was still carpeted. Unbeknownst to her, a tall gaunt figure followed behind her, hiding in the shadows of the house corners and crevices.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" asked Nikki as she entered the center of the room. Briefly looking into a mirror mounted on a wall, she saw the tall gaunt figure enter the doorway. Instantly the glass shattered, as if some mysterious force smashed it.

"OMIGOD...." panted Nikki as she stood frozen with fear. The tall figure, wearing a mask with blackened eyes and a blond wig, simply stared at and pointed to various directions by tilting his head, creating havoc the room. Chairs rumbled on the floor, glass jars shattered, and the other room door in front of Nikki slammed shut and locked itself. Objects began flying through the air. Mannequin parts flew through the air wildly, as Nikki ducked and evaded the flying mannequin hands and legs. Suddenly, a mannequin head flew threw the air and struck Nikki on the back of her head, knocking her out cold. Nikki slumped to floor. The tall, masked figure smiled as he walked to Nikki's knocked out body and groped her breasts.

"A pretty one." commented the man as he picked Nikki up and carried her downstairs into the basement and stripped her down to her bra and panties. Standing her up against a pole and procuring several lengths of rope, the strange man bound her hands behind the pole tightly binding and strapping her to it. Nikki winced as she began to stir, feeling the pain on the back of her head. She then opened her eyes and tried to move, only to find her hands and feet bound and completely immobilized.

"AH!" shrieked Nikki as she struggled. "I CAN'T MOVE!!!! LET ME GO!!!!" exclaimed Nikki in shock as she kicked and struggled, hearing the ropes strain and stretch against her body.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh..." sinisterly laughed the strange man as he gagged Nikki with some strips of black tape.

"MMMMPPPPHHHHH!!!!!" screamed Nikki through the gag.

"That'll hold you until the rest of your friends arrive..." smiled strange man as he left the basement.

Meanwhile, back at Slausen's Lost Oasis Museum Molly, Anne, and Chandra started to grow concerned and worried over their friend Nikki who hadn't returned yet.

"It's been over a half hour." commented Anne. "I think we need to look for her."

Molly took a deep sigh and nodded in agreement. "I'm worried too, Becky. Let's look for her."

"But what if Mr. Slausen and Becky come back before we return?" asked Chandra. "Maybe one of us should stay behind in case Nikki returns or Mr. Slausen and Becky do."

"Okay. Why don't you stay here, Molly, and Chandra and I go look for Nikki." offered Anne. Molly reluctantly agreed since the place was starting to give her the creeps. Anne and Chandra each picked up a flashlight that Slausen kept behind one of the counters. Night had finally come, and the two young women slowly made their way down the hill towards the house, which still had a light on inside.

"Hello? Is anybody there???" called out Anne to the house.

"Hello??? Nikki????" called out Chandra. Neither of them heard anything. Cautiously, the two entered the house. Entering the living room, it appeared to have just been moved, evident by some of the rocking chairs still moving.

"Was someone just in here?" asked Anne.

"I don't know..." replied Chandra. "Hello? Anybody?"

The two friends made their way up the stairs, which was still lit. They entered one of the lit bedrooms, only to find in horror their friend Becky bound with heavy leather cuffs spread eagled to a bed.

"MMMMMMMPPPHHHH!!!!!" cried out Becky to her two friends, who quickly ran over to her and removed the gag.

"Who did this to you?" asked Anne as Chandra tried to undo the bindings. "Are you all right?"

"I don't know." explained Becky. "We stopped down to road at a public pay phone so I could call Colleen at the resort. I got out and I saw Mr. Slausen go into the restroom while I made the phone. Something hit me from behind and I blacked out... I just woke up a few minutes ago here."

"These cuffs are padlocked." complained Chandra, trying to free her friend. "I can't get them off to untie you!"

"Get out of here and get help! Call the police!!!" pleaded Becky. Reluctantly Anne and Chandra left the room, running down the stairs to leave the house. Suddenly, blocking their way out was the same strange tall man who captured their friend Nikki earlier, wearing a different mask from before.

"OH MY GOD....." screamed Anne is panic at the sight of the strange masked man in front of them. The man was wearing a woman's wig and the mask was decorated with red rouge makeup.

Anne and Chandra tried to run and escape through another doorway. Suddenly, a flying mannequin came out of nowhere striking Anne on the back of the head, knocking her out. Chandra momentarily stopped to try to pick up her friend, only to be tackled by the strange man. Chandra was pinned underneath the massive weight and tried to fight back, placing a well aimed knee to the man's groin. The man slumped to the groin stunned as Chandra crawled out from underneath and opened one of the other doors. Instantly a massive pile of mannequins fell out the doorway and landed on Chandra, striking her and knocking her out cold.

"Heh-heh-heh-heh...." maliciously laughed the strange man as he picked up Anne and carried her downstairs into the basement where he was keeping Nikki captive. Afterwards he returned and pulled the knocked out Chandra from underneath the pile of mannequins and brought her downstairs as well.

The strange man then proceeded to remove Anne and Chandra's clothes, stripping them down to their bra and panties and tossing them off to the side in the same pile where Nikki's were. Nikki looked on helplessly as the man proceeded to tie the two friends seated back to back to a pole with rope and binding their ankles together before gagging them with some gray duct tape.

"I brought you some of your friends." smiled the man as he finished tying the knots and copped a quick feel of Nikki's breasts. Nikki turned her head away in disgust. The strange man left the basement just as Anne and Chandra awoke to their situation. Anne and Chandra began to struggle and escape, seeing their friend Nikki bound and gagged to a wooden pole just a few meters away as fear increased in their hearts.

Back at Slausen's Lost Oasis Molly was losing patience. Grabbing the last flashlight, she left the museum into the night heading to the old house, looking for her missing friends Nikki, Anne, and Chandra.

"Will Molly find and rescue her captive friends? You'll have to wait for part two! But don't worry, fan, the writer Inferno is very diligent at this sort of thing and won't delay the next part three years like the whole Star Wars trilogy!"

continued