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Mysterious Bedtime Story _ The Night Carnival _ Magical Story for Sleep · Abide Meditation App

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas. Thank you so
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: much for tuning in. Tonight, with Halloween just a week away,
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: we have a special seasonal treat for you. We'll be
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: exploring a strange and fascinating carnivore that appears for one
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: night only, and you have a ticket to enter. As always,
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: we try to provide a good mix of seasonal episodes
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: on Get Sleepy. We know some of you especially look
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: forward to Halloween, while others prefer different times of year.
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: Similarly to previous episodes, like Night of the Full Moon,
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: The Corn Maze, or The Count's Castle, This story holds
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: a subtle hint of eeriness, but as always, nothing will
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: come to harm or frighten us. The wonderful author Shady
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: Grove loves this time of year, and really enjoys getting
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: creative and writing these stories. So both she and I
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: hope you'll enjoy it, and that, as always, it will
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: lead you to a good night's sleep. Okay friends, let's
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: settle in now for tonight's story. It really means the
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: world to have your company. Thank you again for being
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: here and for making all of our efforts and hard
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: work so worthwhile and meaningful. And remember to be grateful
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: to yourself for being here too. Simply by listening to
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: get sleepy, you're inviting a natural haven for rest as
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: you lay here in bed. Let's just spend a moment
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: scanning through the body, looking out for any tension, unease
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: or stress you can feel within. So move through the body,
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: starting at the top of your head, all the way
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: down to the tips of your toes. And if you
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: do come across any unease, then use the depth of
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: your breathing to invite a greater sense of calm. Breathe
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: calm and peace into the body and into the mind.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Then use the exhale as a means of letting go
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: of unwanted tension, worries or distractions. Breathing calm. Release tension.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: With each passing breath, you can unwind more and more.
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: Knowing that this is a time where you are free
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: of responsibility. Free of the need to actively concentrate on
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: anything at all. Just allow the sound of my voice
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: and your own calming breaths to guide you towards a
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: pleasant night's sleep. It's time to begin our story. So
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: I'd like you to picture a winding road dotted with
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: fallen leaves. and shimmering in the fading light of day
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: after an earlier rainfall. This is where our story begins.
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: The road is bathed in the muted purple of twilight.
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: A few heavy clouds hang in the sky, evidence of
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: the late afternoon rainstorm that left puddles on the pavement.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: A small walking path follows the road to one side. Occasionally,
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: your shoes brush against wet grass as you make your
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: way down it. As the rain has passed, and there's
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: no more in the forecast, it's the perfect evening for
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: a walk. A chilly breeze rustles the last of the
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: golden brown leaves that cling to the tree branches overhead.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: You're grateful for the familiar warmth of your coat tonight.
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: As the thought crosses your mind, a gust of wind
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: picks up a bunch of damp leaves and tosses them
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: end over end down the road. you watch them tumble
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: and float, cartwheeling across the dark surface like flecks of
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: gold in a pot of ink. Autumn is a beautiful season,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: you think, a time of transition and transformation. When the
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: last vestiges of bright summer depart, to make room for
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: the cold hush of winter. There's also always a bit
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: of mystery in the air at this time of year.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: You can never be sure what you'll see, even on
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: the most familiar streets. Just as the trees change a
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: little every day, so does the world around them in autumn.
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: The thought makes you smile to yourself. A little mystery
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: keeps life interesting. Your feet guide you down the walking
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: path as your mind wanders. You think of the colours
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: of an autumn day. The brilliant oranges, fiery reds and
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: shimmering yellows. The flavors come to mind next. Pumpkin, cinnamon, cranberry,
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: and pear. Then you recall the scents. The ground after
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: it rains. Old dump leaves. Spiced cider. And caramel popcorn.
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: Except the last scent isn't a memory. You pause for
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: a moment and take a deep breath in. There's the
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: distinct aroma of sweet and salty caramel popcorn on the breeze.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Looking around, you can't see anything or anyone who might
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: be responsible for it. It's just you out here on
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: this lonely path tonight. Not even a single car has
• 8:59
  Speaker 1: passed by for as long as you've been on your walk.
