Carnival Terror

Carnival Terror : Chapters 1-3

         Vincent Baker returned home to the smell of baking blueberries. His new wife Beverly was seen slumped over the kitchen table preparing chopped vegetables for the stew that night. Adjacent to Beverly stood his eldest daughter Marilynn. The more he stared at her the more she reminded him of his late wife. Bursting full of energy his new step-daughter Cheryl came barreling down the stairs to greet him. 

“Daddy, do you have a moment?”

“What is it you could be asking for now?” groaned her step dad.

“It’s just. Freddie and I wanted to attend a show that’s coming into town tonight. I was hoping you would let us go.” She batted her eyelashes and gave a pouting face.

“It depends,” he said vaguely. Really he didn’t like Freddie or the concept of a seventeen year old dating.

“Depends on what? Daddy I’ve been planning to go to this for a week now.”

“Oh yes she has,” voiced Marilynn from the kitchen door, “She hasn’t stopped yakking about it since last Saturday.”

“Well if you feel that strongly about going I might find it in my heart to let you go. However there…” He couldn’t be heard through the screeching that ensued after his approval.

“However!” he had to shout now, “However you must have a chaperone and be home by sundown. If you can’t find anyone willing to chaperone you two then you must stay home. Your mother and I have to go out of town so be on your best behavior.”

Cheryl pivoted around to face Marilynn. Marilynn opened the oven to take out the piping hot pie. Marilynn glanced up to see Cheryl get on her knees in a begging position. Oh no thought Marilynn not that again. This was beginning to be a familiar occurrence in the Baker residence. Cheryl will plead on her knees until someone would cave in to her demands.

“The answer is no. I refuse to be your chaperone. Why don’t you go find someone else?” suggested her older step sister in frustration. Frankly she was exhausted watching her step sister get everything.

“Why not? It’s not like you actually have something important to do! All you do is sit in your room and read. You never go out to experience life to the fullest. Why can’t you spend a few hours with your little sister?” whined Cheryl.

Cheryl had struck a nerve in Marilynn, “Little? Little you say! You are taller than me. Nuisance is what you are. Go find someone else; I have more important things to do.”

“Marilynn dear, it wouldn’t be much trouble to watch Cheryl and Freddie for a few hours. I’ll buy you some more books you like while we are out of town if you do this small favor,” bribed Beverly.

This caught Marilynn’s attention. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt,” she replied kindly to her mother.

To be totally honest Marilynn had nothing against watching her sister, however Cheryl was always too gushy with her boyfriends which made Marilynn nauseous. How was it possible for men to fall for all that emotional drama? Marilynn believed in love even though she didn’t appear to be. All her friends classified her as a nonromantic. She did not feel the need to tell them she has had crushes on guys before, but Marilynn knew beforehand it would not work out. She tried to be calculative about these things. Though she was twenty-one years old she knew well enough to stay away of things she had no way of handling. Relationships were impossible for her, because she couldn’t stand other people hovering over her. Marilynn indeed treasured her peace and independence.


Chapter 2: Deception

“Cheryl just where are you taking us?!” commanded Marilynn after being hit again with another tree branch.

         After their parents had left on their trip to see Beverly’s dying mother, Freddie came over to pick up Cheryl. Cheryl dramatically used commentary to explain the night’s ordeal of how asking her father to go turned into a nightmare. In shorter detail Marilynn just said she was the chaperone and without a moments delay Freddie ran off with Cheryl. It didn’t take much effort for the older sister to catch up. Freddie headed them towards the woods, nowhere near the concert area where the main attractions in town were held.

“Just a little farther,” shrieked the younger one with excitement.

“There are bandits and thugs in this forest,” warned Marilynn, “Why don’t we go back?”

“Quit worrying Maril, nothing will happen to us,” quipped Freddie with irritation.

Marilynn absolutely hated being called Maril. She swiftly kicked Freddie in the back of his knee. “Respect your elders,” she shouted in return.

“I completely hate your sister,” remarked Freddie to Cheryl, who only snickered.

They had come into a clearing. In the distance bright colors decorated a circle of wagons. Horses neighed as the visitors approached. A crowd had gathered around the six bonfires in the middle of the wagon walled stage. Music wafted through the air from a few musicians surrounding one of the bonfires. To one side a juggler juggled branches which hadn’t made an impact on the crowd until he lit them on fire. A magician took items from the guests that came and astounded the crowd with disappearing acts. On the outer edge of the wagon camp in the midst of the trees a rope had been tied between several trees. A couple performers climbed the tall pine trees. Standing still in anticipation the crowd gritted their teeth as one performer almost lost his balance. A wave of applause arouse as the performers stuck there landings as they did back flips and aerial feats.

“Hey Freddie come watch this,” Cheryl cried out joyously.

“Hey don’t get to far and watch out for robbers,” warned Marilynn entranced by the sky performers.

