Chapter V: The Carnival

The earlier storms of the week gave way to sizzling temperatures and suffocating humidity for the next few days, crushing New York City and the Ghostbusters under its weight. The days crawled along. Ray managed to strike a deal, convincing his adjuster to move him to the top of the list for getting his shop assessed. When the quote was given for the work that would need to be completed, Ray looked sick. Peter reassured him that it could have been much worse. Ray reluctantly agreed, and then proceeded to fill the Firehouse with the contents of his shop, clearing space for the repairs to take place.

Egon was uncharacteristically moody, spending the days dodging Peter and the others. He even snapped at Janine. Janine, who was already agitated from sore bruises and the fact that her workspace kept getting smaller as Ray moved his books in, finally lost her temper and tried to climb over the desk to get at Egon. Luckily, Winston was there to talk her down.

There was another reason why Janine was so on edge. Kevin, in addition to paying the Ghostbusters' fee, stormed into the Firehouse on Wednesday and slammed a covered cage down on Janine's desk. Peter uncovered it and was shocked to find the ornery parrot inside. The bird instantly unleashed its fury, and Janine got in its face and shouted right back. The bird didn't shut up until Peter threatened its life. It then spent the next two days learning Janine's best insults and hurling them at very inopportune moments. Kevin refused to take the bird back, saying it had been calling nonstop for Peter. Peter didn't quite believe him, but it soon became obvious that Peter was the only one the bird would listen to.

Dana was cool at home for a little while. Then as Peter's nightmares worsened, she grew steadily more compassionate. She apologized to Peter for publicly announcing his secret, and revealed that Erica had apologized to Ray on Tuesday morning. By the time Saturday rolled around, however, Peter had still seen neither hide nor hair of Erica, and he was seriously considering begging everyone to just forget the carnival. The dreams had, if possible, gotten worse. He was no longer just listening to his parents die. Sometimes he saw Ray, his last gaze one of confusion. Sometimes he saw Egon, crumpled on the ground, his PKE meter still in his hand. Sometimes he saw Dana, staring at him as the world around her caught fire.

The fear was becoming constant as well, a real thing, coupling itself with guilt. He'd had the dream so often now that he could recite it from beginning to end. And yet, despite all of Egon and Ray's reassurances that lucid dreaming was real, he couldn't stop a single bit of it from happening. It had been almost a week and a half of every night, and his patience was wearing thin.

"Peter, you're scaring me."

The sentence came from Dana, her first of the morning. Peter turned his head to look at her. She was propped up on an elbow, the sheets demurely covering most of her body, regarding him seriously. The sun glinted on her sleep-tousled hair and highlighted the angles of her face and shoulders. He stared at her light brown eyes for a few moments, still a hundred percent convinced he'd never seen anyone so beautiful. As he looked, the frown lines in her face eased a little and her lips began to curl into a smile. "Don't look at me like that. I'm serious."

"Like what?" Peter replied. "I just spent the whole night trying to save you from certain death. Again. Can't I look at the result of my work?"

Despite herself, Dana smiled, and touched his face with her long, warm fingers. "Are you going to tell me what was trying to kill me this time?"

"No." Peter shook his head as a crushing weight of fear and panic pressed on his chest. He took in a deep breath, trying to will it away. The patches of sunlight on the bed felt like they were burning through the covers and onto his skin, and he threw the blanket off, pushing himself to his feet.

Dana pushed herself up to a sitting position, the blankets falling away to reveal her white nightgown. "Well, then I'll say it again: You're scaring me. You're waking up screaming and sweating every night. You won't talk about it. And I can see that you're starting to get scared to go to sleep. Is the carnival that bad?"

Peter yanked a shirt on, whirling to face her. "It's not the carnival. I was having these dreams before the carnival showed up in town." He ran his fingers through his hair.

Dana got out of bed and came around to stand in front of him. "Then talk to me. That's what I'm here for, you know. Among other things." She smiled a little bit at the implication, but Peter wasn't foolish enough to think it was an invitation. He stared at her for another moment, and then tried to move around her. She stopped him. "Every night. For almost a week and a half."

Peter didn't know what to say.

