The merry go round

The white smoothness swallowed the boy’s steps. In a sigh, one step, in an exhale, a second. Blinked once, coughed twice, eyes treacherously watery three. He has to get there, the warmth is very close. The snow swirls faster, faster, faster. There is too much of it. The boy can’t feel his feet, only remotely aware that he is walking, still walking, still has the strength to walk. He can make it.

Can he make it?

There was nothing around but endless snow. The sun was coming down over the horizon. The grey sky, filled with black lime, grew darker and darker by the second.

Laughter was heard.

Laughter?

So he’s close, just a little longer. In a breath, one step, an exhale, a second. Eyes treacherously watery once, coughing still won’t go away two, blinking non-stop three. His legs won’t listen. He can’t walk.

He has to take a step.

Just one step.

He does.

A grey male figure appeared in front of him.

A black costume clung around his lean body. The face was covered by a masquerade mask, through which red eyes stared blankly.

The figure bowed to the boy and gave him a hand.

And in an instant there was warmth. There was no more cold, no more fear, no more pain. His legs no longer trembled. The boy followed the mirage and with each step he became more and more cheerful. There were hundreds of rides in front of him. Each one radiated fun. There were other children as well. They were all running from place to place and laughing loudly.

A man led the boy to a merry-go-round, dozens of horses whirling in the light of a myriad of lights. Each of the coloured horses was appealing in its own way. The boy looked at the man. The man smiled with one eye and pointed his hand towards the merry-go-round. The boy smiled back and walked towards it. His horse was the prettiest and the fastest. At least, that’s what it seemed to him. With each lap there was less and less anxiety. Fewer and fewer of the people who had once worried him surfaced in his mind. Fewer and fewer worries. For a second the tired face of some woman appeared. For a moment her features seemed familiar, until she disappeared like everything else in the stream. And then it became light. So light that he could have sworn he was flying.

The boy became truly happy. He’d never smiled so carefree before. And the merry-go-round went round and round and round and round. Round and round and round, round and round. Round and round in time with the blinding snow. Spinning to the sound of beautiful music. Spinning to the laughter of children. Circling around, absorbed by the scents of various sweets, drowning in the sweetness of candyfloss. Spinning under the gaze of cold, red eyes. Spinning and spinning, spinning and spinning, spinning and spinning. Twirling and twirling, twirling and twirling, twirling and twirling.

….

The boy was reported missing in February. The body was not found until spring, when the snow finally receded. The face, changed beyond recognition, still had the happy grin that had once been a smile.