by E. J. Krause
He jumped, latched onto her wrist, and she dragged him up. They moved to slide down the smokestack into the gateway when the engine ran out of track and arched out to its freefall. Ben lost his footing and slipped off.
"Ben!" Andi screamed into his mind. She shot her claws into his shoulder and yanked him back. He grunted at the pain, but found she'd shifted his momentum. As the train went into a nosedive, he tumbled into the gateway with her right behind him. His bloody shoulder had already begun to heal.
Chapter 22
Andi wouldn't let them move until Ben's shoulder was completely healed, which, of course, took hardly any time at all. He tried his best to make sure she didn't feel bad about hurting him, but she couldn't help it. Yes, if she hadn't done it, he might have slipped off the front of the train, but even that couldn't stop her tears from flowing. Finally it was Mom who got her out of her self-misery.
"Oh, for crying out loud, Andi, it sounds like you did the only thing you could to save him. Your dad once bit my leg so hard that the bone showed through my flesh, and I don't heal anywhere near as fast as Ben. And I was happy he did it, like Ben is happy for your claws. If you hadn't, you'd both be dead right now."
Ben wrapped her in a big hug. "That's what I've been saying. You saved me. You did what had to be done. And look." He made sure she had a good look at his shoulder through his torn shirt. There were a few faint red scratch marks, and nothing more, on his skin.
"Alexandria, you two are destined for great things, maybe the greatest in the history of our kind. There will come times, like on that train, where you have to make decisions that hurt. You can't ignore that fact. Your heart, head, and instinct will lead you down the correct path every time. I admit I treat you like a child far more often than I should — I can't stand the thought of you not needing me — but you've proven time and again that you can handle anything thrown your way. Both of you."
She let go of Ben and jumped in her dad's arms, tears streaming down her face. "Thanks, Daddy," she managed to croak out in between tears. Mom came over and embraced them, too, and Andi could swear she was also crying. She wanted to tell Dad that he was being silly, that she would always need him, but she didn't think she could articulate it at the moment. No worries, though, since she'd have plenty of time to tell him later.
Once they'd cried it out, even Dad shed a few tears, she smiled at Ben and took his hand. He was a bit embarrassed at having watched the close family moment, but mostly happy. That happiness skyrocketed when Dad came over and gave him a big hug and smacks on the back. No words were exchanged, but none were needed.
Mom broke the silence. "I suppose we should go see what the final nightmare has in store for us."
"It's going to be clowns," Andi said. "I know it."
Ben rubbed her back. "I like clowns, so maybe not. It might take your second-worst nightmare."
She shook her head. "No, it will be."
"So what's the deal?" he asked. "You've never said anything about clowns before."
"Exactly. I've avoided even thinking about them."
"We had an unfortunate run-in when she was younger," Mom said. "A travelling circus came to our area, a real treat since we were living so far from any sort of civilization. We thought it would be a thrill for Andi, since she'd never seen anything like it before. And it was, until a group of clowns gallivanted through the audience."
"A couple of them grabbed me and pulled me towards a larger group," she said. "And these weren't the fancy clowns you see today, but hideously made-up monsters. They looked like brain-eating hobos from Hell."
"They did at that," Dad said, with a laugh. "But all they wanted was for you to dance with them. They even apologized when it was over."
"I thought they were dragging me off to rip me apart and suck the marrow from my bones. I know it's stupid, and even then I knew it wasn't true, but…"
"But sometimes fears are irrational," Ben finished for her.
"Yeah." She had to fight hard not to kiss him. He always knew the perfect thing to say.
"So it'll be clowns," Dad said. "When they show up, either use your fear as fuel and fight, or hide behind us. There's only one more realm between us and our goal."
"Shall we?" Mom said, motioning up the path. "Remember to ignore everything."
As they wandered through the dark forest, her advice wasn't needed. Either the magic of the forest had given up on them, or they didn't notice. Mom and Dad led, and they had their heads together the entire way, speaking too low for her to hear. Not that she tried. She and Ben walked arm-in-arm behind them, and she lost herself in him, in this peaceful moment, savoring everything about him. She again had to fight from kissing him, both knowing Mom and Dad wouldn't approve at a time like this, and if she did, she'd have a hard time stopping. And there was still plenty of work to do. Plenty of unpleasant work.
