You wake up early in the morning. There is a strange light today, that kind of blinding light that doesn’t allow you to keep your eyes fully open, the kind of light that characterizes those warm, yet cloudy spring days when the sun is hiding behind a thick layer of clouds.
You get ready without thinking about what you’re actually doing; your mind is already far away lost in images far too wonderful and cliché to be real.
Those kinds of thoughts about days that always seemed too far into the future, too far away to really think about and then, all of a sudden, they’re here. It feels surreal and you do not feel ready, but, secretly, you couldn’t be more prepared even if you feel as though you aren’t prepared at all.
***
As you walk in, you feel dizzy, so many things to look at. With an uncertain smile on your face, you look at one place then at another and then back at the first. Rushing to see it all, you devour it, moving so quickly that you keep missing things.
The streets criss-cross constantly, they go around in a jumble and as you walk, run to be honest, along with your friends, you have no idea where you are. Laughing, you keep screaming ‘this way,’ ‘no I am sure it is this way,’ and still you are lost, but isn’t it wildly funny? You run and suddenly stop, all of you resting against each other, laughing, catching you breath and then off you go again, running.
People call at you from each corner, ‘come here sweetie,’ ‘this way darling,’ with sinister, fervent smiles. You look at them, not knowing whom to trust. ‘Here, here it’s good fun,’ ‘you can’t miss this one,’ and you pull and push each other, ‘look at that,’ ‘oh let’s go, this one’. People call to you smiling, trying to catch you and trap you in their wonderful kingdom. Around you swirls of colours, smells, sounds, flashing lights, you feel dizzy but you can’t stop. You keep looking around tempted by each wonderful thing; it looks like the world’s spinning around you. Maybe it is, you can’t tell. They offer you lollies, ice creams of every colour and flavour, snow cones, and enticingly fluffy fairy floss, blue, green, yellow, pink, you pick something from everywhere, it seems as though you’ve landed in wonderland…
And then those eyes catch yours. He looks at you with those small foolish eyes, he smiles, some of his teeth are missing, and he smells like sweet liquor.
You know it is dangerous, you know you don’t want to go, but for some strange reason your feet won’t stop taking steps. Now he is near you and whispers in your ear, ‘come on darling’. You see the devil rubbing his hands together gleefully. In front of you this weird construction blazes eerily under the strobe lights. The music is so loud you can feel it in your throat. You have now taken his hands, there is no way back. He is getting ready for the showdown. He stops smiling and closes you in a small and ancient cage, locks you in with a tiny pin, and presses the button. The cage flies up. It spins you around and shakes you. You can’t tell which way is up and which down, you can just feel your friend’s sweaty hand holding you tight. It stops after a second, or maybe a year, you have no way of knowing.
Even if your still shaken, you still feel disorientated and ill, it has been the best ride EVER.
Maria Perotto (4C)