The Carnival

Chapter 5
Chapter 5

Sam sipped his beer after Janie left to go the carnival. He was beginning to enjoy wallowing in his own misery. The five-year-olds clad only in oversize t-shirts came running through the room again. He was suddenly interested in who they were. As he got up he tugged at his belt, for his pants had gotten a little loose.

’Hey, you there!’ said Sam to one of the lingering kids. She came up to him. ’What’s your name, little girl?’

She giggled. ’Silly, I’m Susie! Susie!’ She gave a little scream of laughter as Carla squirted her with the water pistol again. ’Ooo, I’m gonna getcha for that, Carl-wa!’ She ran after her sniper who escaped squealing.

’Carla? Susie?’ wondered Sam. He scratched his full head of hair. The 28-year-old man started to walk after them when he noticed his pants were loose again. Cinching up his belt, he took his half-empty beer bottle with him into the backyard.

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Due to her inexperience, Roxy had gotten them late to the carnival. She had taken the wrong roads again and again, and eventually Martin took over and they got to the carnival by 4:30. Martin was so late for whatever it was he needed to do back home that he dropped them off and sped away with few words.

Roxy was embarassed beyond belief. She couldn’t stop apologizing to Janie.

’That’s okay, Roxy, it’s just your first time on the road...’

’No it’s not! I’ve been on the road like five times!’

’Whatever,’ said Janie. She really hadn’t planned on coming to the carnival this early before her date anyway, but she still had time to see the gypsy woman. She suggested to Roxy that they split up and meet again at the Merry-go-round at six.

Once separated from Roxy, Janie rushed to the gypsy, so she could get her problems fixed right away. The matronly woman was still in her booth, handing a fortune cookie to a customer.

’I guarantee you’ll like what’s in there,’ she said to the man. With a doubtful expression on his face, the customer left and Janie stepped up.

’Oh, hello again deary! How are you doing? Is your sister no longer a problem?’

’No, she’s not a problem,’ said Janie. ’In fact, I have a DATE, thanks to you!’

’That’s wonderful!’ crooned the other. ’So you just came by to thank me?’

’Actually, no,’ said Janie, her face flushing red. ’You see, I put some of the potion into the bath, and when Susie, my sister, went in, she got younger, much younger, really quickly. I called my mom, Carla, and she pulled Susie out, but Susie was just a little kid, like five, and she splashed water all over my mom.’

’So your mother’s feeling her oats, is she?’ laughed the mystic. ’How young is she now? Thirties? Twenties?’

Janie shook her head. ’She was getting young too fast. I had to keep yelling at her to take off her clothes and dry off. She turned into a 16-year-old!’

’16? That’s odd,’ mused the woman. ’How much of the potion did you put into the bathtub?’

’About half, plus a couple of drops.’

’Strange,’ said the woman. ’That’s an unusually potent mixture for only half a vial. Ordinarily it works slowly enough in a full bathtub for the person to just wear their wet clothes and only get 10 years younger! Do you still have the vial? Let me see it.’

She took the vial from Janie and examined it. ’Why, this is far more potent than it should be! More than twice! I wonder who’s responsible for that. I’m glad you came to me to talk about this. Did you use the potion for anything else?’ She handed the vial back.

’Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you,’ said Janie. ’Carla and I went to the mall to see some boys, and she...welllll, she was even *worse* than Susan was! I couldn’t stand it! I put some potion in her drink and now she’s five years old, too!’

’Oh, good grief!’ said the mystic. ’That just won’t do.’ She got out of her booth and hung up an ’EXHIBIT CLOSED’ sign. ’I’m going to have to fix this one myself. Come on, you’re coming with me!’ She grabbed Janie by the arm and pulled her along.

’But--what about--’

’Your date can wait. I’m going to drive. Oh, I’m Zelda, by the way. Now, are you *sure* that’s all you used the potion on?’

Janie started to feel her ears burn with embarrassment again.

