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The Carnival Darling
He patiently waits as the minutes creep by, squinting back at the setting sun for reference, it can't be long now, he silently thought. Soon he will see her again, his beautiful Mary-Beth. His thoughts wander back to the first time he laid eyes upon her, she was a vision in the dead of night, a comforting presence to an otherworldly phenomenon, one that he was never meant to witness. Even now as he sits here, the scene is unsettling and he knows he ought to steer clear of the ominous, but she calls to him, and each night he finds himself at the entrance of the Carnival.
This place terrifies him during the day. He sits on a rock with his back to the setting sun, facing the Carnival grounds, watching it watch him. It is completely abandoned, the eerie silence only amplified the screech of old rusted swings swaying in the gentle breeze. The worst part for him is the dull hues, the paleness of dried bones, it was like the glaring sun stole all the remaining color from this place over the years leaving it as vibrant as of death itself. It was ironic that this place felt more haunted during the day than during the night...
Oh, but come nightfall, it's the most enchanting place on earth. Under the cloak of darkness, the carnival lights up like a beacon of endless wonder. The glow of a million brilliant lights leaves the stars to envy it. The enticing music, that pulsates from the depths of the spectacle, hushes the song of the nightingale. It lures and captivates all the living creatures that dare to venture closer, as was the case with him that fateful night.
Each night the carnival starts to breathe, it awakens, and in the center of its beating heart was the Carnival Darling, his Mary-Beth. The very reason he did not mind being a slave to it, a prisoner caught in its trap as he willingly wasted away, night after night.
It was frightening, at first, but then the sweet whispers that fell from her lips captured and caged his heart, and pushed him deeper down the rabbit hole. Each initial step was colored with hesitance but the further he wandered, yearning for her, the easier it got- to lose himself to her.
The last of the sun's rays disappeared, plunging him and his surroundings into darkness, he smiles to himself in the dark as he stands, ready to surrender himself. Tonight he will join his beloved in everlasting nocturnal bliss.
The Carnival awakes, it moves and opens its gates with a sinister yawn, its breath sending shivers down his spine. He slowly walks through the entrance, the Carnival swallowing him whole.Tremors of its beating heart vibrated beneath his feet, guiding and encouraging each step he took, deeper, in search of her. He walks to the big top, the sound of laughing children and applause emanating from it.
There she is, the epitome of grace and beauty. Her hair suspended in a brilliant halo around her head, her movements so fluent as if she's suspended in water. She turns to face him and smiles at his mesmerized form, he came back for her, she knew he would, they always do.
Desire burns within him, it consumes him, leaving nothing but his need for her. She recognizes his obsession, and it angers her, she will never fall victim to any man ever again. She dances her way to him, swaying to the rhythm of his erratic heartbeat, phasing closer in a jerking fashion every time his heart skipped a beat. He watched her unnatural movements as she came closer and closer until all that was left between them was a single breath - his last breath.
Night after night, she stripped away pieces of his humanity, ensuring he left a lesser man, to weak to resist her call the following night. She marveled at his handsome face, the life in his dark eyes gone, she sees only her reflection in them.
All that's left is the single kiss he was promised...
As she neared his lips, he saw it, for the first time he saw her for what she really was but it was too late... he felt her icy lips on his, he felt all her pain and anger. The terrifying realization hit him as his mind woke for a split second from the spell he was under.
He sold his soul for an eternal, one-way ticket to the Carnival.
He started to cough, his chest tightening, there was no air. He choked, as his lungs filled with water, he was drowning in his own despair. He looked up at his beloved Mary-Beth, dark water dripping from his mouth down his chin as he gasped for air, why did you do this to me?
"It's the same price I paid for giving my heart away, eternal love doesn't come cheap," she said in a hissing voice, her black eyes completely emotionless.
Another heart claimed for her collection.
13 years later...
"Hey, Matt, check this out," Ian said, to his brother, blowing dust from a old newspaper he found in his grandmother's garage, "It's some old abandoned Carnival on the outskirts of town in the woods, see I told you we will get some exploration done in this crappy old place," he continued excitedly.
"Mom will kill us if we don't get this old dump boxed up before we leave, geesh, Gran has a lot of old shit in here..." Matt trailed off, noticing his brother wasn't paying attention to him, "give me that," he grabbed the newspaper from Ian's hands.
"Hey," Ian protested, throwing his hands in the air.
"Wait a minute, I heard about this place," Matt said, taking a closer look at the article, "says here a man was found dead on the abandoned Carnival grounds, the official coroner's report said he drowned...wait...he's not the first, numerous deaths had been reported over the years all the victims said to have drowned," Matt read bits of the article out loud.
"No way," Ian said. He immediately started a google search on his phone. "According to this, the Carnival was closed down in 1959. After a man drowned a girl called Mary-Beth in a jealous rage, she was said to be the Carnival Darling because she was so beautiful and naturally the star of the show. Okay, here it mentions a bunch of deaths...oh, listen to this, many urban explorers and paranormal investigators said that it's haunted and a place best to avoid, legend has it that all the drownings were caused by The Carnival Darling, whom supposedly is out for vengeance on any man stupid enough to fall for her, only this time she kills you before your obsession with her leads to her destruction...guess she's a bit bitter..." he finished reading.
"Let me guess, your the type of idiot not to heed the warning," Matt said, knowing his brother.
"Come on man, if we leave now we can still make it before it's too dark out," Ian said with a serious expression.
Matt can't deny that he too felt intrigued, "Fine, let's go."
***
She could sense them before they even entered the Carnival grounds. Time for another show, she smiles, willing the Carnival to life to welcome their newest guests.
In the dead of night, the Carnival Darling still captures the hearts of her audience.
