AUTHOR POV
They had a great time in that freefall. All this while, Eline on the otherhand spent her time with the blob she is made to work with. She walked to the line and they started following them everywhere. She saw them climb onto the platform before it started to ascend towards the highest peak of the ride.
As she never saw a ride like that before, she didn't know how that works. She got closer to the iron grills and placed her hand on one of them supporting her entire body on it. Ashley stood behind her with his mouth full of chips and looked at the ride as it got higher and higher.
Eline took off her cap as it was covering some of her eyes not letting her see full surroundings. Her red braids resting on her shoulder as she leaned on the handrail frowning. She is so concentrated on the freefall when the guy behind her spoke "woaahh...what's with the braids? Do you think you look cute?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed saying "yeah think whatever you want. I don't have energy to argue with a dumb person who wants nothing but my downfall" she focused on the ride ignoring his trash talk.
The seats of the ride suddenly fell from the platform making everyone on the ride gasp and scream. Eline jolted, removing her hands and body from the railing after watching the scene. Her body filled with goosebumps as she gasped looking at the seats which are now rotating around the tower. "Holy heavens!!! That is awesome!!" She heard Ashley say from behind her. " What in the shit is that? How are people riding it? Oh my god! There are children on that!"
" Like they care about that! Children will be held by their parents you idiot! Infact, they will be the one's to ask their parents to get on it"
" What??? Children ride that shit wantedly? When we were children, we used to be scared of an injection! " Eline widened her eyes in surprise as the ride climbed to higher levels of horror. She watched the suspended seats get pulled to the platform at the end. All this while, she kept her mouth open in shock resembling all the people on that ride who were screaming and yelling to stop. Most of the screams were from the adults. But what made her tummy twist in shock is, the children, were laughing and yelling in joy.
She almost threw up when she focus on Lyra not noticing that it's going to spin her stomach. When the ride came to a stop, Eline dragged Ashley far from lyra so that she couldn't see them.
They both followed the duo to wherever they went. From the freefall ride to the dragon ride and from spaceman ride to wonder wheels.
AT 9:40 AM
Walking out of the wonder wheels, Lyra and leo realised they haven't ate anything since morning coffee. They decided to eat when their stomachs grumbled with hunger.
Eline and Ashley standing just outside the tent arranged for wonder wheels ride, noticed Lyra and leo walking towards them as they are standing near the exit. Ashley filled his mouth with the potato chips while bending to the front from behind Eline. Eline who removed the cap from her head as it was so hot and suffocating inside the tent, quickly placed her cap on her head covering the signature red hair and turned around towards Ashley after noticing Lyra and leo walking towards them. She locked her eyes on Ashley as he is unaware that sister brother duo is walking towards them. He just casually stood there munching his chips, looking at Eline in confusion.
She grabbed his hand and dragged him behind the wall near them. As the impact is unexpected, Ashley dropped the chips packet while running with her. A middle aged man walked beside Lyra and Leo cursing someone. He dusted off the chips from the sole of his shoe as he scolded the person who left the chips on the ground.
"Scumbags! Who leaves the chips on the ground?!! I wore these shoes just this morning. Tsk tsk....What the fuck!!!?" He yelled to himself and started walking away. . Leo mocked him in a low voice as they continued walking towards the other ride.
Ashley pouted his lips and whined "those are my chips! I bought them. Why did you do that? They are wasted now! You-....."
Eline placed her hand on his mouth making him go mute as the target ahead Lyra is walking past them. Ashley yanked her hand from his face and whispered "You wasted my money!....Buy me another!"
" Stop whining! You look so ugly! Is eating your only job for this life? Atleast don't come in my way asshole! Let me do my job while you stuff your mouth with those fried potato slices! " Eline whispered, disgust and irritation written all over her face.
After Lyra and Leo went to another ride, Eline dragged Ashley with her. "stop dragging me around! I have legs. I can walk too"
"I agree you have legs. But you don't have any brain or common sense. I can't risk my job for a dumb bastard like you. If I am going to lose my job because of you, I may also drag you into streets. So shut up now and follow me" her face, red with anger, is enough for any person to just stay silent and follow what she said. She looked like she is ready to fight him to death if he ever tried to argue with her.
LYRA POV
I looked through the pictures in repeat to confirm my thoughts. The same girl in white dress is seen with a man wearing red. Some pictures even show her hair a little bit. Only a tiny bit, but enough to declare that her hair is red.
"Wait... I've seen this figure and hair somewhere. Is that.....is that Eline?..no..no it couldn't be her. But...the hair! It's a bit red. It shouldn't be her.....god..not this again...please don't hate me for this!" My intuition is saying that something is wrong with her but my mind is telling she is not that kind of girl. My hesitation is not letting me do a quick check up.
My eyes drifted to the restaurant and I saw Leo still waiting in line to place the order. I look at my phone in my hand and sighed lifting it. I dialed the library's landline number and waited for the library assistant Martin to pick up the call.
" Hello? This is Florein Library. How may I help you?"
That is not Martin. It's Bessie, the 56 year old lady who is working as library's cleaner.
"Bessie? I am Lyra speaking"
"Oh ..Ms.Marino...is something wrong?"
"No..where is Martin? "
"Um..he is in the basement. He is checking the logistics of the new books that are delivered yesterday"
"Is Eline there?"
