conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: “What do you want to do?”
  
  “I don’t know, Patty. What do you want to do?”
  
  “Not fair, Brad. I asked you first.”
  
  Patty and Brad. Your two best friends. Arguing. As usual.
  
  It’s the last week of August. And Patty and Brad haven’t stopped fighting since your summer vacation started.
  
  Patty likes being bossy. You don’t mind, though. It’s no big deal.
  
  It’s hard to win a fight with her anyway. You don’t know why Brad even tries. You guess it’s because he doesn’t want to look like a wimp in front of a girl.
  
  “There’s nothing to do. I guess I’ll just go home,” Brad says. He shoves his hands in his pockets. Then his shoulders slump and he sort of shrivels up. You guess Brad is kind of a wimp — even if he is your best friend.
  
  “You’re so boring, Brad,” Patty complains. Whenever Patty complains, her freckles really pop out. Now there are about a million of them spread across her face.
  
  “Hey! I know what we should do!” Patty suddenly bursts out.
  
  “Let’s bike over to Bennet’s Field and watch them set up the carnival!”
  
  “I don’t know,” you answer. “It’s getting dark, and Mom said I have to be in by nine.”
  
  “It’s only a quick bike ride,” Brad says. “Are you some kind of wimp?”
  
  Brad calling you a wimp? You can’t believe it!
  
  “Okay. Okay,” you agree. “But if it’s as bad as last year, there won’t be much to see. Don’t you remember the main attraction?” you remind them. “The ride they called Terror Track? It turned out to be a baby choo-choo train that circled around and around and around.”
  
  It doesn’t matter what you say. Patty’s made up her mind. You’re going to ride over to the carnival.
  
  A hot, humid breeze blows in your face as you pedal along. Patty’s in the lead. No surprise. And Brad’s puffing behind you.
  
  It’s dark by the time you reach Bennet’s Field.
  
  You and your friends drop your bikes in the grass and race across the moonlit field, toward the huge wooden fence that surrounds the carnival.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Take a closer look.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: As you reach the carnival entrance, you hear music coming from inside. Not the usual corny organ stuff they always play. But some really strange music. It sounds familiar and totally new at the same time.
  
  Brad stretches his neck to try to peer over the fence. But no luck. The fence is way too high.
  
  Patty jiggles the padlock on the gate. It’s sealed shut.
  
  “I guess we’ll have to wait until tomorrow night when the carnival opens,” Brad says.
  
  “No way,” Patty says. “Let’s climb the fence. Now!”
  
  “Are you crazy?” Brad says. “We’ll get caught!”
  
  “Come on. There’s probably no one in there,” Patty replies.
  
  Your friends turn to you to cast the deciding vote. You glance at your watch. It’s almost 9:00 P.M. If you’re going to get home in time, you should start back now.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Climb the fence to get inside.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: “Let’s do it!” you say to your friends. “Let’s climb the fence!”
  
  Patty is halfway up before you finish speaking. You let Brad go next. You’re last.
  
  It’s a hard climb up. There’s really no place on the fence to get a good grip. But you make it to the top, swing your legs over, and tumble down. You land on the grass. You’re inside!
  
  You and your friends gaze around. It’s pretty dark — the only light comes from torches. At first the carnival looks the same as it always does. Dinky rides. Hot dog wagons. Then the lights start to flicker on in every corner of the field — the rides start to move. It’s as if the whole place is magically coming to life.
  
  “Hey! Look at that giant roller coaster!” you exclaim, pointing up ahead. “They never had a roller coaster before!”
  
  “Yeah,” Brad agrees. “And the whole place is a lot bigger than last year!”
  
  “This is awesome!” Patty says as she sprints toward the rides.
  
  You and Brad take off after Patty. You all stop in front of the roller coaster.
  
  “Wow!” Patty says as she gazes up at it. “It’s like a rocket to outer space!”
  
  Beyond the roller coaster, you spy a castle surrounded by a moat. And a spooky-looking haunted house sitting high atop a hill.
  
