My Cardboard Balcony

Carnival by Belinda Roddie Six people at the carnival tried winning stuffed lions at the water pistol game, then wound up stabbing the vendor with plastic laser swords due to his accidentally grabbing five dollars off of them instead of four. They were escorted from the vicinity with screeching throats and shaking knees, only to sneak back in like ninjas, steal the worthless plushies, and hightail it, howling, into the light of the crescent moon.

We took the ferry to North Charmandro and found our cousin there, half-beaten to death but still looking chipper, two swords strung across her back like a sharp, double-edged crucifix. She smiled and wound up exposing two gaps where molars used to be, then showed us to the closest tavern, where we feasted on recently sauteed squid and drank very dark and very rich mead.