Funhouse (Incomplete)

One. Tamara.

          She walks past me, talking to her... doll.

          I'm not really sure you can call it that. It looks like she's mix and matched some stuffed toys and stuck them altogether, creating some kind of gremlin, like in shops when you can get the cups of "pick'n'mix" sweets. It's really scary. A doll with a raven's head, a boar's top half and a panda's rump. Beady birds' eyes sit in their sockets, staring up at the old lady holding it. Her name's Darly. People say she is a literal witch, who lives in the woods with herb remedies and magic wands. I don't believe in all that though. Those type of people think they live in a fairytale world, their brains somewhere else.

          I carry on walking, head down, trying not to make eye contact, especially not with Darly. But she's too busy talking to notice me and she shuffles away, muttering under her breath. As she brushes past, the doll's arm touches mine and I shudder.

          The tower is finally in sight and the sky behind it glows a fiery red, streaks of pink paint on a cloudy canvas. When I near the water, I pull away from the railings as the wind threatens to tip me over the edge and I head out along the concrete pier. It doesn't really occur to me as a pier because they are usually made of wood but I don't know what else to call it.

          The work-in-progress, known as the Saffsby Fair, stares at me from its fixed position. The tower is right on the end of the pier so I have to wander through the fairground to get there. I'm scared of fairgrounds in the nighttime. And clowns. Just looking at you, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Keeping my eyes on the floor, I hurry past, almost running. I know the others will be waiting. I know that I am late.

          I near Saffsby Tower and start the long climb up the many flights of stairs. It's the tallest thing in the town and tourists love visiting it in the Summer; everyone says you get a great view from the top. I remember, when I was about six or seven, Mum took me up the tower to see all the lights of Saffsby and we stood up there for over an hour, looking out to sea instead of at the lights.

          Shaking my head, I chase the memories away and realise I have reached the top. It's only the start of March so there are no staff operating the gates at the top and bottom. Realistically, it is out of bounds until the staff start to come back but we don't care. If there's no CCTV, that's where you will find us.

          Alexia is sat on one of the benches around the sides, huddled up next to her boyfriend Trystan. I've known her since we were two, when our mums met at a "Mother and Baby Session". I don't usually call her Alexia though; to be fair most of us have nicknames and don't call eachother by our full names:

-I'm Tamara (Tay)
-Alexia is Lexi
-Trystan is Trys
-Nexus is sometimes called Nex
-Ola is just Ola
-Isla is Isla

          There are six of us and we hang out together all the time. Lexi and Trys have been going out for a while, since they were 12, so almost three years now. Isla has a massive crush on Nexus but she's only told me so you can't tell anyone. I feel kind of sorry for her though as Nex only thinks of her as a friend and doesn't like relationships at all. Personally, I think they would make a really cute couple and I think Isla could soften him up a bit but the choice would be Nex's and I know it would probably never happen.

          Ola, Nex and I can't be bothered with relationships. They always end in heartbreak so what's the point? I mean, a couple of years back I had a bad experience with a boy. It was before I transferred to Lexi's school but it was still in the area. I remember when we were smaller and always thought we would go to the same school but that didn't go to plan. Lexi went to Saffsby Senior School and I went to KaiMoore Senior so it didn't work out as we thought. I transferred to Lexi's after our school was vandalized and burgled and Mum didn't want me going there anymore.

          Anyway, back to the point, I told one of my friends, Danielle, from KaiMoore about who I had a crush on and she was the only person I told. It was someone named Callum. Danielle had liked him before me but she had told me she didn't have a crush on him anymore so I thought, I like him and it won't upset Danielle anymore so why not tell her? Turns out she did still like him and was jealous because she thought he liked me back so she went and told everyone.

          When I say everyone, I don't just mean a little group of girls who talk about people behind their backs, I mean everyone. The whole year group everyone. Danielle was practically friends with everybody so they all believed her. One of Callum's friends, Todd, was told and he obviously went and told Callum himself. I was so embarrassed especially when he said that he didn't like me at all and couldn't stand the thought of going out with me.

          At this point, not only was I heart-broken but I was furious too. Furious at Danielle for betraying me and for being jealous. Furious at Todd for telling Callum. Even furious at Callum for saying something so horrible. I mean I didn't have a crush on him for nothing, did I? I genuinely thought he was a nice guy who had a good personality. I was really wrong.

          Me and Danielle don't talk anymore. After that, it was the summer holidays anyway and then I would be transferring to Saffsby School.
I can tell you this now: I'm so glad I moved.
When I got to this school in year eight, I was... well a loner. I had nobody.

          Until I saw Lexi. I was so happy to find someone I actually knew. Her friends (the other four) looked like a nice bunch of kids and I never really realised until up about now how good a group of friends they are. They took me in with open arms and treated me like I had been there the whole time. These were what true friends were like, not some jealous girl like Danielle.

          I look around and realize Ola isn't here. I'm pretty late so Ola must be really held up. Nex looks at me and shrugs, speaking for the rest of the group. Ola is never late; something's wrong. Don't think we're weird. We don't have set times when we meet and depart. We just have a vague time when all of us try to get there. I find it odd that Ola is the one missing.

          "I saw Darly walk past you earlier," Isla smirks, the full moon reflected in her eyes.

          "I was so scared of her. It was dark and she was carrying her doll." My eyes dart to Lexi's earrings, big voodoo dolls dangling from her ears. They remind me of Darly's doll and I don't know why Lexi wears them. They look like part of a Halloween outfit to me but I wouldn't tell her in case I offend her.

          "Seriously Tay?" Lexi raises an eyebrow, obviously having noticed my earlier glance. "These are nothing like her mix and match baby." Trys and I laugh at her naming of the doll. She's always called it Darly's mix and match baby and it always makes me giggle like a child. Nexus shuffles awkwardly on the bench, clearly sad that Ola is missing. I dare a glance at Isla and see her eyes are glowing, ablaze with an emerald fire. However, she blinks, her eyelashes long with mascara, and sits quietly; hoping no-one noticed her angry moment.

          I start to think about the whereabouts of Ola and come up with a load of crazy ideas like she's gone to see Darly in her cabin in the woods. I decide to voice my thoughts before I scare myself silly with ideas that are evidently not true.

          "Does anyone know where Ola is?" I ask, hoping for someone to say she's at her grandma's or she's out for dinner, but they all give me the same blank look. I'm really worried now.

          I need to find out where Ola is.