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He just gives me a nod, and then takes off in that direction.

My eyes couldn’t help but watch his back as he walked away.

Seriously, what did their mom give them as babies?

SEVENTEEN

7:58 P.M.

The fair started emptying around me.

Not completely.

But, just enough to notice.

Parents guided tired kids towards the gates, stuffed animals tucked beneath arms, and half-eaten cotton candy abandoned in trash cans along the way.

The younger teenagers followed behind them, complaining about having to leave while the adults laughed.

A voice crackled through the speakers overhead.

“Attention guests.”

It crackles again, but a more sinister voice seems to replace it.

“The daytime fair is now closed. All guests under the age of eighteen must proceed to the main exit.”

My stomach flipped.

There it was.

Workers in black uniforms appeared along the midway, checking hands for stamps and directing people to the gates.

But, there was two I hadn’t seen in a while.

Sullivan.

And Sebastian.

I looked at the clock.

7:59.

Still.

Charlie insisted on sticking with me for all the attractions tonight, even though I knew I needed to lose him at some point.

Come on, I tell myself as I stare at the clock.

My heart was racing. My palms sweaty.

The music stopped.

Not faded.

Stopped.

The sudden silence rolled across the fairgrounds.