Once they reached the huge wall, Andi took a deep breath. Maybe they were right. Maybe clowns were a bit too on-target. Maybe the Realm of Nightmares would ferret out something else from her subconscious. Maybe that would be better, or maybe it would be worse.
The smells of a carnival bombarded them before they passed through the gate. Popcorn, roasting meat, deep-fried goodies, cotton candy, and more. All of it made her mouth water. There would be clowns here, but they were easy enough to dodge at carnivals.
They stepped into a crowded midway with game booths, complete with obnoxious, but fun, barkers, along with plenty of places to pick up scrumptious snacks. She was about to ask if they could grab a corndog when she remembered their task. Ben, of course, sensed her almost-intention and gave her a grin.
"Pull out the map, Daddy. Where do we need to go?"
There were so many people in the midway that they had a hard time finding a quiet spot out of the way. It showed they needed to get to the big top. Her stomach took a nose-dive. Out here in the carnival proper, she could dodge the clowns. But inside the circus tent? That was the lion's den, so to speak. And, heck, since it was a circus, maybe they'd even have to go through a literal lion's den.
They stared in the direction of the big top, which would lead them through the ride area and the various shows. The path was nice and wide, accommodating the hundreds upon hundreds of people here having a good time. The ground was concrete, though a thick layer of sawdust cushioned it nicely. After a few steps, the world blinked, and they found themselves in front of a carnival game, the one with three milk bottles on a round table. All that existed in this little pocket of reality were the four of them and the game. She knew this one. You had one or two throws, depending on how much money you plunked down, to not just knock the milk bottles down, but all the way off the table, which, in this case, was as large as a party-sized dining table. A carny stepped out of the dark and laid one ball down in front of them. He had dead eyes, but looked otherwise alive. He was too skinny, but that wasn't all that unusual for most real-world carnies that she'd ever seen.
Ben leaned over and whispered in her ear. "He's dead, but not. It's the weirdest thing. My undead encyclopedia keeps trying to tell me what he is, but then comes to the conclusion he's alive."
The carny pointed to the milk bottles. "All the way off the table in one throw. If you fail, the masters will deal with you."
"What does that mean?" Mom asked.
"Trouble," the carny said. He then shrugged and flashed a big smile, showing off a mouth full of rotted teeth and gums. "I don't know what kind, ma'am. I just run the game. I suggest you win."
Ben stepped to the table and murmured, "I got this."
Andi gave her parents a grin. The confidence flashing off of him made her realize they wouldn't be meeting the masters, whoever they were, at least not right now. Ben wound up and fired the baseball at the bottles. Though she couldn't see it, she felt a blast of energy leave his hand right after the ball. The bottles didn't stand a chance, flying off the table to the wall at the back of the stall.
If the carny felt the energy, he didn't show it.
"Well played," he said, nodded, and waved his hand. The booth shifted, leaving behind the table and scattered milk bottles. In their place was a tilted wicker basket. This was the one where you had to land an oversized softball in the basket without it rolling out. Usually it was too shallow to keep a ball in fair and square, and there was always a sign reading "No backspin." That would be a rule here, too, even if it wasn't posted, especially since the basket wasn't deep enough to cover the entire ball.
The carny plunked the large ball on the counter and said, "Keep it in the basket, or the masters will deal with you."
"Yeah-yeah," Ben said. "I kind of doubt they'd want anything to do with the four of us." Andi giggled at this, while Mom rolled her eyes, and Dad grunted, no doubt trying to convey the notion that he shouldn't be so cocky. The carny stared at them, no emotion etched on his face.
"Why don't you give it a go, Cassie?" Ben said, and pointed to the ball. Could her parents feel the confidence pulsing off of him? Could the carny? It was like a second heartbeat to her.
Mom stepped up. "If you say so."
