Chapter 2

2

I t turned out that the carnival was currently in Pasadena. I found this out on the way there after Madame Persephone had summoned a ride for us. At that point, I'd half-expected her to summon a ride with magic, but no. It was just a rideshare app.

"No need for you to use up the fare you were given," she told me. "I prefer knowing that you have a means to get away if you need to."

I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering what she knew, but she skillfully changed the topic of conversation back to the carnival and her cohorts there.

"So you sit in a tent all day and tell people what they want to hear?" I eventually asked after she explained her job to me.

She gazed at me thoughtfully for a moment before answering with a question. "Do you believe in fate, Zeke?"

"I was raised to believe that God has a plan for each of us, and if we listen to Him, we end up with the destiny He deemed us worthy of," I answered immediately. "So, I guess yes? Maybe?" I sighed and looked out the window. "Honestly, I don't know what to believe anymore. My parents are horrible, but people seem to think those horrible people are God's mouthpiece. Is God happy to have people like my parents talking for Him?"

"I have a feeling your parents are in for a nasty surprise once they leave the living world," Madame Persephone answered, sounding as if she was choosing her words carefully. I wondered how much she actually knew about them, but if she'd been friends with my late brother, he'd probably told her about our mother. I couldn't imagine he'd been treated any better than I had. "They've separated you from the world outside their church, and that's left you..." She stared at me as if weighing her next statement. "Naive," she eventually said. "Younger emotionally than you actually are. You're nearly an adult, but it feels like your time got stuck somewhere. Don't be afraid to move forward. Find a purpose to guide you."

I couldn't take offense at that because she only spoke the truth. My parents really had kept us confined to a tiny part of society. "What did Gabe do without our mother in the picture?" I asked, changing the subject. "I heard his father was someone my mother went to school with, but I don't know anything other than that. Did his father raise him?"

"Your maternal grandmother did. He never knew his father. But your grandmother died when Gabe was eighteen, and he was alone after that."

Somewhere in my heart, I had a moment of grief for yet another family member I'd never known about who might have cared. It was depressing how all the people who might have loved me had died before I could even meet them. But Gabe had been alone, too, which was another thing we had in common. "Do you know if I have a maternal grandfather?" I'd only met my father's parents, and they were just as judgmental and holier-than-thou as my father. The apple had not fallen far from the tree.

"I have only guesses," she told me. "That's something I wasn't able to see with certainty."

I gave her an odd look at the wording but let it go. She probably meant that Gabe hadn't shared that with her.

The car pulled up to what looked like the parking lot of a defunct shopping center. In the space was the carnival I'd seen in my dream. At the front was a red and white archway with the words "Welcome, Traveler" painted on it. It seemed friendly enough. Madame Persephone and I both thanked the driver, and she led me to the archway. A man with the most striking eyes I'd ever seen met us there with a frown.

"Is everything okay?" he asked Madame Persephone. "You took longer than expected."

She waved him off, then gestured at me. "This is Zeke," she told him. "Gabe Rossi's little brother."

The man's frown turned to understanding. "Ah," he said softly. "In that case, get him a pass for the day." The man patted my head fondly and strolled through the gate, melting into the crowd.

"Errante Ame," Madame Persephone said as if that somehow explained anything. "He's the owner."

"Oh," I said, things suddenly making sense. "Me being here isn't going to get you into trouble, is it?"

"No, he knew I'd gone to meet you. Come, let's get you a pass."

I followed behind obligingly, probably looking like a duckling trailing after its mother, but I was too busy looking around to care. I'd never been allowed to so much as go to the local summer fair, let alone a traveling carnival. Everything was brightly colored, and there were people everywhere. There was so much sound that I couldn't pick out anything anyone around me was saying without zeroing in on it, and the smells were much the same. It was more than a little overwhelming.

"Here," Madame Persephone said, startling me back into focus. "Put it in your backpack in case anyone asks to see it. You're with me, so it shouldn't be an issue, but just in case."

She held out a ticket of some sort, and I took it from her, sliding it into my backpack. Then I paused as my eyes landed on the stack of brochures my father had given me the night before. I was far enough away that no one would ever know if I dumped them, right? I pulled them out and shoved them into a nearby trash can, only to look up to find Madame Persephone giving me an approving smile. She waved at me to follow her, and once again, I found myself trailing behind as I took in my surroundings. We passed a midway full of games that tempted me, then rides that had my eyes opening wide. "Really? People get flung upside down like that for fun?" I asked Madam Persephone in something akin to horror as I stopped to look.

"Trust me, not everyone enjoys it," she told me dryly. "Anyone who has to clean up after a rider who's lost their lunch will tell you just how little fun some people have. I suggest that if you ever want to try it, start small. And stay away from the Gravitron."

I nodded, though I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about.

"Come on," she urged. "My tent's near the end."

