The day at the local fair had brought Anna a good mix of fun and exhaustion. It was a cool fall evening, and the air smelled like apple cider. Her mouth watered thinking of eating some funnel cake and washing it down with cider, but the price tags and the endless lines were a dealbreaker.
Anna had been waiting for the Ferris wheel for about 10 minutes now. Her friend Catie had gotten out of line to go to the bathroom, but hadn’t returned yet. Strange — it shouldn’t take that long.
Her phone chimed. It was from Catie. “Ran into Toby. Prob not gonna make it. Tell u everything later!”
Aha. While Anna felt disappointed that she and Catie weren’t going on the ride together, she thought getting some peace while up in the air might be nice. Though she loved the liveliness of the fair — the music, laughter, and screaming kids — it couldn’t hurt to have a little break.
When she finally reached the front, a kind-looking employee with the name tag “Billie” greeted her with a warm smile. “Enjoy the ride,” he said as he helped Anna in. With a hum, the Ferris wheel began to turn, lifting Anna slowly into the sky. As she reached the highest point, she looked below at the bustling people that looked like ants. Then she looked up and was facing a black sky. What the heck? The sun hadn’t even set yet. She looked back down, and now the people were gone. It was just darkness.
An image appeared, one of a grinning clown holding an axe. He spoke in an unsettlingly cheerful manner. “Better have fun, Anna, because you and your friend might stay at the fair a while.”
The clown and darkness faded as the ride ended. Billie helped Anna out, smiling at her again. “Have fun?” he asked.
Anna’s heart dropped. It was the same smile she had just seen behind clown makeup. Before she could speak, Billie went off to help the next person. She stumbled out and Catie was waiting for her.
“Got you this since I ditched you,” Catie said as she shoved funnel cake into Anna’s hands, but what Anna had craved five minutes ago now looked far from appetizing. “Come on,” Catie said, grabbing her arm. “Toby’s waiting for us.” Anna looked over her shoulder to see Billie, but Catie whisked her away.