"No backspin. A nice, easy toss," the carny said, as she picked up the ball. Ben took Andi's hand and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "
"Will it to stay in the basket." She nodded, and Mom threw the ball. As it arched down, energy flowed out of their clasped hands. The ball hit the inside of the basket and nestled into the crook of the bottom as gently as if Mom had placed it there.
"Nicely done," the carny repeated and waved his hand. The game again shifted, and this time they were met with one of those test your strength games, the one where you used a sledgehammer to ring the bell. Usually she'd not be worried, as Daddy always won these. She'd received countless stuffed toys from this game through the 100 or so years that traveling carnivals had been around. This one, however, might be a bit much for even him. It went up 200 feet.
Dad took the hammer from the carny. "Think I can knock the bell clean off, Ben?"
"No doubt," he said. "Though I'm sure these master characters are going to be disappointed."
Dad chuckled at that, while Ben took her hand. Mom merely stood back with an amused smile on her face. Like Andi, she knew Dad would have a blast with this, even with a magical boost.
"You know what to do," Ben whispered in her ear. "But wait until it starts losing momentum. I'm sure he wants to see how high he can get it on his own."
She giggled and whispered back. "He thinks he can do it. Actually, he knows it."
Ben smirked at that, and they turned their attention to the game. There were levels every 25 feet. The first one read "Weakling," while the rest said, "Mama's Boy," "Girly Man," "Tin Man," "Getting There," "Strongman," "Iron Man," and at the bell, "Ultimate He-Man." Andi shook her head at the taunting sayings, especially since she'd witnessed firsthand how well they worked on the meatheads. In this case, it included her daddy.
Dad stepped towards the game and flexed his muscles as he took a couple of slow practice swings. He looked over to the carny, who shrugged, as if saying, "Whenever you're ready." Dad wound up and swung, and the metal ball zipped up the track. If it had been a normal size, he might have knocked the bell off. Heck, if it had been a 100 foot game, he'd have rung it. But it was obvious he might not even have knocked it to 125 feet, as it slowed fast. Ben squeezed her hand, and she ran, "Ring the bell," through her head over and over. The ball picked up speed and didn't stop until a loud "ding" sounded high above.
"Well played," the carny said. "Here's your prize." He snapped his fingers and their reality blinked again, and they found themselves back in the crowded midway.
"I'm guessing whoever those masters are didn't count on Ben's magic," Mom said.
"Indeed," Dad said. "They were rigged to not allow a normal victory. Cheated me out of a legit bell-ring."
Ben shrugged. "I didn't think you'd get it past 50, so I was suitably impressed."
"Shows what you know," Dad said. With a half-smile, he added, "You really didn't help until after 100?"
"No. That first 100 was all you."
"I knew I had it in me," Dad said, wearing a broad smile.
Mom sighed and kissed Dad on the cheek. "My hero. Can we get going now?"
They headed in the direction of the Big Top, and this time didn't get beamed to a carnival game. People around them enjoyed games of their own while munching on various fair treats. She sure could go for one of those funnel cakes. Chocolate-covered bacon would rock, too. They discussed it and came to the conclusion that these patrons were dreaming. At least they were having a good time. Even though she knew they were in for trouble, Andi couldn't help but smile at the merriment all around.
As they neared the end of the midway, the lights dimmed, and the classic clown song, "Entry of the Gladiators," blasted out. Though the various rock and pop music continued over the loudspeakers, the horrifying "Doot-do-doodle-doodle-doot-doot-do-do" overtook everything.
Andi froze, knowing this had to mean clowns were coming. Ben embraced her, and his closeness helped, but she still felt on the verge of hyperventilating. That feeling heightened when a clown gallivanted through the crowd. It had a happy face painted on, but that didn't fool her. She didn't need Ben's powers to tell her that evil bled off of it. Everyone else on the midway felt it, too, as the fun stopped.
The white-faced clown wore an orange jump suit with green fuzzy balls running down the front, and sported oversized red shoes. It danced around people, who did their best to not look, and had a merry time until it reached a lone girl probably around eighteen years old. It grabbed her shoulders, and they both disappeared. The song stopped, and the patrons return to their fun, as if nothing had happened.