Dana put a hand on his shoulder. "Peter, I love you. Let me help you."

Peter's breath caught. It wasn't the first time Dana had said the words, but it never failed to get his mind straight when she did. She loved him and that meant he had someone. He had the potential for family and home and future, right here. He took a step closer to her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply, letting himself fall into the relief and comfort of her body.

"This doesn't change anything," Dana chuckled fifteen minutes later. She rolled over on the rumpled bed and pressed her body gently against his side, absently tracing a finger over his chest. Her hair, tousled now for a very different reason, floated like a cloud around her head, and her flushed skin glimmered in the mid-morning light. "You're very good at distraction, but I still want to know what the dream is about."

Peter exhaled in a small chuckle and sighed deeply, staring at the ceiling. "I don't want to talk a lot about it," he said. "I don't. But look, I told you and the guys a while ago that my parents were killed in an accident at the carnival we worked at. I didn't tell you how. That's because I don't know how. I was told it was a spooked horse. I didn't see it. I only heard pieces of what happened. My mind's been filling in the blanks long enough that I can watch the whole thing happen like I'm right there. Dad gets trampled by the horse. Mom's crushed. Either by stampeding people or the tent falls on her. It's been so long, I don't know if I'm making it up or if it's what I was told." He stopped, feeling the weight on his chest again, and swallowed. His eyes were beginning to burn, probably from the sunlight coming through the window, and he rubbed them. His fingers came away wet. He cleared his throat.

"That's awful," Dana said softly. Peter didn't want to look at her now. He'd seen enough of the look he was sure she was giving him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I've heard enough of that."

"I know," Dana answered. "But it's still an awful thing. I can't imagine reliving that every night." He felt a weight on her shoulder as her head came to rest on him. The hand tracing his chest moved across him in an embrace. Dana didn't say anything else, offering silent comfort. Over the next few minutes, Peter felt the weight in his chest begin to lift, far more than it usually did. Telling Dana was having a greater therapeutic effect than he thought, and he closed his eyes to breathe it out.

A knock at the door twenty minutes later startled both of them from the afterglow doze. "Shit," Dana muttered as she got up, wobbling slightly as she grabbed a robe and wrapped it around her. Peter got up much more lazily, moving to the bathroom and turning on the shower. He heard Dana greet someone but didn't catch who it was over the sound of the water. He stood under the warm spray for a little longer than usual, feeling the tension drain out of his body. I'm still not going to the carnival today. I'll stay home and watch Oscar.

Mind made up, he shut off the water and got out, drying off and heading into the bedroom to throw on a pair of jeans and shirt. When he walked barefoot into the living room, however, he got a surprise.

Dana was feeding Oscar, who was sitting in a high chair and thoroughly enjoying smearing food on the bib he was wearing. And Erica Crane sat on the couch, her feet curled up under her like a cat. She was wearing a pair of bright red leggings and a white button-down shirt tied at her midriff, exposing a pale, thin line of skin. Her long hair was down around her shoulders, and she was smiling at the eating child, oblivious to Peter's presence. What's she doing here?

"Hello?" he said, the greeting coming out more questioningly than he intended.

Erica's head jerked around to him and a flutter of discomfort showed on her face. She slowly stood up, folding her hands in front of her midriff, beginning to twist her fingers together. "Hi."

"Erica's coming with us today," Dana said.

Peter blinked. "What?"

Dana looked up. "I invited her. This has been a hard week and all of you need to take a break. So we're all going to the carnival."

The terror hit Peter in the stomach, forcing an exhalation. It took all of his energy not to scream no! He tried to open his mouth to respond normally, act like this was no big deal, but no sound came out. Erica's eyes narrowed, focusing on him, and she took a step forward. "Peter? Are you all right? You're white as a sheet!"

Dana looked over and her eyes widened. "Peter." Her warm, husky voice was laced with both concern and care, and it slipped through the cracks in his howling mind. Get a hold of yourself! He gasped slightly, remembering how to breathe, and forced himself to look at Erica.

