I took the stuffed lion in my hands,proud of the choice I had made, but also guilty in a way deep down. I cheated. On a carnival game. For a stuffed lion that i could but at the dollar store. I still smile in triumph, then stroke the wiry mane of the animal.

As I pet the fur, I feel a falling sensation, then everything around me turns dark. I've been enveloped in a dark abyss that surrounds me. Bright lights light up, beaming right down on me.

I notice I'm in a very abnormal outfit, in a small closed in space. The outfit is a dull orange, my pants a dazzling emerald green. My shoes are big, and red with yellow laces snaking through them. A red puffy ball sits on my round nose.
I'm a clown. But how?

All around me people sit, stuffing their delightful faces with greasy popcorn. I hear a loud,ferocious roar. That's is when I notice it's coming from a lion. I look at the lion, it's identical to the one I won at the carnival, the game I cheated on. Its fierce eyes dart it right on me. I walk backwards in a state of panic and fear, I walk back into the unthinkable. A wall, trapping me in. The bars of a cage stand before me, trapping me in with this wicked animal.


I'm trapped, caged in with this blood-thirsty beast who is wishing to tear me apart. The audience claps, gleeful grins lighting up their faces. They each crave blood, wanting to see me torn to pieces.

" Let the battle begin," booms a voice, probably the director of this sadistic circus.

The lion roars, walking toward me. My breaths become caught in the depths of my throat. I fall to the ground, into the pale dirt. The lion now in my face, snarling, letting me see the large fangs that hang down. His breath is hot against my chapped skin, smelling like stale blood."Who was his last victim? I wonder.

His muzzle edging closer to my face. His eyes are as black as rain clouds, emotionless, just wanting to wreak havoc.

" Cheater," he whispers into my face, then everything around me goes pitch black.

"Kid? Kid!" Screams the man working the games.
" What?" I ask, still coming back to reality, coming back to the sounds of carnival rides, the gags of the dizzy kids who vomit into the trash bins, and the sweet scent of cherry bubblegum.
" You nead to leave, you can only play once, but enjoy your prize!" He beams.
" No you keep it," I suggest. " I've had enough lions for tonight"
With that I walk away from the games, the stuffed animal, and the fake circus... still a cheater.