1. The Festival

Matthew!! A female voice screams behind him in the distance. He swings around to be met with the gaze of his sister's bright blue eyes. "Hmm?" He mumbles. "Did you hear?! The festival is coming to town again", she jumps in excitement. "Will you go on the attractions with me?" she joyfully twaddles around. "Ugh fine" Matthew mumbles, 'again with these dumb gold wasting attractions that end you up with a dumb toy, I'm to old for it anyway'. "I should get going" he tells her, "I need to go to work". Alright she yells, "I'll see you tonight at the festival!"

Matthew's mind is numb because of the ever increasing amount of thoughts racing through his mind. 'What should I do when I get home, go to the festival or just go to sleep'. I guess I'll just visit the festival and maybe win a toy for my sister so she will leave me be for a while, he decides. The sun is burning hot today and it's radiating heat makes Matthew run sweat down his face at an increasing paste.

Henry walks up to Matthew, "you should get some water Matt, you could fill a river with that sweat of yours", "aye aye capt'n" Matthew jokes to him. "And while you're at it move up the paste, all that wood isn't going to chop itself you know", Matthew grunts 'bastard'.

His water bottle is all warmed up because of the sun as Matthew forgot to put it in the shade, He lights up a cigarette as the sun burns down on the sweat covered Matt. 'Ugh even the air is too hot to smoke, what must a man do to get some peace and quiet.' The day passes slowly but surely comes to a sundown, I'll see you Monday Henry have a nice weekend" Matthew yells at Henry as he walks down the road with an increasing speed. "Have fun at the festival kiddo", Henry shouts back.

The increasingly cooling air is starting to feel ever more cold to his drenched clothes.

'Ugh a splinter just great why does that stuff always happen to me' Nearly home he notices a bring full moon starting to rise up higher and higher, it dims the endless stars around it from the sheer glow alone. 'at least that's a good thing I love if when the moon is out', "Dinner is ready Matt, we're going out tonight have fun with your sister!" his mom yells from the other side of the house as he hears a door lock follow.

Well at least now I'll have some quiet before the madness begins" he chuckles. I guess I'll take a shower and get changed to meet my sister he contemplates. The cold water steams on his head dowsing him with a cold shiver and cooling him down. 'Well that's that I suppose, what shall we wear today?' He opens his wardrobe to be met with stacks of black shirts riddled with skulls and monsters on them. 'I think I'll go with the one with the skulls on it, what am I saying, I only have shirts with skulls on them' he chuckles. Rings filled with runes and skulls slide on his fingers as he waves his still wet hair around like a wet dog. 'I guess that's all, let's go.'

'This moon is such a beauty tonight, it almost shines a feint orange red-ish, Maybe that's the blood moon I've heard so much about, for something with such a menacing name it sure looks stunning.' The sounds of people, laughter and music is becoming increasingly louder, red yellow pointy tents rise up in the distance and a big yellow glow emanating above the whole ordeal. Matthew is met with drunk people from his age stumbling homewards, he never had any thing with these people but they are townsfolk nonetheless so he greets them unwillingly.

"MATTHEYY ol' geezer summoner of the dead, chopper of wood and conqueror of imaginary ladies!" Matthew throws his hand up as he sees the youngster trip and fall face down on the dirt. He chuckles and he strolls on-wards, looking at the youngster struggling to get back on his feet.

Matthew's face is met with a sign as he failed to look where he was going. 'Ugh why me again, well at least I can walk when I'm drunk' He steps back to observe the construct he walked into. `Psychic, Witch, Tarot, Fortune Telling` Behind the sign towers a lonely black tent that almost looks menacing.

'ah what the heck let's see what this is about, never seen this before anyway and not to mention my paycheck was hefty this week.' Matthew is met with a wall of incense as he passes the curtains, before him stands a table with with a black table cloth covering the dark walnut wooden ordeal. "Take a seat and we'll get started." a wavering voice coming from behind another black curtain. Matt takes a seat as an elderly lady emerges from behind the curtain, riddled with necklaces and armbands as much as he has skulls. "Let's begin shall we?"

"What is it I can help you with young man?" she mumbles. "I'll have the premium package ma'am, crystal ball, cards and all included" Matt jokes to the unimpressed lady.

"I suggest you start taking this seriously young man, mankind seems to have forgotten the ancient teachings of magic". "Sorry madam however I am being serious I want to know all you can tell me". "very well", The woman grabs a deck of cards and starts shuffling them, she starts laying cards in front of Matt as she goes through the cards. The cards seem to not all be flipped the right way, some are upside down some aren't.

