The Childe

by C. A. Kunz

“Alright, I’ll admit you’ve been taking her to and from school a lot, which we greatly appreciate, by the way. But we need you to do this for us. There’s a meeting tonight. And you know we can’t miss it.”

  Taylor ran his fingers through his hair and over the back of his neck, at a loss of what to say next.

  “If you don’t take them, I guess you’ll just have to hand over your keys and come with us to the meeting,” Rachel said, staring at her eldest.

  “Okay! I’ll do it,” he replied begrudgingly.

  “Cat, are you ready yet?” Taylor yelled, as he pounded on her bedroom door.

  “I’m almost done!” she yelled back, and then continued her conversation on her cell phone with Amanda.

  “He doesn’t sound too happy.”

  “Yeah, I think my parents are forcing him to take me tonight. Hey, I better go before he goes all postal.”

  “Okay, see you soon!”

  After Cat grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes, she left her room, slamming the door behind her. She took Taylor by the arm and hurried down the stairs. “Let’s go already,” she said excitedly.

  “Cat, could you come here for a second?” Rachel called out from the living room.

  “I know, I know, don’t talk to strangers, be safe, and be home at a decent hour,” she rambled on, imitating her mom. “Oh, and always say please and thank you. And never pick your nose in public,” she added with a mischievous grin.

  Trying not to smile at her daughter’s witty comments, Rachel looked at her seriously. “I know I go overboard sometimes, but there are truly evil people out there and you need to be careful. Humor your mother, okay? It’s my job to keep you safe. Oh, and I haven’t told you to not pick your nose in public for years now,” she said, finally allowing herself to smile.

  “I promise,” Cat whispered in her ear as she gave her a big hug, and then moved toward the foyer.

  “Mom give you the third degree?” Taylor asked.

  “Yeah, but it’s okay. That’s how she is, you know that,” Cat said, reaching for the front door handle.

  “Have fun!” Sam yelled from the kitchen. He chuckled as he heard their quick response of, “We will!”

  Flinging the door open, Cat barely stopped herself from running into Julie who was poised to ring the doorbell. Without a word, she grabbed ahold of Julie’s hand and rushed her to the car.

  “Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Colvin,” Julie yelled over her shoulder as a laughing Cat pushed her into the backseat and jumped in after her.

  After turning on his dome light, Taylor leaned over the seat and glared at the pair. “I’m not going to be in charge of you tonight. I’m only transportation. You screw up and you’ll have the parents to deal with. ‘Cuz when we get there, you’re on your own. Understand?”

  “Yeah, we understand. It’s not like we’re two. We can take care of ourselves you know!” Cat replied, rolling her eyes.

  Why can’t the parents see that? Then maybe I could get her out of my hair, he thought as he started the car.

  As they approached the carnival, the view that appeared before them was truly magical. Bright colorful lights, emanating from the rides, danced against the night sky. Scrambling out of the car, Cat and Julie were immediately hit with the delicious smells of kettle corn, roasted peanuts, and corn dogs. A mixture of noises filled the air. People were laughing and screaming. Carnival workers could be heard enticing guests to partake in their games of chance. The groan of the roller coaster as it went by with a car full of people. Wonderful chaos, Cat thought.

  Leaving Taylor behind, the pair made their way to the entrance. After spying their other friends, they made a beeline to them.

  “Oh my gosh! All these years we’ve been going to the carnival, I’ve just now realized that this is where I belong. I feel so at home here,” Amanda said dramatically, putting her hand over her heart, and a serious look on her face. The group all rolled their eyes at her.

  Putting her arm around her as everyone laughed, Cat asked, “Is this your new phase, do you feel you’re a carnie now?”

  “You guys just don’t understand the complex nature that is me. I’m looking for my true roots. Unlike you all who don’t take the time to find yours,” she replied with a huff.

  “I’m only kidding, silly. Lighten up. Let’s go have some fun!” Cat said, turning around to lead the way to the ticket counter.

  With each wearing a wristband, the group joined the sea of people moving through the entrance. It was a surprisingly nice night, with no rain in sight and a cool breeze flowing over them. Cat could feel the pulse of the carnival, almost as if it were a living, breathing entity, whose sole purpose was to delight all who entered.