"I'm fine," he said, hating how thin his voice sounded. "Bad dreams. You understand." Don't ask me anything else. There was no point in hiding that part of it, at least. And Dana understood on a whole other level now. If Erica pushed, he was sure Dana would come to his rescue.

To his surprise, however, Erica didn't push. She nodded and slowly sat down on the couch, then pointed at the door. "I have hot chocolate in my room if you want some."

"You're really obsessed with hot chocolate, you know," Peter muttered, sitting on the couch next to her. His nervous system was screaming in his ears, and he forced himself to breathe slowly.

Erica laughed, the sound nervous and a little guilty. "I know. When I was growing up, my mother was a firm believer that a cup of tea solved everything. I didn't like tea, so we had to find alternatives. And since I had to be strange and not want just one drink for everything, we had to come up with this silly little system..." She blushed, looking down at her fidgeting fingers. "It's weird, I know. But it helps. Even if it's just a placebo effect."

Peter nodded and looked around the room, organizing his thoughts. He needed another distraction. They're going to the carnival. Someone's going to die there.

Stop. It'll be fine. It'll be fine.

"Look," he said quietly, "I'm sorry about what happened at Jake's." This'll work. "I was having a bad day. We all were. And you have this great habit of telling people what they're thinking and feeling." He could see Dana listening out of the corner of his eye and while he knew this conversation should be private, he wanted Dana to hear him doing it. "It's annoying, all right?"

Erica closed her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, too. And I'm sorry for pushing you so much that morning. I told you I'm good at reading people. The problem is when I see someone who's upset I just want to help them."

"Well, not everyone wants your help," Peter said. That came out ruder than I meant. He cringed inside.

Erica regarded him for a moment. Her voice trembled a little. Her hands twisted together. "I know." she said softly. "I know I need to work on that. But I can't just stop trying."

"Nor should you," Dana interjected.

Peter looked closely at Erica as she gave Dana a shy, thankful smile. He could read people himself, it was one of his great strengths, and he was starting to see that Erica wasn't trying to be rude or difficult. She just was at times. Everyone's got their kinks.

He decided to change the subject. "So, Ray..."

Erica's lips curved in a smile at the mention of Ray's name, and she clearly fought it back. A blush began to creep up her neck. "You told him about me being at the shop that morning."

Peter blinked. How did she put that one together? "Yeah, I did. Actually, I told him you'd come by a few times."

Erica nodded, her hands now twisting together so much her skin was turning white. It was a brilliant contrast to the blush now covering her face. Peter didn't even think; he simply reached out and grabbed her hands. An electric tingle shot up his arm at the contact, and Erica froze, staring at him.

"You haven't stopped doing that since I came in. You're going to hurt yourself." Her hands felt so small and fragile in his. He loosened his grip.

Erica took a deep breath and her hands relaxed. Better. "Ray told me what you said."

Wait, what? Oh, smooth move, Ray.

Erica was still talking. "It was stupid. I'm a grown woman and he's a grown man and there's no need to act like we're in high school. But...every time I see him I can't...think. I can barely form coherent words. It's like a constant panic attack. All I can do is watch. I don't want to be the creepy girl who stares from across the street. You think I like that? You think I get my kicks from it? That's not how you treat someone you want to take to dinner!"

The agony and sincerity in her voice was almost painful to hear. Peter knew he was out of his depth. He'd been raised in a carnival, raised to be seen and heard and in control. If you wanted something, you went out and took it. Or at least made an effort. The concept of not being able to speak to someone made no sense to him. But he at least understood that there were things about women he would never get. This was one of them.

"I guess it's a good thing we're all going to the carnival, then," Dana spoke up. "If you can't speak to him one on one, try a group."

Erica twisted back to look at Dana, pulling her hands from Peter's grasp. "You didn't invite me on this trip as a fake date, did you?"

"No! No, of course not!" Dana shook her head. "I invited you because this was a terrible week and everyone needs a good day off."

Peter didn't believe that for a moment, but Erica apparently did. She turned back to him. "It doesn't matter. Ray told me not to come by anymore. I haven't been back. I'm not about to screw this up any more than I already have."

