fauxcroft

The two children Emma and kyle looked out at the lights of the fairground with longing in their hearts. The fact it was so close to their home caused them more angst as they watched people riding rides from their bedroom window. Both children had been told in no way were they to go. Their mum and dad had gone out and left them being baby sat by their nan, a woman of many years and many wrinkles and blue rinse hair, held by a biohazardly immense amount of hair spray. Emma the eldest of the two at the age of 10yrs old looked down stairs and saw their elderly babysitting nan asleep and snoring loudly with mouth wide open. Emma beckoned silently to Kyle to follow here down stairs. First of all Kyle was not sure and had concern etched on his face. But that soon changed to a smile as he moved forward. Silently the crept past the sleeping nan and out the door. Once outside the could see across the dark normally lush green field the fairground on  the other side. Emma was a pretty girl, slim and long dark hair with a very fair complexion and was wearing light blue jeans and a white slogan t-shirt. Kyle however was a a smaller blonde hair boy a little chubby with a similar complexion to his sister, wearing black jeans and a batman top. At 8yrs of age he was slightly younger. Emma touched his shoulder. ‘Fairground here we come’, she spoke with all the mischievousness of a pretty teen child. The two made their way towards the lights and the fun.

The mischievous imps sneaked in through a gap in the perimeter fence and rode the rides, and drank fizz, ate candyfloss from the money they had saved from chores they had carried out. As they did so Emma noticed a tall dark bedraggled man seemingly following them. When she made mention of this to one of the ride workers, he simply smirked and said he was harmless.

After a few hours of fun both of the children decided to leave for home but everytime they moved between rides or caravans they found themselves back in the middle of the fairground. The more they did this the more they panicked. They then noticed everyone staring and smiling. A tall dark haired man with a heavy tan and a grizzly grin stepped forward and bowed mockingly. ‘Welcome to the fair. We hope you enjoy it for you now are part of it”. Both children were shocked, Kyle was close to tears and Emma looked confused and aghast. ‘No! we need to go home or our nan will notice and ring our mum and dad and they will come and get us’. the tall man continued to smile unabated, ‘no, I am afraid not. To adults this is in their eyes and old broken down fairground, derelict and dangerous. Only to children is it a place of light and fun’. ‘But they will miss us’, Emma retorted desperately. Now the tall dark man in dirty trousers and lumberjack style shirt, torn in places, withdrew his grizzly grin. ‘Pointing outward towards where their house was the children could see an amber, yellowish glow, with thick black smoke emanating upward.  In shocked amazement they realised it was their house, ablaze. ‘Nanna!’ kyle cried out, Emma clasped him close to her. ‘She is fine’ spoke the tall dark man kindly.’But they will think you had perished in the fire. They will think you lost. This is the fate of those who dare to choose not too listen. This is the fate of those who crave desires without thought for what they have been told’. Emma snapped back at him, ‘yeah like we are the only disobedient kids in town or the world.’ ‘No’, the tall man responded almost softly now, ‘but you are the ones who decided to come here’. ‘Where is here?’ Kyle asked choking back tears. ‘Why my young fellow this is the fairground of lost souls. If you had entered through the main gate you would have read this. Now it is late and time for the lights to go out. You will be shown your beds and tomorrow you will work the fair’. With that he waved his hand and out went the lights and all that could be heard was the cry of lost children’s souls. Tomorrow the fairground would remain a broken she’ll but appear somewhere else, luring in souls. Feeding the fairgrounds need for fresh souls.