Carnival Games

[ScorpionSplash]

It was a beautiful summer day outside as Ally and Cara sat on the couch watching tv. "Come on Cara please? I promise it's not bad." Ally said trying to persuade her good friend into trusting her again. Something she was usually good at. "Ally. Last time I went anywhere with you I almost died in quicksand." Cara responded unamused. Ally gave Cara a weird look. "And you enjoyed it. You told me you did. Besides its not that this time. There's one of those traveling carnivals in town. Are you scared of clowns too?" Ally said with a giggle. Cara sighed and looked at her friend. "Fine I guess. But knowing you were going to get into some sort of trouble." Cara said while turning the tv off and standing up. "Why are we friends? Your such a worry wart!" Ally said while laughing. Cara rolled her eyes and the girls walked out.

Their conversation turned to the usual love interests. Or more of Ally telling Cara of who her latest crush of the week because Cara never thought of any of the boys in her area were nice enough to date. Ally tried to set her up with some of her guy friends and while Cara entertained the idea, never took any of the blind dates too seriously.

The girls continued this talk until they arrived at a low quality pack of torn up circus tents. "Eww Ally this place is gross." Cara said with an obvious face of disgust. "Beats sitting inside in front of the tv all day right?" Ally responded with a slight giddy tone. Cara shook her head and agreed. "Alright then good choice. Now, you decide where to go." Ally said putting her arm around Cara's shoulder. Cara giggled and walked around for a few minutes until she stopped in front of a light blue tent that was in much better condition than the rest of the tents. "What's this place?" She said while looking up at the dingy wooden sign with sloppy red paint that read "Spellbinding Seth's House of Magic!" The sign had made both of the girls laugh but Cara seemed drawn to it somehow.

So in they went and took their seats in the front row, Only about 3 feet from the stage, the stage was poorly put together with light wood. Some planks sticking out of the edges prepared to cut any person that wasn't paying attention. Ally looked behind them and was surprised to see the tent filling with people. Every seat was taken by about a hundred people. Ally turned to Cara and said "I don't remember seeing this many people in the entire place. There was only like 50 when we got here." Although Cara was either ignoring her or didn't hear her because she kept her eyes fixated on the empty stage.

After half an hour of waiting, the lights went down and the stage filled with smoke. A wave of ooo's and aaa's waved through the crowd as a guy who looked like he was Cara and Ally's age who was dressed as a classic circus carny rose up through the stage. It was obvious that he used some sort elevator. What amazed Ally however, was the question of how did they get a device like that in such a crappy stage. "Welcome ladies, gentlemen, and children of all ages! My name is Spellbinding Seth and welcome to my house of magic!" The man on stage said with the crowd cheering and applauding in response.

Cara took her eyes off the stage for the first time since entering the tent, turned to Ally and whispered "this guy is cute." Which shocked Ally because she knew that Cara never thought that was to any of her friends and now this random stranger had caught her eye. She shrugged it off and turned back to the man on stage who was performing some card trick much to the pleasure of the young children in the crowd. Even some of the parents had cheered, weather it was just to please their children or actually enjoying the cheesy magic tricks. Ally rolled her eyes after many of them but Cara seemed legitimately entertained.

After a few hours of the show, the tricks began to get more and more intricate and complicated. Some even making Ally smile with actual amusement. "You all have been a wonderful audience!" Seth began. "But unfortunately it is time for the very last act of the night." He continued with faux sadness in his voice. "So for this I will need a member in the audience! Who would like to to join Spellbinding Seth on stage for his last performance of the night?" When he said this. Many hands rose into the air trying to get the attention of the guy on stage. "Ally. You should get up there. It'll be fun." Cara said

"Wait why me? You seem more into this than I am." Ally said in confusion. "Because you know I have stage fright. Maybe if you do it then I could meet him afterwards." She said with a giggle. Ally sighed and raised her hand. Meanwhile, Seth was scanning the crowd in the search of the perfect assistant until he saw Ally raise her hand. "Hmmm. How about this young lady in the in the first row. You with the blue shirt." Seth said pointing at Ally. A collective disappointed "aww!" Went through the crowd as Ally climbed on stage.

