×

The air smelled like cotton candy, popcorn, and the hot metal smell from the rides sitting in the sun all day. Trine squealed happily while looking at everything. The carnival was very colorful, almost garish like a clown puked rainbows all over it, but somehow it pulled us in and made us feel like we were kids again. Though, how could we feel like kids again when we didn't remember what being a kid felt like? There were the sounds of the rollercoasters moving and the screams of excitement from people. This place was so popular and packed with tons of different people. We walked around for a bit looking at the different signs and the booths when we found the ticket counter. There was a man at the booth giving tickets to people and giving them wristbands. I looked behind the woman and child in front of us to get a better look. He was tall and had red skin. His face was filled with feathers, he had a long nose, and his hair was white as silk. He was wearing a pink suit and I noticed behind him was a pair of wings on his back. I thought back to different history books I have read and this man reminded me of a Tengu, a spirit from Japanese mythical culture. There was another figure behind him sitting in a chair in the back corner of the booth, they must have been their assistant. As more people left the line, we finally got to the front. The man grinned at us as we arrived. 

"Welcome to Ryder's Splendiferous Carnival! Trademarked." He said enthusiastically. "I am Ryder! Krivo Ryder. Welcome to my life's work! I'm guessing you two are looking to get in?" 

Wow, the creator of this carnival was still alive and standing right in front of us. I was honored and smiled. 

"Yes, Mr. Ryder," I said. 

We both paid and Trine gave the money to Ryder. He shuffled the money in his hands happily, his black, round glasses shined and he gave a conceited smirk. 

"Maw, put this with the others!" He said, waving the money to the person in the back. His assistant, Maw, grunted and took it with a bit of attitude. He stuck it in a cash register and then collected the change. I heard Ryder whisper a comment to Maw as he walked back to us and Maw tensed up. He put the change on the counter for me to collect, I studied him before he went back into the corner. At first, I wasn't sure he had any head until I saw bright white fangs revealing in the atmosphere. He had a giant mouth as a head, with sharp piranha-like teeth and no lips. He had a maw. Every time he growled or grunted you could see his fangs. I wondered if he could only talk in growls. It made me feel frightened for a second, but I relaxed. Ryder wouldn't have hired him if he wasn't a good employee. He looked about my age, maybe a bit younger like Trine. He was wearing red and black striped workwear, his skin was olive green like a zombie, he had a short and plump physique, and he had hands with long nails that made them look like claws. He stood and looked at both me and Trine for a moment and then he sat back down. Though he had no eyes, I knew he looked at us, what else could he have been doing? Even if you're born with no eyes or mouth in this world, you still keep the senses you had from the last world.

"That's a good kid." Ryder whispered to Maw with derision. He then reached under the counter and gave us the tickets. 

"Enjoy!" He exclaimed. "Don't be afraid to give us money- I mean buy a snack or something!"

We both said thank you and looked around some more. Trine picked out the first ride which was a swing ride. I didn't like rides that spun in the air but I sucked it up, I wouldn't have any fun if I was scared. The man who let us into the ride was nice and he wore the same red and black uniform as Ryder's assistant. He had the head of a sunflower and he nodded to us before we got in. As we walked past him I saw a little wriggle of black in his light orange skin but I dismissed it. It must've been my eye playing tricks on me. The ride was greater than I expected. I felt the wind push by me and I closed my eye. It was almost peaceful when you ignore all the noises in the background. Trine ate some popcorn and nachos and I again shivered at the thought of eating. She picked out an out of place crow feather in the food and she laughed, wondering how it got there. We walked around for a while and I realized that the weather was strangely perfect, especially the wind. It blew just right. We tried a few other rides too, bumper cars, tilt-a-whirls, log rides, and finally my favorite ride, the drop tower! Through all these rides, Trine was cheered up and I was so glad she was feeling better. But something weird is that on each ride I saw a couple of birds flying out of them, whether it was from a ceiling or tower or even the ride itself. Sometimes it looked impossible from where the bird started and where it landed, and all of the employees working at the rides and food stands acted the same. They took my ticket and then they nodded. Trine didn't notice any of these happenings though, so I thought I was going crazy. I decided we should go soon, it was getting hot and our legs were getting tired, and well... I was becoming a bit creeped out from... I... never mind, I'm sure everything is normal here. 

"Awe, but we're having so much fun! Can't we do just one more ride?" Trine asked.

