Sunset Carousel

It's almost sunset. I'm running through a large field. The grass was a pale yellow, and a bit taller than waist high. There were no trees around, just miles and miles of grass. Running alongside me is a kid, likely a friend that I had just made. I can't remember why, but we were running from the police. Despite the circumstances and potential consequences of being caught, we were having fun. It felt like a game.

But we knew our game of cat and mouse would have to end. We needed someplace to hide so we could lose them and be on our way. To where? I'm not entirely sure. We spot a seemingly abandoned house, and we quickly head in its direction.

We reach the house and manage to get inside. The house has two stories, the white paint is faded and peeling, and every window is broken, yet the thin white curtains remain untorn. There is no furniture, and the wood appears to be rotting away. Nobody's been home for a while; perfect to hide in just for a bit.

A few minutes pass, and then everything is still. The silence is ominous, yet somehow peaceful. The sun was beginning to set, and the light rays shining through the window revealed the dust in the air. Slowly, we come out of hiding; it seems like the coast is clear.

But my friend wasn't done running; he wasn't done playing. He decided to run out of the house, expecting me to follow. I had a little bit of energy left, so I decided to play along. We race out of the house and back into the field. We kept on running and running, straight in one direction. Again, with no clear destination.

The sun is setting now, and the sky is a vibrant orange. At some point, we grew tired of running, and started simply walking. We eventually reach an area of the field that seems like an orchard or forest that was burned down. Every tree was charred and black, and the once pale yellow grass was now nothing but flat gray ash. We were following a path that was between trees, curious about where it would take us.Somewhere along the way, a young girl joined us, and was walking with us on the ashen path for some time.

After a while of walking and casual chatting, we spot something interesting on the horizon. There was some sort of building with three domed points that glowed red in the light of the sunset. We decided to head towards it to see what it was.

It is now dusk. The once orange sky is now fading to a dark blue. We reach the mysterious building on the horizon, which turns out to be a large carousel. As much as we wanted to try it out, it's surrounded by a very high chain-link fence. There were rusted signs all over, with faded text stating: "DANGER: HIGH VOLTAGE", "WARNING: DO NOT TOUCH", and "NO TRESPASSING". There was another less ominous looking sign describing this place as a government locked off area. I warn my friends not to touch the fence, and we look around to find some other way to get in.

We notice there is a single guard woman watching out for wanderers. Near the guard is a control panel, likely for the electric fence. My initial friend and I create a plan to distract the guard so the girl can sneak around and try to figure out how to shut off the electric fence. But before we can even attempt our plan, the guard hears our discussion. She starts to approach us.

After a bit of interrogation from the guard, she realizes that the girl with us isn't just some random child. This girl is actually the daughter of the president of the company that owns the closed off area. We look to her in shock, and she just gives off a smug smile. The guard now gives us legal permission to enter the fenced off area. She shuts off the electricity and opens the door for us.

Within the area is an abandoned boardwalk with a small amount of attractions, completely flooded to waist-height with murky green water. Most of the rides were not functional as the water had caused too much damage to them. The only functional ride was the carousel that led us here.

The guard somehow manages to drain the water to let us try the carousel. But as we board the various fiberglass animals we realize that they are too small for us, and meant for children who were younger. We were unable to fully enjoy the experience of the carousel. The sky is now a dark navy blue, with the stars slowly flickering into view.