Roxy wandered around the carnival, taking in sights from the various rustic attractions. She saw one that looked like fun, a funhouse. She hadn’t been in one of those in a long time. A strange man walked up to her.

’So, you were interested in the Funhouse?’ he said. ’Bored?’

’Well, not here!’ said Roxy. ’But, yeah, summer vacation is kinda boring. I wish more interesting stuff happened all the time.’

’Oh, making life interesting and funny is what we carnies do best!’ laughed the man. ’In fact, I specialize in playing tricks on people.’

’Oh, really?’ said Roxy. ’I like to play pranks on people, too! It gets so boring around the neighborhood that I like to shake things up a bit. Last week I tricked my brother into thinking his girlfriend dumped him. Then she showed up the next day, wondering why he hadn’t prepared for their date! It was hilarious!’

’Oh, you are a feisty one! I like that,’ said the man. ’Why don’t you enter the Funhouse? It will teach you all you want to know about mischief.’

’Sure!’ said Roxy, not quite sure what that meant but liking the sound of it. She paid the ticket and entered the spooky-looking door shaped like a clown’s mouth.

------

It didn’t take nearly as long for Zelda to drive Janie home as it had for Roxy, even with Janie giving her directions the whole way. On the trip through the neighborhood, they passed Carla’s abandoned car.

’How young do you think my father will be now?’ asked Janie as they pulled into the driveway.

’It depends,’ said Zelda, ’if he drank a little, maybe not too bad. If he drank too much...’

They exited the car and went into the house. ’Dad?’ called Janie. ’Dad, are you here?’ ’Mr. Carleli?’ asked Zelda. ’Sam?’

’Right here!’ came a young voice. Sitting in the living room couch was one of the most gorgeous guys Janie had ever seen! He was covered in old, loose clothing, but that didn’t hide his muscular body or his perfect face.

Man, thought Janie, so THAT’s how Carla fell in love with him. He was a total ’babe-magnet!’ She was having a hard time not staring at the 17-year-old Sam.

’I’m sorry for looking so crummy, Janie,’ he said. ’There’s just nothing else in the closet that fit me. I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.’

’Just for a little bit, sonny,’ said Zelda. ’Janie, could you get me some glasses of juice?’

’Sure,’ said Janie. She went into the kitchen and fetched a couple of glasses of juice. Then she heard a cry of surprise coming from the living room.

’Arrg! You little rascal!’ came Zelda’s voice. ’I have you now!’ Janie went back into the living room where Zelda was holding a squealing Carla by the ear. Zelda was soaking from head to toe with water. There was a fallen water bazooka nearby, but Susie snatched it up and ran away giggling.

’Ow! Lemme go!’ said Carla. Zelda withdrew a small vial with an eyedropper attached and handed it to Janie.

’Put three drops of that in one of the glasses. Then give it to Carla,’ she instructed. She smoothed out her hair with her free hand, which looked darker now that it was wet. ’I just had my hair done, you little stinker! But I bet you think it was worth it, don’t you ?’

The 5-year-old giggled. ’Will she ever run out of energy?’ wondered Janie to herself. After putting the drops in, she handed it to Carla.

Down the hall, Susie ran into the bathroom to refill the water bazooka. She dipped its nose into the water of the bathtub and pulled back on the rear handle, filling the tube with water.

’Could you drink that, Carlie?’ asked Janie. Carla stubbornly shook her head. ’Come on, it tastes sweet! Here, I’ll take some!’ Janie took a sip of the liquid before Zelda could tell her not to. And why would she? If Zelda told Janie not to drink it, Carla would think there was something bad in it. Maybe this way I’ll be able to see how good I’ll look compared to Susan in a few years, thought Janie to herself.

’Mmmm, see?’ said Janie. ’Yummy!’ She handed the juice to Carla, who took it suspiciously. After a moment, Carla started drinking from the glass.

Susie ran down the hall with her weapon. ’Let Carl-wa go!’ she yelled, then blasted Zelda with the water from the bathtub, soaking her anew. Zelda let out a shriek with surprise, which startled Carla and made her spill the rest of the juice on the carpet.

