Page 62 of Serenity Falls

‘Hey!’ she calls out. ‘You shouldn’t be playing on here.’

The boy scurries around the curve of the Carousel and jumps down, landing deftly on bare feet. He takes off across the fairground, disappearing between two fast-food stalls. Sadie stares after him. Where are his parents? Should she tell someone?

‘Excuse me, miss?’

She turns. A man in overalls and a peaked cap squints up at her from the grass. He’s holding a trash sack and a litter-picker. The logo on the cap reads: Keeping Serenity Spotless.

‘You need to get down from the Carousel.’

Sadie flushes. ‘There was a little boy up here. I wanted to check he was okay.’

‘Oh.’ The man frowns. ‘He still up there?’

‘No. He ran off.’

‘Well, I’m sure he’ll be fine.’

‘I couldn’t see his parents.’

‘They’re probably around somewhere.’

‘But what if …’ Sadie falters. ‘Something bad happens to him?’

‘In Serenity?’ The man chuckles. ‘Nothing bad happens in Serenity Falls.’

‘I guess not.’ Sadie jumps off the Carousel.

‘Thank you.’ The man smiles. His teeth are white, and his eyes are really blue. Dirty-blond hair is yanked back in a ponytail. Kind of good-looking, she supposes.

‘Sorry for ragging on you,’ he says. ‘But you’re not supposed to climb on the rides when the fair is closed.’

‘Sorry. What time does the fair open?’

‘Weekdays, it’s normally two p.m. Ten a.m. Saturday and Sunday.’

‘Right.’

‘Here.’ He reaches into his overalls pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. ‘Opening times are on the flyer. Also, you get a ten per cent discount at the cotton-candy stall.’

‘Oh. Great.’ Sadie hates cotton candy.

He cocks his head and pushes back his cap, giving her an amused look. ‘Don’t like cotton candy?’

‘Not really.’

‘Me neither. Like eating hair.’

Sadie laughs. ‘Yeah. Exactly.’

He takes out a pen and scribbles something on the flyer.

‘Go see Ernie at the hot-dog stall. Tell him Larry Broom sent you and he’ll give you ten per cent off a hot dog instead.’ He folds the flyer up and hands it back to her. ‘You do like hot dogs?’

‘Of course.’

‘Well, there you go, then.’

He doffs his cap. A weird feeling ripples through Sadie. It’s like he’s teasing her. Playing with her.