Andi buried her face into Ben's chest and murmured, "I don't want it near me," over and over.
Ben ran his fingers through her hair. "Yeah, there was nothing but ill intentions coming from it. The whole place, really. It's back to its joyous self now."
"The clown seemed drawn to that girl because she was alone," Dad said. "If it happens again, we can keep walking to our destination. I doubt it'll come close to us."
"Easy for you to say," Andi said.
"I actually hope one does," Ben said, bringing a groan from Andi.
"Yeah," Mom said. "We can see what color clown blood is."
Andi huffed out a breath. "Will you two knock it off?"
Dad patted the top of her head. "Sorry, Alexandria, but I have to agree with our guards on this one. It would be one way to end the menace."
As they passed into the ride area, it happened again. The clown looked the same as the first except it had a huge frown in place of the smile. Andi pushed her head into Ben's chest, this time not peeking out. She hoped he'd whisper to concentrate on sending the clown away, but he didn't. After what seemed like an eternity, the music stopped, and the jumbled mash-up from various speakers of rock and roll and pop music took back control of the sound waves.
"What happened?" she asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted the answer.
"This time it took a middle-aged man in the midst of a large group," Dad said. "So maybe there is no pattern."
They continued through the ride area, which had every imaginable type of attraction, from things that spun at every speed, to funhouses, to things that flipped riders every which way, to roller coasters that dwarfed anything at Orangeville Acres. Multi-colored lights flashed everywhere, lighting the entire place like it was daytime. She had to admit, even in a haze of fear, these still looked like a ton of fun. The excitement coming from Ben proved he'd like to tackle some, too, if circumstances had been different.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear. She expected a joke about the rides, but instead he was all business.
"I need you to be brave. Next time the music sounds, take a step away from us and will it towards you."
She shook her head so much her hair flapped out around her. "You know I can't. No way."
"Andi, you know I would never let anything happe
n to you, right?" She nodded, and he kissed her forehead. "So trust me. Okay?"
She nodded again. "I do trust you. I love you."
"Good." He let out a deep breath. "Be ready."
"What's going on?" Mom asked.
"You'll see."
The lights dimmed, and "Entry of the Gladiators" again blasted through the atmosphere. She fought every instinct to jump into Ben's arms and instead stepped away and threw "come-hither" vibes. The clown, this one wearing an open-mouthed, surprised expression painted on its face, danced on the merry-go-round. It traipsed around the various plaster circus animals before leaping to the ground. It tiptoed around patrons waiting in line to board The Zipper, and then beelined for Andi. She glanced back at Ben, and he winked at her.
As the clown reached out, she recoiled, but was proud to say she didn't run like she wanted to. She also had to hold back a gag. It smelled of rotten meat, and her stomach turned as she had a feeling its touch would be like a sack of slimy, room-temperature hamburger. Before she had to endure that, Ben thrust his sword through its chest. It squealed an inhuman belch of pain and disappeared. The unholy music died, too, but so did the various rock and pop anthems, leaving the carnival silent. Not even the rides were running.
People didn't get back to the fun, but instead stared at them, looks of incomprehension on their faces. They, too, like the clown, vanished. The lights, first the overhead park lights, and then the multicolored bulbs on the rides, shut off until they stood alone in the carnival in utter darkness.
"This isn't good," Mom said.
"We're safe for the moment," Ben said. His hand dropped to Andi's hip, and it was the only thing keeping her from crying out.
On the nearby roller coaster, one of those that made even the huge Secret of the Whirlybird at Orangeville Acres look puny, the multitude of lights began to blink on until the entire track lit up. The chain that dragged the cars up the first big hill cranked up, and the first train in the station lurched forward. They stood transfixed as its empty cars slowly rose to the apex of the first drop. It roared down the steep decline that was pretty close to a 90-degree plummet, and fired out into various turns and dips. It screamed into a loop and then came towards them before it was to finish with a few more hair-pin turns. The train never made it that far, though. Instead of banking into the turn, it jumped the track straight for them.