The guy in the suit moved slowly, giving Kellsie time to study him. That must be a heavy costume. No wonder he wanted to practice walking in it. They’d probably made some last minute adjustments in the demon suit they wanted to check out before shooting.
Kellsie watched until the demon disappeared, leaving her once again alone. “Freaky,” she muttered and continued her walk. The sideshow tents had been closed this afternoon, but she was dying to have a peek inside. Everything else about the carnival was so authentic she imagined the shows would be the same.
A placard with faded red and yellow paint was propped up outside the large maze of connecting tents. It boasted that they had a contortionist, a man who swallowed fire and swords, a knife thrower, a fortuneteller, a magician and more. It also announced the price of admission, which she didn’t have or didn’t need in any case.
This was the tent where her character was supposed to find the carousel with the mystical warrior. She really wanted to see what it looked like. From the description in the partial script she’d read it should be a work of art. Everything on this set seemed to be top quality, totally perfect for the mood of the film. Why should the carousel be any different?
Kellsie glanced over her shoulder. She was still alone. What would it hurt for her to take a quick peek? If there were no lights inside, she’d have to leave it until tomorrow. Just a quick look, she promised herself.
She inched toward the tent, half-expecting a security guard to yell at her to stop at any second. But no one appeared and she peeled back the tent flap. A dim light spilled outside onto the ground at her feet.
“Awesome.” She slipped inside and let the flap close behind her. She’d just take a quick look before she headed back to her trailer for the night.
She passed the first opening on her left and saw some seemingly sharp knives set carefully on a rack. This would be the knife thrower. She couldn’t imagine trusting someone enough to let him fling sharp knives at her. With a shudder, she moved on.
It was slightly warmer inside the tent and she unzipped her jacket. Her sneakers made a slight scuffing sound on the canvas floor. She looked to the right but couldn’t see much of anything in the gloom. The security lights weren’t giving off enough illumination to penetrate the far corners of each divided area.
No matter. Kellsie wasn’t about to give up yet. “The carousel has to be here somewhere.” She spoke aloud to push aside the eerie feeling creeping over her. It felt as though there was someone watching her. “Is anyone here?”
Nothing. Total silence.
Her heart picked up and began to race. Sweat beaded her temple. “This is ridiculous.” She’d been in a ton of horror movies. She’d survived the foster-care system. She’d walked the streets of Los Angeles at night by herself, for God’s sake. Nothing frightened her.
Squaring her shoulders, she headed farther into the tent. She was going to see the carousel before she left this place.
A few more steps brought her next to a small wooden sign proclaiming this was the fortuneteller’s area. Kellsie could make out a small table with a black covering studded with gold stars. A crystal ball and a stack of cards rested there. She assumed they were tarot cards of some kind.
The end of the tent was close, but short corridors veered off to the right and the left. Kellsie instinctively went left. There was less light that way but her eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing her to see the sides of the walls as she hurried to the opening at the end.
Was it her imagination or was there more light down there?
She sincerely hoped so. She was beginning to get seriously spooked by this place. Not even the wind penetrated the thick canvas walls. It was too quiet for Kellsie’s peace of mind. The only sound she could hear was that of her ragged breath.
She grabbed the flap and, at the last second, kept herself from flinging it back. There could be someone in there and she probably shouldn’t be wandering around here at night. Not that she’d get in trouble or anything, but she didn’t want to piss off the set designer.
Easing the flap aside, Kellsie peered inside. A bright spotlight shone on the center of the room. She stepped inside, no longer caring if there was someone already in there. The carousel stood in solitary splendor. It had to be a replica of an antique because it was like something from a bygone era. The base and the top were heavily carved with curlicues and spirals. It was fanciful and beautiful, exactly what a carousel should be.
She knew there would be space for seven animals on the ride, but four were missing, leaving gaps of several feet and the metal bolts that had once anchored them to the base. Only three animals remained.
Kellsie moved closer, studying the chipped white and red paint and gold gilding that was fading at the top and base. The animals themselves were in perfect condition and even more beautiful than she’d expected.
Whoever had carved the wolf had caught him in mid-stride. His muscles rippled beneath his fur, his jaws open on a snarl, revealing his sharp white teeth. He looked fierce and gorgeous.
She reached out her hand and ran it over his flanks. If she closed her eyes, she could easily imagine she was touching fur. “Wow. This is spectacular,” she breathed. “You’re one tough creature.” It was all too easy to picture the wolf racing through the woods in search of prey.
There was an empty space beside the wolf. A small metal label was bolted next to it and it read Serpent. Next to that was another space with a label that read Jaguar. Too bad the script called for them to be missing. She would have loved to have seen the artist’s rendition of both. She imagined the jaguar would be sleek and deadly with sharp teeth and a powerful jaw. The serpent, she wasn’t so certain about. Would it be snake-like or more of a dragon?
Her breath caught in her throat as she studied the next animal. A huge brown bear stared back at her through dark, expressive eyes. The effect was so real, Kellsie would almost swear the creature was actually alive and watching her.
“Amazing.” She stroked the fur covering his massive body, which had been painted a combination of varying shades of brown with a hint of black. Powerful and commanding, this was the king of the forest. The claw on her necklace seemed to pulse against her skin. She reached over her shoulder and absently rubbed her tattoo. There was no mistaking the sheer brute strength of this animal.
She tore herself away from the bear and forced herself to examine the rest of the carousel. There was another empty space. The label on this one seemed slightly scorched, which was a brilliant touch considering it was supposed to have housed a phoenix. She could picture a great beast painted in shades of red and gold, like fire.
Next came the lion. He was a formidable beast with a huge mane. Muscles rippled beneath his tawny skin and his jaws were open on a silent roar.
Beside him was another empty space. The plaque on this one read White Tiger. She didn’t think he’d have been totally white, but would have had dark stripes down his body.
She wished they were all here for her to see, but the movie was on a budget and the other animals weren’t necessary. They’d obviously hired a skilled craftsman to create the animals that were here. There was no way they were antique. They’d have cost a fortune. She also couldn’t imagine anyone owning one of these carousel animals and parting with them.
She rounded the carousel again and the bear drew her to him. He really was quite an incredible thing to look at. Massive. That was the best way to describe him. Even standing on all fours, he was almost as tall as she was. Thick muscles were covered with a heavy coat of fur. Long, lethal claws tipped his paws. His jaw was wide, his nose a velvety black.