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: You turn slowly in a circle, and as you do,
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: the scent grows stronger. It brings to mind visions of
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: days at the fair or at an amusement park. you
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: can picture the sticky mounds of toffee-covered popcorn and can
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: almost taste the sweetness on your tongue. Just then, you
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: hear the unmistakable strains of calliope music in the distance.
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: The tune hops and skips through the air as though
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: seeking you out to lead you to its source. Your
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: thought from earlier replaced in your mind. A little mystery
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: keeps life interesting. So you turn off the walking path
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: and follow the music and the enticing scent into the trees.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: the sky's twilight hues have faded to midnight blue. The
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: moon is visible when the clouds part, and it casts
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: a pearly glow on the ghostly white trunks of the
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: birch and aspen trees all around you. In daylight, the
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: trees glisten and shine in their autumn splendor, At night,
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: they seem bare, standing straight, tall, and imposing. And yet,
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: they're still beautiful, you think. They just look and feel
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: larger at night. Their colors overtaken by a stark palette
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: of blacks, whites, and grays. As you make your way
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: through the moonlit woods you find yourself wondering where you're going.
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: What could be out here on a night like this?
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: Your curiosity pulls you along one step at a time.
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: For a moment you consider turning back. After all You
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: could return home and curl up under a blanket for
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: a lazy evening of reading, drinking hot cocoa, or listening
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: to music. Or you could even carve that pumpkin you've
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: been keeping on the windowsill. Many of the other houses, apartments,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: and shops have their jack-o'-lanterns displayed. but yours is still
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: just a pumpkin. As if on cue, the inviting scent
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: of the popcorn grows stronger. The calliope music intensifies as well,
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: its steam whistle notes dancing through the trees. You breathe
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: in deeply, relishing the warm, sumptuous aroma. And then you
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: continue walking deeper into the woods. As you stroll along,
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: you listen to the sounds of the dry leaves crunching
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: underfoot and the breeze whispering through the leaves still attached
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: to the branches. It's a soothing, rushing sound that fills
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: you with a sense of ease. Before long, you come
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: to the edge of a large clearing. The trees give
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: way to a flat area where the ground has been
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: compacted by recent activity. It's the kind of open space
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: you could see being used as a fairground, especially as
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: the far end is bordered by an expansive cornfield, which
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: provides a natural barrier. You half expected this to be
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: the origin of the music and the smell, but now
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: you can see there's nothing here. It's just you, the
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: falling leaves, and the cool, whispering breeze. But then, out
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: of the corner of your eye, you see a small booth.
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: It's a bright cherry red on all sides, and is
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: covered by a slanted, jet-black roof. The booth is only
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: big enough for a single person to stand inside. You
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: walk over to it, hoping to find someone to ask
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: about the strange music. But you find the booth is empty.
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: The counter is chest high. and boasts an old-fashioned machine
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: with hand-painted gold lettering and a large gold button. There's
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: an arrow and the words, press for ticket. Once again,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: your curiosity gets the better of you. You press the
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: button and the machine sends out a single rectangular paper
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: ticket holding it up to the moonlight you read what
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: it says the night carnival one night only find your
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: way to the big top all attractions gone by morning
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: present ticket to enter And on the other side of
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: the ticket, you see your name written in the same lettering.
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: How odd, you think. You didn't tell anyone you were
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: coming here tonight, because you didn't know. But as strange
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: as it is to find your name on a ticket,
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: it's nothing compared to to what you see when you
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: look up. The clearing starts to shimmer like a mirage.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: You see the almost translucent outlines of structures beginning to appear.
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: A ferris wheel, a funhouse, game booths, a carousel. the
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: image quivers around the edges before coming into full view.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: Right before your eyes, the clearing is transformed into a carnival,
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: complete with flashing signboards, game cards, and colorful displays. Beyond
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: the ticket booth, You see a single turnstile. Perhaps that's
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: where you enter, you think. You walk over to it
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: and find a slot to insert your ticket. Pushing through
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: the metal turnstile, you enter the world of the Night Carnival.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: In an instant, your senses are enraptured by your new surroundings.
