Snippet #2039115

Colour everywhere was the first thing that met Tomasu's eyes as he turned the corner on his bike. They screamed at him with vibrant yellows, deep purples, silky blues, seductive reds, playful greens and other shades that he couldn't even put a name too. Mouth slightly open in wonder, eyes drinking it all in, the little eight year-old boy hopped off his bike without taking his eyes off the carnival for a second. And then he grinned that mischievous grin.

Sound came next. Squeals of delight, and some of terror. Excited chatter as people rushed by in faceless blurs, holding hands and hugging each other, others jumping and running around in delight. There was enticing music coming from each ride, triumphant blares as someone won a game, carnival men shouting encouragements to people walking by to "Ride this one and I'll bet ya you won't want to ride it again after! It'll make ya stomach churn, this one's a monster!" then laughing wholeheartedly as friends dared each other to take the challenge.

"AKIII!" Tomasu called his friend without looking around, his mouth still hanging open. "Come OOON!" He knew Aki was a slower rider but she couldn't be too far away. Tomasu still didn't want to tear his eyes away and grinned when he could finally hear his friend panting behind him.
"Oh...wow.." She exclaimed as she clambered off her bike and stood next to Tomasu. Her eyes were feasting on the huge Ferris wheel, all the carriages lit up a different colour, going up and up until she strained her neck to see how high it went. "Let's go on THAT one." She said, nudging Tomasu and pointing at the wheel. He looked up as well, unable to see the highest point either. Without another word, they both got back on their bikes and sped along to join the queue at the wheel.

"What about our bikes? Think we can take them on the ride?" Tomasu asked as he looked around the people in front of him to see how long they would have to wait.

"Um, do you think we can go on the ride? Look... there's a height thing.. Think we're tall enough?" Tomasu glanced at the chart that Aki had nodded at and shrugged. He grabbed Aki's sleeve to indicate that she should follow him as he moved through the gaps of the queue, still pushing his bike alongside him. It wasn't that he knew he could take advantage of his age and that the tall adults around him would let him by with a chuckle; he simply wasn't used to playing 'by the rules' and anyway, queues were boring. As they reached the front, a hand that seemed as though it was the same size as Tomasu's bike's wheel stopped them before they could clamber aboard the next carriage.

"No bikes, kids. Give 'em to your mum, alright?" The giant said, then frowned as he looked down at them. He had a sea captain's hat and jacket on, and his face sported a scruffy, black beard. "And did you check your height at the chart? How old are you anyway?"

"Yes!" Tomasu said defiantly, not bothering to answer the second question. "And my mum's already up there so she can't take my bike. C'mon, it's small, I can fit it in there!" Tomasu's mother was, in fact, at home listening to the radio and fixing a hole in one of his shorts. She also believed that her son was fast asleep in his bed. Aki's mother was currently on the phone, desperately calling around to see if anyone knew where her daughter was; she had not yet been told by Tomasu's mother of his tendency to sneak out so she had not thought to call there first.

"If you don't think we're tall enough, go get the chart, we'll show you." Tomasu said, his eyes flashing in the brightness of the Ferris wheel.

The giant blinked slowly as he towered above them, then nodded and wandered down the queue to get the chart. Without skipping a beat, Tomasu raced towards the carriage that was already slowly making its way back up the wheel. "Aki, let's go!" He shouted behind him as he threw his bike into the open door and moved out the way to let his friend in. They both stood there laughing as they watched the giant's head turn up and, blinking slowly again, cross his arms as they floated slowly upwards, up towards the cloudy sky, up until the people below looked like ants and air was so fresh that it filled their whole lungs, up until they thought they couldn't possibly get any higher...