Ride of a Lifetime – Friday Fictioneers

~ Amy Reese

It’s time for Friday Fictioneers, a weekly link up that challenges writers to compose a 100-word story based on a photo prompt. Thanks, as always, to our gracious hostess Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s photo was provided by Dee Lovering. Thank you, Dee.

The place in this photo looks really familiar. If it’s the place I’m thinking about, it’s a park in San Francisco. I’m wondering if it’s the same place! That’s what my sparked my imagination for this story. My initial story came in at 300 words. I had a yipping Pomeranian dog who had to go, as well as lot of description of the snow. I hope it makes sense. Enjoy!

If you would like to participate, here are instructions. All are welcome.

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PHOTO PROMPT © Dee Lovering

Genre: Fantasy/Horror (100 words)

Ride of a Lifetime

“Look, Nana. A carousel!”

“I can’t believe it’s operating.” Snow, unheard of in these parts, blanketed the earth. She couldn’t deny her granddaughter a ride of a lifetime.

Riders hoisted onto clowns and horses.  Julia jumped onto a bear, grinning in her white dress with pink ribbons in her hair. The revolving carousel undulated in gracious dips.

One rotation Julia was there; the next, gone. The ride expired and everyone disappeared.  Nana ran to the bear. Blood dripped from its claws, holding a doll wearing a white dress with pink ribbons in her hair, her eyes dark pools of terror.

*********************

For more stories from the Fictioneers, click here.

94 thoughts on “Ride of a Lifetime – Friday Fictioneers”

  2. Oh boy. That’s a cliffhanger! Circuses, carnivals, carousels, all can be perfect creepy settings! Great job, Amy. Very vivid imagery. I could see everything clearly in my mind’s eye.

    Speaking of carnivals, did you see last season’s American Gothic. If so, you know what I mean about creepy carnivals. Sheesh.

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    1. Thanks, Brigitte! I agree circuses and the like can be downright scary. I haven’t watched that one! I’m still on the witches! I will be watching that one in the future though, I’m sure. I think it’s a great series, very well done.

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      1. Oh, and I meant American Horror Story. You knew what I was saying. It’s one of those stories you can’t look away from but disturbing!

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      2. Right! That’s the one. I did know what you were talking about. Is there an American Gothic? That sounds familiar, too. All their stories are disturbing. They push it as far they can. 🙂

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      2. Thanks for clearing this up for us, Mark! Of course, you would know. You are the resident New York expert. It looks so much like this other place in San Francisco. I’ve never been to the one in NYC. That is a fun tidbit about Catcher in the Rye. Thanks for that! Love that book and I know that cover.

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  4. Love what you did with this Amy! Carousels have always evoked an eerie feeling in me ever since I saw a movie called, “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” where the carousel spins backwards and the people get younger. Which isn’t a bad thought at all, actually…ha! But in the movie, it was kind of creepy. Love that you chose a bear for the girl to ride on, too. Great set-up for a horror story. 🙂

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    1. Thank you , Kelly. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never seen that flick! It’s on my list. Ooh, that sounds like a great set up in that movie. Here, I guess, is the makings of the carousel itself. Like you, I’ve always found them to be a little eerie, going around and around and then the animals can be very strange sometimes. 🙂

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    1. Of course, Ansumani…she could always come back. Although, I doubt that she will be the same sweet, little girl. You might not want her to come back. 🙂 To think she just wanted an innocent ride on a carousel. Thanks!

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  7. Wow Amy, that was a quite a dramatic shift from paragraph 2 to 3. You caught me off guard. I like the creepy ending though, although now I want to know what happened. Probably best for them just to burn that carousel to the ground, just to be sure. 🙂

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    1. Well, I’m so pleased to hear I surprised you! Thanks. I think you’re right. It would probably be better to burn it. It’s something about dolls, too, that have always been a bit scary. My son can’t look at dolls.

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  9. I love how different writers see a story out of a picture. Did not expect you to turn so gruesome this week (though I suspect you were feeling overdue!) Muahahahaha!
    Great job!

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      3. Yes…for some strange reason, I’ve not gone dark in a while…gonna be a doozie when I do!

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  13. Dear Amy,

    Ouch. This is creepy at its creepiest. Children, carousels bears, oh my! Great vehicles for horror.

    BTW, the photo was taken in Central Park…other side of the States. 😉

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Thanks, Rochelle. I hope you’re not too disturbed by it. 🙂 Oh, of course! It looks so much like this place in San Francisco, but snow wouldn’t make any sense there! Actually, I’m really glad you don’t tell us about the photos and I know that’s key. If I had known it was Central Park, I probably would have written something completely different.

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  15. Creepy horror! I don’t know why, but half way through I was waiting for something horrible to happen 🙂
    Carousels, circuses… I find all that sort of stuff rather creepy anyway.
    Great story!

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    1. Ooh, I wonder is that a good thing you were anticipating something horrible would happen? Perhaps, it’s my super innocent set up? I agree that carousels and circuses are freaky. Why is that?! Thanks, Ali!

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  18. We have a lovely old carousel in Port Dalhousie that has been a special part of all the locals lives since my grandmother was a girl. I will be thinking more than once now before I hoist my grandniece up on one of the animals.

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  28. Wow–I mean, what everyone else said. Starts out so sweet. I would have shrugged away the bear, the blood, the disappearance (what does that say about me?)–but the terror in the doll’s eyes, that’s still giving me goosebumps. Movie in my head now. I admire! 🙂

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  30. Was the bear’s name Chucky? If it had been Smokey, we’d have had a pile of ashes I suppose.
    Sorry, Amy. I couldn’t help myself. 🙂 I felt the terror swell in Nana’s throat.

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  32. Maybe taking a kid to a carousel on a snowy day wasn’t such a good idea … Yeah, like Mark, Amy, I recognized Central Park. I also grew up in San Francisco. It never snowed once in the 23 years I lived there. In fact, it doesn’t even rain in California anymore, now. That’s another horror story.

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    1. I know all about the drought horror story, V! We need three years of above average white stuff at least to get out of the drought, which doesn’t sound so bad if it would only happen! Thanks for reading my story. 🙂

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    1. I would be touched if Stephen King loved it! Gee, thank you. Thanks for that high praise. I’m glad you liked it, Suzanne.

      (Sorry for the delay in responding. I’ve been on vacation.)

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