What Kind of Wonderland is This?

El Carnival Bizarria was unlike anything I’ve seen before.

It was huge. It was almost like it grew in the embrace of the curtain. I looked up and saw that the curtain came into the center so it was like we were under a blood red sky. I gulped as a panic began to creep up as the feeling of being trapped grew stronger. Hanging down from the velvet encasement were chandeliers of checkered red candles that gave off just enough thin, ethereal light to make everything visible. A light fog was dusted across the floor and fluttered like a wounded butterfly when it was kicked up. It made me sneeze when it floated up to my nose. The air was thick with darkly seductive perfume that would have been bearable except that the large quantity of it made me nauseas.

Spires like thorns jutted out from the black looming Ferris Wheel which twitched hypnotically from side to side as if it couldn’t decide which way to go. Trees decorated with almost transparent silk swayed as if dancing to a melody only they knew.

There were rows and rows of shadowy booths with lattice framed doors neatly hidden by the writhing of the massive crowd. They were manned by ominous personal selling everything from edible spider eggs to sinister-looking music boxes. Some booths sold spider silk cotton candy that was as black as licorice and thin as spun air. Flashing strobe lights illuminated various attractions, like Arrion the Secretholder the hypnotist and the Spider Queen, a girl who lived with spiders and had a poisonous kiss. This made me even more disoriented as Shadows seemed to spring to life. Screams from hidden rides carried over the voices of the huge crowd within the carnival’s velvet border.

It was a twisted fantasyland of black entwined silver shards that glinted like a crazed serpent with coils of metal.

I shivered. I hated being in crowds. I didn’t like being around such a huge number of unknown people-it was claustrophobic. I inched closer to where Collin was standing and turned to say something before freezing. Apparently when I was taking in the sights, Collin had left me here alone. In his place there was a tall, heavily tattooed man. He stared down at me gawking and grinned revealing some far-to-fang-like looking teeth.

“See something you like doll?” He wheezed as his friends laughed.

I flushed and tried to make a hasty retreat but instead I got sucked into the crowds clutches. I got stepped on by a sneering boy and elbowed in the ear by a girl who told me what I could do with myself if I got in her way again. The crowd surrounded me and my claustrophobia seeped in. The piercings caught the glow of the hanging candles and the flashes burned into my eyes. I yelped as a spiked heel caught my foot and I was nearly knocked over by a group of what looked like depressed circus clowns who hissed at me to watch where I was going. My vision was completely blurred now as the shapes twisted into pale faces with shadowy bodies. Tattoo’s leered at me from deathly white skin as raspy laughs swirled around in my head. My breathing came in harder as the crowd closed in on me. I squawked as I felt a hand go into my jeans pocket and realized I had been pick-pocketed out of all of the cash I had. As fun as it was being jostled around like Jell-O in a mosh pit I needed out NOW.

Like an oasis in a sea of insanity, I spied a small opening that lead to a tree and dove for it, barely avoiding a spiked boot in my gut. I contorted myself to avoid the appendages of other people and nearly got completely out before someone wearing heavy boot crunched on my ankle, twisting it. I yelped but they just kept walking. I limped to the tree and leaned against it, keeping my ankle far away from the crowd’s edge. I wimpered, feeling trapped and alone. I began stroking my locket.

The locket was an intricate silver heart that my Granny gave me. It was covered with criss-crossing lines was linked by a sturdy silver chain. It was my most prized possession. She was my rock when I was suffering from my parent’s divorce and she had given me this heirloom when she was on her death bed. She claimed that it would help me and would open when I needed it most. Thinking of Grandma calmed me down almost instantly. My breathing came normally again and I decided that I had to find Collin. After I bet the tar out of him for leaving me here, we would leave. I would drag him out for all I cared, this was far too much for me. I stood up, dusting my pants off and testing my ankle. It wasn’t a bad sprain so I could walk without too much trouble. Then I spun around the tree and knocked into someone, causing us both to fall down.

