Carnival

Carnival

 “I’ll be in the playroom Mom.”

His hand was resting on the brass knob as he spoke. With a twist he pushed it open and with a step he was inside, but also outside. He found no walls or floor, just darkness, so dark he could see nothing in front of him not even his hand as he raised it and wiggled his fingers. His eyes moved left and right, down then up. It was up that he saw them.

Above his head twinkled stars, millions upon millions of burning, bright lights. They were so far away and yet they felt so close. So close that he reached his hand up and plucked one out. The burning light burned bright, but flickered as he brought it close. His nose flared with the smell of popcorn just before he felt the kernel between his fingers. Without a thought he popped it into his mouth, the savory flavors of butter and salt exploded on his taste buds. His feet moved forward as he proceeded to reach up and pluck the stars one after another, with each step he popped another salty, buttery star into his mouth.

Light appeared before him as he walked with a handful of stars. With each step the light grew clearer until an entrance formed before him lined with big, round bulbs. Inside he went, and inside he found colors. Blues and greens, purples and reds, candles with flickering flames following one after another. He was inside, but outside, and still he plucked the silly stars from the sky and snacked. The flames grew larger and larger, and still he walked on. Flames of yellow and orange, red and pure white, now pink and puffy the candles grew bright.

Mesmerized by the funny, flickering, flames he reached out to grab them with an empty hand. When he grabbed the pink flames he giggled with a touch, the flames were not fire, but rather candy of cotton, and so he munched. The candy cloud melted in his mouth as he walked, the sweetest taste of sugar fluff.

With a hand full of candy clouds and another with kernels that crunch, he grew parched and wished he had a drink. With the cotton candles burning and the popcorn stars above, laughter echoed ahead out of sight. The corridor twisted and turned as the laughter grew loud, then louder, now when he looked down he realized his feet had stopped. Not only had he stopped walking, but he was sitting. And although he was sitting, forward he was still moving, first at a slow and gentle pace, then faster and faster. Unsure of where he was going he finished his snacks, the last bit of candy melted on his tongue as felt himself climbing.

Climbing up and up, steeper and steeper until the stars were directly in front of him. As he climbed the clicking sound of metal ratcheting echoed in his ears. Louder and louder it grew, and as it grew the climb slowed. He levelled out and sat still for a moment or two, and a gust of wind rushed up at him. Then he tipped over so gently forward, he dipped and then he dropped, diving down he raced. His hair pulled back and his eyes teared, he was so excited this first coaster ride was nothing like he feared.

As he dove the temperature dropped, it dropped and dropped until breath burst forth from his mouth. All at once the ride came crashing down like a log down a flume. At first he thought he crashed into a pile of snow, but no, instead his coaster crashed into a cold slushy mix. Upward scarlett and sienna and sapphire slush sprayed, he watched it rise until it fell. When it dropped he opened his mouth, tongue stuck out, he tasted the sour-sweet-slush, finally quenching his thirst.

He exited the coaster, or at least he thought, still he could not see the carriage that dropped. He walked as the colorful slush fell around him. Tired now his eyes grew heavy, another light ahead he did see. The light turned to many and formed a rectangular shape. The door from before had appeared once more. His hand reached the brass knob just as the slush snow stopped. With a twist the door opened and out of the playroom he walked.