Not So Sweet Candyland

LXX: The Balloon Festival

It was a few days later when the sky high walls of the castle seemed to fall down to see the world around them. A sunny day was the scene for a completely transformed castle garden which was now just vendors, balloons, and did I mention balloons?

"Come on, Chase!"

Berry ran through the area, holding Chase's hand with the biggest smile on her face. She was wearing an off shoulder dark blue dress with a little bit of a flowy skirt.

She went from vendor to vendor and to Chase, she was a completely different person. Berry had never been this happy before, and it seemed as if somebody was in her. She was more peppy, talkative and full of smiles. Although she still had a tired look in her eyes, she looked full of energy.

"Chase! Hey! Can I use your shoulders for a second?"

"Yeah, just Don't ruin this fabric. It's fine fabric."

"I can't guarantee that!" She said with a smile as she jumped to Chase's shoulder and plucked a string from a tree with two balloons on it.

"Here!" She jumped and Chase caught her. "One for you, and one for me!"

She gave Chase a red balloon while she had a blue.

Many people were at the festival and they were all around, either holding a balloon or a few balloons in their hand. Most of them were not from the estates, in fact, most of them were just average people, walking around in their best dreads, enjoying the warm August day.

"Oh! They have carnival games!" Berry extended her hand out to see many booths with games such as bean bag toss, full to the top and even whack a mole. She took Chase over to where the carnival games were and she received a gaming card from one of the vendors.

"You seem chipper today, Princess."

"Well, I mean. I love the balloon festival, what can I say?"

"I never thought that you were a festival person."

She giggled.

That's when the vendor gave Chase a card and they started to play a shooting game. Shoot the water into the clown and fill it up to the top.

"Oh my! Mine is a little shaky!"

"What?"

"SIKE!"

She turned her gun to Chase and then shot some water at his face.

"Aagh! Ugh! Princess!"

She giggled.

"I do not simply want to make this day boring for you as well."

He just laughed.

"You're an interesting one, princess."

"I know I am."

She laughed and then took Chase to the next game.

The vendor gave them some gold squares.

"Ok, so you have two. Put one on a number and then another on a different number."

"You're talking to me like I've never been to a carnival."

"Wait, carnivals exists in Colorado?"

Chase burst out laughing.

"4 times out of 5, yes carnivals exist. But, that's kind of cute that you think of that like that."

Berry blushed and looked down, then spoke to the vendor.

"Just shut up and take my squares!"

"Random?"

"Oh yes, random."

"Granted."

The vendor put the squares on 6 and 28 while Chase put his on 8 and 23.

"You're doing your birthday too?"

"Yep." Chase said.

"Everybody ready?"

There was a crowd of people in back of Chase and Berry, all with gold squares on the table.

"I'LL SPIN THE WHEEL!"

The wheel started to spin and then it stopped on 69.

Berry burst into laughter and then a 6 year old came up.

"I won! Mom and dad did not like that I picked 69, and I asked them why? I just like that the number is the same when you flip it."

Berry was still laughing.

They went to more vendors and more games. Whack a mole, punching bag, ducks in a river, every game that there was. And finally, Berry won the balloon popping game and she won a gigantic pink bear. That's when they went to a food stall and Berry got herself a lemonade.

"You know that in the real world, you would have no money? The amount of games that we played is insane!"

"I'm just living life while I can." She shrugged.

She threw her lemonade cup in the air and the earth disposed of it on it's own.

"What was that?"

"It's this world's way of getting rid of waste. You just throw it in the air and boom, it's gone."

Berry looked at her bear and then snapped her finger. The bear disappeared.

"Relax, it's only in my room. That's all."

"Oh thank god."

Chase and Berry went on a few rides to pass the time and by the time the sun was going down, there was an intimate dance floor all set up. Berry led Chase on the dance floor and he and her started to slowly sway with the music.

The first dance was a very slow song, and then suddenly, it became a complex waltz.

"What?"

"Just follow my moves, ok? It's nothing to worry about."

"I'm not so sure."

"Look, just watch the guys if you cannot pay attention to me."

"Is this dancing scandalous?"

"If it was scandalous., then why would everybody be doing it? Come on."

The music kicked up and the steps were one two, one two, quick and fast, full of motion. Berry managed to help Chase and guide him to what to do and where to go. How his footsteps should mirror hers and how the spins need to be started from the man holding the girl's waist and not her hips.

"You know if nobody was watching, I could do the guys part. But no, I'm stuck with being the woman. As always."

"There's the Berry that I want back. You seemed different today. Like you were more happier than I have ever seen you."

She giggled lightly.

"I'm just only enjoying the last of my days here before we head out. And to think that my dad would try to execute me, that's a major no in my book."