Session 01 - The Burning Secret

Saturday evening, April 12, 1992.

The Winters End Fayre in Prudence is one of the highlights of the year, and tonight it feels like the whole town has gathered to celebrate. It's april, and the cool evening air is filled with the promise of warmer days ahead. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over the fairgrounds, and the first stars are starting to peek out.

Main Street is alive with color and sound. Stalls line both sides, offering everything from handmade crafts to the Prudence Pride Pecan Pie. The smell of freshly baked pies mingles with the savory aroma of hot dogs and popcorn. You can hear laughter of children as they race from one game booth to the next.

Rides light up the night, their neon colors spinning and whirling against the backdrop of twilight. The Ferris wheel stands tall at the center of it all, its lights reflecting off the nearby lake, casting ripples of color across the water. Kids scream in delight as the wheel reaches its peak, giving them a bird's-eye view of the entire Fayre. Nearby, the carousel turns slowly, its painted horses bobbing up and down to the tune of cheerful calliope music. The Jersey Minstrels are in full swing, their brass instruments filling the air, competing against the carousel for the loudest music.

The game booths are crowded with eager faces, each person hoping to win a prize. You see friends trying their luck at the ring toss, aiming carefully for the bottles, while others attempt to shoot water guns at small targets, racing to fill up their balloons first. Plush toys and trinkets hang from the roofs of the booths, tantalizingly out of reach for most but promising great rewards for the lucky few.

Winter has finally ended. Nicer days are drawing near, and the first campers and fishers have already booked their stays. More will come as spring will progress and slowly become summer.

Prudence has stopped hybernating. And wakes up with a bang.

It is Winters End Fayre. And how do you celebrate?

Kimmy wanders, having spent the requisite amount of time with the parents and little Ronnie before heading out on her own - looking eagerly at the various competition stalls, she nearly always wins something - no need to encumber herself with soft toys quite yet...

She relishes this moment of independance, half-hoping she doesn't bump into any of her friends, they're nice and all but it feels like she has to keep up an act around them. Samantha, Becky or Jen... Maybe she'd bump into Zane, he was somehow chill enough to relax around, never felt like she had to impress him. Or Eth... no better to stay away from him at an event like this - would he even be here? He's not one for crowds, though she smiles idly at memories of them as children racing through the grounds like so many of the younger kids are doing now.

Food first, grab a hotdog and some pie and then she'll decide what to do next...

"Come on, Ethan! It will be fuuuuuun!" he says impatiently, for the tenth time - at least.

They are standing in a tree-lined area at the boundary of the Winters End Fayre, which is as far as he has managed to drag Ethan.
"Look, it's not even me who's asking - no siree! iiiiiiiit's...." he makes a theatrical gesture, turning his back to Ethan.

He spins around quickly, cross eyed and impersonating one of his characters. He waves his limbs like out-of-control tentacles and shrieks in a high pitched, goofy voice.
"...Mister Squeaky Rubberbones!! Yes sireeee! Squeaky's asking!! You wouldn't send your pal Squeeeeaky alone, would you now?? I mean, he's got his pockets full of dollar bills, but if he asks for a ticket with his voiiiiiice, they're gonna put their hands on their delicate winterfairy ears and call Monty Tidwell and his girlfriends in blue, on the double!!"

He makes a wide-eyed terrified face, putting both hands on his cheeks.
"Then Squeaky's gonna get all upset - and you know what happens when Squeaky is upset... yes siree, he starts flapping his aaaarms and leeeeegs wildly, smacking kids' faces into their icecreams, squeezing the buttocks of passing grans, kicking their prams downhill to sure death, and even punching ol' Monty's family jewels until he and Monty both sound the saaaaame!" he finishes his monologue holding his crotch and hopping up and down in a circle, then gets out of character and grins pleadingly at Ethan.

"Pretty please?" he says fluttering his eyelids.

Zane is relaxed and flying solo tonight. He'd come with a clique, but the crowd had enabled him to slip away before they noticed. He'd probably catch up with later.

