Beyond the Wicked Willow: Chronicles of a Teenage Witchslayer

CARNIVAL SHOWDOWN

An amber-tinged full moon hung low against the canvas of a midnight blue sky. An occasional dark gray storm cloud drifted across its round face. Under its watchful gaze, far below, the first night of the annual carnival was in full swing. The small traveling carnival had been coming to town and setting up every year for the better part of a century. This was the one night of the year that every kid in town looked forward to with great anticipation.

Unfortunately for Frankie, his ill-fated run-in with Brick McDuddy earlier that day in school had cast an ominous shadow over the evening's festivities. Besides opening night of the carnival being ruined, the closest thing to a date with Jenny Moran that he'd ever had was now in serious jeopardy. Thoughts raced through Frankie's head as he skulked in and out of the shadows of game booths and concession stands, scouring faces in the crowd for any sign of Brick. At his side, his three best pals tried to ease his mind with wise words of advice, positive encouragement, and idle chitchat.

"You've heard of fight or flight response?" Bookworm asked.

Frankie ignored him as they kept heading in the direction of the tall, spinning, Ferris wheel that flickered with brilliant colored lights at the far end of the grounds.

"There's no shame in flight," Bookworm explained. "It's just as valid an evolutionary response as is fight. And, safer."

"Bullies like Brick are all talk. Give him one good poke to the snot locker and you'll send him running home to mommy," Sam said.

"No way! I didn't come here to poke any snot lockers. I came to apologize for an accident and then to meet Jenny. "That's it," Frankie said, shaking his head.

Hot on a scent, Beef 's mind drifted elsewhere. He raised his nose into the air and drew in a long, steady, intoxicating whiff. "Ah, the seductive aroma of fried dough."

Bookworm, now just spreading knowledge for the sake of spreading knowledge, informed no person in particular. "You know why people shit their pants when they get real scared?" he asked, as he looked around for takers. "Lightens the load so you can escape danger faster. All animals do it."

Sam looked at Bookworm with a mischievous grin, "So what's your excuse?"

With his nerves standing on end, Frankie snapped, "Will you guys be quiet? You're freaking me out!"

A cacophony of bells and whistles, followed by the raucous cheers of a boisterous crowd, caught Frankie's attention. When he turned to see what the racket was about, his eyes grew as big as saucers. Off in the near distance half the kids from school were gathered around egging Brick on as he hammered the daylights out of a coin operated punching machine. Each time he whaled it, lights flashed wildly and the obnoxious bells and whistles blared. More obnoxious yet, was the way Brick played to the crowd after every punch. He would turn and face the onlookers, wave his arms up and down like a professional wrestler, working the crowd into a fevered frenzy.

It only took a split second for Frankie to recognize the danger he was in. He took two bounding strides and dove headlong behind a cotton candy stand like he was stealing home plate in the Major Leagues.

His pals looked at him like he was crazy.

"Shouldn't I be the one diving for the cotton candy," Beef asked with a furrowed brow.

Frankie looked up at the three of them and waved them over urgently. "It's him. Get down. It's him."

When Beef, Sam, and Bookworm spotted Brick, and the bloodthirsty crowd, they quickly ducked down behind the cotton candy stand along with Frankie. All four of them peeked out from the side and looked on as Brick mercilessly pelted the punching machine. Frankie winced and looked more worried with every punch Brick threw.