The fair had begun.
Dazzling lights flashed frantically, casting bright orange
and pink pools of light onto the dewy grass. Dozens of stalls were lined up
next to each other, each with their own bright logo and striped tarp, some
selling fluffy candyfloss, others offering prizes to the lucky people that
managed to knock a coconut off a teetering wooden column. Children flocked to
each individual stall like a herd of excitable sheep, bleating at their parents
to let them have a go. Sighing, the tired parents complied.
But by mid-day, the majority of the young children and
families had left the fair, most of the children becoming exhausted and
irritable after an hour or two. Leaving the teenagers to emerge. They prowled
around in packs along the muddy tracks, sticking with their friends and
occasionally judging an interesting fashion choice or a pair of over drawn
eyebrows that were present in another group. Giggles floated through the air, exploding and
fizzing randomly as the teenagers marvelled at the rides. Adrenaline pumped
through their veins as they were flown and spun around on various twirling
contraptions. Laughs and cheers could be heard everywhere.
The sky faded from crystal blue to sugary pinks and oranges,
and then from burning ambers and reds to dark indigos. Slowly, the teenagers
were trickling away from the fair, their breaths coming out as small misty
clouds in front of them. The temperature had dropped significantly. Twinkling
stars adorned the velvety dark blanket of the night sky like jewels on a luxurious
dress, and the pale face of the moon gazed gently down at the remaining
teenagers. It appeared to be frowning.
Alcohol had appeared at around 6 pm. One particular group
had been drinking since then. There were about eleven of them, all of around sixteen
years old. Half of them had never drank before, probably due to the fact that
they were two years or so under the legal drinking age. They had been convinced
to take a few sips by the others in the group. Although some were unsure and
uncomfortable at first, within an hour or so they were chugging the alcohol
happily. As most of them were so inexperienced, it did not take long for the
alcohol to have a significant effect on them. They got very drunk, very
quickly.
This group crashed through what remained of the fair, the
harsh neon lighting illuminating their features garishly. All of the stalls had
closed by now, it was at least half ten at night. Disappointed, the teenagers
teetered away from the fair in a swarm, heading towards the park that was not
far away. One of the boys started chanting a football song, other boys of the group
joined in, some girls danced along the pavement, waving their arms too quickly
and too frantically. The dim light of the lampposts bathed them in a sickening
orange glow.
After a few minutes or so, the group reached the park. It
didn’t have much, just a rusted swing set and a climbing frame that could hold
about three people at a push. A small lake was close, and in the summer was
home to a number of ducks and geese, which children would often go and feed.
None of the teenagers could remember the reason they had decided to go there,
but they weren’t in the right state of mind to question their decisions now.
They laughed and jeered, precariously leaning on each other
whilst hiccupping and shouting. The cold air had no effect on them, in fact
they could barely feel it at all. Everything before them was fuzzy and
unfocused, as if their eyes had become grimy camera lenses. Every time they
blinked, a photo was taken. Someone was taking their jacket off. Blink. People
laughed. He veered unsteadily towards the lake, kicking his shoes off as he
went. Blink. Shouts echoed. Blink. Lads cheered, egging him on. Blink. He
jumped into the lake.
Blink.
For a few moments all was fine. Everyone could see him,
waving his arms and cheerfully splashing the water at them all. They all
continued to laugh. His face was obscured by the white froth that was created
by his playful movements.
Blink.
They could no longer see him. Puzzled, they stared at the
water, their laughs a little more forced and with decreased volume. The surface
of the water was smooth and still, the inky blackness barely even rippling. As
the seconds ticked on, their drunkenness diminished a little. Suddenly they
could feel the icy wind on their faces. Suddenly their vision became less
blurred. Suddenly they could realise how cold the water must be. Suddenly, a
friend could remember that the boy in the lake was not a very confident
swimmer. Suddenly, they all felt the slow, sickening feeling of their stomachs
dropping. Suddenly, some of them came to the realisation that perhaps the
splashing had not been playful; that perhaps it had been desperate.
Blink.
For a second they were all stone cold sober.
Blink.
The pictures they had taken with their glassy eyes were
burned into their memories forever. A body, face down and still, floating on
the surface of the water.
Blink.
The fair was over.
Points: 2200
Reviews: 235
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