  “We need to go on that one!” Amanda yelled, pointing at The Hurler. Cat and Julie looked at each other and dramatically shook their heads.

  “I’ll go on it with you, Amanda,” Matt exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Great! At least someone’s brave enough to go on it with me…Elle, what about you?”

  “I don’t want to go on it,” Elle whined, moving out of Amanda’s reach. “I’ve got to pee!” she squeaked.

  “You’re not getting away that easy, missy!” Amanda said while grabbing Elle’s arm as Matt grabbed the other one.

  “We’ll meet you at the House of Mirrors in about an hour. Let’s go!” she declared, as they frog-marched Elle toward the ride.

  “We should’ve saved her from them,” Julie remarked, linking arms with Cat.

  Dragging Julie down a row of midway games, Cat said, “She’ll be alright. You know Elle, once she gets on a ride she’s fine and then she’ll go on everything. Let’s go and explore.”

  “Wanna play a game?” Cat asked, scanning the midway booths from right to left.

  “Now Cat, you know that they’re a waste of time and money. We’ve never won anything anyway.” Hearing the music of the carousel, Julie’s eyes grew wide with excitement. “Ooh, let’s go on the carousel instead!”

  Cat groaned. “Really Julie, that’s what you want to do? Okay, one ride and that’s it.”

  They each climbed up on a brightly painted animal after showing their wristbands to the ride attendant.

  The ride seemed endless, but Cat knew Julie loved it and she didn’t want to ruin her fun. As the carousel began to slow down, Cat shivered, suddenly chilled, as if she had entered a walk-in freezer. Feeling like she was being watched, Cat quickly scanned the crowd. Her gaze fell upon a lone figure. The lights from the cotton candy vendor partially illuminated the person’s face. After a few seconds, she caught another glimpse of the figure. She noticed a clump of curly bright red hairs protruding from the hood of the cloak, framing the pale face.

  Who wears a cloak? What, are we like in the 18th century or something?

  Though the figure’s eyes were not visible, she was sure the person was staring at her. As the ride came to a complete stop, Cat spun around, and tried to find the figure again, but he or she was gone.

  Who was that? Whoever it was they were uber creepy!

  “Want to ride again, little ladies?” the ride attendant asked, interrupting Cat’s thoughts.

  “No thanks,” Cat replied hurriedly. “Come on Julie, we’ve got lots to do,” she said, pulling Julie off the ride.

  “Cat,” Julie whined. “What’s your hurry?”

  “Did you see that person in the hooded cloak standing over by the cotton candy?”

  Julie giggled. “Who wears a cloak to a carnival? Did you by any chance see his little rabbit too?”

  “Never mind,” Cat huffed.

  “Hey Cat! Julie! Over here!” Turning, they saw an attractive girl with long strawberry blonde hair pushing through the crowd.

  “I knew you’d be here. Didn’t I tell you, Bonnie? I told you!” Bonnie nodded in agreement.

  “Linda! Bonnie! We’ve missed you guys so much, haven’t we Julie? Who else did you come with? If I knew you were coming we could’ve made plans,” Cat rambled on, h
ugging both of them.

  “We didn’t know until about an hour ago. My brother’s picking up his girlfriend here. And we just came along for the ride. And there he is. I wish we could hang out with you guys, but let’s do a rain check. I want to know all about your new school and everything. Oh no, he has that look,” Linda said, quickly hugging Cat and Julie goodbye as she saw her brother frantically waving at them.

  “I’ve got to run, but you guys call me, okay? Soon! Promise?”

  Linda groaned at her brother’s shrill whistle at her. “Patience is not one of his strong suits. Please call me! Love you guys!”

  “Us too!” Cat and Julie called out in unison as they watched their friends from their old school disappear into the crowd.

  “What a surprise. I feel bad I haven’t called her since we saw her on the Fourth of July. We really need to keep in touch.”

  “Yeah, we do,” Julie agreed.

  “Well, I guess we’ve still got some time to kill,” Cat said, looking around for more things to do.

  “I think we should just go and wait at the House of Mirrors until the others meet up with us,” Julie said in a motherly tone.

