Carnival Night

I drove passing by vast empty field after vast empty field. The fields of October were now a dull brown lifeless color. There would be nothing but fields for miles. I drove by these fields almost every night and tonight would be no different except for one thing.

Tonight was Halloween.

In a sense, it was still just another night to me as Halloween just wasn’t a holiday I celebrated or could really get into.

I relaxed at the monotony that surrounded me and felt comforted by the familiar. The only thing I ever had to worry about was the potential deer leaping out in front of me.

About halfway passing through the fields, the moment I came up over a hill, I noticed a strange structure in the middle of the field. The moonlight only offered a glimpse of the structure as it towered over the field. every now and then I caught movement as I stood there unable to comprehend what I was seeing.

It was strange but something about it was oddly familiar. A familiarity I just couldn’t place. I slowed the car to a creeping crawl. That’s when I noticed other structures. And then, almost like something could sense my presence, the whole field lit up with a colorful array of bright white and colored lights.

I stopped the car completely unable to take my eyes off what I saw in the field.

I had been looking at a Ferris Wheel.

My gaze quickly swept through the fields. I saw more rides that towered above the field and tents scattered throughout.

This was a carnival.

None of this made any sense. The town carnival was in July and they’d never have it in the middle of a field where there wasn’t anything for miles.

I was about to shrug off the odd occurrence when my curiosity coerced me to check this carnival out.

Without giving myself a chance to change my mind, I pulled off the side of the road, got out of the car, and walked towards the field to the carnival.

The closer I approached the mysterious carnival, a strange and unsettling feeling fell over me. A feeling that something wasn’t quite right. That there was something within the realms of otherworldly in the air.

I glanced over my shoulder and continued to sweep my gaze within my immediate vicinity. It was strange that there were no other cars to be seen. The faint yet growing sounds of people talking, laughing, and screaming on rides only added to my confusion.

When I finally got close enough to the first few tents and rides of the carnival, that’s when I first saw the people.

I gave a slight nod of acknowledgment to the first few people I passed by. And then the next few.

“Isn’t it odd for them to have a carnival out here of all places?” I questioned to one passerby at random.

That’s when I realized there was something odd and unsettling about these people. And not just a few in the crowd but every single one.

Every person’s focus was on the moment they were in -talking and laughing with those they were with, gazing and pointing at rides and games — but not one of them acknowledged my existence. Their behavior had an eerie feel to it and I was nonexistent in their world. It was as if I were a ghost to them. A phantom of sorts unseen and unnoticed in their eyes.

I should have turned around and left right then and there. I should have listened to the faint voice within me that suggested I leave now.

It wasn’t my curiosity that enticed me to seek out the events of the carnival. It was a bizarre feeling that overshadowed me and pulled me hypnotically further into the carnival.

Those that stood in front of their booths waiting for the next customer to take a gamble in their games, had a stare that followed me slowly and methodically. It was a stare that latched on the second I had the misfortune of making eye contact in an attempt to lure me into their games.

While I was like a ghost to everyone else, those that were in charge of their games noticed me.

“Go on, take a chance,” a smooth and convincing voice said. “You know you want to.” The voice and the figure standing in front of me felt real yet it didn’t. As if who or what I was looking at was between a dream and reality.

None of this felt real yet at the same time, felt as real as anything.

Without thinking, as if I was in a trance, I took the rings to toss over the glass bottles.

As I gripped the rings, a strange feeling fell over me. It was a chilling feeling that made me forget everything else in my life and convinced me to stay.

Was it the dark atmosphere that falls over us every October on Halloween?

Was it my fascination and curiosity of this dark and mysterious carnival?

Still holding onto the last ring to toss, I glanced up at the rest of the carnival. Wide eyed, I moved my sight from every ride stopping momentarily at the Ferris Wheel and then to every other sight that surrounded me.

None of this made any sense. This carnival shouldn’t even be here. Was this even real? The strange behavior of the people. The otherworldly atmosphere — it couldn’t be real!

Something felt strange. I flexed my hand and looked down only to realize that there was no ring in my hand. Confused and in disbelief, I looked toward the ground sure that I had only dropped it in the midst of my disbelief. I looked back up only to find that the carnival — the rides, games, and people were not there. Only the vast and empty field.