  “These are the coolest rides I’ve ever seen!” you say. “They still have that dumb choo-choo train over there,” you point out, “but we could ride this stuff all night and never go near it!”
  
  Patty grabs your arm and tugs you over to the other side of the carnival — to the midway. Brad races after you.
  
  “Hey! Where are all those dinky wooden booths from last year?” you ask as you gawk at the amazing games of chance.
  
  They’re gone. And in their place are giant video games and huge spinning wheels studded with hundreds of blinking colored lights!
  
  “Get a load of that!” Brad suddenly cries out.
  
  You and Patty spin around.
  
  You can’t believe what you see!
  
  You’re staring at a sign that reads: WORLD’S FREAKIEST FREAK SHOW! The three of you gape at the pictures.
  
  There’s the Three-Headed Man with the ugliest collection of faces you’ve ever seen. And the Snake Lady — a young blond girl with a beautiful face and the body of a slithering snake.
  
  “This is, uh — uh —” you start to say. But you don’t finish. Because a large hand has come down on your shoulder. Hard.
  
  You slowly turn and gaze up at a huge man with shoulders wider than a refrigerator. He has coal-black eyes with a thick mustache to match. He looks strong enough — and mean enough — to pitch you over the fence with one hand.
  
  “What are you doing?” his deep voice booms. “You’re not allowed in here,” he says, pointing directly at you.
  
  “We’re sorry,” you say, hoping you appear sorry and not just scared. “We wanted to look around. That’s all. But we’ll leave. Right now.”
  
  His eyes stare into yours. He clamps both hands down on your shoulders and says, “You’re not going anywhere!”
  
  “Wh-what do you mean?” Brad asks, trembling all over.
  
  “I just had an idea. A great idea,” the man replies. “I want you kids to stay and try out the rides before the grand opening tomorrow.”
  
  Patty’s eyes open wide. “Cool!” she says.
  
  “Are you sure it’s all right with the owner?” you ask.
  
  “I’m Big Al, the manager. And what I say around here goes.”
  
  Big Al digs around in his checkered jacket and pulls out three maps. He hands one to each of you.
  
  “Study them carefully,” he says. “If you have any questions, ask them now.”
  
  Your eyes fall upon the map. You have a question. But when you gaze up, Big Al is gone. He’s vanished!
  
  “A whole carnival to ourselves!” Patty exclaims. “Where should we start?”
  
  You stare down at your map once again. You notice that the carnival is split in half. On one side are the rides. Tons of them. On the other side is the midway, packed with games of chance and the Freak Show.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Check out the midway.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: “Let’s head for the midway and play some games!” you say.
  
  You, Patty, and Brad jog down a wide avenue. Tents of every color line the street. Carnival music blares from loudspeakers.
  
  You spot a green neon sign flashing above a yellow-striped tent. The sign reads: MADAME ZENO — FORTUNE-TELLER.
  
  “Excellent!” you exclaim. “I’m going in!”
  
  You tell your friends you’ll catch up with them in a minute.
  
  You lift the tent flap. Inside, one small candle flickers in the dark. You hear a low voice call out, “Enter my chamber.”
  
  There is Madame Zeno, sitting in the shadows. She wears a long red dress dotted with brightly colored gems. They shimmer in the candlelight. Her black hair tumbles to her shoulders as she bends over a large crystal ball.
  
  “Welcome,” she whispers. Then she reaches out and gently lifts your hand. “Let me tell you your future.”
  
  Madame Zeno studies your hand closely. She traces the lines in your hand with her soft fingers.
  
  “I see horror in your future. In your immediate future,” she warns.
  
  “Wh-what kind of horror?” you stammer. “What do you mean?”
  
  Madame Zeno releases your hand. She picks up a strange deck of cards. She spreads them out on the table. You notice the cards have pictures — a headless man, a bloody sword, a large, evil eye.
  
  She gathers up all the cards and flips the deck over. Then she deals out a red card and a blue card.
  