  “Oh Julie, stop being such a grandma. We’re here to have fun! And that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Cat declared as her gaze fixed on an old-fashioned looking gypsy tent. A huge gaudy sign hung on the front:

  Madame Nadja

  Tarot Card, Crystal Ball, and Palm Readings

  Past, Present, and Future

  “Look, Julie! A fortune teller. I’ve always wanted my fortune told, but my parents never let me? Let’s do it,” she exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement.

  “There’s a reason why your parents didn’t want you to do that. It’s a big scam and a lot worse than some of those midway games,” Julie lectured.

  “I’m going to do it. Don’t be such an old lady, Julie, and come with me.”

  “No, I’ll wait outside for the group. Oh, and by the way, I just want to go on record and say I think this is a silly idea and a waste of time and money.”

  Cat simply laughed. “Suit yourself.”

  Drawing back the thick red, velvet curtains, Cat entered the tent. The inside was dimly lit and very warm. She could barely make out the table and chairs sitting in the middle of the space. The outside noise, she noticed, had faded away.

  “Come in my child,” a voice sounded from the back of the tent.

  She watched as a petite woman made her way to the table and sat down.

  “Have a seat across from me, dear.”

  After pulling out the chair the lady pointed to, Cat sat down. On the table was a deck of large ornate cards. The first card had strange drawings on it. Cat had seen tarot cards in Amanda’s mom’s shop before, so she knew what she was looking at. The only other item on the table was the largest crystal ball she had ever seen.

  She really looks the part, Cat thought while looking at the woman opposite her. Tied around her head was a brightly colored scarf. Large gold hoop earrings swung back and forth on her earlobes as if a breeze was blowing through them. A knitted red shawl rested on her shoulders over a white blouse. Looking at her face, Cat was surprised she looked so young. But she’s not that young. Cat was shocked by the unusual thought that had popped into her head. Now where did that idea come from?

  “You were expecting someone ancient?” Madame Nadja chuckled. “You’re right child. I’m not as young as I look.”

  How did she read my mind? Julie’s wrong, this is gonna be great.

  “Now, what kind of reading would you like from me, dear?”

  “I don’t know. You decide,” Cat replied with a shrug.

  “Tarot it is then.” After she shuffled the deck, Madame Nadja placed the cards in front of Cat and fanned them out.

  “Now, pick 3 cards. I do my readings a little different from others. The first card you pick is your past. The second is your present. And the third is your future.”

  Cat hesitantly ran her hand across the deck of cards and drew her first one.

  “Okay, let’s see,” Madame Nadja said, focusing on the card. “Ah yes, a great tragedy happened in your past, but wait I sense you’ve no knowledge of this…odd. Obviously you are happy now…well, let’s move on.”

  Cat scanned the deck of cards, carefully planning her next draw. She turned the second card over and noticed the change of emotion in Madame Nadja’s face.

  “Oh my, child you must be careful of those you meet. Your friends are your true allies, but others are hiding truth from you. I see others that…well, let’s look at the third one.”

  As Cat drew the third card, she turned it over and watched as Madame Nadja’s eyes grew wide. Cat squinted, trying to see the card. She saw a person in a full suit of armor riding a horse, whose face resembled a skull. She moved closer and saw the word DEATH at the bottom of the card.

  While looking from side to side, Madame Nadja cleared her throat. Avoiding Cat’s stare she put the cards back in the deck. “Well, I see a bright future for you. Yes, a real bright future. I’m sorry sweetie, but I seem to have developed a headache. Eyestrain is a terrible thing you know. I hope you’re happy with your reading. And please do have a wonderful night at the carnival.” And with that, much to Cat’s surprise, Madame Nadja stood abruptly and hurried out of the tent.

  “Cat, you in there?” Julie whispered with her face poking through the tent’s opening. “Is that woman alright? She left in a hurry, muttering something about the cards are never wrong. You okay, Cat?” Cat rose from her chair and forced a smile.

  “Of course I’m alright. She had a headache and I guess she went in search of aspirin. Migraine I think she said. You were right Julie, as usual. Are you sure you’re only 15? You seem to have the wisdom of an old person.”

  Julie started laughing. “Cat, if I had a dollar for every time you said that, I’d be rich,” she replied, grabbing hold of Cat’s hand and pulling her outside the tent.