Looking around she saw several thugs. She didn’t appreciate the way they looked at her. A few gents no doubt a part of the traveling carnival offered Freddie and Cheryl a drink or two. Dancing had started around the remaining bonfires. A handsome man in his thirties approached Marilynn.

“You’re awfully young to be out in this type of crowd. Where are your parents? It’s getting late you should go home,” he whispered in her ear as he took her by hand and waist.

“I’m not on my own mister. I came along with my sister and her boyfriend.” She knew better than to tell her age after all he was too sly looking for her taste. There was no telling if he was part of the traveling troupe or just a drunk.

He lifted her other hand which held the book she had brought along in preparation for another boring concert she had originally expected to attend.

“What do we have here?” He flipped through the pages. “Edgar Allen Poe! Well isn’t this a little dark for someone of your age?”

He was teasing her she knew. He looked down at her with a wicked expression that had Marilynn transfixed in confusion. Now just what was he thinking. He called for a lady named Alice. Alice appeared to be a few years above Marilynn.

“Alice would you do me a favor?” asked the man.

“Yes brother, what is it?”

“This young lady here,” he indicated Marilynn, “she seems to be lost and I wouldn’t want such a delicate creature to be mauled by this rowdy crowd. Could you be a loving sister to her and take her to safety? It would be a shame if she was intoxicated or worse on my watch.”

“Yes, I’ll see to her care.”

The gorgeous woman smiled as she gently tugged Marilynn’s arm. The woman pulled Marilynn past the crowd to the other side of the wagons. She slowed down as her eye caught a glimpse of the man she loved. He stood tall with many scars across his arms from many knifings. Hooked to his belt six daggers nestled in their cradles. It was soon to be his time to perform. This night was going to be different. Usually he controlled the knives, but tonight his apprentice the ring master's son would have the opportunity to wow the audience. The woman loosened her grip on Marilynn enough that she slipped behind one of the wagons. Marilynn quietly ran to the other side scanning the mass for her sister. Finally spotting her she indicated that after her dance with Freddie they were to meet her on the other side of wagons by the river.


Chapter 3: A Flash of Fright

         The party dwindled on. Marilynn finally fell asleep waiting for her delinquent lying sister and her boy toy, Freddie. At the height of the drunken frenzy Nathan introduced himself to the drunken mass. Anton helped prepare Jason one more time before their appearance.

“Okay just throw the knives like I taught you and you should be fine. Never aim for a persons head,” Anton warned.

He feared the worst. So far Nathan kept trying to push his son, Jason into the carnival bit; however Jason had a major problem. He had no talent for anything. At wits end Nathan finally shoved Jason on Anton dubbing the knife act as the safest thing for Jason to do. How Nathan had come to that conclusion still eluded Anton. Unless it was his way of politely getting rid of him with just one wrong throw he would be done. Anton knew how much Nathan hated him. He didn’t doubt Alice’s love for him, but seriously he didn’t want to be married to the ring master’s sister. He preferred being the lone wolf. However it wasn’t his decision to choose. It was the late ringmaster’s choice to marry off his daughter to a worthy troupe member.

“Are you ready tonight?” shouted Nathan. The crowd hollered in reply. “Okay here is the heightened knife throw act you have been waiting for!”

Alice assisted in blind folding her nephew, Jason. Nathan gladly tied Anton to a tree. Next he marked the hit points on the tree where the knives should hit. Anton gulped as he saw Jason stagger while standing. Alice spun Jason enough times for him to be slightly dizzy. Steadying Jason straight at Anton’s pinned body to the tree Alice handed him the first knife. Readying himself Jason threw the knife for the point above Anton’s head. It hit its mark barely, only it didn’t stick. Alice handed him the next dagger. She instructed him the next point to aim for. Jason staggered a little more.

“Quit moving!” yelled Jason at Anton.

He chucked the knife towards the marker left of Anton. This time the knife stuck it’s landing right into the flesh of Anton’s left shoulder. The crowd roared in horror as blood began trickling down Anton’s arm. A mass panic woke up the drunken stupor that held the crowd spellbound. People tripped over others. Alice ran to release her loved one. Nathan slapped Jason cornering him into a nearby wagon. When Alice sawed through the last rope Anton in a furious rage bombarded the wagon Jason and his father accompanied. Alice and her brother tried restraining Anton, but he still landed a punch on Jason.

“You are drunk! Aren’t you?!” yelled Anton with rage.

“Beating up my son won’t do you any good. Look at your arm! It needs to be taken care of,” cried Nathan in distress. Anton stormed out of the wagon just like he barreled in.

“Where do you think you are going?” yelped Alice in shock.

“To the river to cool off,” answered the man she loved.
“Don’t do that you will get infected. There is no telling what’s in that water.”

Anton glared at her with his death stare. She shut up instantly and started backing up. He was in a fowl mood, but that was to be expected. After all he had just been stabbed by someone who just broke his promise. She knew full well he wouldn’t listen to a word she said. The only person that could possibly get to him was maybe Rupert, the expert in juggling and magician tricks.