Janie looked at Zelda’s black hair, and she looked at the empty water bazooka. You can’t just fill those out of a sink, she realized, Susie was too short! ’Susie, where did you fill that water bazooka? Where, honey?!?’

Susie pointed down the hall to the bathroom. ’Oh, no!’ said Janie. Upon closer inspection of Zelda, she was no longer the 45-year-old matron she had been at the fair, but was a fit, trim woman of 30 and getting still younger. Her belly was beginning to flatten back into the loose wet dress of a fortune teller and her face had lost all its wrinkles. ’Zelda, she sprayed you with water from the bathtub!’

’Yuck!’ said Zelda. ’I hope it wasn’t...*dirty* bathtub water, was it?’ She was 28 now, getting thinner as the seconds went by. In a few moments, she showed no signs of the chubbiness of middle age.

’No, no, no! It was the water that turned Susan into a five-year-old!’ said Janie.

’Really?’ said Zelda. ’Goodness gracious! Good thing I’m not getting younger.’ The 24-year-old plucked at the clinging dress she was in. Her breasts, now slightly smaller but definitely firmer and higher, were becoming less distinct behind the top.

’But you ARE getting younger!’ screamed Janie. Her foot got a cramp and she slid it out of the too-tight shoe. ’You said you put a spell on it so that it would keep Susan from noticing, right? It’s working on you, too!’

’You mean I’m getting younger--and don’t even know it?’ said Zelda as she became 23. ’Oh, crap! I have to get out of these wet clothes, right now!’ She raced down the hall, tripping on her skirt as it fell down around her legs. She forsook it along with her shoes, giving Janie a glimpse of her slipping underpants just before she slammed the door to her parent’s room shut.

Janie put her ear up against the door, hearing Zelda still talking to herself. ’I don’t believe it! Years of practicing, employment...’ Her words were lost in the loud whine of the hair drier. When it shut off, Zelda was still talking to herself, but her voice was an octave higher. ’Mom always said, ’Make sure it doesn’t happen to you! Always carry protection...’’ ’Oh, and I forget it on something routine, like this! Me, Zelda the Stupefying!’... ’Of all the times, of all the places. Why was that vial so powerful? I bet it was Loki! That clown...’ ... ’This totally sucks. I can’t believe it. It’s not happening.’ The door swung open, making Janie fall right into Zelda with an ’oof!’

’Sorry,’ said Janie. Zelda looked annoyed, but not at Janie. She was now sixteen years old, clad only in a towel. The dark black curls of her hair had shortened around her head, and she was quite skinny and short, now, shorter than Janie. Her olive complexion had darkened a shade or two as well. She stormed out into the hallway, then collapsed on the living room couch, piquing the interest of Sam, who had dozed off just after Zelda had arrived.

’So, break it to me, Janie,’ said Zelda. ’How bad’s the damage? I still have all my memories, I think, but how old was I before I got sprayed?’

’Uh, mid-forties, fifties, maybe?’ ventured Janie.

’FIFTIES!’ exclaimed Zelda, shocking Sam awake. ’Oh, hell! That stuff’s more powerful than I thought! I mean, I’d go back to twenties or thirties, but no way in hell am I going back to fifty!’ She fingered her towel thoughtfully as Sam began to lustfully gaze in silence at her perfect olive-tanned legs. ’Watch it, pal!’ she snapped at him. ’I’m going to need some clothes. Looks like you will, too!’ she said to Janie, who was struggling with her uncomfortably tight bra and shorts.

’What? You mean I’m a different age?’ said 16-year-old Janie. ’I only took a little of Carla’s drink, I didn’t think it affected me.’

Zelda’s head fell back on the couch. ’Oh, jeez,’ she said. ’This is going to be a REALLY long day...’

To be continued! Will Carla and Sam ever become adults again? Will Zelda remain a teenager? What sinister plans does Loki have for Roxy, and what will become of her when she emerges from the Funhouse? Will Janie finally meet her mystery date, or will Zelda pick up the check? All these questions and more as someone writes, ’The Carnival Part 6!’

