Lakeside Carnival

Curiosity gripped at the mind as the bus circled about the lake. It was a dingey, faded green bus, that smelled like gasoline. The ghost tour Robin and her younger brother Aidan had been on had been coming to an end, the lake being the second last stop. It had been late September, the trees bare although it had seemed to early. The tour guide stood at the front – gripping the rails to keep his balance. He was haggered and his smile with a slight madness, black hair flying astray.

“Welcome my friends, to Lake Dedrey “ He had cried. Robin had glanced around at the other people on the bus, they had looked out the window in fascination. They were all slightly older or younger than her and Aidan , no one over their mid twenties. “So many went missing here! Never to be seen again. Let your minds wander – “ It had been the guide’s most common line at every location they had gone to , the ending unknown and meant to strike fear into them. "Here I have a newspaper clipping ! Make of it what you will. " He held the laminated sheet high, before passing it to the person sitting to his right.

As it circulated through the bus Robin and Aidan had patiently waited their turn, they had sat towards the back. The man in the seat in front of them turned around, Aidan snatching the newspaper passed to him. Robin leaned in to skim over it. It had been a picture of a carnival entrance, with a short paragraph underneath.

October 15, 2000

M. Griffin , the owner of the Griffin carnival is being held for the suspected involvement from the disappearance of ten people over the last twenty years. The last victim closely escaped him after going to his carnival and describing his words as hypnotic. He had won the golden ticket – a chance to meet the owner personally. The victim in question does not want to be named at this time for privacy purposes. Truly chilling words come from M.Griffin as he’s now questioned about the ten people. Experts pose the question if he’s fit for trial, or will be determined not guilty on claim of insanity.

"The lake, told me to do it. I had to hold that carnival every year – there are entities in the lake. Things I cannot understand. Things we cannot understand ; I have yet to decipher it myself. But please, shut down the carnival. I am free now, from this hypnosis and madness I have suffered these many years, at last. Please, throw out your tickets. Shut the place down. It is for the good of all of us. Finally, leave the lake and do not go back. “

The bus now came to a spluttering halt, jerking forward before fully stopping. They were now at a bridge ,the light oak coated with slime and the legs disappearing under the murky water. The doors opened with a bang, the people filing out and onto the grass. Robin and Aidan were some of the last to get out, the hoard of people loudly chattering as they got out. Aidan handed the laminated piece of paper back to the guide. He had stood by the stairs of the bus, yet his eyes were directed to the center of the lake.

“Everyone gather round. “ He announced. “Now we will cross the bridge. See that motel across the lake ? The only part of civilization that still stands here, and where we will stay the night.” This news had not been unexpected, as the tour had clearly outlined the weeks schedule. Regret still sunk into Robin’s heart , chills coming into her veins. The bridge was long, the motel they had been staying at only a speck in the distance. There was a murmur from the group before they began. The black waves licked at the bottom of the dock, the crevices between the boards wide,pond scum making the boards slippery. There had seemed to be no bottom, hidden by charcoal coloured water.

The depths of a lake are like a bottomless pit. If you’re not careful they’ll swallow you alive. They now stopped in the middle of the bridge, Robin had noticed the building across the lake, clouded in a grey coloured fog. Squinting she was able to make out the old carnival , now just faded objects in the distance, before the picture painted itself in her mind. The ferris wheel had spun slowly, creaked loudly. She saw the individual carts, the swinging baskets that had once carried people along through the air. A temporary vision of bright carnival lights – purple , orange, yellow, pink, each bulb on the wheel the shape of a small circle on the rusted frame. The tours guide’s voice snapped her out of it, it disappeared back into the grey haze and fizzled away.

“Yes. “ Said the tour guide. “At one point this lakeside village was alive – bustling even , one could say.

The way he had talked in circles had driven Robin nuts, she had been one who had liked definitive answer and reason and logic. The way he told his story had made her skin crawl, creeping into her veins. The humidity made wipe beads of sweat off of her brow, she followed the people the rest of the way over the dock, she dared not look down at the black water that had threatened to swallow the group whole.

***

They reached the motel quickly. Night fell on the lake soon afterwards , no moon in the sky and the darkness unnerving. Tom had sat in bed playing a video game, his headphones connected as he spoke to the friends that had now been so many miles away, exclaiming excitedly as he would win a goal, getting increasingly agitated as his team lost to the computer generated one. Robin sat quietly reading a book, yet often glanced out the window at the old carnival. The feeling she had gotten from it had shaken her, making her stomach turn.

“Hey are you ok ?” Aidan asked.

She looked back at him, losing track of how long she’d been looking out the window. “Fine. “ She nodded quickly. “You?”

“Fine too , but I don’t like this place. It scares me. The other places didn’t. This one does. I can feel something sinister. Something evil, something watching us. “

The lake sees you. Don’t let it in.

