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  “Maybe I should phone Lala, or my mom,” Chas suggested. “Something’s up.”

  “And go home?” Vanessa protested. “We only just got here.”

  “Yeah, but…didn’t you see that man? He was nuts,” Chas said.

  “So? He’s gone now. That what the security guards are here for. He won’t bother us again,” Vanessa reasoned.

  “I agree with Chas. We should go home,” Emily said, her light blue eyes wide as she contemplated their surroundings. Her curly red hair had come undone, and she nervously scraped it back into its customary bun. “Maybe this all has to do with that bad meat story.”

  “Oh, come on, guys. We were having such fun. I really don’t want to go home so soon,” Vanessa pleaded.

  Chas hesitated. She didn’t want to go home either. Not yet. Plus, she knew that outings were rare for Vanessa. Her foster parents did not allow her much in the way of freedom after she’d failed her previous grade, and this birthday party was a rare exception. “All right. Let’s stick around a bit longer.”

  “But…” Emily began.

  “We can go home if anything else happens, okay?” Chas said.

  Emily bit her lip. “Fine.”

  “Yes!” Vanessa punched the air. “Let’s go on the Ferris wheel next.”

  “Sure, why not,” Chas agreed, though a small quiver ran down her spine at the sight of the giant wheel with its bright lights shining like a neon star.

  As they climbed into their seats, the little cubicle rocked back and forth causing Chas’ stomach to lurch. She was afraid of heights, always had been, but would rather die than admit that to either Vanessa or Emily. Vanessa, especially. Instead, she clung to her pride and sat down, leaning back in her seat with a fake smile on her face.

  With a lurch, the wheel started moving. Chas latched on to the sides of her seat until her fingers went numb, a knot in her throat. Finally, the ride smoothed out, and they were slowly moving up and around in a big circle.

  Emily looked nervous too, but Chas suspected it had more to do with the crazy guy from earlier. “Are you okay, Emily?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little worried,” Emily replied, chewing on her thumbnail.

  “About the bad meat thing?” Vanessa asked. “It can’t be that serious. I mean, food gives you food poisoning. It doesn’t make you crazy.”

  “Actually, there have been numerous studies on the effect of food on people’s mood, and certain types have been proven to contribute to violence and anger,” Emily said, her expression growing eager as she slipped into teacher mode. “Also, what about Mad Cow Disease?”

  Chas sighed. While Emily was super smart, sometimes she got a little preachy and loved to tell them all about stuff they didn’t know about and didn’t care about either.

  Vanessa’s eyes had already glazed over, and she rolled her head back when Emily started on the exact causes and symptoms of the human version of Mad Cow Disease. “Ugh, Emily, stop! I don’t care. None of us care.”

  Emily, abruptly cut off in the middle of a sentence, folded her arms across her chest and glared at Vanessa, her cheeks flushed. “Fine. If you don’t want to know, I won’t tell you, but don’t expect me to help you with your schoolwork anymore. You can flunk another year for all I care.”

  Vanessa gasped. “Harsh much? I just meant we should have fun Em. It’s Chas’ birthday. We’re at the fair, not school.”

  “Yeah, well, no need to be rude about it,” Emily said, showing no signs of calming down.

  “Whoa, guys. No fighting, okay? I’m making it a rule today,” Chas intervened, knowing full well that both Emily and Vanessa had quick tempers and the two often bumped heads about the smallest stuff.

  Silence fell as the two friends subsided in their seats, though neither looked happy about it. Chas decided to change the subject. “Guess what I got for my birthday from Uncle Al?”

  She produced a knife from her jeans pocket, tucked away for just such a moment. Vanessa immediately perked up. “Wow, let me see.”

  Chas smiled as Vanessa and Emily admired the weapon. It was a quality piece made by a craftsman, the blade slim but razor sharp, the handle perfectly balanced. It came with its own sheath too and could loop onto her belt if she wanted.

  “Weird present for a girl,” Emily said, before handing it back.

  “Not really. My uncle has been teaching me how to throw it, and how to hotwire a car.”