The tents we passed by were just as bright as the rest of the carnival, though the mix of styles seemed a little odd. I wasn't sure if it was just because I hadn't experienced this sort of thing before or if there was something off about it. Regardless, I was still fascinated, and part of me wondered if I could run away from home and join them.

A small purple tent sat at the end of the row, slightly away from the others around it. A cart vendor was nearby, and whatever they were selling smelled amazing. Madame Persephone took one look at my face and snorted. When she turned away from me to head to the vendor, I quickly wiped at my face, afraid I'd been drooling. When I caught up to her, she thrust a bag at me. "Here. Caramel corn." She snorted again. "You're definitely Gabe's brother."

I opened the bag and grabbed a piece of the contents to toss into my mouth, sighing in happiness at the taste. I'd never had caramel corn, but it was everything I'd hoped for. After a moment, Madame Persephone's words sank in. "How does this make me his brother?"

She shook her head, amused. "Come into my tent. I'll tell you how I met your brother."

Inside the small purple tent, there wasn't a lot of light, and it had a mystical feel to it. I felt goosebumps rise on my arms, and I shivered a little. "Take a seat," Madame Persephone said, gesturing to a chair at a covered table that held a pack of cards and what could only be a crystal ball.

"You really are a fortune teller," I said.

She stared at me, looking bewildered. "Didn't I say so? Even without that, I figured it was obvious," she finally said, waving a hand at her clothes.

I shrugged. "I figured it was just your style."

She smiled and reached across the table to pat my hand. "You're a good kid. Yes, I really am a fortune teller."

Then she launched into a story about meeting my brother when he'd been drawn to the carnival by the smell of caramel corn. I laughed at that—she was right; I was just like Gabe in some ways. She told me how she'd offered to tell his fortune to pass the time and how her tarot cards had predicted a long journey and many changes.

"A long journey?" I asked. "That's one way to look at death, I guess."

"In a way, it's the journey," she agreed. "The next morning, I happened to be near the entrance when everything happened as you saw it." She sighed and shook her head. "I hope he saw me as he fell. At least then, maybe he'd know he wasn't alone when he died."

I swallowed down the lump in my throat. "Yeah," I whispered. "I hope so, too." It was such a horrific way to go. I hoped it had at least been quick enough that he'd felt no pain.

"What about me?" I asked, looking for a way to change the subject. "Do you have a prediction for me?"

Madame Persephone shook her head. "No, your future isn't clear yet. But I have an important piece of advice."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"When the dead speak, listen to them."

"When...what?" I shook my head. That made no sense. "Am I haunted or something?"

She laughed, her eyes twinkling with mischief, and I wondered what that was all about. Was she making fun of me? "I wouldn't say you're haunted, per se," she told me. "It's just something to keep in mind."

"Okay," I said, sounding completely unsure. But who wouldn't be confused by a statement like that?

She cocked her head as if she were listening to something far away, then smiled at me again. "I'm about to have a client," she said. "Why don't you go explore the carnival? Come back when you're ready to go home. I'll take you there. But for now, I want you to enjoy some new experiences."

"But—"

"New experiences help you grow, Zeke. Your pass will get you on the rides." She paused and narrowed her eyes at me. "Start with the Ferris wheel and the carousel before you try anything faster. And, again, stay away from the Gravitron or the..." She made a flopping motion with one hand to indicate the rides that would lift me and throw me around. "Trust me. If you're like Gabe, anything more than that is a terrible idea. Not just for you, but anyone on the ground under the ride."

I made a face and nodded. I'd stick to her suggestions.

"If you play any of the games and win something, hide it in your backpack before you leave today so your parents don't find it," she continued.

I had a moment of confusion before I remembered her claim that no one would be able to see things I hid in there. I didn't have much faith in that, but I nodded anyway.

"Go," she said, smiling as she made an elegant shooing motion. "Have some fun. You could certainly use some in your life."

She wasn't wrong there, that was for sure.

I caught an aerial act, then wandered into another tent that housed a dog act. The dog was cute, and seemed really intelligent, and was obviously well-loved. He was exactly the kind of dog I'd want to take home with me if I didn't live in a house full of horrible people. Sadly, my dreams of having a four-legged companion would have to wait until I could escape.

Another tent held a magic show, and I spent way too much time trying to figure out how he did what he did. At one point, he made a cat appear out of nowhere. It jumped down from the stage and wandered the audience, letting people—including me—pet it before it finally jumped into the lap of an audience member, who looked on in surprise. "Well," the magician said, "it looks like you own a cat now."

At the end of the act, that person left with the cat after a brief word with the magician. They'd looked too surprised for it to have been planned, and I had to wonder what was up with that. Was the magician giving up his own pet? Was he finding homes for strays?

After that, I poked my head into another tent to find it full of clowns. I left quickly. I will never understand why some people like clowns. I've always found them kind of terrifying.

I put some distance between myself and the clowns and looked for the rides instead. I saw an oddly-shaped thing that reminded me of a UFO that had a big sign above it that read "Gravitron". Apparently, this was the thing I was supposed to avoid, and I couldn't help but concur when the ride stopped and at least two people lurched out and promptly lost their lunch. Yeah, I'd be avoiding that one. I rode the carousel instead.

