As Fate Would Have It

A group of girls wandered outside the school during lunchtime. Most of them were excited because something special was coming to town: the Carnival of Mysteries.

“Don't tell me you're not going to it, Dana,” one of the most excited girls said. “It hasn't visited our town in about a hundred years. Couldn't you put your suspicions and fears aside just for one night?”

Dana sighed and pushed her glasses back up her nose. She was dressed in an ankle-length light blue dress and buckled dress shoes. In her shoulder-length brown hair was a pink bow. “I just don't think we should go without any chaperons is all. What if something bad happened, Ronnie?”

Unlike Dana, Ronnie was one of the popular girls. Also unlike Dana, she was wearing a school sweater, as well as jeans with turned-up cuffs, and Sock Hop shoes. She wouldn't dream of having a bow of any color in her hair. That just wasn't the sort of girl she was.

“Nothing bad ever happens at a carnival,” Ronnie said. “That's just a myth. It's like riding a roller coaster. No matter how scary it seems sometimes the operators would never deliberately let anything happen to the riders. The illusion is what gives the riders their thrills. Same thing with this carnival. It's all just illusions. Nothing is really what it seems.”

“Maybe that's the problem,” Dana said. “If it isn't what it seems, maybe it's really dangerous.”

Ronnie rolled her eyes. “You seriously think so? Or are you just inventing excuses to avoid going to the carnival with the rest of us? You're not just going to spend another night at home reading your literature books, are you?”

“Maybe,” Dana replied. “You don't normally try to include me. Why are you doing it this time? Just to see if I do something dumb and you can laugh about it?”

Ronnie pursed her lips. It wasn't easy being both popular and Dana's friend. “If I promise to let nothing bad happen to you, will you come with us?”

“Promise?” Dana asked. “Hope to die, stick a needle in your eye?”

“Well, I hope it doesn't come to that, but yes, I promise,” Ronnie replied.

Dana thought about it. “All right. I'll get my homework done as soon as I can and then let my parents know about the carnival during dinner.”

“What if they don't let you go to it?” Ronnie asked.

“I can climb out of my bedroom window,” Dana replied. “I've done it before.”

“No tricks?” Ronnie asked.

“No tricks,” Dana replied.

Ronnie checked the Minnie Mouse watch on her left wrist. “If all goes well, we'll pick you up at about 7:30. It'll be dark by then. We'll drop you off at home afterward at around 11 pm. It's a Friday night and coming home that late shouldn't cause any problems for any of us.”

Dana wasn't so sure, but she nodded agreement anyway.

----------

Dana and her father were both sitting at the dining room table as Dana's mother served dinner to the three of them.

“Homework done?” her father asked.

Dana nodded.

He looked at her mother. “I don't have a problem with it, if you don't, dear. But she has to be home no later than 11 pm.”

“Agreed,” Dana's mother said. “And you aren't going alone, I hope?”

Dana shook her head. “I'm going with Ronnie and the other girls.”

Her mother's left eyebrow rose. “She's willing to let you come along? That's unusual. I thought that her chums wouldn't be in favor of that.”

“Maybe they aren't, but she is,” Dana said. “I'll even try to bring back a kewpie doll for both of you.”

“Have fun and be safe,” her mother said and her father echoed it.

----------

At 7:30 pm, there was a car honk outside the house. Dana grabbed a sweater and ran to the front door. It was a Chevy Bel Air convertible with Ronnie behind the wheel. The front seat was full, but Ronnie gestured to Dana and pointed at the empty spot.

The other girls didn't seem so thrilled when Dana got in. But Ronnie looked at each of them. They didn't argue … with her anyway. Ronnie nodded and drove through the evening darkness to the carnival's site in a field outside of town.

“This is supposed to be even better than the last the carnival came to town,” Ronnie explained along the way. “More sideshow tents. A second Ferris wheel. New rides. It's going to be loads of fun!”

“What about Miss Prissy?” the girl next to Ronnie asked.

“Her name is Dana,” Ronnie replied, “and I'll be with her the entire time. I promised that nothing bad would happen to her and I don't break my promises. Ever. In any case, you gals can scatter and go anywhere in the carnival you want to go. You don't even have to stay together. But just remember the departure time: 10:30 pm. I promised I would get Dana back home before 11 pm.”

“That's so early!” another girl complained. “Couldn't you just take her home and come back to the carnival afterward?”

“I suppose, Tammy,” Ronnie said, not sounding too happy about the change in schedule. “But I can't be home later than midnight. I don't want to get grounded like I was last time we stayed out too late.”

“Your parents are so strict, Ronnie,” the girl next to Dana said. “It's Friday night. Can't they just be a little less strict this time?”

Ronnie shook her head. “Mom's sister dropped out of college, Judy. Mom and Dad are determined that the same thing doesn't happen to me. School first, fun second.”

