The orange sky and pink clouds hovered above me. The carnival music, with its vivacious melody, buzzed in my ears. Lights surrounded me, giving off warmth and joy. Everyone seemed happy to be here. To my left, kids were shrieking and enjoying on the carousel. I remember doing the same thing as a kid. To my right, people were getting each other stuffed animals by playing games. Food stalls lined up behind me, the smell of fried foods wafted through the autumn air. Ahead of me, I can see the eye of this carnival. It was very much like the Ferris Wheel in the Sta. Monica Pier, only a little bit smaller. It shone against the now purple sky. I nudged my way to it. I bought a ticket and got in a seat. The wheel idled to life, and I was being brought up to the top. At the highest point, I could see the whole city. Lights coming from different infrastructures blinked at me, making the city look like a fairy land. The sky has turned to a dark purple, and a few stars decided to come out of hiding. The sight was breathtaking.
After two minutes, I got off the ride. The sight from above has left me dazed.
I strode past the rides, to the food stalls. The smell of French fries, waffles, and cotton candy made my stomach grumble. On my way there, I was blocked. He stood a foot away from me, but it seems like he would not let me pass. People didn’t seem to mind us. I glared at him. There was something familiar about him. Something I couldn’t pinpoint. His eyes were blue, almost violet. He wore a black ensemble: black pants, black shirt, black hoodie, and black sneakers. He seemed a bit… pale.
I tried to get past him again. This time, he gripped my arms, pulling me closer to him. His eyes were cold and intense as he stared at me.
“You have no idea who I am, do you?” he asked. I gaped at him. He loosened his grip on me, and that’s when I started to back away. I ran as fast as I could. Who was that guy? He called after me. He called me by my name. I stopped on my tracks. I looked back. He ran towards me. He kept on saying my name. “Who are you?” I asked him. Just as he was saying something, his voice started to drift away. The world seemed to ripple. I was being succumbed by reality.
I woke up with a start. I hear his voice saying my name one last time. Valerie.