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: The calliope's whistling tune fills the air around you, in
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: concert with organ music emanating from the carousel. Delicious savory
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: and sweet aromas waft toward you from unseen sources. And
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: your eyes can't decide what to gaze at first. The
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: old-fashioned signboard at the house of curiosities, or the light
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: bulbs flashing in a circle around the funhouse. Turning back
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: for a moment, you realize you can no longer see
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: the woods. Perhaps you wandered deeper into the carnival than
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: you thought. You try to glance around the side of
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: a tent, only to find your view blocked by a
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: large set of swings. It's alright, you think. You can
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: always try again, Later. Returning your gaze to the options
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: at hand, you decide to visit the House of Curiosities first.
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: The path there is lined with jack-o'-lanterns. whose expressions seem
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: to shift with the flickering candlelight. The door to the
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: house is made of wood, and is propped open with
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: a small wedge. You wander inside, letting your eyes adjust
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: to the even dimmer light. The first display you come
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: to is a pedestal, no larger than a coffee mug.
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: On it sits a perfect little streetlight, with a sign underneath, reading,
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: Genuine Paris Streetlamp. Inspecting it closely, you are impressed by
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: how realistic the details are. If it wasn't so tiny,
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: it could be the real thing, you think. The next
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: display features a single golden pomegranate seed. Its sign reads,
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: A Gift from the Gods. In a separate room that's
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: as dark as night, you find a lone jack-o'-lantern sitting
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: on a stool. There is no sign accompanying this curiosity,
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: but you're drawn to it nonetheless. You gaze into its
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: glowing orange depths in order to make out the details
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: of its design. there's an old-fashioned carriage being pulled by horses,
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: whose wispy manes fall in gentle ripples down their backs.
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: On the carriage hangs a distinctive pumpkin lantern, and on
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: the pumpkin, the same scene is repeated in even finer detail.
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: As you gaze at the jack-o'-lantern, you find yourself falling
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: into a dreamlike state. The flickering candlelight lulls you as
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: the repeating design draws you further in. You feel as
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: though you can see the design repeating countless times as
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: you drift deeper and deeper into your reverie Time stands
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: still as your eyes focus on the candlelight and the
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: lantern twinkling in the autumnal scene. The sound of gentle
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: laughter brings you out of your trance. You glance around
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: to see who has joined you here in the House
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: of Curiosities. only to find you are still alone. Pulling
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: your coat snugly around you, you decide it's time to
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: move on. There's more to explore here at the carnival.
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: You wander back out into the cool night air. and
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: consider where you'd like to go next. Down the opposite path,
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: you see the entrance to the funhouse looming in the distance.
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: That could be interesting, you think to yourself. Walking past
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: the jack-o'-lanterns, you notice that some of their expressions seem
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: to have changed once again. Or maybe it really is
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: just a trick of the candlelight. You can't be sure.
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: When you reach the funhouse, you spend a few moments
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: studying the exterior. It's a rectangular building longer than it
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: is deep. From this distance, you can see there are
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: two doors, one entrance and one exit, you'd guess, and
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: a ramp leading to both. The front of the funhouse
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: is dominated by an enormous wooden cutout of an old-fashioned clown.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: His face is painted mostly white, and he has a
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: large red nose. Only the top of his outfit is visible,
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: but you can see it's meant to be a loose
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: white shirt with red trim and oversized buttons. A matching
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: white conical hat with a red pom sits atop his head.
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: His expression is somewhere between a smile and a frown.
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: The whole display is surrounded by large light bulbs. Like
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: everything here, this funhouse and its design seem to be
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: from a different era. It's as though the carnivore hasn't
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: been touched by the passage of time, you think. But
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: that should be impossible. Letting the thought drift out of
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: your mind, you make your way up to the entrance.