Susan.....Suzie was still 5. Sam had regressed to a 17 year old. Zelda had regressed to a a 16 year old. Carla, who had only taken a sip of the juice with the antidote was now 7 yrs old. Janie was now 16.

’Zelda! What are we going to do?’ Janie asked.

’I’m not sure.... I sure don’t wanna be FIFTY! That’s OLD!’

’You can do whatever you want but I mean about my family. They’re all kids! And me.... Wellll I’m not worried about myself! But we have to do something! And I have a date..... and Roxy is still at the carnival by herself. Hey???? How can I explain this to Steve? I mean if I’m older now, won’t he notice?’

’Settle down, girl! You worry too much. We’ll just go back to the carnival and find Loki and make him ’fix’ everything. He’s got more of the antidote there, anyway’ Zelda told Janie ’Let’s gather everybody up and get into the car. You still have some time before your date! I’ll just find something to wear that belongs to your sister. Ummmmm, You probably oughta do the same Janie!’

Janie and Zelda entered Susan’s room and soon each had picked out an outfit....Shorts, T-shirts and sneakers. Janie realized that even though she didn’t remember the changes in her body, thanks to the spell, she did know that she could never fit into Susan’s things.....atleast fill them out like she did now!

Soon, two teenaged girls exited the bedroom.

Zelda herded everyone into her car. Sam got in the back with the two little girls while Janie got in the front with Zelda. Zelda’s younger self didn’t have much regard for the rules of the road. She darted in and out of traffic like a race-car driver and soon was pulling into the carnival’s parking area.

’C’mon, let’s go find Loki’ Zelda commanded.

---- AT THE FUNHOUSE ----

Roxy was stunned by all the strange happenings and sights in the funhouse. It seemed like she had been in the small building forever..... but it seemed HUGE from inside! She finally found herself in a room filled with odd looking antiques. It looked like a room from the Addam’s family’s house. One object in particualar caught her attention it was a lamp like a Genie would live in....atleast in a fairy tale! Roxy stared at the lamp as it began to glow!

----- OUTSIDE ----

Loki saw the group headed thru the midway. He’d recognize Zelda whether she 8, 18, or 80! Those piercing, mystical eyes were a dead give-away. He quickly ducked out of their view before Zelda spotted him. ’No use in ending my fun too soon’ he thought!

All of a sudden a voice spoke stopping Zelda and the others ’Janie? Is that you? You look different than I remember...’

Janie spun around to see Steve standing there with an older woman.

’Steve? Ummmm You’re early aren’t you?...... You think I look ’different’?’ Janie asked

’Ummm Not ’bad’ different....just older.... I guess I wasn’t paying attention like I should’ve this morning. You look great! Anyway.... This is my mother. She wanted us to spend some time together. She was going to split before our ....ummmm we get together.’

’Oh, I see’ Janie replied while extending her hand to Steven’s mother. Janie quickly summed her up as looking almost too young to be Steve’s mother. ’Well, I’m here with some of my family. Kinda like you I guess. We’re still on for later, right?’

’Sure! You go ahead and spend some time with everyone and we’ll meet up just like we had planned!’ Steve told her as he and his mother took off into the mass of people.

’See, Janie... You worry too much! He liked you just fine this way!’ Zelda said.

Janie watched as she saw Steven and his mother off in the distance. She really liked the way he walked! She thought he had a ’cute behind’. Her 16 year old hormones were kicking into high gear as she started fantasizing about her date later that night. As she saw them off in the distance, she saw his mother lead him onto the Merry Go Round. Janie thought it was strange that his mother would want to ride something like that with a son Steve’s age. She saw the attendant motion them into one of the carriages rather than on the horses. And then she had a thought.....

’Zelda! There getting on the Merry Go Round...Steve and his mother! Nothing funny’s gonna happen to ’em... is it?’ she worriedly asked the now young mystic.

