Of Fairs and Puppets

Amber laughed as the marionettes danced. Her brown eyes smiling in glee as her blonde hair whipped around her face from the light breeze that blew through. She knew that they were being controlled by the man behind the stage, but the younger children in the audience obviously didn’t know. Younger kids of course meaning the 4 to 5 years junior to her 10 years. Her parents had brought her to the fair after she had begged for hours, for days. She was ecstatic when they told her they were coming.

The show ended and all the kids when their own ways with their parents. Amber stayed behind and went to meet the puppet master. The man was kind and smiled at her as she inquired about the dolls. He willingly and gladly showed them to her. She studied each and every puppet. They seemed so real, so detailed.

Her parents called her away, there was still so much to see. The puppet master shooed her off. Children must always behave and their parents.  With that Amber ran off to join her parents. As they day went buy Amber became more and more enchanted with the fair, she wanted to stay. As the day came to end, there was still so much she wanted to see, to do.

Night started to fall, and her parents informed her they had to leave. She begged for them to come back the next weekend, as they only had shown up on Sunday, however, as they informed her, the fair was ending halfway thru the week. She had school, so she wouldn’t be able to. Maybe next year they could plan to go for both Saturday and Sunday.
The next day, Amber said good bye to her parents, she was heading to school. Of course it was a lie. She took the route she always used to walk to school before swerving off. She raced to the fair ground, and on arriving she found it full of life. There were groups of adults, children, and the odd security guard. The latter she avoided lest she be caught skipping school.

She played the games, watched the shows, she ate and enjoyed herself. Of course the day started to come to a close once more and Amber went home as if she had gone to school. Her parents had not realised. In fact she was able to tell them about her ‘school’ day without them doubting her.

The day after played out the same as the previous day. Amber left for school, but went to the fair. The fair was a lively as ever. She played some games; she even won a few times.  As the day before, she went home when the time came. This time her parents expressed some concern, the school had called. She faltered, but told them that she had attended school, why would she ever skip? She was one of the highest in her class. The teacher must have missed her in her role calling.

The next day, her mother decided to drive Amber to school just so there was no confusion, telling the girl to go in and greet her teacher so she wasn’t missed. However she had to drop her off a block away as to get to work in time. As soon as the car was gone, Amber ran to the fair, she still has so much she wanted to do, and so little time to do it.  So off she ran.

At the fair, Amber was just about to play the first game when she was stopped. It was the same puppet master. He asked why she was there, and not in school. Amber faltered, but told him that she was there with her class. He seemed to buy it and asked if she wanted to see him perform from behind the scenes. Of course she agreed, smiling at the idea.

That night Amber never made it home. The school had called her parents and then the police when her mother told about how she had dropped the girl off right at the school. Then of course it was suggested she could have gone to the fair, all traces of her were gone. No one had seen her because in all the days she didn’t want to get caught.

Finally the fair started to pack up for the year, the puppet master included. No one noticed, however, that he had gained a new doll for his collection. A detailed doll, just like all the others he owned, one that also seemed a bit newer, wore a backpack, and a name tag ‘Hooky Trudy’. A puppet with blond hair and brown eyes that would skip school for her own amusement. Of course, if one looked into the tiny back pack, at the tiny books, to read the tiny print, of course one would read a very different name.