I walked by the haunted house and paused, looking it over and wondering if I dared. I decided against it when I thought I heard faint voices saying, "Oh, you look just like him! Are you going to join us? We'll tell him you said hi. He's in the afterlife, you know. Come on, join us," when there was no one close enough to be saying that. The hair on the back of my neck raised, and I walked away quickly. Maybe there were just speakers near the attraction, but I didn't want to chance it.

After passing some shops that didn't grab my attention, I wandered by some food stands, all full of things I'd never been allowed at home. I ended up with a couple of corn dogs, nachos, and a funnel cake, and upon my first bite, I decided it would be worth the chance of getting caught if I could sneak out to eat something like that again. I didn't want to spend too much of the money I'd been gifted, though, so I left it at that. It was probably still more calories than I got on an average day.

Of course, right after I thought that, I wandered through the midway games. Nothing caught my eye there, either, until I passed by the ring toss and saw it had plush creatures as their prize, a handful of which were probably meant to be demons or something. I snickered a little at the thought of having a plush demon in that house. It'd be a small rebellion, but it would be rebellion nonetheless.

"You want to give it a try?"

I looked at the woman behind the counter. She was probably in her thirties, well-groomed, and smiling but also seemed exhausted. I figured it had to be rough being in the booth all day, dealing with people.

It must have been evident that I was hesitating because she said, "Five dollars will give you five tries. You never know; you could end up winning big."

I was positive the games were rigged, but I gave her the money anyway.

As expected, the first toss bounced off the bottles, landing somewhere in the middle, completely out of sight. The second toss wasn't much better, nor the third. The fourth came closer but slid off when I thought I had it. I stared at the fifth ring and let out a sigh.

"You can do it," the woman behind the counter said. I looked up at her, and she winked.

I smiled a little in response, took a deep breath, and tossed the ring. Surprisingly, it bounced once, then landed directly on a bottle.

"See?" the woman crowed. "I told you so." She reached up and snagged one of the plush demons, then handed it over to me.

"Thanks," I said, holding the demon close to my chest. She gave me another wink, then turned to the newcomers that had just walked up. I left, tucking the plushie into my backpack for safekeeping.

The sun was starting to get low in the sky at that point, and just as I thought I needed to find Madame Persephone's tent again, there was an oddly quiet bark next to me, as if the dog making the noise was trying not to startle me. I looked down to see it was the dog from the show I'd caught earlier. "Oh, hello," I said, crouching down to get a good look at him. "What are you doing out here?" I reached out a hand, then paused. "May I pet you?"

Okay, maybe it was weird to ask a dog permission to give pets, but it had seemed like an oddly intelligent dog when it was doing its show, and somehow, it just felt rude not to get consent. Weirder still, the dog seemed to nod in response, so I happily pet it. "I don't suppose you can help me find Madame Persephone, can you?" I asked, mostly kidding.

The dog gave another quiet woof and started to walk away before stopping to look over its shoulder at me. It woofed again, then made a head motion that, if it had been human, I would have taken as a gesture to follow.

I followed. I figured if nothing else, I'd be able to find my way back to Madame Persephone's tent from the show tents.

I didn't end up at the show tents, though. The dog stopped right in front of Madame Persephone's. "Wow," I said, reaching out to pet him again. "Um, thank you. I really appreciate it."

The dog woofed again and walked away. I watched for a moment, then stepped inside the tent.

"Was that Darius?" she asked me. "I thought I recognized his bark."

"If you mean the dog from the act, yeah," I said. "I wasn't paying attention to his name, honestly."

"That would be him," she said, amused. "Did you have fun?"

I thought about all I'd done that day and felt myself smile. "Yeah," I admitted. "It was a lot of fun." I sighed then, my smile fading as if it had never been. "It's getting kind of late, though."

"Don't worry," Madame Persephone told me. "I'll get you home right now." She stood and stretched, smiled, and gestured for me to follow her.

We took a different route than the one we'd taken when we came in. "We're not going out the entrance?" I asked her.

"No," she said. "You're going to go out the back. It's much quicker."

There must have been a vehicle or something parked out that way. But come to think of it, if there was, why hadn't she taken it to the apartment building? We'd had to get a ride to the carnival. I mulled this over as we entered the Fun House I'd passed earlier. It seemed an odd shortcut, but I followed her through mirrored rooms and across floors that suddenly moved. When she finally stopped before a nearly-hidden door, I was relieved to have made it in one piece. "Through here," she said. "You first."

I wrinkled my brow but obliged. Just before I stepped through, she stopped me. "I've enjoyed spending time with you today," she said.

I smiled at her. "I enjoyed it, too."

She nodded, and I stepped through.

When I emerged, I was in the park near my house. When I turned to look behind me, the carnival and Madame Persephone were gone.