A Wanton Tale by Paula Marie Kenny

placed it in the pocket of her dress. She couldn’t wait to show her mother, she planned to put it in pride of place on her dressing table.
    â€˜We’ll go on a few rides Bertie, then we’ll go for some fish and chips.’ Sophie was buoyant after her win. It was nearly one o’clock and the little boy with the big appetite was starting to feel hungry. In truth, Bertie wasn’t too keen on any of the rides, he was more at home reading books, but it was worth it for a reward of fish and chips. The reluctant young fairgoer licked his lips in anticipation.
    Bertie turned to watch a well dressed courting couple eating cockles and whelks from a paper bag. The manner in which they were eating was in defiance of his father’s conventional table manners but judging by their expressions, it was clearly making the food more enjoyable!
    Bertie couldn’t wait to eat, despite his rumbling tummy he went on to follow his sister towards more rides. The pungent smells of the oil used in the generators, the sweet smell of candy floss and the organ’s music that his sister found so alluring, made Bertie feel rather woozy. He struggled to keep pace with her stride.
    â€˜We will go on this one first.’ Sophie indicated the caterpillar. ‘Afterwards we’ll try the new electric bumper cars, they came all the way from America.’ Said Sophie with authority. She didn’t care whether her brother was interested or not. The smell of the whelks being eaten by passers by and three girls licking ice cream kept his own hunger firmly in his mind.
    â€˜Are you listening?’ Sophie shook his arm and pointed to the Noah’s Ark. ‘See that platform ride with the animal mounts, we’ll try that last, then we can go to the fish and chip shop.’
    She had mentioned it to Bertie earlier, although it wasn’t one of the more adventurous amusements, Sophie found herself strangely drawn to the caterpillar. As they approached, the ride was in motion. At the head of the little carriages that made the train was a novelty green caterpillar’s head, at the end was a tail. It went round and round, rising and falling with a gentle undulation. During the day, it was a ride for younger children, at night it went faster to excite adults. Nevertheless, Sophie felt drawn to it that day. She stood with her arms folded, marvelling at the artwork on the balustrades and around the top of the ride. The letters of the word caterpillar were proud and bold and fitted with electric bulbs, as was the name of the owner, Robert Collins.
    Sophie tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the caterpillar to stop. Bertie didn’t mind this particular ride, it was neither fast nor scary. He hated the ‘chair o’ planes’ favoured by his sister, he was scared of speed and being high off the ground.
    As they waited for their turn, Sophie found that she had caught the eye of an unusually dressed man. He was standing in the middle of the ride next to the showman.
    â€˜Look at that man Bertie standing in the middle of the ride! He seems to know us.’ Sophie pointed over to the man who was now waving at her. His wave became a beckoning gesture, inviting her towards him, making her feel even more drawn to the ride.
    â€˜You mean the showman?’ Asked Bertie, ‘Can’t see anyone else, seeing things again are we?’ He teased.
    Sophie pulled down her straw hat, jamming it on her head more securely before mounting the ride. Her bouncy mane of red wiry curls would often retaliate against any headgear, it had a will of its own to break free. She did the same with Bertie’s cap.
    Her eyes were fixed on the peculiar man and, seeming in slow motion, she walked up the steps of the ride as though it was a grand staircase. She dragged Bertie behind her.
    Sat in the caterpillar car, Sophie still couldn’t take her eyes off the stranger. She could clearly see the hypnotic stare of his