Nate took a deep wheeze of breath.
He slowly opened his eyes.
Everything was white and hazy, but it wasn't never-ending, corners and silhouettes of objects can be seen.
As he started to walk he heard something.
A faint crying.
It was a child.
Its sounded like its coming from below. Nate went all fours and stuck his ear on the tiled floor. He crawled, following the sobbing. Slowly the sound becomes louder and louder.
He stopped as his ear suddenly touched something cold.
He raised his head. In front of him was a small metal door.
He pulled the handle and opened it. He peered inside. He squinted in all directions even though it was dark.
"Hello?!" Nate asked.
There was silence.
"Help me! Please!" cried the child a minute later.
Nate's heart thumped really fast all of a sudden.
He took a deep breath and dived down the trapdoor, headfirst.
He slowly fell and floated down the dark unseen floor and landed on it with his feet first.
"Help, please!" said the voice again.
BAAAAANNNGGG!!!
Nate was startled.
The trapdoor closed shut.
The darkness looks really eerie and there was no sign of light. He looked at his clothes, his hands and arm, his shirt and his pants. How can he see himself if there was no light? He rubbed his palms against each other, then tangled his arms together. Nate for some unknown reason shed a couple of tears. He felt really weak and a feeling of worthlessness. Though it was cold his throat was dry and he felt incredibly thirsty.
He shook his head and started to walk.
He listened and followed the moaning sound.
"Please, hurry, I'm cold!"
Nate coughed.
"Where are you?!" Nate asked.
Silence.
The sobbing started again.
The crying grew louder and louder. Nate became weaker and weaker. He started to drag his legs for him to move forward. He coughed a couple of times. His breathing became deeper and faster, his heart was raising uncontrollably now with a stabbing and jolting pain on his chest.
He coughed.
He stopped on his tracks.
It was a bit dim but Nate was sure it was a boy crouching on the floor, his back on him, gripping and pulling his black hair as hard as he could, his tattered waistcoat and tie, shorts and shoes were convulsing with him.
The boy suddenly jerked his body backwards. He was writhing and grunting in pain.
The jerking went on a couple of more times.
Nate's eyes widened grabbed the boy by the shoulders.
The boy's moaning and fits stopped.
Nate's palms became much more cold and numbed.
CRRRAAAAAAACCCKKK!!!!
The boy's head suddenly jerked and grotesquely turned backwards to face Nate.
He squealed.
"Help me!!!!!!"
His dead distorted face and skin were blue in contrast with the fountain of dark red blood trickling from the oozing wound on top of his pulsating head.
Nate shook and closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
"I will, just don't scare me like that, I'm here to help!" Nate said.
Nate slowly opened his eyes.
The boy's head turned back to normal.
Nate took off his jacket and placed it on the boy's shoulder.
He extended his hand at the boy.
"It's time to go, Michael."
Michael slowly turned to face Nate. He hesitated for a moment, his body was still a bit trembling.
Nate grabbed Michael's hand.
The darkness was slowly scraped off of existence. Light suddenly burst into life, but not just any light but all sorts of different hues of blinking ones. They were no longer inside the trap door. Gears and metals of machines screeched into action and a jumpy melody of "The Teddy Bear's Picnic" tune started to echo from somewhere. There were giant teacups and teapots rotating in the rhythm of the music, Cartoonish bulky planes flew up ahead bound by long metal rods, a colorful train sped up on small wavy hills, exuding a cold mist up from its engine pipe, and a giant wheel rotating ever so slowly. The aroma of scents of meaty and sweet things wafted and filled up the air. The cold from Nate's body crawled off of him all of the sudden. He felt as though he just won a fare game, a bit elated for some unknown reason. It felt as though he had eaten his favorite dish or dessert. Just like the time when he and his family went out of a cinema contented with the movie's ending.
"I remember this place. Elsa brought me here, in this carnival." Said Michael softly.
Michael sobbed.
A boy appeared from nowhere. He was holding a string of yellow balloon which were floating beside him. He happily hopped towards them, across the gaps of the rides.
He hummed then, burst into a song,
"If you go down in the woods today
You're sure for a big surprise
If you go down in the woods today
You'd better go in disguise,
For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain
Because today's the day the
Teddy Bears have their picnic,
See them gaily gad about
They love to play and shout
They never have any cares
At six o'clock their Mommies and Daddies
Will take them home to bed
Because they're tired little Teddy Bears
Because they're tired little Teddy Bears!"
The boy stopped and stood in front of them. The balloon wobbled and slowly stopped. His smile pushed his rounded cheeks which were blushing pink roses. He looks identical with Michael except he had more bulk in his body, his hair was neatly brushed, his clothes were clean and ironed and his shoes were polished well. Nate felt warm and comfortable. He wanted to shake the idea that the boy can easily be trusted but the lulling feeling of safety was a bit great.
"Who are you?!" asked Nate.
The boy giggled.