  “Has he been in jail?” Emily asked, her eyes wide.

  “No, he’s just handy like that. He believes I should be able to look after myself, that’s all,” Chas said.

  “Well, I think it’s super cool,” Vanessa said.

  “Thanks.”

  With peace restored, Chas managed to relax and enjoy the sight from up high. Their cubicle had reached the top where the ride paused to allow them a few moments to admire the view. And what a view. The sun was setting on the far horizon, and purple streaks colored the sky mixed with orange and red. Dusk gave way to night, and the city twinkled in the distance as its lights came on, each winking into existence like a star.

  Suddenly, Vanessa leaned over the side and pointed. “I think I can see my house from here. Look!”

  The booth rocked back and forth at her abrupt movements, and Chas whimpered. They were right at the top, and the swinging was causing her stomach to do flop about like a dead fish. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she clenched her teeth together, praying she wasn’t about to throw up.

  Things got worse when Vanessa produced her phone and wedged herself in between Emily and Chas. Unbalanced, their seats tipped backward as Vanessa held her screen up high. “Time for a selfie. Smile!”

  Chas caught sight of her pale complexion and forced smile on the screen, the fairgrounds seeming dangerously close to her as they swung back and forth. Finally, Vanessa got a picture she was happy with and bounced back into her own seat.

  Chas heaved a sigh of relief, her hands grown sore from clutching the bars when she heard a distant sound that had her sitting upright with a frown. “Do you guys hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Vanessa asked, still staring at her phone.

  “Screams.”

  “I don’t hear anything,” Emily said.

  “Listen. There it is again,” Chas said, and indeed, the screams she’d heard were growing louder, rising above the hum of the crowd and the music issuing from numerous speakers.

  “Why are they screaming?” Vanessa asked.

  “No idea, but it can’t be good,” Chas said, gingerly leaning over the side and looking down at the grounds. From this high up, everything looked small and insignificant, but there was nothing small about the terrified screams issuing from the throats of the people below. She spotted a couple of running figures, sprinting across a patch of open field. They appeared to be chasing a bunch of others, and it was they who were shouting out in fear.

  The guy operating the Ferris wheel turned to look, his shoulders tense as he surveyed the scene. He reached for the radio at his belt but never got to use it. One of the people queuing for the Ferris wheel let out an ear-splitting screech, her head thrown back and her hands curled into claws. Her back crackled and twisted as she contorted into strange shapes before suddenly snapping upright, her eyes fixed on the operator.

  With a growl, she launched herself at the guy, her hands latching onto his shoulders and her legs wrapping around his waist. Chas gasped in horror as the woman bit down on his neck, her teeth sinking into his flesh until his blood fountained into the air.

  “What’s happening?” Emily cried, her trembling voice sounding far away even though she was right there.

  Vanessa appeared next to Chas, and she too cried out in horror. “Oh, my gosh, she’s eating him. Look.”

  Chas didn’t want to look anymore. It was too horrible, but her eyes remained glued to the scene. Another shriek pulled her gaze to a young boy, maybe five or six, and she stared in disbelief as he underwent the same monstrous transformation,
changing from an innocent kid to a demonic fiend. He jumped onto the nearest body, his mom, and buried his teeth in her arm, tearing out a hunk of flesh. The rest of the people in the queue stampeded in all directions.

  More and more of the crazy people showed themselves, growling as they attacked fleeing friends and family. Security guards tried in vain to stop the massacre, but they were too few in number and helpless in the face of so many gnashing teeth.

  The Ferris wheel operator, still struggling with the monstrous woman on top of him, fell back against the controls. His elbow bumped a switch, and the wheel lurched forward, beginning its ponderous descent to the bottom.

  When the cubicle closest to the bottom reached the ground, the kids inside spilled out in a panic. One by one, they were attacked and taken down by the crazed sickos who were eating people. Not one escaped.

  The wheel turned again, and the same tragic scene played out before Chas’ eyes as the occupants were ripped to shreds. Quickly, she counted the remaining booths before their own. Six. Six more turns and they’d be on the ground. Exposed. Vulnerable. Prey.