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: The metal door squeaks lightly when you pull it open,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: and you enter a world where everything is different. The
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: first room is filled with hanging pieces of fabric. They
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: are suspended from the ceiling, which is completely dark. The
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: fabric is crimson and delicate as it brushes over your skin.
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: From where you're standing, you can't see a way out
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: of the room. You have to find a path through,
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: you realize. Carefully, you nudge the fabric to the side
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: as you walk between the strips. When a piece lightly
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: moves across your face, it feels like a silk veil
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: skimming over your For a moment, you think you see
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: someone else, but then you realize it's just the fabric
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: waving back and forth, disturbed by your motion. When you
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: reach the other side, you pass through a doorway and
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: into a room with three mirrors standing in a row.
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: The first distorts your image in such a way that
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: you seem impossibly tall and thin and wavy from top
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: to bottom. The second makes you appear several times wider
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: than normal with waves going in the opposite direction. The
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: third mirror reflects you more accurately And yet, there's something
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: in the glass that fragments the image, making you appear
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: as triangular shards of beautiful glass, put back together haphazardly
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: in not quite your right form. With a final glance
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: at your fragmented reflection, you leave the room, In the
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: next and final space, you find even more mirrors, this
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: time arranged along narrow passageways that snake around to the exit.
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: It's easy to get turned around in here, you think,
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: seeing yourself reflected back in every direction. you put your
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: hands out in front of you and begin to navigate
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: down the hall of mirrors. You don't want to accidentally
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: walk into a wall, so your hands will stop you
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: before you do. Every time you turn a corner, you
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: see yourself move out of the corner of your eye.
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: You catch a flickering motion and realize it's your own
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: feet walking down the passage. You turn a corner, and
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: then another, and another, that looks the same as the first.
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: When you turn again, you hear the gentle laughter once more.
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: It permeates the air, but you can't tell where it's
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: coming from. As far as you know, you're still alone
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: in the funhouse. Finally, you locate the exit and step
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: out into the chilly breeze. It's a welcome contrast to
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: the still air inside the building. You're glad you walked
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: through both the fun house and the house of curiosities,
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: but you think you'd like to spend the rest of
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: the night outdoors. You aren't sure where to go next,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: so you let your feet guide you. You walk around
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: the back of the funhouse, past a few antique game setups.
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: There's a ring toss booth, another is a beanbag toss,
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: and a third has a large mallet and a thermometer.
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: You assume you have to hit the bottom of the
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: thermometer to test your strength. and see how high the
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: mercury climbs. Beyond those is an old red ferris wheel.
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: You don't see anyone working it, or riding it, which
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: makes you consider something you hadn't put your finger on before.
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: You haven't seen a single other person since you arrived.
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: While the carnival is open and everything is working, there's
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: nobody here but you. As you approach the ferris wheel,
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: it slows its soft movement and comes to a stop
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: with a carriage right in front of you. Without hesitation,
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: you open the safety bar and climb into the seat
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: before lowering the bar again. Soon, the ride starts up
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: and you find yourself traveling at an easy, comfortable pace
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: into the sky. When you reach the top, the wheel slows,
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: giving you time to admire the view Taking a long look,
• 33:26
  Speaker 1: you can see the night carnival stretching out in all directions.
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: You seem to be at the heart of it all here. But,
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: oddly enough, you can't see the woods you walked through,
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: or the cornfield that borders the clearing on the far side.
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: It's as though The only thing for miles is just
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: this carnival. As the carriage begins to descend, you take
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: a deep breath of the fresh night air. It feels
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: soothing and cleansing, helping you release any lingering thoughts. By
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: the time you reach the bottom, you're ready to keep exploring.
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: There's just one more thing you really want to see.
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: The carousel. You heard its charming organ music earlier, but
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: you'd like to experience it up close. Right as you
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: think that, the sound of the organ grows louder, leading
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: you towards the elusive ride. You weave your way through booths, rides,
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: and funhouses, turning corner after corner and looping back on
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: yourself once or twice. But eventually, you make it to
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: the carousel The craftsmanship is incredible. It's an old one
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: with hand-carved and painted wooden animals. Long poles extend from
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: top to bottom, giving riders a place to hold on.
