Soon, they came to
an area were other people in white, gathered around what appeared to be an old
carnival. This was strange. There
were beings of light wandering around, an angel or two, wings and all. The
carnival was muted in colors, the displays seeming to be rather ancient and
beat-up. What was this place? There
was a detached sounding organ music, attempting to play some sort of peppy
tune.
His teeth flashed for a brief moment while they walked forward. “I found this place by accident, once.”
Something seemed wrong about this place…
“Children.” Na’tan said.
“Huh?”
“There are no children. I have asked my Guides about it and they say it was here before anyone existed. Weird, huh?” Na’tan grinned. “Come on, there’s a game here I want you to play.” Because I don’t think your O score is accurate…
“What did you say?”
Na’tan tried to laugh it off. “Come on, you’ll see.”
Kealin knew there were some beautiful places in the Astral Realm and there were some downright scary places, and then, there were the “odd areas”. This place definitely fit into the latter.
The closer they got, the more she could see the carved, beat-up, painted wood. There were pictures of animals she didn’t recognize. There was a merry-go-round, a swing ride, a spinning ride, and loads of game stalls. They all creaked with age. And of the games, there was everything from the ring toss, to throwing a ball at some cans. But, there were no attendants for the stalls and no prizes. If someone did knock down the cans, she saw the cans would magically straighten themselves back-up to a triangle formation. There was laughter and the constant murmur from the crowd of souls gathered there. The people in white were all beautiful, joyful. Na’tan and Kealin got a few looks from the people in white, but nothing hostile. And, there were bells and whistles, clanking from the bottles and a clicking noise from a roulette wheel. But, no children.
They came to a game she had seen before, but never considered playing. A sign above it stated it was the “High Striker”. This was a game where a person would strike a mallet on a platform and try to get a weight to fly up on a pole, ringing a bell at the top. The problem was she couldn’t see the bell. The part of the contraption on which the weight would glide up, disappeared above them into the whiteness of the Astral Realm. Kealin’s mouth hung open.
“You know how to play this?” Na’tan asked.
He wanted her to try and hit the bell!? Kealin nodded “yes”. She searched around it but didn’t see a mallet anywhere.
Na’tan nodded explaining, “You actually use the Ethereal to hit the platform.” The others in white gathered around to watch. Kealin got nervous. She was going to have an audience? “And, everyone gets a bell, so don’t worry about that. But, I want you to give it all you got!”
She shook her hands out, and placed herself before the platform. Kealin exhaled and focused on the platform with such intensity that Na’tan held his breath. The constant flow of the Ethereal gathered around her. His hands began to tingle and then went numb. It was like the moment before a lightning strike. Like the moment before a tornado touched down. The Ethereal was so palpable he could taste it. It made him dizzy to feel that much in such close proximity. And then, with power he never felt before, she struck the platform with all the Ethereal she could muster. There was a “CRACK” and Na’tan thought she might have broken the platform. The weight shot up, out of sight, into the Astral Realm. The crowd applauded, and then hushed, waiting for the bell…
They waited…
And waited…
The longer they waited, the bigger Na’tan’s grin became. Soon, Na’tan started laughing.
Kealin glanced nervously up at the game. Did I break it? These people were going to be mad. Why was Na’tan laughing?! Kealin started hyperventilating, her emotions nearly overcoming her control.
They waited some more… And then, finally, far in the distance was a “riiinnngg” of a bell. Na’tan was almost on the ground laughing. Kealin was relieved and applause broke out.
I guess the score is wrong, in another direction…
“What?” Kealin demanded again, but he just kept laughing. He held up a finger and walked over to the side of the game, where from a tiny slot in the wood, scrolled out a tiny slip of paper. Na’tan took it. Kealin wandered over, trying to peer over his arm. “What’s that?”
“Your score.” He grinned.
She stared at it, it read “1705640”. Was that good?
Na’tan laughed, again, “Yes.” He shook his head and strolled back through the carnival. Kealin quickly hopped along, to keep up.
