Image Inspired Mini Story #6

Travis ran the Big Monster at the carnival and nobody ever suspected. He wore his yellow reflective vest like a priest and people treated him as such. Although he was just a lowly carnie, they would stand in line for him, move to the cars when he indicated, and wait for him to come by to inspect their lap bars, faces upturned as if begging communion. When they were ready, he would bless them with a ride. If they annoyed him, he’d claim mechanical difficulties, make them get off, and go have a smoke break. They didn’t annoy him often though.

Travis enjoyed his holy work.

The spinning lights were hypnotic, the patterns enchanting. It was hard to make sense of the movement of the ride. It didn’t make sense and confused the eye, folding in upon itself, twisting back in strange arcs. It tipped wrong. It curved around itself, around the rules. Travis never got tired of looking at the unspeakable gyrations of the machine.

Across the country, town by town, Travis brought his machine. The people loved it. Their sweaty excited faces grinned, sticky with candy. Eyes filled with mindless enjoyment. They screamed in joy and praised the Big Monster as it flung their bodies, turned them upside down, and listened to their exultation. Travis knew it was listening. He could hear it, beneath the engines, sucking, pulling, drawing up from the deep places it slept. Eyelids flutter like bats, algae covered bones creak, and things long dead awaken.

Someday, there would be enough fervor.

Someday, it would come back.

For now, Travis smiles, and waits, and lets another group of teenage girls onto the Big Monster, blessing them as they go.

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Found this image and saved the artist's link, but for some reason their website is gone, gone, gone. So, no clue anymore who the artist is. I'll try the site every now and again and if they ever return I'll update and give some credit here. Until then, just enjoy the pic!