This story is by Katherine E. Soto and was part of our 2021 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
The push of the crowd was stifling at the entrance, unwashed teen bodies crowded together creating that funk smell. Excitement was in the air. The Carnival would open its gates for the first time. The crowd could hear the rides being tested in the background. The roller coaster rattled over head as it swooped nearby. I was close to the entrance in line to buy my tickets. The babysitting money from the last few weeks burned a hole in my pocket.
A day of complete freedom at a carnival was what I needed. Out from under the rule of my parents for one day might help heal the rift from the arguments this week. I watched as the teens before me paid to enter the carnival area. They disappeared behind a tent backdrop.
“You want the whole Carnival or tickets for each ride?” the seller asked.
“What do you mean the whole Carnival?”
“If you’re willing to have an escort you can purchase an entire day at the carnival. Everything is included games, rides and food. Otherwise, it’s buy your tickets for each ride and you get in cheap. Rides are upwards of five bucks a piece in tickets. Which do you want?”
“The whole Carnival. I want to have fun for the entire day.”
“One Carnival with escort. Come on through for your wristband and escort. Thank you for staying.”
I walked through the turnstile. A clown directed me to the back of the ticket booth. I told to sit and wait for my escort. My eyes grew wide as a clown approached me with a wristband in her hands. “Hi, I’m Emmy, your escort for the day. Here’s your wristband. Wear it during your day at the Carnival.”
“A clown escort? You got to be kidding me. I thought it’d be security escorts.”
“Whatever you expected, kid, I’m it. The day is passing while you argue with me.” She tapped the toe of a large red and white shoe. I rose from the bench.
“All right. I hope you can keep up. Let’s go.” I followed the clown out of the tent. Her entire costume blossomed into bright lime green and white colors. She wore full white face clown makeup with huge, green painted eyes and a mouth that took over the bottom of her face; garish looking. I shuddered when I got a good look at her.
“Where do you want to start?” Her high pitched, pipsqueak voice reached my ears over loud Carnival music.
“You got tickets for games?” She hunted through her voluminous pockets for tickets producing a set of five which she waved in the air.
“Look, Clown, I don’t need the silliness. Give me what I want. I’ll be happier and you’ll have an easy job.”
“Excuse me, Kid. I’m your escort for the day. My name is Emmy, not Clown. If you address me as Emmy I will be a pleasant companion for the day and will make sure you get everything you want. Okay Kid?”
“My name is Claudia, not Kid. You got clown stuff to do, I got a Carnival to see. Let’s go.” She handed me the five game tickets.
I ran for the Midway of Games that extended from the entrance down to the ride area.. She lumbered along behind me. I played games in each booths, winning some prizes. Emmy was more than happy to carry my stuffed animals as we walked down to the rides. She stopped to asked a driver of a small cart to take the prizes with him.
“You can pick them up front if you leave today,” Emmy said.
“Great, let’s do some rides. I got to be home by seven tonight, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You got the park ride map? I want to check them off as I ride them.”
She went through her pockets then producing a map out of thin air. I was impressed with her magic skill.
“Thanks. Coaster first.” I ran to get in line weaving in and out of the crowd of people. Emmy trundled behind me. I could see her bright outfit weaving in and out between people.
“Can’t keep up, Emmy?” I asked.
“I can keep up. I know this Carnival inside and out. You’ll never lose me.” An evil laugh erupted out of her mouth.
I giggled at the laugh that sent shivers up my spine. She was great as a scary clown. We were surrounded by teenagers waiting to go on the coaster. I reached out to slug one on the shoulder.
“Hey Sarah!” She turned around.
“Claudia! Good to see you. You have an escort?”
“Yeah, I bought the entire Carnival.”
“I think we might have lost our two clowns in this line. No, there they are.” She waved to two clowns who waited near the ride exit. Emmy walked over to join them. “Not much we can do with them watching us. No trouble making today.”
“We could ditch them,” I said. “Be easy to do in the crowd.”
“I don’t think so Claudia. They seem to stick to us.”
“Watch the teenagers so they don’t cause trouble. You don’t see the usual riff-raff in the crowd.”
“Here we go, front of the line.” Sarah took the number one spot for the ride.
When we hopped off the coaster I asked, “Sarah, you want to meet up for lunch? It’s free food.”
“Sure, where do you want to meet, Claud?”
“Clown’s Alley. Best food in the Carnival. They’ll take care of you,” Emmy interrupted.
“One o’clock okay?
“Yeah, see you then. We got games to play.”
I went on my way. I showed my wristband to the ride operators. No problems when they saw my escort clown. I rode everything. Emmy egged me onto a few rides. She stood next to the ride entrance calling me, “Chicken,” until I threw up my hands and got in line. We wandered over to Clown Alley to meet Sarah and her friends for lunch.
“I’m gonna go get some lunch, too,” Emmy said. “But I’ll be back, then we’ll see the rest of the Carnival.”
“What rest of the Carnival?” I asked. ”I saw it already.”
“Back stage scenes, you’ll get to see how the Carnival works.”
“Cool. See you in a while.” She went out of the restaurant with the other escorts as we went through the lunch lines. They served hamburgers, fries, and a milkshake on each tray.
“If you want more, come get it when you finish that,” a cigar chewing cashier lady told me. Sarah followed me.
“Why’s everyone got their heads down on the tables over there?”
“Tired from their day. Looks like their clowns are taking them to the front to go home.”
Sarah ate her burger watching the kids leave the tent. “That’s weird, Claudia. I don’t see anyone we know. I’m tired.” Her head dropped to the table.
“Sarah, you okay?”
“Let me be. I’m tired.”
“Here comes your Clown, Sarah. Sit up. Wake up.” Her head remained on the table. “Sarah!” I slapped the table in front of her.
“Is she all right?” her Clown asked me.
“I don’t know, said she was tired, and put her head down.”
“I’ll take care of her. She’s in good hands.” The Clown took Sarah off into the darkened back area of the tents outside.
“You ready to go, Claw Dee A.” Emmy was back. “We’ll go see the back of the Carnival. You can see where I put on my Clown make up. You feeling okay?”
“I’m tired from the rides. I don’t want to see the back of the Carnival. I want to go play more games, then go home.” I yawned at her.
“Tired?” Emmy teased in her pipsqueak voice. It sounded far away to me. The world spun. She blew dust into my face.
“Sometimes it takes a little longer for them to go down. Teenagers make good work slaves.”
“Don’t forget, if they don’t cooperate we can have them chopped up for food. That’s what they ate today.”
I tried to get to my feet to run away. I slid back down to the bench. “Help me, Emmy.” I slurred my words. She wrapped strong arms around me.
“I’ll help you, my dear. Come with me.” I struggled to get away from her for a minute. I was almost asleep when Emmy shoved me down onto a cot.
“You’re mine to train.” She snapped a chain to my ankle. “I’m tired of being a Clown. You’ll take my place so I can be a cashier. Remember, I’m in charge.”
The Carnival was home to me as I served Emmy. I became a performer in the Carnival as Claud the Clown.
“Teenagers disappear all the time. ” I overheard Emmy tell a Sheriff who was at the front ticket booth. “How can we track every teen who comes to the Carnival?”
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