“There's the carnival!” Tammy exclaimed, pointing at the lights, tents, and rides sitting in the middle of a large field.

Parking was in the grass nearby. There seemed to be hundreds of cars there already and more were arriving every minute. Ronnie found a spot near the back row.

“Have fun, everyone,” Ronnie said.

The rest of the girls, except for Dana, scattered, laughing and giggling as they crossed the parking area. Ronnie and Dana took their time walking from the parking area to the carnival. Up ahead, the entrance sign was bordered by colored light bulbs and the words made out of neon tubes: Carnival of Mysteries.

“I'm sorry about the ride here,” Ronnie said quietly.

“You're not in charge of their mouths,” Dana said. “You did defend me, though, which I appreciated.”

“They don't know that the only reason I passed Government last year was because we studied for the end-of-term test together,” Ronnie said. “I can't flunk any of my high school classes or my parents won't pay for my college education.”

“You're also not as dumb as the other girls,” Dana said. “I don't know why you hang out with them. Isn't there anyone smarter than them at school?”

“Besides yourself?” Ronnie asked as they walked through the carnival's entrance.

Dana nodded.

“Not really,” Ronnie said. “I bet most of the girls will drop out during their first year of college once they find someone to marry.”

“Won't their parents mind the waste of money?” Dana asked.

“I'm not sure if their parents really care,” Ronnie replied. “Their parents are some of the wealthiest in the county. As long as their precious angels are happy, they probably could care less about the cost. They've probably already lined up affluent bachelors for their daughters to marry.”

“I'm glad that you're different from them,” Dana said.

“I'm glad that you are, too,” Ronnie said. “I spy a ball-throwing tent. Want to try to win a kewpie doll or two?”

Dana nodded. “I told my parents I'd try to win them one each, if I could.”

“Here's your chance, then,” Ronnie said.

----------

Afterward, Dana tried not to giggle. “Good thing I never tried out for the softball team. I'm surprised I didn't bean the man behind the counter with one of my throws.” She looked at the kewpie doll in her hand. “At least I won one of them.”

“Make that two,” Ronnie said, handing Dana her own kewpie doll.

“Oh no, I couldn't,” Dana protested. “You don't have to –”

“I have plenty of them at home that I've won at other carnivals over the years,” Ronnie said. “I didn't really need another one. Besides, I think they're happier together.”

Dana looked at the kewpie dolls. They did seem happier together. “Thank you. I don't know how to repay you.”

“Just don't ever change,” Ronnie said. “Want to share some cotton candy next?”

Dana nodded.

----------

The carnival's layout was much bigger than Dana had expected. In fact, they hadn't seen any of the other girls since entering the carnival grounds. And they'd long since finished their cotton candy by the time they reached the big tent in the center.

“I hope there's something less silly in there than inside some of those sideshow tents,” Dana said. “The man dressed up as the mummy looked ridiculous.”

“So did the one dressed up as Frankenstein's monster,” Ronnie said and giggled. “And the two midget twins who were supposed to be so strong … I don't think those barbells were really that heavy, do you?”

“Probably just inflated balloons,” Dana said. “Come on. Let's go inside.”

They entered the big tent. The bleachers were about half-full, which made it easy to find two empty seats where they could sit next to each other. On the “floor” of the tent was an MC with a bullhorn.

“Ladies and Gentlemen!” the MC said through the bullhorn. “Since this is the first night of the Carnival's run this time around, we have some new acts to present to you! Not just the flying trapeze artists, but new mythological beings! We begin with … the Gorgon!”

A veiled woman walked into the center of the “floor” area. Her hair seemed to be moving about, which seemed odd to Dana. Hair doesn't do that. Unless, of course, it isn't really hair.

“We can't let her reveal her face or you'd all turn to stone!” the MC explained. “But let's have her demonstrate it on something else! Maybe a plant?”

A tall plant was brought into the “floor” area and placed about twenty feet from the Gorgon. She turned to face the plant, almost as if she could see it through the veil covering her face.

“It won't take long!” the MC assured the audience. “All right, dear! You can take it off, but keep your eyes on the plant, not on the rest of us!”

The Gorgon obediently removed the veil. In seconds, the plant froze. When she turned herself away from the MC and the audience, the MC walked over to the plant and knocked it down. It shattered into a thousand frozen pieces.

“That was a living plant,” Ronnie said.

“Was,” Dana said.

“How's that, folks?” the MC said. “One guaranteed turned-to-stone plant! If you ever wanted a statue but didn't want to pay for it and can't sculpt one, the Gorgon could provide you with all the statues you ever wanted.”

“No kidding,” Dana said dryly.

“Do we have any volunteers who want to risk being turned to stone?” the MC asked. No one in the audience answered. “All right. Then we have a few available. Bring the girls in!”

Ronnie and Dana gasped. The girls were Tammy, Judy, and the third girl whose name Dana didn't know. They seemed to have their hands tied behind their backs.