"Now, my lovely assistant. What is your name?" He asked Ally. After telling him her name, Seth said in his flamboyant tone. "Ally! What a wonderful name." He shook her hand. "My name is Speeeellbinding Seth! Now if you could follow me backstage I will tell you everything you need to do and get you prepared." He said while leading her backstage. While Cara sat with the rest of the crowd waiting for the two to reappear through the curtain again. After ten minutes of silence. Whispers began to spread through the crowd wondering if something had gone wrong until Seth came back out without Ally. "I am dearly sorry folks. My assistant has gotten cold feet about performing. And we are all out of time, again I am very sorry for the anticlimactic ending. Thank you for coming!" Seth said as another disappointed "aww!" Went through the crowd. This time much louder.

As the entire crowd walked out of the tent, Cara waited in her seat for Ally to return. After waiting for a few minutes, Seth came up to her. "I believe you were with that young lady. Am I correct?" He asked Cara. She said yes and asked where she was. "She is backstage. You see the assistants get to play a special carnival game. Even though she was nervous I decided to let her play. Would you like to join us? There is usually more than one assistant but this was a much smaller crowd than what I'm used to." He explained to cara. "Umm... Sure I guess. Can I ask what kind of game it is?" Cara asked curiously. All he said was "you'll see" and sent her backstage.

Cara was not ready for what she would see however. Instead of some sort of fancy arcade game she saw Ally behind a glass case dangling above a pit of tar by a rope tied around her wrists with a gag in her mouth, obviously terrified. "what did you do to her?!" Cara asked with a mix of terror and anger. "Oh it's simple. This is the game. Tell me miss. Do you know of the game 'hangman'?" Cara glanced at Ally then back at Seth who was now standing on a wooden podium.

"Yes I do. But why is my friend-" she was cut off "no time for questions. Have a seat." He said as a big man with a black mask grabbed her, sat her down in a chair, and began tying Cara to a chair. Which was difficult with her writhing and struggling but managed to get her bound to the chair. "That man there, Is the executioner. He will be managing this little game. It's a lot like hangman. You will have to guess the hidden phrase by picking a letter. Every time you guess wrong, your friend with be lowered into the tar. If you win you both go free. If you lose however, your friend will be submerged and will never be seen or heard from again! Good luck!" Seth said in his usual tone.

"Let the games begin!" He shouted. "Your crazy! Let us go!" Cara yelled. Ally was crying at this point. She enjoyed sinking but not against her will. "Oh! I'm sorry. That's not a letter." He said as the executioner began turning a wheel slowly, causing Ally to be lowered to her ankles in the sticky, black tar. Ally looked to her friend with fear in her eyes. Silently pleading with Cara to save her. "O-ok! Let me think for a second..." She said quickly before throwing out a letter. "Umm.... P!" She said quickly as she turned to Seth. "Congratulations that is correct! She lives a little longer!" He said without dropping his excited tone. "Chop chop next guess!" He hurried her.

Cara thought hard about her next guess. She didn't want Ally to sink any deeper, it would cause her to lose focus as well as pushing her closer to going under. "Too late! Took too much time!" Seth suddenly said, gesturing to the executioner who began turning the wheel, dropping Ally to her knees. Which caused her to let out a muffled scream. "Hey! There's no time limit in hangman!" Cara yelled. Hoping that someone outside the tent had heard her. "Ah but this isn't hangman. It's LIKE hangman but is not. That wasn't a letter by the way!" Seth said again. The wheel turned again this time Ally fell to her mid thighs in the warm, black pool. The tar was getting hotter and hotter the deeper it got.

Cara growled. It was going to be really difficult to win this sadistic game with such strict rules. She looked at Ally, she was trying to say something but between the gag and the glass cage Cara couldn't hear her. "Fine. Uh... L" Cara finally said. Crossing her fingers in hopes that she got it right. She looked over to Seth who was still grinning as if he was still performing to a crowd. "Ding ding ding! Two L's! This girl is on a role! Well sort of... She survives a little longer!" Seth yelled. He obviously wasn't worried about someone hearing them. Cara sighed and looked over to Ally who was struggling against the rope holding her arms over her head. "Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do that. If you get out of those ropes then there's nothing keeping you from sinking." The executioner said. His voice deep and raspy.

"Good point Ex!" Seth said in response. "Now chop chop! I have all day but your little friend sure doesn't!" He exclaimed followed by laughter. Cara tried ignoring him. "What has a P and and two L's?" She thought to herself. "A" she said out loud. Seth responded with an imitation of a buzzer. "Wrong! You were doing so good too!" He said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. The executioner turned the wheel again, dropping Ally in to her waist. Ally winced because of the heat she felt on her legs. Cara was starting to panic. "Please let us go! We didn't do anything!" She yelled. Seth looked at Cara, then to Ally. As if contemplating what to do. "Wrong answer!" He said with a laugh. Ally's belly button sank under this time.