He wasn't hungry, the rides did interest him, ditto for the sideshow games, but he was enjoying losing himself in the crowd.

He sauntered through the fairground. Smiled and waved, but kept moving, not wanting to commit to another group or person. He was happy, but also, he had a vague sense that he was missing something. Or was that missing out on something?

He didn't know why he expected to find it at the Fayre, but then again, you never know. He was feeling lucky after all.

End of spring, huh? This is supposed to mean something. So c'mon world, what do you have for me?

The Winters End Fayre DID sound like fun, as a matter of fact. Ethan wouldn’t have accompanied Ben all the way there had he thought otherwise. He wasn’t much of a foodie, and he outgrown the horsey carousel a long time ago, but he did very much want to ride that big Ferris wheel and take a look at the town from way up above. Maybe try his luck at the game booths, check out the handcrafts.

As for all the people? He didn’t mind the crowd, actually. It’s not like he was expected to go up on stage and deliver a speech in front of the entire town. Everybody was busy having their own fun, and he didn't imagine neither he nor Benbo would be at the center of attention tonight.

Ok, maybe not Benbo. His friend did have a love for theatrics.

"Oh, alright" Ethan broke into a smile after finally managing to elicit a performance from his friend - the only reason he dragged things out for as long as he did "But I'm not buying Mr. Squeaky a hotdog. He gotta pay his own way"

If there WAS any anxiety in the back of his mind, it was about the prospect of seeing her tonight; something he was both looking forward to, and apprehensive about, at the same time. He has become too self-conscious in her company, every word considered carefully before leaving his mouth. The interactions became strained. Unnatural. And yet...

He took a deep breath, letting the cool night's air fill his lungs. It was the end of winter, the beginning of spring. More opportunities to venture farther out of town. New adventures to be had. So much to look forward to.

"So, what are we waiting for?"

A small Italian car drives up, and Abigail hops out of the passenger seat and stumbles as the car speeds away before the door is fully closed. She gestures rudely at the departing car. At least she stopped this time, she pouts.

She's wearing a thigh length white trenchcoat, and a cool Rastafarian hat. Spinning around she looks at the assembled Fayre. She doesn't know anyone at first, but one by one sees faces she recognizes: the pharmacist, the mailman, Officer Hanson and his plump wife. Oh, and kids from her school.

"Hey," she asks some guy by the gate, "are there fireworks? Where do they go off?" She watches where he points and checks her watch. "Thanks."

The smell of pecan pies fills the space and Abigail heads toward the stalls, looking for little kids sized ones.

You all wander the Fayre grounds, momentarily freed from the watchful eyes of little brothers, deadly Italian rides, and the obligatory social cliques. Each of you is drawn by different attractions, yet the magical atmosphere of the Fayre subtly guides you toward a common destination.

Some of you are genuinely interested in a snack, hot dogs, ice cream, and of course, the legendary Prudence Pride Pecan Pie. Others are simply in search of some fun, eager to partake in the various games and rides.

The smells of delicious food mingle in the air, and the glittery glow of the Ferris wheel, standing in the center of the Fayre, catches everyone's eye as the centre piece of the fayre. Its colorful lights create a beacon, drawing people in like moths to a flame.

Kimmy and Abigail, their noses leading the way, find themselves seperately in the center square of the Fayre, where the irresistible scent of pie is strongest. Wether Ethan is lured by the promise of a possible ride on the Ferris wheel, or Benbo by the scent of food - who knows?
Zane, wandering quite aimlessly, follows the natural flow of the crowd and soon arrives at the heart of the festivities.

The center of the Fayre is a bustling hub of activity. People are everywhere, playing games and enjoying the attractions. A man just misses the belly as he slams the high striker a big hammer at the strength test, resulting in a lot of "Ooowwwhhs" from his friends. Children run around the food stalls, and a little girl beams as she accepts a teddy bear almost as big as she is from a carnival game, the stall owner shouting, "We have a winner!"

Amidst this happy chaos, the Ferris wheel towers above, its lights spinning in a mesmerizing dance.