“What’s your score?”
His teeth flashed for a brief moment while they walked forward. “I found this place by accident, once.”
Something seemed wrong about this place…
“Children.” Na’tan said.
“Huh?”
“There are no children. I have asked my Guides about it and they say it was here before anyone existed. Weird, huh?” Na’tan grinned. “Come on, there’s a game here I want you to play.” Because I don’t think your O score is accurate…
“What did you say?”
Na’tan tried to laugh it off. “Come on, you’ll see.”
Kealin knew there were some beautiful places in the Astral Realm and there were some downright scary places, and then, there were the “odd areas”. This place definitely fit into the latter.
The closer they got, the more she could see the carved, beat-up, painted wood. There were pictures of animals she didn’t recognize. There was a merry-go-round, a swing ride, a spinning ride, and loads of game stalls. They all creaked with age. And of the games, there was everything from the ring toss, to throwing a ball at some cans. But, there were no attendants for the stalls and no prizes. If someone did knock down the cans, she saw the cans would magically straighten themselves back-up to a triangle formation. There was laughter and the constant murmur from the crowd of souls gathered there. The people in white were all beautiful, joyful. Na’tan and Kealin got a few looks from the people in white, but nothing hostile. And, there were bells and whistles, clanking from the bottles and a clicking noise from a roulette wheel. But, no children.
They came to a game she had seen before, but never considered playing. A sign above it stated it was the “High Striker”. This was a game where a person would strike a mallet on a platform and try to get a weight to fly up on a pole, ringing a bell at the top. The problem was she couldn’t see the bell. The part of the contraption on which the weight would glide up, disappeared above them into the whiteness of the Astral Realm. Kealin’s mouth hung open.
“You know how to play this?” Na’tan asked.
He wanted her to try and hit the bell!? Kealin nodded “yes”. She searched around it but didn’t see a mallet anywhere.
Na’tan nodded explaining, “You actually use the Ethereal to hit the platform.” The others in white gathered around to watch. Kealin got nervous. She was going to have an audience? “And, everyone gets a bell, so don’t worry about that. But, I want you to give it all you got!”
She shook her hands out, and placed herself before the platform. Kealin exhaled and focused on the platform with such intensity that Na’tan held his breath. The constant flow of the Ethereal gathered around her. His hands began to tingle and then went numb. It was like the moment before a lightning strike. Like the moment before a tornado touched down. The Ethereal was so palpable he could taste it. It made him dizzy to feel that much in such close proximity. And then, with power he never felt before, she struck the platform with all the Ethereal she could muster. There was a “CRACK” and Na’tan thought she might have broken the platform. The weight shot up, out of sight, into the Astral Realm. The crowd applauded, and then hushed, waiting for the bell…
They waited…
And waited…
The longer they waited, the bigger Na’tan’s grin became. Soon, Na’tan started laughing.
Kealin glanced nervously up at the game. Did I break it? These people were going to be mad. Why was Na’tan laughing?! Kealin started hyperventilating, her emotions nearly overcoming her control.
They waited some more… And then, finally, far in the distance was a “riiinnngg” of a bell. Na’tan was almost on the ground laughing. Kealin was relieved and applause broke out.
I guess the score is wrong, in another direction…
“What?” Kealin demanded again, but he just kept laughing. He held up a finger and walked over to the side of the game, where from a tiny slot in the wood, scrolled out a tiny slip of paper. Na’tan took it. Kealin wandered over, trying to peer over his arm. “What’s that?”
“Your score.” He grinned.
She stared at it, it read “1705640”. Was that good?
Na’tan laughed, again, “Yes.” He shook his head and strolled back through the carnival. Kealin quickly hopped along, to keep up.
“What’s your score?”
|
“Less than yours.” Considerably.
“How less?”This was getting frustrating. “Come on, one more stop and you can go to sleep.” And, he took off again. Kealin screamed in frustration, but leaped after him. |
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