Four Corners Dark: Horror Stories (17 page)

Mr. Adams was as impressive as the carousel. He wore a black velvet cloak and top hat and clutched the same silver cane John had seen on the television. He wore a ruby ring on his right hand and the gold of the ring glowed beneath the lights. He stared intently at John as he spoke.

“Mr. Roberts, I know you have questions.”

“Well…”

Mr. Adams continued, “Life holds many questions does it not?”

His black boots clicked on the wooden floor of the carousel as he stepped in front of John.

“Do you ever wonder why one person dies in a car crash while another wins a lottery? Mr. Adams asked and paused momentarily. “Sometimes it is meant to be. But sometimes accidents can occur in the fabric of random things. Maybe the path of somebody’s life turned right, when it should have turned left.

John sat stone-faced watching the exaggerated movements of the elegant man.

“Our job here,” Mr. Adams said, “is to make corrections to these mistakes. Although we cannot undo these errors, we can make amends.”

“What do you want from us?” John said softly.

“Actually, it is what you should want from me,” Mr. Adams answered. “A series of mistakes have occurred in this town. You and your son have been the victims of these errors while others have received undeserved benefits. It is my job to set these matters straight.”

Mr. Adams removed his hat and sat down on a seat across from John. His hair was long and black, and slicked against white skin.

“Mr. Roberts, I do not often tender choices in moments like these, but in this case I feel compelled to do so,” Mr. Adams said.

“What type of choice?” John asked.

“You and you son are both faced with challenges. Tommy’s challenge has been with him for a long time and yours is new to you,” Mr. Adams answered.

“How do you know so much about us?” John asked.

Mr. Adams ignored the question and continued speaking.

“This evening I will offer you a choice.”

Mr. Adams stood and placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder.

“I am prepared to take away Tommy’s challenge,” Mr. Adams said moving in front of John, slowly spinning his cane in his fingertips. “Or, I can take away yours.”

Mr. Adams turned and walked to the small door in the center of the carousel and opened it. The circular room inside was empty and devoid of the gears and wires John expected to see. A solitary candle sat on a round table and illuminated the room.

“Return to me with your answer tomorrow night Mr. Roberts,” Mr. Adams said, eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Mr. Adams turned and entered the circular room, and pinched out the candle with his gloved fingers. The door closed behind him and the lights faded off leaving them alone on the dark carousel with only the light of the moon washing over the still wooden horses.

On the drive home, Tommy acted as if he had awoken from a dream.

“Was fun, Daddy. We come tomorrow?”

“We’ll see, Tommy,” John said.

John flipped on the car’s radio to clear his head.

“Tragedy has struck the town of Milton and one person is feared dead this evening when a fire broke out at the Milton Mights baseball stadium,” the radio announcer said. “The victim is reported to be Frank Reynolds, the controversial winner of last year’s Powerball lottery. Mr. Reynolds was the man with a history of domestic violence who won a fortune only weeks after his wife divorced him. Sources have reported an electrical storm in the area shortly before the start of the game. Thanks to the fast actions of the police, the estimated crowd of seven hundred was safely evacuated. The stadium, however, is considered a complete loss.”

John turned the black plastic knob to shut off the radio and drove in silence. Rain began to fall and the wipers of the Dodge struggled to clear the water squeaking each time they made a pass. He pulled into his carport and sat for a moment listening to the sound of the rain then looked over at his son.

“Tommy, it’s time to go to bed,” John said softly.

John walked around the car and roused Tommy from a deep sleep. The rain fell harder as he fumbled for the key to the front door. He opened the door and turned on the foyer light. The living room floor was empty except for the spinning carousel.

CHAPTER SIX

T
he next morning, John woke well after his usual six a.m. He focused blurry eyes on his alarm clock. Eleven forty-five a.m.

“What the hell,” he muttered.

He rushed down the hallway, stopped at Tommy’s doorway and found his son sleeping. He let him sleep and walked downstairs. The sun shined brightly through the living room windows and the carousel sat in a shadow cast by the coffee table. He kneeled to examine it. The toy had changed and was now the rudimentary creation of a child. He sat down on the couch and felt something he had been denied for years - hope.

After a long day of waiting, John was ready to bring Tommy back to the carnival. He had spent the day watching news coverage of the stadium disaster and could watch no more. He shut the television off and put on his jacket. It was 7:15 p.m. and already dark.

“Tommy, put on your jacket. We need to take a ride,” John said.

“Okay, Daddy,” Tommy answered.

Tommy didn’t ask where they were going and maybe already knew. They stepped through a pelting rain and into the car. John cranked the starter and the wagon finally fired up. He wiped the windshield with a rag to clear the fog from the glass. Tommy sat staring out the side window.

When they reached the carnival the dirt parking lot was a sea of mud and the grounds were empty except for the brilliantly lit carousel and the cloaked silhouette of Mr. Adams. John led Tommy across the muddy field and stopped to wipe his feet before he stepped onto the polished wood floor of the carousel.

“That will not be necessary,” Mr. Adams said above the sound of the rain.

When they climbed aboard the carousel the sound of the rain fell away. Tommy sat on a white bench with carved octopus tentacles wrapping its sides.

“Mr. Roberts, I trust you have brought me your decision?”

“I have.”

“Please have a seat,” Mr. Adams said pointing at the empty spot next to Tommy.

John sat next to his son.

“Well, then I thank you Mr. Roberts. Tommy, it has been a rare pleasure,” Mr. Adams said with a long bow.

Mr. Adams opened the door in the center of the carousel.

“But Mr. Adams what happens now?” John asked. Don’t you want my answer?”

“That will not be necessary,” Mr. Adams said shutting the door behind him.

The lights of the carousel flickered and went out, leaving John and Tommy in the dark. The carousel began spinning backwards, faster and faster, until the world became a blur and John lost consciousness.

He felt a gentle pat on his shoulder. The morning sun caused mist to rise off the grass of the overgrown field.

“Dad, wake up.”

John looked around at the rotted hulk of the carousel. The carved horses had collapsed on shattered legs and water dripped through holes in the roof.

“Dad?”

John turned to find Tommy standing over him, but he was no longer his child-like Tommy Boy. He was a grown man with a wife and two young sons, and enjoyed the life John had always wished for him.

“Dad, you need to stop wandering off like this. You had us scared to death,” Tommy said.

Tommy took the keys to the Dodge from John and helped him into his truck.

“Let’s get you home and into some warm clothes,” Tommy said.

A breeze blew across the overgrown grass as they drove through the field, and the old carousel began to spin.

AUTHOR BIO

WILLIAM MCNALLY is the author of
Four Corners Dark
and is working on his next book
Beneath the Veil.
He lives in Georgia with his wife, Lily, and four rescue dogs.