"Actually, Ray told you to come in next time you're in the area," Dana corrected from the kitchen, where she was cleaning up from feeding Oscar. "At least, that's what he told me he said when I talked to him on Thursday. You should go by, now that you've got that gift for him."

Erica put her face in her hands.

"What gift?" Peter asked.

There was another knock on the door.

"That's probably him." Dana dried her hands on a towel and headed for the door. Erica turned white and began to stand up again, her hands moving to clasp together. Peter grabbed her wrist, pulling her down to the couch.

"What gift?" he pushed.

Erica stared for a moment, then whispered: "I found a copy of Tobin's Spirit Guide, first edition. He said he lost his when the ghost destroyed the bookshop."

Peter stared at her. How did she find one? Ray is going to love that! "All right. Trust me," he said quietly. "Laugh."

Erica stared.

Peter sighed and spoke loudly as Dana opened the door. "Did I ever tell you about the time Egon made a sonic gun that could explode soda cans at a hundred yards? You shoulda seen the mess I made at the warehouse on 69th Street."

Erica burst into laughter. At first Peter thought she was forcing herself to laugh, but after a few seconds as she doubled over, he realized she'd actually found that funny. It was funny. I should tell her the rest of the story. Later.

A whole group trooped into the apartment. Peter's eyebrows lifted. He hadn't expected everyone to show up at once but there they were. Ray was hugging Dana hello, Winston was raising his hand to wave to Peter, and Egon was entirely focused on the PKE meter in his hand, running it up and down Ray's body.

"Egie, will you knock it off with that thing?" Ray asked, releasing Dana and putting a hand out. "I had a haunting in my shop this week, it makes perfect sense I'd still be..." his eyes fell on Erica, who was still recovering from her laughing fit, "...hot."

"The energy readings have increased since we entered the apartment," Egon replied, oblivious to Ray's shift in attention.

"Egon, you're seeing ghosts everywhere," Winston said. "Put the PKE meter down and chill out for a day."

"Ghosts are everywhere," Egon murmured, his face twisted in a disappointing frown as he put the PKE meter away. "Just not always in measurable quantities."

Winston sighed and smiled, patting Egon on the shoulder, a move that earned him a glare from the older scientist. Winston then pushed past Ray, who was finally distracted enough to look away from Erica. "Erica, good to see you again!"

Erica took in a deep breath, pushed her hair out of her face and stood up, smiling. "Thanks. Nice to see you all too." Her eyes flicked over each of them, not lingering on anyone. Her panic seemed to be completely gone.

Nice recovery. Peter stood up too. "So, everyone ready to spend a day getting sick on funnel cakes and spinning rides?"

"As long as no one throws up on the Ferris Wheel, I'm good," Winston grinned.

"Vomiting can and should be avoided but given the average age of a rider on the Ferris Wheel and the probability of their eating before riding, it's highly likely to be encountered." Egon didn't even blink as he spoke.

"Well, that just got me all excited to go, how about the rest of you?" Peter moved over to Ray, clapping him lightly on the back. Ray cringed from the impact and laughed slightly.

"I'll be a few minutes," Dana said, walking towards the bedroom and throwing Peter a little, private smile.

Peter grinned back and headed over to Oscar. He lifted the little boy out of the chair. "Gotta put you down for your after-breakfast nap!"

Oscar blinked at him, then suddenly turned away, stretching his arms out towards the pair at the door. "Ehee! Way!"

"Oh I see how it is," Peter said, turning to face Ray. "Everyone shows up and suddenly I'm chopped liver!"

Ray's face lit up and he came over. "Are you demanding attention already?"

"Way," Oscar insisted.

Ray gently took Oscar from Peter, bouncing him slightly. "You're getting big! Fourteen months?"

Peter nodded.

"And six months since he was almost possessed by a class seven paranormal entity." Egon walked over to eye the child. "Really, we need to get a sample of his brain tissue and his blood to find out if there are any lingering traces of..."

"No!" Dana shouted from the bedroom.

Peter opened the refrigerator and pulled out the milk. He spotted Erica, still standing in front of the couch, crossing her arms self-consciously in front of her bare midriff. Ray's eyes kept slipping to her. Peter hid a smile behind a swallow of milk. Ray's finally noticed she's pretty. Today's going to be interesting.

