The Cursed Carnival of Carnage

It was a dark and stormy night when the group of friends, consisting of JENNY, MIKE, SARAH, EMILY, and TOM, decided to visit the abandoned carnival on the outskirts of town. The rickety Ferris wheel creaked in the wind as they approached the entrance, which was guarded by a faded sign that read 'Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here.'

As they stepped inside, Jenny couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. 'This place is seriously creepy,' she whispered to Mike, who just shrugged and pulled out his flashlight.
The group began to explore the carnival, laughing and joking as they made their way through the deserted games and attractions. But as the night wore on, the jokes started to dwindle and the laughter grew quieter.

It was then that they stumbled upon a small, mysterious booth tucked away in a corner of the midway. The sign above it read 'Madam Zorvath's Fortune Telling,' but the door was locked and the window was covered in a thick layer of grime.

'Hey, let's go inside!' Emily exclaimed, tugging on the door handle. But to their surprise, it wouldn't budge.

Suddenly, a loud creaking noise echoed through the carnival, making them all jump. The group turned to see the Ferris wheel lurch into motion, its seats swinging ominously in the darkness.

'What's going on?' Sarah asked, her voice trembling slightly. But before anyone could answer, the lights flickered and died, plunging the carnival into total darkness.

The group froze, their ears straining to pick up any sound that might give away what was happening. And then, out of the silence, they heard it - a low, menacing chuckle that seemed to come from all around them.

'Run!' Mike shouted, grabbing Jenny's arm and pulling her towards the entrance. But as they stumbled through the darkness, tripping over obstacles and crashing into each other, they realized they were not alone in the carnival.

The killer was among them, stalking them through the shadows with an unnatural gait that made their blood run cold. Emily screamed as she felt a hand grasp her ankle, pulling her down to the ground.

'No!' Sarah cried out, dropping to her knees beside Emily. But it was too late - the killer had already dragged Emily away, into the darkness.

The group stumbled on, desperate to escape the carnival and its deadly secrets. But as they reached the entrance, they were met with a sight that made their blood run cold.
The gates were locked, trapping them inside. And on the gate, scrawled in blood, was a single word: 'Welcome.'

The group frantically searched for another way out, but every door led only to more terrors - and more victims. Tom fell to his knees as he stumbled upon Emily's mangled body, her eyes frozen in a permanent scream.

Jenny felt Mike's grip on her arm tighten as they realized they were running out of time. They had to find a way out before the killer struck again.

But as they turned to face each other, Jenny saw something that made her heart sink - Mike's eyes had changed. His pupils were dilated, and his skin was slick with sweat.

'What's wrong?' she whispered, but he just shook his head and pulled her close.

It wasn't until they heard the sound of laughter echoing through the carnival that Jenny realized what was happening. Mike had been infected by some sort of deadly virus - and now it was spreading to the others.

As the group stumbled through the darkness, their vision blurring and their minds clouding, they knew they were doomed. The killer was not just a monster - it was a symptom of something far more sinister lurking in the shadows.

The carnival itself seemed to be coming alive, its twisted attractions and games infesting the minds of the victims like a deadly virus. And at the heart of it all was Madam Zorvath's booth, its secrets waiting to be uncovered by those brave - or foolhardy - enough to face them.

As the darkness closed in around them, Jenny knew she had to act fast if they were going to survive. She grabbed Mike's arm and pulled him close, whispering a desperate plan into his ear.

But it was too late. The killer had already found them, its presence like a cold wind that swept through the carnival and left nothing but death in its wake.

In the end, only Jenny survived - but at what cost? She stumbled out of the carnival, gasping for air as she looked back at the twisted attractions and games that seemed to be mocking her.

The Ferris wheel creaked ominously in the wind, its seats swinging empty and still. And on the gate, scrawled in blood, was a single word: 'Welcome.'