“Can they do this?” Dana whispered to Ronnie. “Isn't this illegal? If they get turned to stone, they're as good as dead.”

Ronnie looked around. “I don't see any police officers.”

“But what do we do?” Dana insisted. “We can't let them be turned to stone.”

“We may not have much of a choice,” Ronnie said unhappily. “I guess any Carnival of Mysteries has some kernel of truth to it. This, apparently, is one of those kernels.”

“I don't want to watch this,” Dana said and scrambled down the bleacher.

Ronnie hesitated, then followed her. Both were still upset, Dana possibly more than Ronnie.

Once they were outside, Dana exclaimed, “We have to rescue them, Ronnie! We can't let them die in there!”

“If it's not too late, you mean,” Ronnie said. “How do you propose to get them away from that MC and the Gorgon? What if she looks at us and turns us to stone instead? Are you willing to take that risk?”

Dana looked unhappy. “But their parents –”

“I know, I know,” Ronnie said. “Look. Let's go back in there, but on the floor level and see if they're still okay.”

Dana nodded.

Inside the big tent, they saw the three girls. Their hands weren't tied anymore. In fact, they were standing perfectly still. The Gorgon was looking away from them, the MC, and the audience. Had it happened already?

The MC went to Tammy … and yanked her stone head off of her stone shoulders.

Dana screamed. She wasn't the only one. Ronnie also screamed and so did the audience. There was immediate pandemonium.

The MC said, “No, no! You don't understand! These are just statues! The girls are just fine! Let me show you! Bring out the girls!”

But it was too late. The big tent was emptying fast, people running in all directions away from it. The police headed toward the big tent, disappearing inside it.

Outside the big tent again, Dana and Ronnie were hugging each other, trying not to cry.

“She can't be dead, she can't be!” Dana said. “This is all just a sick joke!”

“I don't think so,” Ronnie said.

The police reappeared outside the tent. The MC walked ahead of them, his arms cuffed behind his back.

“I want to go home!” Dana insisted. “Take me home, Ronnie!”

Ronnie nodded and looked around them. “Which way back to the parking area, though?”

“What do you mean?” Dana asked. “The same way we came.”

“And which way is that?” Ronnie replied. “Look around us.”

Dana did so. Every direction looked the same. She couldn't even tell where the tent was where they'd won their kewpie dolls.

“But that doesn't make any sense,” Dana said. “Maybe if we just pick a direction and keep going until we leave the carnival grounds. If the parking area isn't on that side, we can just circle around the carnival grounds until we reach it.”

----------

Half an hour later, they were still lost. Each row of game tents looked like every other row. The big tent was the only visible landmark that was unique. Even with most of the crowds gone for the night after the horrifying event at the big tent, it was impossible to know which direction to go in.

“What if we just followed the North Star?” Dana suggested. “Pop said you just look for the Big Dipper and then follow its handle to the star at its end.”

“There are plenty of stars above us, but I can't see the Big Dipper,” Ronnie said. “Maybe we need to go where there are fewer tents.”

With some trouble, they finally reached the eating area. It wasn't near the parking area, but at least it was near one edge of the carnival grounds. There were just half a dozen people here. Five visitors and a clown entertaining them.

Dana sat down at one of the tables, and Ronnie sat down next to her.

“Did we imagine it?” Dana wondered. “Did we really see those three girls turned to stone?”

“It sure seemed like it,” Ronnie said.

“And then Tammy's head –” Dana said, but couldn't say the rest.

“That seemed real, too,” Ronnie said.

“But was it?” Dana wondered. “Were we just fooled by something that seemed too good to be true?”

“You mean: were we scammed by a convincing con artist?” Ronnie asked.

Dana nodded.

“I guess we won't know until tomorrow morning,” Ronnie said, “when the parents of those three girls call our parents, demanding to know where their daughters are and what happened to them.”

“Would they believe us if we told them?” Dana asked. “Or would they call us liars?”

“What would you call us if you were them?” Ronnie replied. “Tell them something that's just too difficult to believe: that we saw a real, honest-to-goodness Gorgon who could turn plants and people to stone.”

Dana sighed. “Let's try getting out of this carnival again. I want to go home. Don't you?”

Ronnie nodded.

It took them about another thirty minutes, but they eventually got directions that took them back to the parking area. They saw almost no one on the way there.

“I'm going to have nightmares tonight,” Dana said. “I just know I will.”

“You and me both,” Ronnie said.

----------

As Ronnie predicted, the next morning the phone rang again and again at their respective homes.

First, the girls' parents, then the police.

They were asked to make a statement at the police station. They did so, but the police simply didn't believe them. But what else could Ronnie and Dana say when the truth was unbelievable?

Back home, their parents considered grounding them but chose not to. They weren't to blame for what happened, after all.

If you check the town archives, you'll learn that that was the last time the Carnival of Mysteries visited that town … or any other town, for that matter.