"Viking ship, check. Carousels, check. Roller coaster…"
The girl looked over at the gigantic steel loop, painted a splendid gold by the radiant glare of the evening sun. Tinted shadows shrouded large portions of the Carnival's minigame stalls, yet there remained a shimmer in the air from the heat.
But she didn't mind in the slightest.
In its own haunting, lonely way, the Suicide Carnival was the most enchanting, captivating thing she'd ever seen.
As the girl kept her eyes on the tracks, a roller coaster slowly appeared from a red-and-black terminal. However, instead of climbing up the ramp, the front carriage rose from the tracks to face her, like the head of a serpent.
"Roller coaster, check."
The girl sighed.
Of course everything would be in place - where else would the rides be? It wasn't like anyone would walk in to steal the cork gun booth or the go-karts.
That being said, she still looked forward to filling up her checklist every day. It gave her existence some sort of structure, and was a good way to while away the time.
Without her checklist, she'd be reduced to wandering around the empty stalls like some sort of exile.
She couldn't wait to get visitors again.
"All stations are primed and ready to go, ma'm," she said to herself sarcastically. "Any ride caught your eye? You've been to every one already. Maybe you'd like to fling yourself off the Drop Tower again?"
The Drop Tower was a 30-metre slab of black marble with a spiral staircase that took you all the way to the top. There were no windows within the Tower itself - the idea was that you would have plenty of time to think about what you were doing as you ascended the tower, and to climb back down would be easier than continuing to climb up.
Unfortunately or otherwise, that didn't stop dozens of people from jumping to their deaths every year.
She peered over the edge of the Tower.
The flowers were blooming prettily.
From above, these flowers acted as a final reward for all those who had the courage to follow through with their resolve.
There was no telling how many people would attend the Carnival this year, and how many of these people would return home to their families. Either way, there was one thing that she knew for sure.
Once you set foot into the Suicide Carnival, you'll always leave for the better.
"Where should we go this time?" thought the girl. It had been a long time since she'd seen the ocean - maybe the Carnival should be held at the beach this year.
Yeah, that was a good idea. Summer had just started; many people would be going to the beach. She'd have more company there too - it got really lonely running the Suicide Carnival on her own.
But which beach?
Pentheholm had a huge littering problem on their beaches, so that was out. Obin beach? Obin didn't have as large a population as she would've liked.
Meridian Primus..?
The city of Meridian Primus was named in an ancient language from over ten thousand years ago, and translated to 'First In The South'. It was quite the declaration, although anyone who had visited Meridian Primus could hardly say otherwise.
Nevertheless, it had been a very long time since she last went near the South. She'd never even been to Meridian Primus before.
It wasn't for lack of interest, though. She had a very personal motivation to avoid it entirely.
But it had been over a hundred years. Everyone she knew should've been dead by now.
Maybe it was finally time to pay the City of Mechanical Heaven a visit.
The girl walked along the edge of the Drop Tower with her arms outstretched, carefully maintaining her balance until she reached the other end of where she started.
A small marble plaque greeted her, inscripted with words that were blotted out by the sun.
"You did a good job today," said the girl to the plaque. "Let's go."
With those parting words, the Suicide Carnival vanished, leaving nothing behind but the remains of its previous guests buried deep under the ground.