The Carnival

Having arrived earlier than most, in fact before it had even opened, Gavin realised he would have the privelige of watching the final preperations of Carnival. Smiling at the dull eyes as they followed him around he smirked inwardly at the prospect of catching the carnies out as they rigged their games up. That would really impress Carla as he jumped over the counter to grab a prize!

He failed to spot the dark clouds behind him as he approached The Hall Of Mirrors. In fact he didn't even notice the almost palpable chill as the brawny man looked up at him from the booth and grinned in a sinister yet welcoming fashion. Gavin might have noticed the glimmering flash of malevolence in his eyes had he not been too excited at being given a chance to enter on the house. But by then he was inside.

As usual, Gavin sighed, the inside shared none of the pomp and glitz of the outside. The grass was already dying as he scanned the interior and wondering why there were only 3 mirrors, each on one of the tent walls. Walking to the nearest one, on his left, he grimaced as he realised the mirror wasn't even out of shape. 

"No wonder it was free!" he chuckled as his eyes focused on the hand written sign. He could just about see the word 'Past' in the gloom as the mirror became foggy then cleared away.

Gavins' face became a mask of confusion, then shock, then stupefied as he recognised himself as a toddler in the picture. The shape he was talking to was almost human in shape but was translucent too. It stirred long supressed memories in his mind as he remembered. Davy, his childhood friend! Of course howard the is parents had dismissed Davy as childish make believe; an active imagination was later cited by the child psychologists as they began prescribing for him. 

He had eventually succumbed to the medication, finally losing touch with Davy but not before Davy himself had asserted he would be back, But how, and why was he seeing his past? Gavin rubbed his eyes and shook his head as the mirror returned to normal.

He shrugged as he noticed the closeness inside the tent and moved to the next mirror. The only difference he noticed was the sign saying 'Future' above the second mirror before it too fogged over and began to play its scene.

This he did not recognise and at first bent forward to wretch as he realised he was looking at bodies; at least what there was of them. Flashes of sharp instruments came in between sprays of arterial blood and splattered viscera, which all still seemed to be dream like as they faded into a courtroom. 

A packed courtroom, as they judge passed a sentence of life in a mental institution before a patient was wheeled into a padded room. The face, his face, turned toward the camera and began shrieking uncontrollably as the shape of Davy appeared. 

Moments, or hours maybe, passed before hospital orderlies entered the room and plunged the hypodermic needle into his neck. The vision of Gavin seemed to relax afterward but Davy remained as the entire scene disappeared.

Gavin realised he was shaking as he stumbled back from the second mirror. His heart was pounding and as he turned toward the exit he realised the exit was no more.

Uncertainly he tip toed to the foggy mirror with the sign 'Present' above it. He now knew for certain would happen but the blood curdling screech as Davy pulled him through the mirror was no less terrifying.

And so they came, the visitors to the carnival. Candy floss, hot dogs and sodas were delightedly consumed by young and old as they enjoyed the atmosphere. It was such a shame there was no funny mirror stall they all mused but that too became a memory.