บท 143: For whom the bell tolls

Re-assured by the prophetic words, Xander entered the carnival once again. Just like before, he walked right through the crowd of spectral apparitions, but this time they did not disappear. The lights kept shimmering, and the revelrous merrymaking continued unchecked.

A troupe of freaks walked past him, making funny faces to entertain the crowd while a mime smiled from afar, mimicking a prisoner trapped behind bars. Young children ran amuck, giggling and shouting while their mothers hollered after them breathlessly.

Walking past the rides, Xander made his way forward. The field wasn't as empty as before but swarming with balloon sellers dressed in colorful clothes and bare-bodied fire-breathers.