I agreed and we decided to go on the Ferris wheel.  It wasn't very big, but it was just the right size to look over the park. The park looked amazing from this view, I saw all the people, and all the rides, it was so beautiful. 

"Wow, this place is so great!" Trine looked over. "We should go here again if we get the chance."

I agreed. It was great. But something in the back of my brain uttered something small, but powerful. 

Too great.

As we were up high, I saw the gates of the place closing. It was odd that they were closing while everyone was inside, they had no reason to. Trine pointed it out as well and I felt an ache of worry. Then I saw a bird fly out of the Ferris wheel like the others. The Ferris wheel started to creak and turn in unnatural ways and more birds flew out of it. Then it turned black and feathers sprouted from the seats. A bird's head burst from the cushion in the middle of me and Trine's seat. We both screamed.

"This Ferris wheel is made out of birds!" I cried, trying to keep steady as it twisted. Trine shrieked for someone to stop this thing or help us get out but none of the people below us paid attention to our cries. 

>

Ryder looked up at the two women screaming as the Ferris wheel toppled. He made a sinister grin and cracked his knuckles. 

"It's my feeding time."

×

The Ferris wheel collapsed and we fell through heaps of birds. They screeched and cawed and nipped at our skin and clothes. They broke our fall as we hit the ground, but our faces slapped the concrete. I groaned and looked up, my vision was blurry. All the rides morphed into birds and I tried to see if anyone could help us, but the people just stared at us. Then, speedily, they turned into birds as well and swarmed us. One bird flew right into me and knocked the air out of my lungs. They pecked at us and started tearing our clothes and I heard Trine cry that a bird nipped her eye. They striked us at least seven times until I peered through the mass of wings and saw a mess of teeth followed by a body barrelling through the birds. It bit and battered them and threw them at different angles to get them off us. The person took me and Trine's hands and pushed us out of the swarm. I glanced back and realized the person who helped us was Maw. 

"GET AWAY FROM HERE!!!" He hollered.

This felt like a dream and I couldn't get my legs to move at first, but I forced myself and grabbed Trine's hand and we ran as fast as we could to the exit. Maw followed us and gnawed the gate open with his sharp teeth. We climbed through the broken hole and I felt tears form in my eye as I heard the flapping of wings come closer. Trine held my hand tight and we were almost by the car until she realized it was dark now, and the moon was up. She froze, gazing at the moon with terror, I tried to shake her and get her to move but she stood still. We saw a shadow of birds form in front of us, the birds formed into Ryder. He cackled joyfully at our shaking, battered bodies. Maw crawled through the hole we just escaped from, but he froze when he saw Ryder. 

"Well, well, well. I would have never forgiven myself if I let my snacks get away. Hmm, how did you escape my birds anyways?"

He looked at Maw with scorn. He moved closer to him and Maw gritted his teeth. 

"Maw, boy, you think I wouldn't know? You think I wouldn't peck your pearly whites out of your bloody mouth and wear them as a necklace?" Ryder said, with a blood-curdling grin. "You know how important it is for me to feed."

Maw stood there facing his head to the ground, he didn't look terrified of Ryder. He was his servant and he must've been threatened many times before.

"LOOK AT ME!" Ryder raged.

Maw slowly turned his head up to Ryder. He stared at him coldly, and then he swiftly bit down on Ryder's long, feathery nose. Ryder yelped and tried to get Maw off him, but Maw sank his claws into him. Maw then finally let go and jumped off of him.

"I won't fricking work for you anymore, you piece of demon crap!!" Maw challenged. "Find someone else to call your stupid servant!"

"YOU DARE TALK TO ME LIKE THAT? YOU CRETIN!" Ryder swung his hand into the sky, about to beat Maw when something stopped him. A weird glow showed off of the moon and hit Ryder. He became paralyzed and his eyes glowed from the reflection.Trine looked at Ryder and then looked at the moon with incredibility. The moon saved Maw. 

"L-lets go!" She stuttered with panic. 

"Come with us!" I took Maw's hand and pulled him. 

Maw breathed heavily and then followed. 

We took off in the car and I sped up, ignoring the speed limit signs for a few miles. No one was there. We were alone. Maw sat in the back, I glanced at him a few times while driving. He was looking out the window and then realized I was staring at him. He grossly licked his teeth with his long, dark green tongue to get a reaction out of me. There was blood sticking to his fangs from Ryder's nose. 

"Drive." He demanded grimly.

I looked back at the road quickly.

What have we gotten ourselves into?