As soon as I stepped through the rusty metal gate, nostalgia hit me. The smell of popcorn. The sound of children screaming on rides and babies crying. I couldn’t wait to get on the ferris wheel. Children spun around me as I took everything in. I haven’t been here since the incident. It was exactly one year ago today. Sitting with my friends on the bright red bench, I saw him. A man so mysterious yet so familiar. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. He appeared almost out of nowhere, like he was the “phantom of the carnival.” Nobody else was near us that night so when I told my parents, they thought I was crazy and never let me come back, but here I am again.
The ferris wheel line was long and boring, everyone speaking overtop of each other. Once I finally make it on, my body is overwhelmed with a feeling I have felt before. A feeling of knotting in my stomach. A feeling I have only ever felt here. I close my eyes and in my mind he appears. The man, tall, dressed in all black. He was so frightening but the sight of him made me feel welcomed. The ferris wheel finally stopped after what felt like forever. I jump off and run to the nearest water station.
Maybe I’m overheating. There’s no way I am seeing him.
I was so blown away that I had just seen him in my mind. I walked back over to the red bench where my friends waited. We sat down, each enjoying a glass of ice-cold water. As I stared into the crowd I saw him. Mystery man. I try so hard to get my friends’ attention but I begin to move towards him. It was like gravity was pulling me in and I couldn’t pull away. A door appeared, jet black with a large metal handle. He walked into it and I stood dazed. How is he here?
I was amazed but so concerned. A tall man just appeared out of nowhere. Why isn’t anyone noticing this? Then, I was pulled into the door. Right when I entered I began falling. Everything was black. And then I opened my eyes.