Tears began to form in Cara's eyes. She thought it was her fault making Ally come into this stupid tent. Unknowingly putting her in danger. "Tick tock!" Seth pulled her out of her subconscious with his remark. Cara growled and finally said. "You are sick and twisted!" She yelled at him. Seth opened his mouth to speak but Cara didn't let him. "I know that's not answer! E." She finished. Seth's grin turned into a sinister smirk. "That is correct! But sadly you also gave a wrong answer. So mister 'cutioner. On with it." He said. The executioner nodded and caused Ally to sink again. Her breasts were laying on the surface of the bubbling tar before she stopped sinking.

Cara thought for a minute. Trying to guess the phrase as well as trying to remember what letters she had already said. She looked over to Ally who was trying to move her body in the tar, trying to adjust so her legs weren't getting burned by the heat of the black sludge. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face. Your not fooling anyone. T." Cara said. She was more angry than scared at this point. That is, until she glanced at how deep Ally was already. "Aha! Yes there is a T! She lives a little longer!" Seth yelled in excitement. "But you also exceeded the time. So down she goes!" And in one fluid motion Ally's breasts dropped under the surface. Cara's anger left her and was replaced with fear once again.

"Ally I'm so sorry! I'm trying!" Cara said facing Ally. She let the tears run down her cheeks. Ally shook her head quickly then pointed her head at Seth who was grinning. "I'm so sorry too. That is the wrong answer!" With that, Ally's shoulders disappeared under the tar. Cara shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "Now. By the looks of it you have about one wrong guess left before she is submerged. Choose wisely." Seth said "it appears the great Spellbinding Seth wins another game!" He finished proudly. Then Cara figured it out. "Maybe not." She said smiling at Ally. "S, H, B" she said confidently. Causing Seth's smirk to vanish. "That... That's correct!" he said. "She lives a little longer!" He exclaimed. Cara smiled. "I, N, D, G" Cara said. Ally didn't look as scared anymore. She caugh on to what Cara was thinking. "Ding ding! All of those are correct! Look at you miss smarty pants!" Seth said, his smile returning but not as wide.

"The last letter is H. Maybe next time don't make the answer your own name." Cara said with a giggle. "I win! Now let us go!" She yelled. But Seth's expression never changed. "I am a man of my word. Executioner. Free them please." He said with a smile. Cara sighed with relief as the big man with the black mask came over to her and untied the ropes. "Yes yes but you would be surprised how many people fail!" Seth said in his usual tone of excitement. Cara began to imagine all the people Seth had lured to their deaths. She stood up and followed the executioner as he walked over and began turning the wheel backwards causing Ally to be slowly lifted out of the tar. Her clothes and skin covered in the black liquid.

Once she was completely free he grabbed her and pulled her out of the case. He untied her wrists and removed the gag from her mouth. As soon as she was free, Ally fell on her knees trying to gather her breath. Cara ran up to her and hugged her. "I'm so sorry Ally. I didn't mean to cause this..." She said while holding her. "It's fine Cara. You saved me. Let's just get out of here." Ally replied while standing up, grabbing Cara's hand and running out of the tent. Neither girl stopped running until they were inside Cara's home. "We need to call the cops!" Ally said as soon as they got inside. Cara already had the number dialed and waiting to talk.

When she hung up, Ally hugged Cara tight. "Thank you for saving me. I owe you so much." She said with tears in her eyes. "But I caused this. I never thought anything could come from that dump would be dangerous." Cara responded. "Why are all the cute guys fucking insane?" She finished with a slight giggle. Which caused Ally to smile too. "Oh. Hey sorry for getting this black stuff on you." Ally said. "Don't worry about it. I can get this out easy. I feel bad for making you sink so deep in that stuff. It's going to be impossible to get out." Both of the girls laughed.

Meanwhile a brigade of cop cars pulled up on an empty lot where the carnival used to be. The only thing they found was a wooden sign with sloppy red paint that read "Spellbinding Seth's traveling carnival has moved on to its next location. Sorry for the inconvenience! We may return someday!" Followed by a crudely drawn sad face in sharpie. The cops spent the next week searching for them but were never found.

-FINN-