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: But what really draws your eye is the exquisite paint
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: job on the animals. They look so lifelike, you muse.
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: Every single one has a unique expression. No two horses, swans,
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: or ostriches are the same. The animals are dressed up
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: for the season, it seems. Each one has a thin orange, black,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: and purple bow made of ribbons. As with the House
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: of Curiosities, jack-o'-lanterns line the edge of the ride. They
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: surround it like sentries keeping a watchful eye. Carefully, you
• 36:46
  Speaker 1: step up onto the carousel. You'd like to find the
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: perfect place to sit, so you move between the rows
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: of animals admiring them as you pass. You run your
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: fingertips over the grooves in a horse's mane and over
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: the lines of a swan's wing. They're even more beautiful
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: up close. About halfway around the carousel, you find a
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: little sleigh being pulled by two brown deer. You take
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: a seat, resting your chin on your hand as you
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: look out into the night. The pace of the organ
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: music picks up as it begins a new song, and
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: the carousel turns along with it. Again, you find yourself
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: drifting into a sleepy reverie, lulled into a trance by
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: the movement and the magical sound of the instrument. You
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: could almost stay here forever, you think. Just then, the
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: same familiar laughter rings out through the air. You blink
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: your eyes sleepily and look around. Just as before, there's
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: no one here but you. You suppose it's time to
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: move on though, so you stand up and hop off
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: the carousel. When your feet touch the ground, you feel
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: something in the air change. It's like a flicker of magic,
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: a glimmer of something otherworldly. And when you look ahead
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: of you, you see it. The Big Top. You don't
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: recall noticing the enormous red and white striped tent when
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: you first arrived at the carousel. But it must have
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: been there, you think. Tents don't just appear out of nowhere,
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: do they? You wonder. You begin walking towards it when
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: you hear the gentle laughter once again. Pausing, you gaze
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: into the distance. You see motion inside the big top.
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: The ethereal sounds of performers talking and dancing float toward
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: you on the breeze. Perhaps this is where the mysterious
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: people responsible for the night carnival are. As you're watching
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: the tent, a single cloud drifts across the face of
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: the moon, sending the carnival and the Big Top into shadow.
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: You recall the words printed on your ticket, find your
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: way to the Big Top. It didn't say you had
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: to visit the Big Top, just find it. You think, perhaps,
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: it's best to leave the mysterious tent to its hidden performers,
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: at least for tonight. With your mind made up, you
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: glance in the opposite direction. Strangely enough, you see the
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: turnstile standing behind you. You're sure that wasn't there a
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: few minutes ago. With a final look at the strange
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: and wondrous night carnival you push through the metal turnstile
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: and step back into your own world once more. The
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: woods stand at attention in the distance, just as they
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: did when you first arrived. You can still smell the
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: alluring scent of toffee popcorn and hear the strains of
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: calliope music, but already they are beginning to fade into
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: the night. Turning back, you watch as the carnival shimmers, quivers,
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: and disappears from view. With a sigh of contentment, you
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: make your way to the woods. The moon hangs high
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: and bright in the sky, without a single trace of
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: cloud left. The trees are bathed in a delicate white glow.
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: As you walk, you listen to the familiar sounds of
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: leaves crunching underfoot and the breeze whispering through the tree branches.
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: When you reach the far edge of the woods, and
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: step out onto the footpath that follows the road, you
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: know you aren't far from home. The air is colder
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: now at this time of night, You put your hands
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: deep into your pockets, but your fingertips touch something, like
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: the corner of a piece of thick paper. You pull
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: out the mysterious paper and hold it up to the moonlight.
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: It's your ticket that still bears your name. But now,
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: it reads, Thank you for visiting the Night Carnival. One
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: night only, all attractions gone by morning. We'll see you
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: again next year. Will you see us? With a smile,
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: you tuck the ticket back into your pocket. A little
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: mystery really does keep life interesting. You whisper into the night,
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: before making your way back home to bed. you Thank
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: you for watching. Thank you. Thank you. you you