Festival 1 “The House of Mirrors”
Every year for the last twenty years, Wellington Street has been host to a festival. The festival is known as “The Lovers,” and though the festival is based in old traditions of the Spring Equinox, it has become a time for young couples to come out with one another, since Valentine’s day on Wellington Street tends to be especially cold. It is always located in the large field between the theater and the library, and it sees host to a wide variety of classical rides, from the large Ferris Wheel to the various slides and coasters. Alongside these things are the usual arrangement of games and foods. However, there are also a large amount of original attractions that are only available around the time of the festival, which causes people to come from far away for the chance to participate.
By far the most popular of these attractions was for a long time the House of Mirrors, in which it was rumored that all truths were revealed. The attraction was taken out of rotation five years ago however, and plans to bring it back have met with stiff opposition. The reason for this was an incident that occurred shortly before the attractions closing, and though no official has been willing to discuss reasons for the attractions disappearance, it is assumed by many that it was the main cause.
The attraction consisted of two stories, with mirrors lining the walls. There were no windows, and only one entrance and one exit, excluding those emergency exits built in. Though it was not designed as a maze, the House of Mirrors was sometimes hard to navigate, and the flow of people was controlled strictly in order to maintain the sense of isolation among couples.
The festival began normally, with the majority of the attractions being opened up for patrons at around nine in the morning. It had been especially wet that year, and some of the attractions were experiencing technical problems, mostly in the way of the electrical. The House of Mirrors was one of those attractions, and after numerous attempts to get the lights back up it was decided that instead they would use candles, which were positioned on the floor at each intersection of the hallways. This proved to be a very popular move, and even after the difficulties were sorted it was decided that the candles would remain.
Throughout the days and nights, the candles were allowed to burn, replaced when needed, and inspected every couple of hours to make sure that their arrangement didn't offer a fire hazard. Over the days that followed, the attraction saw a nearly fifty percent increase in revenue, and it would seem that this change would be made permanent in following years. Patrons said that the candles reflected beautifully off the glass, providing just enough illumination to proceed. Some described the experience as romantic, while others found it disorienting and frightening. Whatever the reaction, the house continued to draw in customers from the opening to close, forcing some to be turned away.
Then, on the third night, it began to rain again. Some of the rides were shut down, but many of the attractions stayed open, and a large amount of the fair goers remained as well. As the night was drawing to a close, it was clear that there were simply too many people left to allow everyone to get a chance to go inside before closing. Despite the weather, the festival remained open to accommodate the influx of people.
At around eleven the last of the patrons were being run through the house. At the time there were fifteen people, and it took an average of ten minutes to make their way through. At eight after, there was a loud sound of cracking timbers. Then, inexplicably, the attraction collapsed, trapping all fifteen inside. Within minutes’ emergency crews were working too free the people from the attraction, but despite the short response time it was found that all of the patrons had perished in the collapse. It seemed that the mirrors were the cause, having broken during the calamity, killing all inside.
Cameras in the attraction were used to try and determine what might have gone wrong. After a deep investigation of the footage, it was determined that the building, being a temporary construction, was not built as water tight as it should have been. Because of the mirrors, the water that was seeping into the walls was not observed, and it was assumed that the building collapsed under the extra weight of the water. Though the team that built it argued that the had made the construction up to code, in the footage, pools of water were observed forming under the edges of the mirrors. The people involved were brought up on charges of involuntary manslaughter, and all but one was convicted.
Soon after it was announced that the attraction would not see renewal in the years to come, a small monument being put in its place. Even today, pieces of glass are found in the area of the collapse, pushed up from the ground during times of rain. The one person who was released of all responsibility was unwilling to talk to the press about the incident, refusing to speak on the matter up until his suicide nearly two years ago. In his note he expressed a simple apology, naming each of the people who had died in the collapse and begging for their forgiveness.
The other four people involved have since served their sentences, and have all moved far away from Wellington Street. The only true remaining mystery of the case is the identity of the fifteenth victim. Despite an extensive investigation, their identity could not be determined, even though they were around the age of fourteen, a fact that culminated in a rather exhaustive search of local schools. The victim, a female, has since been inputted into the record as a Jane Doe. Her belongings, including a book called “Malleus Maleficarum,” as well as pressed flowers are on display at the site of the Wellington Street Historical Society.