"I think you should reorganize your deck ma'am some cards are upside down" he attends the woman at. "It's supposed to be like that simpleton" she barks back. "let's see what you got".

The Hermit, The Sun,The World, Death, The Emperor and The Devil. "Oh my, dear are you alright? These are quite the cards you got, either you're going through hell or you are about to."

"How do you mean ma'am? Is something wrong?!" Matt utters freaking a bit out. "Let's go through them alright? First we have upside down Hermit, Which stands for loneliness, isolation and losing your way. Next up is The Sun", "That's sounds positive doesn't it?" Matt is getting sweaty palms as his gloomy fortune unfolds for him. "if it were upright it would be, how ever being upside-down means negativity, depression and sadness, next The Sun is The World.. also upside-down, this stands for in-completion and not being able to find closure. This sounds as if you just lost someone or going to."

Matthew starts tapping his shoes out of sheer anxiety of what's going to happen next.

"Am I going to be alright?" he mumbles at a lost of words. "I do not know but this isn't looking positive so far. Next up we got Death, don't let the name scare you, this is actually a good card to have. It stands for the end of a cycle, beginnings, change and metamorphosis, so by the sounds of that things will change judging from the previous cards." Matt nods in a slight relief "Next up is The Emperor, also upside down this stands for tyranny, rigidity and coldness, this could mean you're going to meet a cold ruthless person, maybe an employer. Up last is The Devil upside down, this is actually positive as it means freedom, release and restoring control." Matthew is lost of words. "If you would like me to give a shot with the crystal ball, it is part of the 'premium package'. won't take long but it can give you some more insight on what's going on or going to happen."

Still shaken Matthew agrees with the crystal ball session, the woman grabs a sphere covered with a dark cloth and places it on the table. "Are you ready?" Matt nods.

She lifts the cloth off with a fell swoop and gently places her hands on the orb. The woman starts looking around as if she sees something or someone. The air feels as if it's loaded with electricity, a shiver runs down Matt's spine. The table feels as if it's giving off a light vibration. Matt can hear faint whispers all around him. "evil", "silence", demon", "blood", "bones". As the whispers are getting louder and louder the woman starts looking around frantically and the flames on the two torches behind her are dancing and burning brighter than before.

With a sudden bang the table jumps a bit up in the air, the flames start to shift, one blue and one green. The whispers keep getting louder to a point Matt is covering his ears. The eyes of the woman roll back leaving an eerie white gaze, she starts shaking frantically and the table keeps shaking harder and harder. "KILL", "EVIL", "BONES", the whispers have now turned to screams. Matt tucked his head between his legs as the endless screaming continues.

As sudden as it came it went away, giving off a haunting silence. Matt slowly recovers meeting a face filled with dread and horror. "You must go, come on get out!"

Matt is pushed out of the tent and is met with the sounds of the carnival still going as if nothing ever happened. He turns around to ask something but he is greeted with a closed sign and a faint "It's on the house". Dazed Matt walks towards a food stand and buys a beer. 'What the hell just happened, am I going to die?' A million thoughts running through the mind of Matt.

Matt's sister bumps into him making him spill some beer "hey watch it dammit!"

As he looks down looking into teared up blue eyes, "I'm sorry Matt, please forgive me". "Ahh there you are I was looking for you, how about we go win you a teddy bear?" Matt's sister jumps up in joy and excitement. She runs off to one of the stands, Matt's met with the face of an older man, a scruffy beard and filled with wrinkles. He offers 3 balls in exchange for 5 pieces of gold, which Matt accepts reluctantly. After 2 missed attempt he finally hits the stack of cans making them all fall off in the last throw. He receives a large teddy bear, he turns over and hands the large bear over to his sister who is jumping around in joy and laughter. Matt lets out a big grin, he takes a glance at the face of his sister expecting a big smile.

His face is filled with horror and her face seems to be melting off, screams are all around, the teddy bear stars to smolder and turn green as it ignites with blazing green flames. shook Matt falls down and crawls back as now slowly the entire carnival is lit with green flames and filled with screams of agony, he looks down and is met with a blood soaked shirt and grass. Matt starts screaming out of the top of his lungs small blue embers start forming around him growing brighter and brighter. Matt's breath turns into a fog with each exhale, with tears in his eyes he lets a final scream out flooding everything around him in a sea of blue flames.