- Chapter 1 -

Thunder Crashed

The rain pelted down so hard, it was difficult to see anything or any creature or place. And now a blinding bolt of lightning made it even harder to find her. Thunder crashed around him and vibrated all of him. Another electric tree in the sky crashed, fingering tendrils through the dark, blinding him for some time, so he could just stand there and let the rain run down and soak him.

Just where was she?

The rain felt cold, but he was hot inside with fear over her well-being, so he started to get uncomfortable. Just where was she? She could not stay out in the rain at all! It had happened before, it took many glasses full of sugar water and spinning on her toes for weeks on end until she got back to her pretty pink self again.

His sight improved, although he still saw red blotches with bright halos of pulsating colors around them, dancing little sparks and oozing dark blue and vivid yellow zigzags. He held on to the arch of the entry to the fairgrounds, steadied himself, tried to get rid of the sensations in front of his closed eyes. But I really should go, go and find her.

The storm moved slowly away, but the rain kept coming down in thick strings. Where should I go first? Maybe to the Merry Go Round, Tutu is friends with one of the painted horses. Yes, that is where I will go first. He sloshed through the puddles, passing all sorts of closed up rides and amusement booths. Even the unfriendly and rude dunking pool owner, named Dunk, had his faded and tattered rain protection pulled over. No living being was out in this weather. I should also be inside my cozy tent, tucked in and dry, Tutu with me, singing stories for me and dancing. How happy she makes me.

It still rained hard

Now he stood close to the Merry Go Round but could not see the horses. They were all sleeping behind the striped canvas, dreaming of sunny days with children riding on their backs, laughing, cheeks rosy with excitement and joy.

“Tutu, Pink Cotton Candy Tutu Girl, are you in there with your friend Esroh? I have come to pick you up and bring you home safely.” His voice cracked from all the anxiety. “Please sing to me to let me know.”

“Now listen here young fellow, we are trying to sleep a bit, as we should when it is raining, no children are here now, are they,” said the old mare and matron Eram. “Tomorrow we will have to go round and round and round again, and again and again.”

“Oh, be nice, Eram, he is just concerned about Tutu. Hi, Mirror Boy, Tutu Girl is not here, but before it started to rain, she came here to show me her latest spin flip. What a pretty thing she is. She sang that she would be going over to The Three, they had not seen her new act yet, she wanted very much to perform it for them.”

Mirror Boy thanked Esroh for the information. It still rained hard and he got worried more and more about his beloved Tutu. She must be here somewhere. She knows not to be out in the rain, she knows.

Symbol of waves, stars, sun, seahorses. Divider.