  Even as she thought about it, her mind seeking a way out of their predicament, the wheel turned again, and a fresh chorus of screams rent the air.

  Five.

  Five more turns.

  The countdown has begun.

  Chapter 3

  Her friends had reached the same conclusion as her. As one, Vanessa and Emily turned to Chas, their faith in her ability to lead absolute. She stared at their trusting faces, and for the first time, regretted being the unspoken leader of their little group.

  “What do we do now?” Emily asked with tears streaming down her face.

  “We can’t go down there,” Vanessa said, shaking her head. “We’ll die.”

  Chas looked over the edge of the railing to the roiling mass of human figures below, her mouth as dry as bone. With a creak, the wheel continued its march to death, another set of victims delivered to the waiting mob.

  Four.

  People in the other cubicles, both those next in line and those behind her were screaming in panic, and few were climbing out, braving the steel girder that made of the wheel. One, a teen boy, lost his grip and fell into the cannibal’s waiting hands to be lost within seconds. “I…I don’t know, I…”

  Vanessa gripped her arm. “You have to think of something, Chas. Now!”

  The wheel turned.

  Three.

  Chas swung around and headed for the opposite side of the cubicle, brushing past a tearful Emily. She looked down and spotted a minibus parked a few meters below them on the other side of the wheel. If they could go that way, the Ferris wheel itself would be between them and the crazed mob.

  Chas leaned over, estimating the distance. It was a steep drop, and they’d have to time it right, but it was their only hope. The metal arms turned, and suddenly the minibus was a whole lot closer. One more turn and they wouldn’t be able to jump onto its roof, and Chas didn’t relish their chances on the ground.

  She waved at the other two. “We have to jump. Now!”

  Vanessa obeyed without question. After a quick glance over the side, she nodded. “The bus?”

  “That’s the idea. Jump before the wheel turns again,” Chas said.

  Without hesitating, Vanessa dropped over the side, landed on the vehicle’s roof with a loud bang. “I made it. Come on, you two.”

  Chas tugged at Emily’s arm. “You have to jump, Em.”

  Emily shook her head. “I can’t. Those people. Those things.”

  “That’s why you have to jump before it’s too late. It’s your only chance,” Chas insisted, aware that time was running out. Any moment now, the Ferris Wheel would turn again. “Please, Em.”

  “No,” Emily cried, bursting into fresh sobs.

  Swallowing her impatience, Chas gripped her friend by her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “Emily, if you don’t jump now, we’ll both die. Do you want me to die?”

  “No,” Emily said.

  “Then do it,” Chas said, shoving Emily to the side and helping the quivering girl over the edge. The wheel groaned as it prepared for another turn, and Chas knew their time was up. “Jump!”

  Emily jumped, and Chas scrambled to follow, but with a lurch, the giant metal arms of the wheel turned once more, and the ground rushed up with a blur. Caught on the edge, she bit back a cry of despair as the minibus appeared before her eyes, the ground right below her.

  In the cubicle next to her, people screamed as the mob of crazy people on the platform tore into them. Some of the crazies tried to reach her, their clawed hands scrabbling through the metal bars in their eagerness to grab her. A few wormed their way through, seeming not to care if they injured themselves in the process.

  Without thinking, Chas jumped out of the booth and ran for the bus, praying its doors were open. Behind her, the infected people followed, streaming around the Ferris Wheel’s platform. Her friend’s screamed at her to hurry from their positions on the roof of the minibus, even as more people from the cubicles above her followed her example and jumped out of their seats. Two landed next to Emily and Vanessa. Another missed the bus and fell on the ground, breaking his leg with a loud crack.

  Chas reached the car and yanked at the handle, sobbing with relief when the door swung open. She jumped in and shut it with seconds to spare as several bodies smashed into the bus with loud growls. On top, Emily and Vanessa screamed, and Chas knew they had to get moving.