’No Janie, that has to happen through me. It is just a regular old Merry Go Round unless I place a quick spell on the carriage. You worry too much! Nobody but me or Loki even know....... LOKI!’

’LOKI? He can do it to the Merry Go Round TOO???’ Janie cried, turning toward the ride. She could see the carrousel spinning. She saw Steve and his mother spin by as she ran toward the Merry Go Round. She didn’t really notice anything on the first revolution, but on the second she thought Steve looked a little shorter! ’Maybe he slid down in the seat’ she hoped. The next time around she could see that Steve looked even shorter and that his mother’s hair was now streaming along behind her. It was no longer bundled up on her head, but rather flowing loosely in the wind.

’NOoooooooooo!’ yelled Janie.

With each full circle of the Merry Go Round Steve was getting smaller. Before Janie couldget there the ride had stopped. She ran around the ride to find the carriage that Steve was in. She bumped into a teenage girl with baggy clothing stepping off of the ride. She was struggling with her pants and carrying her shoes.

’C’mon sweetie, Mommy’s gonna get us some cotton candy’ the young girl said to the seemingly empty carriage.

Janie was floored when she saw a little boy, not much more than 2yrs old, toddle out of the car and take the hand of his young mother. It was Steve! He was walking out of his large clothing as he approached them. The ride had erased 15 years from Steve and his mother. She had gotten pregnant with Steve when she was barely 15. She was 17 again now, and seemed very happy about it! As she bumped into Janie she spoke ’Ummm I don’t think Stevie will be able to make your date tonight. In fact it’ll be awhile before he has ANY dates I would imagine!’

Janie began crying. ’This is ALL my fault’ she thought!

Meanwhile, the others had caught up with her. Sam stopped the young mother, obviously taken with her. ’So, are you here with anyone? he asked

’Well, sorta...’ she said as she mussed up Stevie’s hair. ’I’m here with my s... uhhh little brother! ’ she lied ’I’m Amy...what’s your name?’

’HEY!......’ Janie yelled but was cut off by Zelda.

’SHHHHHHHHHhhhhh. Let them be, for now! I don’t know what would happen if we start trying to get your dad to remember he’s not really 17. ...I should know.... But it seems with my younger mind I’ve lost some of my uhhhh knowledge! This is all Loki’s doing. We’ve got to find him before he causes anymore trouble!’

Loki was hiding behind one of the big tents watching the whole episode. Zelda’s turning into a teenager was more than he could’ve hoped for. Being that young was causing her to lose the powers that she had honed over the years! ’More fun for ME’ Loki thought! He was just getting ready to return to the funhouse to see how his plans for Roxy were working out when he heard a ruckus erupt behind him. It was Zelda’s group.

’Whoa.... How’d you get that? Put it down Carlie!’ Janie pleaded as Carlie had pulled out her Super Soaker Pistol. Apparently she had been hiding it under her over-sized T-shirt..

’Gotcha!’ she said as she soaked Zelda again. Janie jumped out of the way and saw little Carlie take off thru the midway laughing. Suzie pulled out HER ’Super Soaker’ pistol and ran after her.

’I’m gonna getcha, Carlwee’

’Nuh huh....I’m too fast cuz I’m bigger!’ Carlie yelled back firing her pistol throught the crowd in the general direction of the other little girl.

’Damnit’ Janie yelled as she watched the girl’s water hit innocent bystanders. ’Zelda, we need to find that antidote and QUICK!’ she said turning back around to face Zelda.

’Anty Dote?’ said the little dark haired 4 year old.

......too be continued.....

Will the whole carnival turn into teenagers....or children!? Will Sam and Amy become an ITEM? Will Carlie and Suzie grow up again...or will they ’grow down’ in a water fight? Will Zelda be of any help now that she is a 4 year old with no grownup powers or memory? What will happen to Roxy and the glowing lamp? How much ’fun’ can Loki have?

All these answers and more as someone tackles the next installment of.... ’The Carnival’

 

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