Buoyant yellow canaries chirp as they fly by the little house near the cemetery. The wind carefully helped the little birds glide through the bright blue sky like training wheels on a bike. It was the sound of summer beginning—the start of a new chapter, a new era in my life. I open my eyes, the windows to my world. My periwinkle-colored walls stared at me ambiguously as if scared of what I’d become. I always wondered what the future held for me.
The future is something no one knows, one can plan for it, but that doesn’t ensure how it ends. The future is like a bird in a cage. You can try to control the future by locking it in and keeping your eye on it, but once you blink it escapes. You then realize you’re no longer the one in control as it once was. All you can do now is hope the best for the bird.
Today was the famous annual summer carnival here in my hometown, Periwinkle Valley. I was so excited to go since I’d never been before. I had begged my parents to let me go tonight. After a long draining discussion, they let me go. I would leave the house at six-thirty pm and walk to the carnival. By the time I’d get there, it should be around seven at night, just in time for the opening.
“Aviva, please do be careful dear, I have no idea why you’d even want to go to that carnival!”, my mom said worriedly while passing me my black tote. I stared at the monochromatic crimson pins, metal piercing through my soft canvas black bag. Each is the same
color, yet so different in hue. I collect pins. I find them so pretty and interesting. Where did they even come from? It’s been so long since I got one. Maybe I’ll find some lost ones at the carnival.
“Aviva! You never pay attention when I’m speaking to you! You’re just like your father!”, my mother said irritatedly. These words seemed to pierce me just as much.
“I’ll be fine Mom, trust me. I’m old enough to go by myself, I’m 16. I’ve been begging to go for years!”, I said in annoyance rolling my eyes although I didn’t mean it. My mom was frustrated. I knew she wanted the best for me, but it was just so frustrating how she treated me as if I was always trying to cause mischief. I’ve never done anything like that, I don’t know why she doesn’t trust me.
“I just don’t know dear. Honestly, I don’t even know why I’m letting you go. I tried to talk to your father about it, but he is always too busy to listen to a word I say!”, my mother murmured angrily while giving my dad the side-eye. He was reading the newspaper. Focusing, he read and read and read. I’m surprised his eyes haven’t fallen out of his head yet. My mom took off her apron and went on with her day. She murmured something else but I didn’t get to hear what. I stared back down at my tote and slung it across my shoulder. This weight felt heavy on my shoulder, but why should I care? I brought this issue upon myself anyway.
“Oh…well bye Mom. Bye Dad..!”, I shouted quietly. No one responded. Blood-red luminance shined towards my baby blue sneakers. I turn to see it came from the stained glass window. I then knew it was my time to be happy.
I opened the silent door to the lonely house, making the threshold creak with my heavy step. I then thought about my new life.
“Soon I’ll experience something new. Something fun and exciting. Alone with my thoughts and decisions. Finally”, I thought as I walked up the stone path, kicking the stones as I marched.
“It’s getting dark out”, I thought as I skipped. Seconds later a bright rainbow light caught my gaze and I heard a shriek of joyfully terrified children. I look up from the headstone-gray gravel to the huge lit-up sign of the carnival: The Red Asphodel Carnival. I so dearly wanted to go. I then hear the roar of the roller coaster speeding by. Unmindfully, I darted into the alluring fantasy. The wind runs past me as I run forward and my hair flies in the wind like a ghost. Lights twinkle beautifully everywhere which amazed me. The lights seemed like a sign of hope for me, a reassurance that everything would be alright. I’m here at the carnival, not at home… I then felt someone grab my shoulder. I turned around immediately to find it was just that same wind. I felt cold.
I then saw a little girl with cotton candy. Maybe cotton candy will help me feel better. Yeah, maybe that’s what I need, a little sugar… I ran to the line to which the fibrous sticky rose candy was sold. In line, I started feeling the cold wind wrap around me again. I got chills. “Leave me alone!”, I thought hopelessly. I’m convinced I’m at least a bit crazy at this point since the wind felt…human. It was like the wind was trying to kidnap me! Why is the wind following me? I look up and see a girl around my age getting her cotton candy. She gazed at the sweet cotton and the sugars seemed to stare back at her as if preparing for digestion. She finished the candy quite fast. A little too fast. She then had a panic in her illuminating eyes. Her cheeks started to fill and she started turning purple. She fell to her back, kicking, attempting to scream for help. All you could hear was a mumble. No one was helping the poor monster. Everyone seemed to ignore her! So caught up in fear, I just watched in disbelief. She scrambled and blootered in panic. Slow, slower, until she finally rested. Her mouth creaked open finally for her final breath of life. Spiders came running out of her dark cave. I went out of line to see her up close, her mouth was full of spider webs. She died.
I ran out of that evil carnival. Past all the evilly sweet games, past the treats good enough to die for, and past the beautiful noise of screams. As I ran away from this nightmare, I saw a boy playing balloon darts. The round bright balloons turned into children’s heads! Splat, splatter, splot! The colorful balloons soon turned monochromatic, all different hues of red like my pins! What was I witnessing? Was I delusional? The wind came again and pushed me to my knees. I screamed out of terror as I demolished.
“Take me out of here! Take me out of here! This place is a straight nightmare! Take me out of here! I’ve seen things no one ever wishes to see! Take me out of here!”, I screeched in anguish. Struggling, I got back up and started running again. I kept running and running. I then saw the bright exit sign of this hell. A few more steps until I’m out of here. Children fell out of the Ferris wheel, screaming with pleasure. A couple more steps until I’m out of here. Children were on fire from the blasting roller coaster. Three. More. Steps. The seconds felt like hours. Finally, the last step was ahead of me. I was wishing to be back home. I didn’t care to be there anymore. I wanted to be back home. I wished I had listened to my mother. I took the last step. Suddenly, the wind dragged me down to my knees, scraping the life out of me, and took me back expeditiously. I left a path of blood and fear. Time seemed so slow, yet the end seemed to come quickly. The lights became bright and luminous on the attractions. So clear, yet so blurry. I wanted to come here so badly to get away from my past…so why now am I crying, questioning am I awake or am I still sleeping?