  She fumbled for the ignition and found the keys dangling there. Grateful that her grandfather had thought to teach her the basics of driving, she started the engine with a loud roar and jammed it into drive.

  As she pulled away, pushing through the throng of bodies, her eyes fell on the man with the broken leg. He was a goner. Even as she watched, three infected people fell on him with eager snarls.

  Chas averted her gaze, not wanting to see his last moments, and focused on getting her friends and herself to safety. It wasn’t easy. Not only was she an inexperienced driver, but she dared not go too fast or turn too sharply for fear of tossing either Vanessa or Emily off the roof.

  She headed for the gates, determined to get out of the fairgrounds, but as she neared the exit, Chas slammed on the brakes. “Oh, no. What now?”

  The gates were blocked, jam-packed with cars and people trying to escape the bloodbath that was now the fair. The screech of metal on metal filled the air as drivers tried to bulldoze their way through. Both crazy and innocent people were caught in the middle, victims of the frenzied panic that reigned over all.

  Chas looked around, assessing the situation. She jumped when an infected woman slammed into the window next to her face and began to beat on the glass with her fists. Their eyes met, Chas’ wide and frightened, the woman’s devoid of all emotions except hunger. At that moment, she realized that safety lay in hiding. We need to get somewhere safe. Somewhere we can hide until the police come.

  To her, that meant a building. One with doors that could be locked or blocked, at least. The rides were swarming with crazies. They were all over the place, running after escapees or crawling over stands.

  The food stalls were the worst, the hungry crowd shoveling anything they could get into their gaping mouths until the sickness took over completely. At that point, they wanted living flesh, their entire focus zooming in on anything that moved.

  Chas’ eyes fell on the ablution blocks, and a light went on in her head. There! It was the only brick and mortar building on the entire site. Its windows were tiny and set high in the walls, and the only entrance was through a solid metal door.

  She jammed her foot on the gas and raced toward the block of toilets. The crowd grew thinner as she neared the spot. Most people had made a run for the exit and parking lot, drawing the crazies with them. That left only a few stragglers wandering around, and Chas thought they could make it inside safely before being attacked.

  The minibus roared toward the ablution block, knocki
ng aside the few infected that braved it and kicking up a thick cloud of dust in its wake. The sun winked out on the horizon, sending out the last flash of orange light before night set in, falling across the fairgrounds like a thick blanket.

  Chas pulled the bus sideways and pressed the brakes, parallel parking next to the ladies’ toilet entrance. She tumbled out of the driver side, calling to her friends. “Emily, Vanessa, get inside. Quick.”

  “We’re coming,” Vanessa cried, dropping down from the vehicle’s roof followed by Emily and two other strangers.

  Chas slammed open the toilet door and called out, “Anyone here?”

  Silence met her ears in the gathering darkness, and she whirled around. “Come on, come on. It’s safe.”

  Vanessa ducked past her just as a howl went up nearby, and Chas spotted two crazies running their way. Emily was next, followed by a boy, but the last person in line, a girl of around sixteen, didn’t make it. The two infected caught her just before she reached the door.

  They pulled her down and ripped into her as she screamed in pain. The boy saw it and yelled, “Macy, no!”

  He was about to run toward her, but Chas grabbed him by the arm. “It’s too late.”

  “No!”

  He struggled to pull free of her grip when Macy looked up at him and shook her blood-spattered face. “Andrew, no. Get inside. Please!”

  Andrew hesitated, torn, and Chas took the opportunity to draw him inside even as he reached a pleading hand toward the girl. “Macy.”

  “Find Mom and Dad, Andrew. Find them.”

  Chas closed the door, latching it securely and shutting out the horrific sight. She switched off the lights, casting them in gloom. Andrew’s face had become a blank canvas, only his eyes revealing the hurt inside. Taking him gently by shoulders, she guided him to a wooden bench and made him sit down. “I’m sorry, Andrew. So sorry.”

  He nodded but said nothing, and Chas turned toward her friends. “Are you guys okay? Did you get hurt?”

  Vanessa shook her head. “No, we’re good. Thanks to you. That was awesome!”