Midnight Carnival (Part 1) The Invitation

Welcome to the first installment in this month's exclusive web serial for subscribers! December was a crazy month and not a very good one for exclusive content so I hope to change all of that in 2024. I am excited for this story though and hope you will be too.

This is part 1 of The Midnight Carnival as we introduce our characters and set everything up! I thought it fitting to start prior to the New Year all things considered within. I am not certain on how many parts this will be and hope to have more than one per week! I always have high expectations so we'll see how the month goes.

I've kept most of these web serials relatively tame but I can't promise that in this one. I've been itching for a deep dive into the darkness and this one may go there. I've been considering adding this to my Slaughterhouse series but felt you deserved this here. Enough chatter...on to the legal bit and then the story!

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This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact jensequel.com 

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“Did you get the invitation?”

Emma looked up from her sketchbook to meet Maya’s stare. The other girl was practically bouncing with anticipation. “What invitation?”

Maya plopped onto the sofa beside her best friend, the action caused Emma’s colored pencils to shift and slide on the cushion. The artist quickly saved one from falling to the floor and gathered them all into her lap. Maya, unaware of the tragedy that almost befell her friend’s expensive pencil set, scrolled through her phone. Once she found the message in question, she turned the screen and presented it to Emma.

Emma closed her sketchbook and accepted the phone. After reading the post she frowned. “Why would anyone want to go there? And on New Year’s Eve?”

Maya pulled her phone back and tucked one leg under her. She smiled from ear to ear and leaned forward. “Where’s your sense of adventure?” she teased. She knew Emma was a complete introvert. She also knew that if Emma truly didn’t want to do something, she couldn’t be persuaded. And the fact that she hadn’t blatantly said no meant she was at least curious.

“What adventure?”

The girls looked up as their friends Jake and Alex entered the commons. Maya tilted her head back as Jake leaned over to give her a kiss in greeting. They had been dating since their first semester. Alex settled in a chair beside the sofa near Emma.

“Maya got an invitation to a New Year’s party at the old amusement park,” Emma explained.

“Shhh!” Maya hushed, looking around the busy room. “It’s an exclusive party!” She dropped her tone several notches so as not to be overheard by others. She needn’t have worried, Emma thought to herself. Everyone was absorbed in their studies or conversations.

Jake settled onto the sofa behind Maya. She leaned back against them, their fingers intertwining by reflex. “Oh yeah,” he said. “I got one too.”

Alex nodded, drumming his fingers on the arms of the chair in thought. “I’m not so sure it’s legit.”

Emma turned her head to study him. “You got one too?” She couldn’t help but feel excluded.

“You didn’t get one?” Jake interjected.

“I assumed everyone did,” Alex replied. “It’s spam, that’s all.”

“You’re such a cynic,” Maya teased. “Hoax or not I still think we should go.”

“You know I’m in,” Jake stated.

Emma looked down at her pencils and closed sketchbook. “I don’t know guys,” she said. “I have so much to do for my class and I am so far behind on this sketchbook.”

Maya leaned forward. “I think you should go for exactly that reason! Imagine the sketches you could do there!”

“In the dark? At midnight?”

Maya laughed. “Well, if it’s legit then there will be plenty of lights now won’t there?”

“You can always bring your camera for some night photography. You can kill two birds with one stone. Didn’t you say you still had to work on your portfolio for your photography class?” Alex chimed in.

Emma looked pensive for a moment. She really did have a lot of work to do but it would be thrilling to explore an old amusement park at night. And if the party was legitimate, maybe she could finally work up the nerve to tell Alex how she felt about him at midnight? It would be a great start to the new year.

“Ok I’m in!” she said with a smile.