N. Walters - Pride of the Lion

“You should ride him.” Luna’s words stopped her cold. Araminta glanced longingly at the carousel but shook her head.

“I shouldn’t. This piece is old, museum quality really, and I don’t want to damage it.” As much as she longed to sit on the lion, she didn’t want to do it with Luna watching her. She’d feel too self-conscious and silly.

“Nonsense,” the other woman replied. “I know the owner of the carnival who is auctioning off all this stuff and he wouldn’t mind at all. In fact, he’d insist.” She moved closer and laid her hand on Araminta’s arm. “You must try him. I won’t take no for an answer.”

Araminta sensed the underlying command in Luna’s voice and didn’t understand why it was so important to her. She almost refused, but she thought of her agent, her publisher and her upcoming book. She didn’t want to make an enemy out of Luna Starquest by refusing such a simple request. It would make her look petty considering the honor Luna had given her by inviting her to her special author’s weekend.

“Sure. Why not?” She smiled at Luna even though she could think of a half dozen reasons why she shouldn’t. “Thank you.” As soon as she was done, she would say goodnight to her host and end this bizarre evening.

“Excellent.” The satisfaction in Luna’s voice gave her pause, but there was no turning back now.

Araminta wished she were wearing pants and not a dress. It would make this so much easier. But she could do this. A quick on and off and she’d be on her way back to her room in no time.

She stepped up onto the side of the platform, almost pitching forward when it tilted with the extra weight. The lion really was quite large and it wouldn’t be easy to climb onto his back, especially not while wearing a dress.

“Go ahead. No need to be shy.” Luna waved her hands in a shooing motion.

The lights seemed especially warm beaming down on the carousel and Araminta began to sweat. The whole room seemed hotter than it had been only moments before. Luna had moved out of the direct light, more into the shadows. She seemed almost malevolent standing there, watching, waiting.

Now she was being utterly ridiculous. The woman was giving her the chance to try out an antique carousel animal. It was a wonderful thing and would be a great opportunity. All she had to do was climb on and enjoy herself. She could definitely use the experience in her next book and the writing would be all the more realistic if she’d actually sat on the lion’s back. The heroines in her books had ridden a carousel animal. Now she was being given the chance to do it too.

“The clock is ticking,” Luna reminded her.

Once again, Araminta felt like Cinderella, except this time in reverse. In the fairy tale, Cinderella’s life went back to normal at the stroke of twelve. Araminta had the feeling her life would never be the same if she did this. She could sense Luna’s growing impatience.

“Just do it and get it over with,” she whispered under her breath. She shoved aside all her misgivings, hiked up her skirt and threw her leg over the back of the lion. It wasn’t easy, but she grabbed his neck and pulled herself upward until she was sitting on his back.

She dug her fingers into his carved mane for support. There were no handles for her to hold, which was weird for a carnival ride. Maybe it had been modified to be more of a showpiece than an actual working carousel. That made more sense than to believe it had never had handles.

“How does it feel?” Luna asked.

Araminta glanced toward Luna, but could no longer see her. The direct spotlight was making it difficult to see more than a few feet into the darkness. “Wonderful.”

Now that was an understatement. She might be a writer, but at the moment, she was at a loss for words. Her thighs were wrapped tight around the lion’s flanks and her hands gripped his mane. He might be an inanimate object, carved from wood instead of a flesh and blood animal, but he felt alive beneath her in a way she couldn’t begin to explain.

She almost expected him to tilt back his huge head and roar, letting the world know that the king of the jungle was alive and well. She must be really tired to have such loopy thoughts. It was time for her to leave.

Araminta wished she could take the lion home with her and put him in the corner of her living room, but that wasn’t going to happen. He was such an incredible creature, surely his auction value had to be more than she could afford. Maybe she could sneak back down tomorrow morning with her camera and take a few photos before she left. Having them would certainly help with her next book.

“Thank you for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Luna. I appreciate it.” She started to slide off the lion’s back but stopped when the carousel lurched and began to move. “What’s happening?” Araminta was shocked the ride still worked considering how neglected it appeared. She dug her heels into the lion and held on to his thick neck.

Music filled the space, starting low and getting louder with each passing second. The notes were wheezy and slow at first, but quickly picked up speed. The tune wasn’t one she knew, but was the generic carnival music that seemed to go with this kind of ride.

“This really isn’t safe. I should get off now.” She was starting to get dizzy. The ride seemed to be picking up speed as it went. Araminta was afraid to try to climb off the lion’s back while the carousel was moving. With the fitted skirt of her dress and high heels making it difficult to maneuver, she’d be sure to fall.

“It’s much too late for that.” Luna stepped closer to the whirling ride, her face a blur as Araminta went round and round. And Luna was no longer alone. Rick the bartender was standing beside her, as were all the event staff and many of the participants from the conference.

“I don’t understand,” Araminta cried. None of this made any sense. Why were they just standing there watching her? Her heart raced and her breathing came faster with each spin of the carousel, in spite of her efforts to remain calm. “Turn off the ride. Pull the plug,” she yelled above the din of the music.

Luna laughed and the shrill sound sent a shiver down Araminta’s spine. It was filled with malice and anger. “It’s not plugged in. The ride will only start for the right woman.”

Their faces were nothing more than a blur of light and color as the carousel spun faster and faster with each rotation. The lights flickered like a strobe. It was disorienting, and she leaned forward and wrapped her arms tight around the lion’s neck to keep from falling. At this speed, if she fell she would be seriously injured.

“Why are you doing this?” She couldn’t understand why this was happening, why they were standing there watching her.

“Why?” Luna moved closer and her appearance seemed changed. No, that wasn’t quite right. It was skewed, as though a mask she’d been wearing had slid off, leaving her real face exposed. Her skin was leathery, her hair stringy and lank. But it was her eyes that made Araminta’s stomach turn. Her eyes were glowing a fiery red, like the depths of Hell.

It had to be a trick of the lights and the speed at which she was revolving. Or maybe it was a dream. That’s what this was. Had to be. She’d already made it to her room and was asleep having a nightmare.

That should have comforted her, but it didn’t. Maybe it would when she finally woke up safe and sound in bed, but this felt all too real. Wind buffeted her body and face as the ride continued its mad spin. Luna and the others began chanting something, words she couldn’t understand. The lights began to flicker even more and she had to close her eyes against them. They were disorienting her and she was terrified of falling.