Page 62 of Beneath the Starlight and Storms

The car stops and I move to open the door when it’s opened from the outside for me. Hook stands there with a shadow of a smile on his face that makes me feel uneasy. He closes the door behind me as I glance around trying to figure out where we are.

Cars are all around us, all lined up and from what I can see, empty. A few feet in front of us sits a large hill, but there’s no one else around. The more I look, the less I see and start to wonder what type of fun Hook has in mind now.

He smirks at me like he knows what I’m thinking. Walking backward he moves toward the hill.

“Come on,” he waves me over.

Preparing myself for the worst, I head over to him, and we start up the hill.

“Ready?” His smile only grows as he pulls me up the last couple of steps to reveal what looks like a little hidden world.

In the distance, I spot a huge white circular machine that slowly spins. If I squint, I can just make out the small swinging chairs on it and the people inside them.

Red and white tents are spread out by the dozens before it, with stalls of food and what looks like colorful games.

“What is this place?” I ask Hook as we move down the hill and into the crowds of laughter and bright faces.

“A pop-up Carnival,” he tells me. I glance at him to see he looks more happy and relaxed than I’ve seen him in a while.

“Pop-up?”

Hook nods. “They appear for a couple of days before packing up and moving somewhere else.”

“And people just come here to have fun?” A couple pass by laughing at each other as the girl eats some soft pink cloud thing.

Hook chuckles. “Is that so hard to believe?”

I guess not. I’ve heard of Fae carnivals that had majestic beasts and performances but nothing like this. Nothing with so many people, especially couples, having fun.

“Do you want some?” Hook asks.

I glance up at Hook with a questioning look, as he tilts his head to the girl with the pink cloud. She picks off some of it before placing it in her mouth.

“The pink cloud?” It must be some type of food, but I can’t understand how. It looks too soft, too light, to taste of anything.

“It’s called candy floss,” he smiles as he takes my hand to pull me over to a small stall. There’s a man twirling a stick in a circle metal machine. But all I can think about is the warmth coming from Hook’s hand in mine and how nice it feels.

I shake it off to focus back on the man making the strange food. Nothing seems to be happening as he continues to turn the stick. Until out of nowhere the pink cloud stuff appears, slowly gathering around it.

“Is it magic?” I take a step closer to look at it.

Hook’s eyes flash with laughter as he shakes his head. He passes the man some paper notes I’ve come to learn is the currency in this Realm, before taking the pink stuff and waving it in front of me.

I frown looking at it in apprehension. As if reading my mind once again, he smirks at me before taking a piece and placing it in his mouth.

It can’t be that bad if he’s eating it… And itdoeslook good. Now that I’m this close to it, it also smells really good.

“Well, if you don’t want any…” He slowly turns when I finally give in and reach out and grab it.

I hear him chuckle as I turn around and rip a piece off, testing the texture in my hand before placing a small piece in my mouth. It melts instantly on my tongue leaving a delicious, sweet taste behind.

I whip around to Hook. “You were lying. Itismagic.” Just like the coffee.

Hook shakes his head with a boyish smile as he pulls me forward through the throng of people. All while I focus on eating my magic pink cloud.

It’s gone before I know it, as if disappearing into thin air. I stare at the bare stick with a frown wondering if a little pixie snuck up on me and stole the rest of it.

“How about a hotdog?”

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