  “I still don’t see the gang anywhere,” Julie said, looking around for the others.

  “Well, I know what I’m in the mood for,” Cat said, eyeing the huge ferris wheel. “Why don’t we go on that?”

  “Okay,” Julie replied with a sigh.

  The line for the ferris wheel was at a crawl. Cat stood silent, mulling over what Madame Nadja had said. I know I saw the death card. And I know it’s definitely not a good sign, like she told me it was. Cat felt Julie staring. “What?” she asked.

  “Are you still hung up on wasting five bucks on that reading? Come on Cat, it’s not the end of the world,” she joked.

  If only you knew Julie. “No I wasn’t thinking about that,” she replied. “I was just thinking how we need to spend more time with Linda.”

  “Oh, I agree. Maybe we should plan something for next weekend then?” Julie asked, smiling. Cat nodded and was glad she succeeded in changing the subject.

  Slowly moving up the line, Cat noticed Julie starting to fidget. “I’m sorry, but I think I’ve got to pull an Elle. I can’t hold it. I’ll hurry, I promise. If our turn comes, get on. I know how much you like this ride.” As Cat was about to reply, “No buts. Get on if I don’t get back in time, okay?”

  “I’ll go on with her if you don’t make it back,” a soft voice said behind them. They turned and saw Hannah’s bright face.

  “That settles it. I don’t feel so bad going now. Thanks Hannah, see you in a little bit,” Julie said before scurrying off.

  “I really don’t think Julie likes rides, or heights for that matter. She was just going on with me because she knows I like this one. To be honest, I think Julie would rather be home studying,” Cat explained.

  “Where are the others? Is Matt here?” Hannah asked shyly.

  “They went on the serious rides and dragged Elle with them,” Cat replied.

  Hearing people whisper behind them, Cat turned and noticed everyone in line looking to the right. Following their line of vision, she saw Isaac and his group wa
lking through the crowd, the sea of people parting, making way for them.

  “Ugh, why is everyone so in awe of him? It’s ridiculous. He’s such an ass! Why can’t anyone see that?” Cat realized she was talking out loud. “Sorry, Hannah. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

  “It’s okay. I feel the same way most of the time,” she replied. Turning back around, Cat realized they were next in line and moved forward. The man with the name tag that read “Frank” yelled, “Next!” They showed their bracelets and Cat climbed into the car first.

  “You’re not going on with her!” Isaac growled, dragging a struggling Hannah away from the ride.

  “Why don’t you let her decide for herself, Isaac? Stop bullying her!” Cat’s eyes blazed with anger. Isaac stopped and turned. A gasp went up from the crowd standing around them.

  “Okay, hurry up! I don’t care who rides, but you’re holding up the line. So either stay in, or get out,” Frank said, looking impatiently at Cat and Isaac.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Cat saw Ryan jump up on the platform, show his bracelet, and then plop down on the seat beside her. Frank pulled the bar down and the wheel moved forward to allow the next passengers to get on. Cat watched Hannah push away from Isaac and storm off. He looked up and glared at her and then turned abruptly heading after his sister.

  “Your friend doesn’t like me much,” Cat stated, crossing her arms over her chest to ward off the sudden chill she felt.

  “Don’t feel bad, he doesn’t like most people,” Ryan replied, turning to look at her. Cat stared straight ahead. He leaned back and watched as she ignored him.

  What the hell am I doing? I hate heights! He thought as the ride continued to take them higher.

  “Are you okay?” Cat asked with concern, noticing him fidgeting nervously.

  “Yeah,” Ryan uttered quickly, trying not to look down.

  Damn, now she thinks I’m weird! Alright, get a hold of yourself Beckford, you’re not…that…high up, he thought, trying to calm himself. He looked at Cat and a warm feeling came over him. His fear began to subside. There’s something about this girl that just draws me in. She passes by me at school without even a glance. But for some reason I’m always aware of when she’s around. I mean, I know her schedule already, isn’t that a little creepy? He laughed to himself. Cat looked over and saw a goofy smile plastered on his face and wondered what he was thinking about. Ryan quickly turned away, realizing she caught him staring at her. Looking over the edge and noticing how high up they were, he immediately stared straight down and moaned, clutching the lap bar tightly.