"So he's not coming with us today?" Ray asked, indicating Oscar.

"I'm staying with him," Peter put the carton of milk away, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth and reaching out for Oscar. Ray handed him over. "We're gonna hang out, watch Laura Antonelli, practice base jumping from the fire escape, you know. Busy day."

"You're not coming either?" Ray asked, disappointment spreading across his face and through his voice.

Peter shook his head. "Naw, I spent most of my life in carnivals, you know. Seen one, seen 'em all." He kept his eyes on Oscar. He knew he was being transparent. He just hoped no one pressed him for more details. "Tell you what, you guys come home before dinner, we'll go to Jake's again. Have a better time." He pasted a smile on his face.

"That sounds good to me," Dana said, walking out of the bedroom and grabbing her handbag. "Shall we?"

Winston moved to open the door, letting Egon and Dana out. Ray gestured for Erica to follow them and turned to Peter, his eyes worried. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

Peter nodded, letting his mask slip just a little. "I'm all right," he replied. "I just can't go. You understand."

Ray frowned, then leaned closer to him. "Can I tell you a secret?"

"What?"

"I don't ever want to get into another plane."

It took Peter a moment to realize what he meant but as the words sank in his gaze turned sad. Ray hadn't been on the plane that had crashed and killed his parents, but he hadn't needed to be. He did understand what Peter was going through, more than Peter thought he had. "Thanks," he said softly.

Ray nodded and walked out, shutting the door. Peter's whole body slumped and shuddered and he sank onto the couch, looking down at the baby. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to change his mind, call Janine and have her come take care of Oscar while he followed them out to protect them. Oscar fussed a little, looking up into his eyes.

"I'm being ridiculous," Peter said. "It's just a dream. Nothing's going to happen to them. And if I find out how my parents actually died, if I can, maybe this whole thing can stop. I just don't know why it's happening now."

Oscar gurgled.

"Yeah, you don't know either." Peter sighed. "Well, at least we're in the same boat."

**o0o**

Erica couldn't help it; she stopped at the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park and just took in a huge breath of air. Seven months here and I never even knew this place existed. Central Park was in the center of Manhattan, pressed in on all sides by skyscrapers. But Brooklyn Bridge Park had the Bridge looming off to one side, protecting the wide open green spaces framed by dark blue water. The magnificent buildings that comprised Lower Manhattan sat across the East River, shimmering in the summer sunlight, and there was a tempting horizon to the south, where the water met the sky, signaling the Atlantic Ocean. A delicious shiver of relief ran through her and she found herself grinning wildly. There is some space here.

"You all right?"

Erica glanced over to see Ray looking at her. He was casual today, though the image was more due to his carriage than his clothes. He still had on the khakis, but his shirt was looser, white, with a navy blue jacket thrown over his shoulders. The wind had already ruffled his hair. He had a shy, almost nervous smile on his face.

"I've been in this city seven months and I've never seen so much space," she confessed. "Eugene's got so many trees and grassy areas, it's just nice to see them again. They line our streets back there."

""Oregon, right? Where you're from?"

"Yeah." Erica grinned. She looked over his shoulder at the neon and pastel vista of the Duke Brothers Carnival. The white welcome banner stretched over the brightly-colored ticket booth had a silly caricature of two men, obviously brothers, grinning wildly and welcomingly at the people in line. Winston and Dana were in line already, getting their tickets. Egon stood off to the side, his PKE meter out but his stance so casual that no one even blinked at him. The sounds of the carnival, the silly synthesized music, the faint shout of the barkers, and even the occasional beep of a game, fought with the general sounds of New York City. Erica could also already smell the oil from the frying funnel cakes, and a little thrill of excitement shot through her.

Ray had turned to see what she was staring at, and he looked back. She could see his eyes dancing with anticipation too. "I don't remember the last time I was at one of these!"

