Carnival of Terror

By M. R. James

When the yearly carnival arrives in Boo, Pennsylvania, Amanda and Billy think it's just the thing they need to get their minds off of everything they've been through. Pumpkins attacking people, zombies running amok all over town...their lives are far from normal and there seems to be little time to just have fun.

Unfortunately, evil never rests.

A mysterious fortune teller warns them of impending doom their very first night at the carnival, and when the town's children start acting strange, they know something dark and sinister is afoot.

With Mr. Night on their side, it's up to Billy and Amanda to get to the bottom of things and stop the madness before it gets out of control, or suffer the consequences.

It's time for another terrifying adventure in the town of Boo!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gemineo
• Release date: Sep 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386055082

M. R. James

Montague Rhodes James was born in 1862 at Goodnestone Parsonage, Kent, where his father was a curate, but the family moved soon afterwards to Great Livermere in Suffolk. James attended Eton College and later King's College Cambridge where he won many awards and scholarships. From 1894 to 1908 he was Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and from 1905 to 1918 was Provost of King's College. In 1913, he became Vice-Chancellor of the University for two years. In 1918 he was installed as Provost of Eton. A distinguished medievalist and scholar of international status, James published many works on biblical and historical antiquarian subjects. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1930. His ghost story writing began almost as a divertissement from his academic work and as a form of entertainment for his colleagues. His first collection, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was published in 1904. He never married and died in 1936.

Book preview

CARNIVAL

OF

TERROR

M.R. JAMES

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Carnival of Terror

Copyright © 2014 M.R. James

Published by Gemineo

All rights reserved.

By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, compiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the expressed written permission of M.R. James.

For Tierney

Sleep tight

- 1 -

The little boy stood transfixed by the glow of lights coming from the midway as the ferris wheel spun in circles behind him.

All around him people laughed and shouted, ate popcorn and cotton candy, and played games that won them small stuffed animals and trinkets. Balloons popped, balls rattled inside wooden apple baskets, and water guns hit their mark before bells went off, signaling a winner.

The boy smiled as he took in the sights and sounds of the carnival. He took a lick from the cherry lollipop he was holding and began walking toward the midway, being careful not to bump into anybody. His parents were around somewhere. Probably with his sister. She had been going on and on about how she wanted their dad to win her a goldfish, and she always got what she wanted.

Sisters sucked.

A loud pop followed by an ear-piercing scream rattled him and he looked to see a teenage girl with red hair throwing darts at a row of balloons, trying to get them to pop.

It was just a game, that’s all.

He took another lick of his lollipop and moved on, bathed in yellows and blues and greens from the lights flashing all around him.

Gamesmen shouted at him to come and play. To come and try his luck at ring toss or knocking some bottles over with a baseball.

Step right up and win a prize! one yelled. Three balls for a buck!

But the boy didn’t have a buck. His pockets were empty. All he had was his lollipop.

He kept walking and when he reached the other side of the midway he looked back. His parents were nowhere to be seen, nor was his sister.

Panic began to course through his veins and he felt his heartbeat quicken. Where were they?

Dad said they’d be right behind me after sis got her goldfish, he thought.

But he didn’t see his dad anywhere.

He spun back around and without looking to see where he was going, the boy bumped into a man.

Not just any man, though.

A clown.

He had a big red nose, bushy green hair that stuck out at odd angles, and even though his face was painted snow white, his mouth was outlined in bright red, and there were dark blue swirly designs around his grey eyes.

Hello, Ethan, he smiled at the boy.

Ethan’s eyes went wide. How did you know my name? he asked.

The clown winked. I know everything about you, Ethan. I know that you’re eight years old, I know that your favorite food is pizza, and I know that your parents are still with your sister, trying to win her that goldfish.

Ethan marveled at the knowledge the clown possessed, and his eyes flickered to the man’s attire, glancing over colorful yellow and blue pants, a yellow, red, and orange-checkered shirt, and a green bow tie.

That’s amazing, Ethan said.

Wait until you see what I have to show you, said the clown. "Now that’s amazing."

What is it?

The clown stretched out his arm and offered Ethan his hand. Come and see.

Ethan looked back over his shoulder, trying to see if his mom or dad were on their way back with his sister and her goldfish, but try as he might he just couldn’t find them.

It’s okay, the clown said. Your dad told me to come and find you. We’ll go back to him in a little while.

Ethan couldn’t explain it, but for some reason he felt…off. Like he wasn’t supposed to be there with the clown.

He turned back around and looked up, staring into the man’s eyes. He stayed that way for a good long while before finally asking, What’s your name?

My name? the clown answered with great enthusiasm. Why, my name is Chuckles. Chuckles the Clown. He reached up and squeezed his spongy nose, honking it several times. At your service, Ethan.

Ethan smiled and remembered he was holding a lollipop. He licked it several times, never taking his eyes off Chuckles.

Oh, said the clown. You like lollipops, do you? Well, where we’re going there are hundreds of lollipops of all shapes and flavors, and if you’re good, maybe I’ll give you some before I take you back to your parents.

Ethan weighed his options. On the one side he didn’t know where his parents were. For all he knew they forgot about him and went home. On the other side, Chuckles was offering to show him something amazing and give him candy. It was a no brainer to Ethan, and he took the clown by