Amusement Park Arcana

by Jennifer R. Donohue

Riley’s best friend Tara went missing last October from the shitty amusement park where she worked. By spring, the police are no closer to having any answers, so Riley’s taking it in her own hands.

She just knows Tara’s still at the park somewhere, and an uncanny phone call on Riley’s first day as a park employee only confirms that. The quest to bring Tara or her body home draws Riley further from her family and her boyfriend as she spends more time in the park’s liminal spaces and opening day looms large.

94 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 15, 2026

About the author

Jennifer R. Donohue grew up at the Jersey Shore and now lives in central New York with her husband and their Doberman. A member of the SFWA, she works at her local public library where she also facilitates a writing workshop. Her work has appeared in Apex Magazine, Escape Pod, Fusion Fragment, and elsewhere. Her debut novel, Exit Ghost is available now. She tweets @AuthorizedMusin and you can subscribe to her Patreon for a new short story every month: https://www.patre-
on.com/JenniferRDonohue