Misery Go Round
by Anthony Cowin
Discordant calliope notes oscillated around the carousel masking the creature’s growls as it hid between the carvings. He scrambled down the pole above a child unnoticed, scraping flakes of paint that fell on her face. The little girl riding the wooden horse was enamoured by the glittering snowfall.
She froze, her falling smile a row of cracked painted teeth, her head a carving. The mothers screamed as their antique children whirled past. Corn-dogs and butter popcorn wafted from the east.
Nobody saw it leap across dark fields that way.
Later mothers clung to children with broken hearts, punctured with splinters.
Bio: Anthony Cowin writes dark and twisted tales that have been published in many print anthologies and online. He’s currently working on a themed anthology of short stories and a urban fantasy novel. You can connect on Twitter at @TonyCowin or visit his website www.anthonycowin.com.
