What Does This Button Do? – A Creepy Circus Tale

“We shouldn’t do this…” I whispered to Tara.

Tara didn’t say anything back. She turned and pressed her finger to her lips, scowling at me. She squeezed through the small gate opening, smiling at Mark as he pushed against the chain link fence. I was the last of the five to climb through.

As if he noticed my hesitation, Mark whispered. “You can go back if you want.”

I shook my head, not saying a word. Five of us had snuck out that night, and I had promised Tara, my best friend. I could only imagine what would happen if I went home. I put one leg into the opening, and looked back for a brief second. I shuddered as I hopped into the closed park.

The sound of our sneakers against the rough gravel was the only noise heard. The tents were shut down and the colors, once bright and welcoming, seemed dull and darkened.

Mark raced to the Ferris Wheel that was in the core of the park.  He went to the controls that stood at the opening gate and pulled out a flashlight. What had once seemed like the spine of a futuristic beast, sprung to life. The bright lights of the Ferris Wheel filled the night. I looked around and saw the glowing, hopeful faces of my friends.

“Come on!” Mark called out to us. He jumped over the opening and ran to the waiting ride. “Taylor you man the controls!”

Taylor, one of the goofy boys who followed Mark like a puppy dog and had the dirtiest clothes like an old miner, galloped to the control box and grabbed the remote control button for the ride.

“Step right up…” He said as he ran for the nearest car.

I squeezed myself between Taylor and Coby, another one of Mark’s foolish pets. Taylor pushed the button and the ride started to move.

“What’s this other button do?” Taylor asked. I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me. The ride swung us around and I could see the top of the park.

Taylor must have pushed something, because the Ferris Wheel started to go faster. It started to go so fast my head swung back and it hit the railing behind me. Pain shot through the back of my head. I felt like my head was swimming as the bright lights blurred in front of me. “Taylor, what’s happening?”

Everyone was screaming. The ride hurled us around, my hair whipping backwards as I swayed side to side between Taylor and Coby. I noticed the both of them clutching the railing. Coby’s knuckles turned white and I realized he was afraid. Mark kept turning around, yelling something at us. At Taylor. Tara screamed, clinging to the side of the basket.

My vision. The colors dulled and the night sky swirled around me. In between the screams, I heard laughter. Horrible laughter. The terrifying laughter of an asylum.

I think it was me.

And then everything went black.

Now it’s your turn! This was a tough one to keep as a 500 word maximum. The words we were required to use are in bold, and the prompt had to include the photo in some way. See if you can try! Check out this week’s writing prompt by going to this link!