Everybody Is in the Place by Emma J. Gibbon is a nightmare wrapped in neon light. In this tale, we follow two characters riding the high of an acid trip while they enter a fairground for an evening of fun (or at least what they thought would be fun).

Drawn like moths to the glow of a fairground at night, these two characters float along in their acid trip as they make their way to their destination. It’s not the rides or cotton candy that calls to them, it’s the labyrinth!

The moment they step inside, the real trip begins…

As this is a short story, I will leave us with just two notes:

1 – I was TOTALLY hooked into this tale. I read it in one sitting and I’m pretty sure I didn’t move at all while reading.

2 – That ending! Oh my gosh. There’s a small, almost throwaway moment earlier in the story that comes roaring back in the final lines. It’s subtle, devastating, and absolutely brilliant. It doesn’t just stick the landing, it redefined everything that came before it!

PHEW. Everybody Is in the Place is a tale that toys with perception, shifting between euphoria and unease with such artistry that you barely notice the turn… until it’s too late.