Erica nodded. "We had a state fair in Oregon that I went to a lot as a child but what you said back at dinner is true. You forget how much fun it is to just...have fun. With bright lights and crazy sounds and games." She looked at him, her heart racing, and swallowed nervously. Even though the ride down in the Ectomobile had been relaxed, she still had not actually spoken to him until now. She remembered their last conversation, full of tension, and realized she couldn't remember how it had ended. The last thing she recalled was him opening the door to his shop to let her out. She must have left, and she knew she hadn't seen him since. Peter's words pressed on her mind. As did Dana's. And with adrenaline pumping through her veins, she said suddenly: "Ray?"

"That's me."

Erica chuckled nervously and looked at him. "I'm sorry."

His brow furrowed. "For what?"

Erica swallowed hard. Just do it. "Tuesday. I...I came in to apologize for being rude the night before and you were so angry with me. I mean, you were totally justified in being mad, but I took the wrong meaning when you told me to leave. I thought you didn't want me to come back. Dana told me you...said it would be okay for me to come by."

"Of course I am!" Ray laughed. "I'm not going to turn away a customer."

I didn't think she meant customer...Erica pressed her hands together, her fingers interlacing. Her eyes fell away from him.

Ray continued. "Erica, I told you to come back whenever you wanted, just not to stand across the street and stare. I said you had to come in and buy something or talk to me."

"O-oh..." I really did have it completely wrong. "I just...I want you to know that I didn't come back this week not because I didn't want to but because I thought I shouldn't." Her twisting fingers sent little shocks of pain through her arm but she couldn't stop.

"I see." Ray went silent for a few moments, long enough that she looked at him. He was staring at her, his expression somewhere between relief and hope. "I'm glad we cleared that up," he said. "I know I was a little short on Tuesday, but I think you can understand."

Erica nodded. "Oh, for sure."

Ray continued to look at her for a moment and then suddenly moved. Erica jumped, her hands yanking apart, and then Ray's hands grasped her wrists, his skin warm and a little rough. She felt an electric sensation explode through her and a wave of dizziness wobbled her knees. Oh God don't fall!

"Why do you do that?" His voice was softer.

"Do what?" The touch was filling her head with white noise. His grip was strong and firm and she was longing way too much to have his arms wrapped around her, to feel his solid body against her.

"Your hands." Ray gave her wrists a tiny shake and let go. The sudden chill on her skin shocked her brain. "You do it almost every time you talk. I thought you were going to break your fingers in my shop."

"You could have put that on your insurance," Erica deflected. Come back. "No, I...why do some people chew their hair or shuffle their feet? You've never had a nervous habit in your life?"

"Not one that causes bodily harm."

Erica shrugged and wiggled her fingers in front of him. "I'm fine. See? Full range of motion."

Ray smiled and Erica's heart melted. It was the smile, the one she'd fallen for on the TV, the one she'd been dying to see again for months. It was a pure, warm smile that reached all the way up to his eyes and lit up his face. A light blush crept into his cheeks and her heart raced. She could feel her mouth pulling up into a pale imitation of that smile, a warm blush spreading into her cheeks, and a trembling sensation beginning to crawl through her.

Ray leaned a little closer. "Erica?"

"Uh-huh?" His proximity made it hard to breathe.

"Stop apologizing." His voice was firm, even though his eyes were still holding hers, that smile softly shining in them. "I know you aren't any kind of trouble. It's easy to tell when someone's being a jerk and you're not."

Erica swallowed. "Okay." There was more she wanted to say, but her brain wasn't forming words again. A buzzing sound suddenly filled her ears, followed by a faint sensation of something tickling her hair. Reflex took over and she jerked to the side, tearing her eyes from Ray, and was stunned to see Egon only a couple of inches away, holding the PKE meter towards her. His expression was puzzled.

"What are you doing, Egie?" Ray asked, a faint ribbon of annoyance in his voice.

"Both of you are hot," Egon replied.

Yes we are. The thought rose unbidden in Erica's mind but she pushed it away. She had a feeling Egon didn't quite mean the twisting sensations in her abdomen or the slight blush she had seen on Ray's cheeks.

"Egon, again..." Ray sighed. "I had a haunting in my shop this week. It makes perfect sense I'd still be hot."

Egon's lips pressed together. A small look of concern flickered across his face and the hand holding the PKE meter sank to his side. Erica looked nervously between the two of them. What's wrong with what he said?