  “Turn one over,” she commands. “Learn your fate.”
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Pick blue.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Blue is your favorite color. You turn the blue card over.
  
  There is a message: Help us! You are our only hope. Hurry to the back door of the freak show. Signed, The Freaks.
  
  “What does this mean?” you ask Madame Zeno. She stares deep into your eyes. Her lips tremble. She leans forward. She’s about to speak.
  
  And then the lights go out — and a blood-curdling scream rips through the dark!
  
  You start to bolt for the door when a dim light suddenly flickers. You stare across the table. Madame Zeno is gone!
  
  You reach out to take the card. And it bursts into red-hot flames! In seconds, the entire tent fills with thick smoke. Flames shoot across the floor. You run for the door.
  
  Outside, you gulp the fresh air. Whew! You made it.
  
  You glance back. No smoke. No fire. No tent! Everything has disappeared!
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Don't help the freaks.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Help some freaks? That’s a good one! You laugh.
  
  You think about Madame Zeno, the fire, and the disappearing tent. Totally cool! You wonder who thought up such awesome special effects.
  
  You can’t wait to tell Brad and Patty all about it.
  
  You search for your friends in the big wooden booths that line the midway. Instead, you find incredible games of chance. Some test your eye-hand coordination. Others require pure luck. But they all offer the most amazing prizes you’ve ever seen — phones, video games, fifteen-speed mountain bikes. You can’t wait to play!
  
  You spot a booth across the midway with a crowd gathered in front. That’s odd, you think. Didn’t Big Al say we were the only people at the carnival tonight? You wonder if your friends are in the crowd. You move closer.
  
  “Oh. I get it,” you say aloud. “These people must work at the carnival.”
  
  You’re about to call out to them. Until you see their eyes. Strange, haunted eyes.
  
  “Hi!” you say to Big Al. “Who are all those people?”
  
  He doesn’t really answer your question.
  
  “Welcome to the Carnival of Horrors,” he says. “You must play or pay. We have many games on our midway. You must play two.” He practically spits the word must out. “If you succeed, you can win prizes. But if you lose, you pay with your life!”
  
  Boy, he’s really laying it on thick, you think. But it’s a pretty cool gimmick. “Okay, I’ll play a game. Then I’ve got to go home.”
  
  “No one goes home,” Big Al says, “until they play. You must play two games. And survive.”
  
  “Okay. Okay,” you mutter to yourself.
  
  You glance around the midway at the two closest games. Guess Your Weight on Mars and the Wheel of Chance. You have to pick one to start, or you’ll never get out of here.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Play Wheel of Chance.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: You wander over to the Wheel of Chance and immediately notice two strange things.
  
  First, you read the sign on the booth. It says “Wheel of No Chance.” Then you hear the barker’s voice calling, “Step right up!” But there’s no one there.
  
  No one but a green-and-yellow parrot.
  
  “Excuse me,” you say, hoping someone will answer. “Is this game open?”
  
  “No, I’m standing by this wheel for my health,” the parrot cracks. “Now, do you want to spin or what?”
  
  The parrot is obviously annoyed. “Mammals,” he mutters. “Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”
  
  You steal a glance around. Maybe you should skip this game. But Big Al sneaks up behind you.
  
  “Spin,” he says. “You must earn enough points to win.”
  
  “But how will I know if I have enough points?” you ask.
  
  “Spin!” It’s his final word.
  
  The wheel has eight slices. Two slices are blank, two slices are “SPIN AGAIN”, two slices are “DOUBLE OR NOTHING”, one slice is “FREE SPIN”, and one slice is “NO CHANCE”.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Spin and land on NO CHANCE.
conversations.from: gpt
conversations.value: Round and round the wheel spins. It finally lands on NO CHANCE.
  
  No chance. Does that mean what you think it means?
  
  No chance at all.
  
  Zip.
  
  Zero.
  
  Nothing.
  
  Nada.
  
  Negatory.
  
  Yes. That’s exactly what it means. You have met …
  
  **THE END**