"Ms.Dawsey? Umm...yeah. She is here. She is down in the basement with Martin. He forgot to take the check list so he asked her to get it. Should I call her?"
" Uh..no. That's okay. They're working,let them be"
" Vivi!.." leo called me as he walked towards me with the food tray in his hand. I looked at him and heard Bessie say in the phone, " Mmm.. okay if there's anything else you ca-"
" No..that's all I'm hanging up" I cut her off to avoid unwanted thoughts and looked up at Leo who sat infront of me across the table. He placed the tray on the table and asked me "Is something wrong? "
"No.. everything is good" I just rub off the uneasy feeling inside my heart as my suspicions have no strong base. I look around our surroundings just in case if I catch some red head in white. Noticing that no one like that are around us, I sighed disappointed at myself for being too cautious that normal people are making me suspicious.
We finish our breakfast and started to wander off in the huge place instead of getting on a ride. Leo was persistent about going to the drop tower. It is no different than free fall. He is not afraid of them but be will surely throw up everything he ate. We walked through the small streets of the park watching all the different souvenirs they're selling.
All the plants, animal plushies, clothes, food items and many other attractive items grabbed our attention. Leo looked happy watching the people buying things, children throwing tantrums for some toys, old people trying to bargain on antique stuff and the greedy sellers selling the items for a higher price than what they would cost in normal.
He even bought some glasses that are a bit crooked which made us look like the crazy kind. He clicked pictures of us from time to time. As we got into another street full of food stalls, we decided to get on a ride. Walking past the stalls, he looked bored as nothing caught his attention until he stopped in midway and looked at something with glittery eyes.
I follow his gaze and saw a food stalls with all colours of lights and big letters written as "COTTON CANDY". I saw him from the corner of my eyes as he opened his mouth speak.
"Vi-"
"No"
"I haven't even completed the sentence yet!"
"I know what you will say. A strict no"
"Please!....if I eat it alone, I will feel bad for that. Pleaseeee Vivi?"
"Bubs you can eat it all you want but don't even think about me eating that! "
" It would be so fun....just taste it that's all. You don't have to eat it if you don't like it's taste!"
" Bubs! You know I hate candy! If you keep pestering me, I might not let you eat it too! So? What do you think?"
" Okay! I will get one for me "
" Just one "
" Okay!!! " He said irritated. I can't make to even gulp down one bit of it. Leo walked towards the stall to buy the candy and I stayed right where I was.
AUTHOR POV
Eline dragged Ashley behind her as he kept pausing in the midway just because he was distracted. She almost hit him when he bumped into an old lady making her fall down on the ground. She was kind enough to let them go without making a scene. Not before Eline apologised to her multiple times. They followed them to the restaurant and sat at the table far from them. After paying for food, they had some sandwich and coke, they waited for them to finish their food.
Eline saw Lyra call someone for a few seconds before leo got their food tray. Immediately after Lyra cut the call and started eating, Eline's phone vibrated in her pocket depicting she had a call.
It was Bessie, the old woman from library. She called her to inform that Lyra just asked for her but she managed somehow. Eline breathed a sigh of relief after Bessie told her everything is settled down.
A small doubt rose inside her brain. "How did she suspect someone's behind her? We did not ruined the plan right? Or...did she saw my hair and caught me immediately? No that can't be the reason " she looked at Ashley who's yawning infront of her and said "or is it someone who ruined our plan again like last time with his dumb decisions?" Rising her eyebrow.
"Why are you looking at me ? I didn't do any thing!" Ashley denied her thoughts quickly.
" Who knows!"
And as they were talking to themselves, Lyra and leo got up from their seats after finishing their breakfast. Just when they turned at the corner of the street, Eline dragged Ashley again from the table and followed them.
Taking some turns and following them to another alley, Eline hid behind the huge wall that's seperating the food Street from rest of the park. She forgot about Ashley for a minute as she let him go from her grip. Leo was waiting at the stall to buy the candy while Lyra waited for him at a distance.
LYRA POV
She was admiring her brother when she heard some clanking sounds from behind. Ignoring them, she didn't turn around to see what the noise was. She is so drowned in adoration when she heard the sound of glass breaking again. Her eyes drifted behind her back as she turned around. A man is on the ground with some liquid all over his dress and some shrads.
He was cursing someone while he stood up from the ground picking up the scattered glass pieces from the ground. She turned her body around drifting her eyes towards leo from that man on the ground when she caught something in the way.
She noticed a girl's body dragging someone from the street towards the heavy crowd outside the street. She tilted her head in confusion and slowly took a step forward followed by another step. She walked slowly towards the end of the alley thinking they would be hiding there.
.
.
AUTHOR POV
Eline dragged Ashley by grabbing his hair when he bumped into a man carrying the wine in a glass bottle he bought as a souvenir. The man fell on the ground along the wine bottle making it break with impact. Ashley was distracted by the balloons when he lost Eline and started to run in order to get closer to her and bumped into the man in the process
Eline who saw everything gasped and looked at Ashley horrified as this may get them killed in Lyra's hands. She quickly came from behind the wall and grabbed a handful of his hair and placed the free hand on his mouth to stop him from screaming from pain. She dragged him to the wall and out of the alley towards the crowd. Because, they are the only option she have right now....