"I was in his shop Tuesday morning," she felt compelled to add. "If there was anything lingering, I probably picked it up."

The look Egon gave her suggested what she was saying was not only impossible, but ridiculous. She looked away. Stop trying to help.

"Ray! Egon!"

Winston's voice boomed out over the crowd. He and Dana were next to buy their tickets.

Ray jerked a thumb in their direction. "I guess we better join them."

Erica nodded and set off in their direction. Ray fell into step next to her. She looked back to check on Egon and her steps slowed. He looks so uncomfortable. And worried. "Egon! Come on!" she said. "We're fine!"

Egon reluctantly followed.

The group picked up their tickets and walked past the booth into the madness of sound and color. Right inside the entrance was a climbing wall, already covered with kids, and a carousel, spinning lazily, the painted animals rising and falling while the parents and kids on them hung on. The booth for buying ride tickets had a solid line in front of it, too.

Closer to the action, the howls of the carnival barkers were clearer, the joyous shrieks of the children louder, and the smells of the various foods stronger. It was a smorgasbord of temptation laid out, and Erica felt a curl of excitement start to clear her mind. Where do we start?

"Where do we start?" Winston asked.

The midway lay before them, a line of booths screaming excitement to the public. Cotton candy, funnel cakes, turkey legs, various sodas, and lemonade were right inside the entrance. On the other side sat the line of games, from the simple knocking over bottles with a ball to the almost sinfully satisfying Whac-a-Mole. Sharp cracks of popping balloons punctuated the air from the dart booth, and delighted squeals and splashes originated from farther down the midway where the summer water games were all gathered together. In the distance, a Ferris Wheel rotated slowly and the chairs from the swing ride flashed by from around a corner. As the group reached the end of the booth line, dodging people left and right, Erica saw another series of booths set off to the side, these filled with quieter activities like sand art, face painting, and caricature drawing, as well as a magician's tent and a small playground for the littlest ones. There was also a large sign that said: "COMING SOON: FORTUNE TELLER." The space was large enough to hold a wagon, though Erica couldn't figure out if the sign meant there was a wagon coming or if there was already one and it just wasn't out this first day. Either way, she hoped it showed up.

"What don't they have here?" Ray asked. "It's like every child's dream."

"Well, I admit, I'm glad Oscar isn't here," Dana confessed. "It would be too much for him."

"This is the first day they're open, too," Winston added. "They'll probably shut down booths or move them around once they figure out what's drawing attention and what isn't. You'll probably be able to bring him later on in the week."

"It'll take us hours to get through everything," Ray sighed.

"Well we don't have to do everything!" Dana laughed. "How about we each go and do what we most want first? We can meet back here in an hour."

"I'm in for that," Winston agreed. "I'm gonna go show some of those kids what a real throwing arm looks like."

Dana glanced over at the quieter booths. "I think Oscar would love to play in the sand."

Erica looked back at the carnival but really, she only wanted one thing at the moment. "I want to see everything. I'm getting on the Ferris Wheel."

"Ray and I will go inspect the magician's tent," Egon said.

Dana grinned. "Egon, do you like magic?"

"I like real magic," Egon replied. "Sleight of hand, mysteriously obscured tables, and trick knots are less impressive."

"You believe in magic?" Erica asked, continuously surprised by the enigmatic scientist.

"We trap ghosts for a living," Ray chuckled.

Egon chuckled slightly in agreement and Erica couldn't stop the smile on her face.

"Erica, you want to come with us?" Ray added. "We can go up on the Ferris Wheel next."

He was inviting her along. Erica's heart skipped a beat, and she shot a look around at the masses of people, feeling the familiar claustrophobia of being in the large crowd. She looked at the line for the Ferris Wheel. It was still early in the day, the line was likely only going to get longer. Plus, the anticipation of seeing everything pressed hungrily on her chest. "If you're willing to give me a tour later, I'll go. I just...I really want to be up there right now." She pointed at the top of the Ferris Wheel and gave them a shy smile.

"All right," Dana said decisively. "We'll meet back here in an hour."