“Sorry.” I said as I rubbed my head. I heard a grunt in reply and looked over and I couldn’t help but stare. It was a boy around my age. Covering the darkest blonde hair I’ve ever seen was this fedora/top hat cross-breed and he had on a black shirt with long sleeves that hid most of his hands. There were white patches on the sides of the sleeve, pretty much the only other color on him. He was wearing black shorts and these big, clunky black boots with striped knee high socks that tapered into a diamond shape. He was like a Victorian-style mime.

He rubbed his head then glanced up, noticing my stare. I flushed. His eyes were so black they looked bottomless. It was a big contrast from how pale he was. He had on this black make-up too, two inverted triangles under his eyes that pointed down his cheek and a dark square emerging from his hairline. He had this extremely bore expression on but I got the feeling he was glaring at me. Okay, I deserve that, I did crash into him after all.

He grabbed something that was lying on the floor and then pushed himself up. I was still just sitting there watching him and then he turned to me. He was suddenly chewing on a pencil and I saw him look down at my crossed knees. I then realized I was sitting on a book….which was probably his. Great, just great. First I knock him down, then I stare like a goldfish, and now I’m crushing his book. Lovely first impression.

As I tried to get up to give him back his book, I accidently stepped on the cover. Crap. I tried shifting my balance off the book and slipped, feeling pages rip out of the book. Crap! I immediately started apologizing like crazy until I slipped again, throwing the pages everywhere (lovely) and almost fell. This time, he caught me. I looked up at him and I saw him studying me as he kept chewing his pencil. I felt my face heat up and I quickly pushed away. He still watched me as I quickly grabbed up the books and the pages I torn in my clumsy attempt in getting up.

I glanced at the pages and saw these gorgeous sketches of people. They were so amazingly done with so much detail I almost thought I was holding a photograph, or a small window. I looked down at the book in my hand. The cover was jet-black and had silver garnish at the edges. There was no title. It seemed simple compared to the drawings.

Then I remembered that they belonged to someone. I glanced up; my face flushed again and saw he was still there. I quickly finished grabbing the pages and gave them to him.

“Sorryforthedamagehopethedrawingsareokayehehehegoodbye!” I stuttered out and walked away, extremely embarrassed.

“Beware of mirrors.”

I turned around. His voice was as flat as his expression and I should have walked off then but I just stared at him. His eyes were intense as they stared back.

“Beware of mirrors.” He repeated.

“What do you mean?” I asked confused.

“You won’t like what you see.” He said not moving at all. I froze as my eyes were locked with his. It might have stayed that way but I heard my name being called.

“Casey!”

I turned around and saw Collin waving at me. “Where have you been? Come on you have to see this!”

I turned back and the mime was gone. I stared. What the hell is going on in this carnival? I shook my head then ran to catch up with Collin. He sat there impatiently, tapping his foot like a snobby girl kept waiting.

“Jeez what took ya so long case?” Collin said laughing. He stopped after I socked him in the shoulder as hard as I could. “What was that for?!” He shrank away faking a wounded expression.

“That’s for leaving me <i>alone</i> in the creepiest carnival ever!” I growled through gritted teeth. “You’re lucky I don’t kick your ass for that.”

“Alright, alright…” he said backing up and putting his hands up as if I caught him red handed. “You got me, but I saw something really cool that we <i>have</i> to check out!” He grabbed my arm dragging me over to a small building. Compared to the rest of the carnival, this building was well, normal. The only thing that fit the rest of the carnival was the black paint. It was small with a crumbling roof and the bricks red tones were showing through spots of black. I was at least ten feet away and I could hear the bricks and the foundation groaning and creaking as the house resisted gravity. In other words, it was old.

Collin grinned at me. “We have to try this!”

“Uh-uh.” I said shaking my head. “I am not going in there.” I backed away and turned around. Collin grabbed my arm.

“Come on Case, just one time, I promise!” he looked up at me with puppy-dog eyes. I tried to look away feeling guilt well up inside me.

“Errrr, fine” I conceded. I am such a pushover. Collin grinned hopping up and down.

“I can’t wait! This is gonna be great!” He said excitedly as he dragged me to the entrance. I gulped as I looked up at the faded letters of the building shimmer down at me:

House Of Mirrors