The voice in Robin’s mind came loudly, she shook it out before answering her brother. She did not want to confirm the fear she felt as well and alarm him further. “Come on, kiddo. We are out of here tomorrow. Get some sleep. Ghosts aren’t real. “

To her surprise, they had fallen asleep easily before a loud sound outside of the window woke her up. She had guessed that a few hours had passed, the night had not been pitch black as it had been, rather a crystal blue with the start of sunrise. She stood out of her bed and glanced out the window to see what the sound may have been. Her breath had now gone cold with shock, as she now looked at the bright pink and purple of the carnival. The ferris wheel spun in the distance, packed with people. The window had been facing the entrance , a man in the top hat checking the tickets of the people waiting in line. Robin had made eye contact with the man, before he raised his eyebrows, and nodded subtley. She had been frozen on the spot ,feet glued by the spot against the window. He now raised his hand, at first glance he was a handsome man yet when he smiled at her it was the grin of a chesire cat. He beckoned to her with a clawed finger, he let out a laugh that was silent, his hooked teeth showing with no sound coming out of his mouth. The window shuddered open, it now hung outside of the motel room, to which Robin stepped her way out. Her steps were light, she could barely feel the solid pavement underneath her, feeling as though she was walking on a cloud. She now approached him, her breath tight in her chest. Her legs moved robotically under her , her mind was a part of the fog around them. Entranced she looked up at him, he loomed about a foot taller than her.

“Your ticket, miss – “ He said. She had not been sure what she expected his voice to be like, but it was hallow, high pitched.

She reached a hand into the pocket of her pajama pants, shocked to feel a piece of paper there. Slightly crumpled she pulled it out, it was brightly coloured gold.

He now smiled again, his teeth slightly pointed. His hair was short and dark, he’d worn a long black trenchcoat accented with a bowtie. “Well miss. It looks like you’ve won the grand prize. A tour of Griffin Carnival from me. I have been running this for years – come with me. “

Robin took in his age, he appeared to be no older than 40, a chill shot up her spine. Yet when he began to walk she could not help but to follow him, he seemed to glide, she could not see his feet under his long coat.

“Here we have games – “ He said , pointing at the bright pavillion in front of them. “Look at all those prizes to win, can you get the biggest one? “ There were people throwing pies at targets, bowling small balls into holes, prizes that were bigger than one could carry comfortably hanging from the top of the pavillion.

They walked around the corner, food trucks lined up side by side, lights shining right above their windows. The lines coming out of them were long, the man weaved his way effortlessly inbetween the people. It was as if they could feel his presence ,no one looked at him, but it was as if a breeze had separated them.

“I don’t understand. “ She now shook her head. “Who are all of these people? How did they get here – are they real ?”

“No. “ He chuckled. “ It’s your imagination. Like a dream, they are not real. “

“I want to wake up. “ She stated firmly. “It’s not real. You’re not real – “

He grinned the cheshire cat grin at her, tipping his hat at her. “I told you they are not real. But I did not say the same about myself. I am real, Robin. I am very real. “

“Are you alive ?” She asked. Anything could be real if they believed themselves to be, yet alive had been different.

“Fool“ He whispered angrily. It shot up her spine, his voice was like ice. “I am one of them now. I am the entity of the lake, I am one of them.”

The haunting of the lake was real. Robin was sure of it, even if this had only been a dream and he had slipped in, she could now smell the murky stench of him. He smelled like the sand on the bottom of the lake, along with algae, rotten almost. They passed the roller coaster, the ferris wheel, and yet none of the people could see them as they walked by. They had now only been a shiver. A cold wind.

“See there. “ He sighed. “The magicians tent. Be one of us. “ The tent had been shadowy, a bright blue light coming from the inside of it. It had a wooden sign hanging across the door, Robin now took a few steps towards it, the man had now stopped and let her pass. She had heard his chuckle, but it had come through the wind, been distant now.

“ROBIN!!!!” A boys voice screamed, shaking her from the trance.

The scene in front of her fizzled out, the colours of the carnival turning back to grey. Gasping she turned around, the man in the top hat now raised a finger to his lips. The last word he spoke she would remember forever, it had spiralled through the air. It came from everywhere and no where at the same time. Quiet.

Now looking around her, she had stood at the edge of the parking lot, facing the shoreline of the lake – the sand a dull grey. Looking behind her now she saw Aidan sprinting towards her, the window of their room had still been open. His face had been bright red with exhaustion, clearly running as quickly as he could. He now stopped beside her , panting he leaned over with his hands on his legs.

“Are you CRAZY?!!!!!??” He cried after a second of silence. “What are you doing out here? I don’t understand. “

Robin debated whether or not to tell him what had happened, before she let out a small grin. “I’m sorry to scare you. “ She replied. “I decided to do some sleuthing myself. What’s the point of a ghost tour without some adventure?” Besides. They’re not real. “

Morning was now coming quickly on the lake, they walked back through the parking lot to the motel in silence. She could tell he did not quite believe her, they spent most of the morning in silence before the green bus had stopped outside of the doors of the motel. She and Aidan had sat at the back again, the group quiet at first as they pulled out of the parking lot, past the remains of the old carnival and back onto the highway.

“I have one more newspaper clipping to show you! This one from November 30, 2000. To wrap that up before we begin our new day, our new adventure. “

This time Robin’s heart sunk as it was passed around, dread gripping her heart at what it may say. She had looked out the window, until out the corner of her eye she had seen Aidan’s hand grab the paper. Glancing over her stomach went into knots, she felt if she said anything she may choke on her words.

November 30, 2000

M. Griffin has now been released of all charges based on insanity claims. He is now institutionalized at Allen hospital, where he will be in rehabilitation. His release will be determined on his progress. A strange finding has come to our attention ; every missing person had visited the magicians tent at his carnival. Although not everyone who visited is missing, the ten people all ave that in common. If anyone has any leads, please contact the police department.

A picture of a man in a top hat and a long trenchcoat stood outside of the tent Robin had seen in her dream. It had been him, she had been sure of it – his smile that of a chesire cat. His voice rang through her mind once again – echoing through her head and making her dizzy.

Fool. I am the entity of the lake. I am one of them now.