Who goes to the fair alone? Old creepy men probably. But really, no one truly goes to the fair alone. No one in their right mind anyway. And I have not been in my right mind all day.

In fact I had 3 bad omens before I got myself into the situation that I did. Now I know what you’re thinking, three bad things all in one day. I should have gone home, eaten straight from the ice cream carton and called it a night while I rewatch Vampire Diaries for the tenth time.

Instead, I agreed to a blind date set up by my roommate Lorie at the fair at 6:30 pm. Honestly, I just don’t think I wanted to go home back to the dorm with Lorie and her boyfriend Charlie. So I agreed. I dressed in high heels, a blue flowy top, and black fitting jeans.

And I waited for my date named Kenneth next to this bouncy house off to the side. It was kind of a secluded area but not too far from a circus tent across the way or the rickety coasters past the booths.

All while waiting for Kenneth, I pondered what kind of person is named Kenneth. And why he chose the bouncy house of all the events and spots at the fair. Maybe he wanted to meet here because it’s closer to the entrance. Or maybe because it’s a little out of the way. Maybe his name is Kenneth because he’s perfect like Ken and Barbie.

I fidget with my hair and look at my phone to see the time. 7:15 pm and no missed messages. Not that I had his number anyway or he had mine. Maybe he got in a car accident. Maybe he never existed and Lorie was getting back at me for waking her and her boyfriend up this morning.

And instead of leaving like a sane normal person, I decide to get into the bouncy house. I thought since the day was a flop, then maybe I could have some fun, bounce, and process everything.

So I bounce and I think of everything that happened today. It started with me getting out of bed and immediately stubbing my toe against the dresser. Bad omen number one.

My roommate’s boyfriend in my dorm woke up to see me hopping and falling in my moo moo nightie. The same guy I had a crush on last semester before he started seeing my roommate Lorie. Bad omen number two.

Later on in the day, I thought things were brightening up. I didn’t have any tests that day and managed to not embarrass myself any further to anyone else. Then my father called me to let me know him and my stepmother would no longer be paying my school tuition starting next semester so they could financially support my younger brother going to Yale.

“He’ll be a lawyer or a doctor or something brilliant. You understand darling.” Actual words from the guy who raised me. My brother didn’t even know what he wanted to do with his life, but my father had favored him more after our mother’s death two years before. And my younger brother was truly brilliant. Maybe I should understand, but it just sucked. Bad omen number three.

After bouncing for several minutes, I heard a light whistle. Like someone who didn’t exactly know how to whistle and was pushing out more air than sound. I was so caught up in my thoughts for the day that I had forgotten to take off my shoes. My not so pointy high heels must have popped a hole in the floor of the bouncy house.

Music plays. Crappy crusty carnival music. It must have been playing the whole time. It’s like the soundtrack for the whole crappy day. Upbeat. Nothing is wrong. Just my life. Just me. I’m all wrong.

Quickly, I take off the shoes and fling them aside as I get on my knees to search for the hole to stop it. Why didn’t I just leave when I had the chance? Maybe I was scared I would have gotten in trouble for popping the bouncy house that no one had seemed to use while I waited for Kenneth. Or maybe rational thought had left me when I stubbed my toe this morning.

The bouncy house is starting to shrink and I can’t find the hole. I give up and decide to grab my shoes and leave. But now my shoes are lost somewhere in this quickly deflating house of horror.

I hear “whoas” and “ahhhs” outside and think maybe someone is seeing this deflate and will come help me. I decide to yell for them to come get me.

“Hey! I’m in here! Can someone please help me?!”

And then I hear a roar and clapping. It’s the circus tent. No one is coming for me.

Abandoning the hole and the shoes, I search for the entrance to the bouncy house. How long have I been in here? Weren’t there windows and a door with a net?

Screams of laughter and excitement from a roller coaster fill the sinking house. “Help!” I scream lounder. My panic growing as I realize I could die in here and no one would know. The clowns and circus people would just roll me up and take me to the next town and find my lifeless body weeks later. They’d panic and bury my body somewhere in the woods, and my dad would think I ran out because life was unfair.

It’s too much. It’s all too much. Laughter comes quickly and vanishes, replaced by screams from that dang coaster nearby.

Or maybe they’d call the police and my dad would have to come identify my body. He wouldn’t be able to handle another loss. Jared, my younger brother wouldn’t for sure. He’d go back into his shell and not talk to anyone ever again. He had a mild form of autism and would just never recover.

More “ooohs” and clapping erupts from the tent across the way. Why is this fair so loud at night? No one will ever be able to hear me.

True panic starts to build. I can feel my pulse quicken. I’m already sweaty and out of breath. I’m gonna die today.

An announcement plays overhead like the sound from a game. It’s cheerful and chimes. I scream a raging angry scream.

Screw this day. Screw this fair. Screw kenneth. I am done. Absolutely done. I search the plastic walls and run my hands to find that entrance.

That entrance that is nowhere. I hear more voices that must be from a group walking by and I scream again.

But the voices fade, and I am alone in a dark plastic bubble that is shrinking by the second. My shoes are gone. My hair is a mess. I’m sweating profusely. My throat is going hoarse from all the screaming. And I think I am having a panic attack from the fear of abandoning Jared.

And then a light appears on the opposite side of the darkness. “Hello? Is someone in here?”

Relief floods through my body as I trip over myself to get to the angel. It must be an angel sent to save me is all I can think about. “I’m here!” I whisper scream.

Moments pass and then I’m free. Hugging a strange man in a tight grip. Clinging to him like he is life and just freed me from certain death.

“Amelia?”

And then my heart stops. And I untangle myself from this strange man to step back and take a look at the ‘angel’ who saved my life.

“I’m Kenny.” The handsome life giver says. He’s tall, has bright green eyes, a jaw that could cut glass, and is wearing a worried look on his face.

I turn red. I know I look a hot mess. Disgusting even. And now my blind date is here. The guy who saved me. At this point, I’d crawl into bed and maybe give it a year before trying again. This is too much.

Seeing the mortification on my face, the beautiful man says, “I told Lorie I was going to be late. I’m sorry I’m an hour late. I got held up at work and… Are you okay?” He’s kind and gorgeous and seeing me at my worst for the first and probably last time.

“Ah” I clear my throat and straighten myself up some. “I, uh, didn’t get the message. Thought I’d, uh, wait in the bouncy house of terror.” I hook a thumb over my shoulder towards the house. “Thanks for saving me.”

He smiles this genuine smile. It lights up his face, and I swear his eyes are smiling too, twinkling at the very least. He gives me a look up and down for the first time, taking me in. “Missing your shoes?” He asks.

“They belong to the bouncy house now.” I shrug. “Listen, I’m sorry about this.” I gesture to myself. “I, got stuck, maybe panicked a little.”

His smile is turning into a chuckle. It melts my insides. It’s warm and rough and sexy.

“The feris wheel is right there.” He points to one not too far away. “How about I get you a pair of my shoes and we can go for a ride on the feris wheel.”

I can’t believe he still wants to hang out with me. To go on a date with me after saving me. So I nod and stay put while he leaves and comes back with a pair of man slides. They swallow my feet whole but they’re soft.

Before we go up to the feriswheel, I find a bathroom and clean myself up best I can. And then we are holding hands and laughing on a feris wheel.

So many bad omens. I almost died today. But I didn’t. And I don’t have to be at the fair alone.