In this lively crowd, you all recognize each other's faces.

Kimmy's face lingers a moment on Ethan's before she looks pointedly away, focussing instead on the others, she nods at Zane before calling to Abigail, "Abigail! I wasn't sure we'd see you here. This is your first Prudence Fayre, right?", she grins and her eyes light up, "See any plushies you like, I can probably win one for you!"

Abigail strolls up to Kimmy and waves her hand awkwardly. "Hi Kimmy, yeah this fair, it's right on. Or do you pronounce fayre different? Fay-ray?" She giggles.

"You have to tell me all the secrets of maximizing Far-ray fun!"

She sees Zane, grinning. And then Ethan. Her face freezes in a smile. Don't be a mess. She smiles way too long.

Benbo smiles at the sight of the others.
"Hey! is that Prudence's most handsome devil, or am I going In-Zane??" he jests, nudging Ethan but addressing Zane.

"Hello Abigail, nice seeing you here. Oh, hello K-Kimberley," he greets the girls, stuttering Kimmy's name and instantly flushing at the ears. He looks down at this feet for a moment.

Shaking himself to recover, he gestures at the Ferris Wheel, "So, this enormous hamster wheel's still here, then? I was hoping to see the giant hamster this year, but, nah... RAAAAAR! I AM HAMZILLA!" he goofs around making slow-motion giant monster moves, his hands curled close to his chest like a T-rex little arms. "HAMZILLA WANTS PECAN PIE!"

Zane lazy smile turns to a grin.

He chuckles at Benbo's antics, but doesn't join in. Bendo's solo show was almost always stellar and Zane didn't want to dilute that energy.

"Hey, wow! Hi all. This is good," he says with a friendly nod to everyone.

In truth, this is exactly what he needs. None of these friends are going to have expectations.

He doesn't have to worry about pandering to the delicate egos of his regular circle. Not that those friends weren't good friends, but they could be kind of tiring, and he could really use a night off that.

He leaned lazily against the tree.

"You should take Kimmy up on that plushie offer, Abbie. She has the arm of a major league pitcher."

"I thought the side-shows would have learned by now to hide all the good stuff when they saw you coming."

He surveys the stalls close by.

"Mrs Bracken's doing her pecan pies. When we're talking Prudence pie, these really are the business. Abbie, you can't really say you're a local 'til you've tried hers. Anyone else? My treat."

Like always, Ethan was grateful for having Ben by his side. There was a short awkward moment when they all gathered around the base of the Ferris Wheel. Abigail stared at him with that frozen smile just long enough to make him uncomfortable, and Kimmy haven’t so much as looked at him at all, as if she was trying to ignore his presence altogether.

None of it made him feel very welcome, but then Ben, like a lightning rod, drew everyone’s attention with his jokes and comedy bits. The conversation moved forward, and Ethan, faint smile fading from his face, pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He didn’t much care for a Pecan Pie presently, but was happy enough to tag along and do whatever. He was sure they would get around to the booths, or the Ferris wheel, sooner or later.

"You bet, that's Zane-sational!" he says, unable to resist the tempting offer. His stomach gurgles in approval: Mrs Bracken pies are the thing.

Kimmy catches Abigail's too long smile at Ethan, there's clearly something there, but she's not quite able to work out whether it's due to dislike or a flustered reaction to liking him... something to dwell on later, not that it's any of her business.

She feigns a blush a Zane's compliment, "He's exaggerating, throwing's not my forte, but I do okay, these games are mostly for kids anyway...", she still clearly enjoys the compliment through.

"I promised my parents I'd get some real food eat before I bought anything sweet... but if you're paying, I guess I won't break my promise." Kimmy laughs - she'd long since given up worrying about Zane paying for things, he seemed to enjoy spending his money on people so who was she to argue.

Abigail is suddenly surrounded by kids from the school and just goes with it. Her back is tense expecting some kind of shoe to drop. Despite that she tries to shake it loose.

"I'm definitely in for some pecan pie. But that ferris wheel, is it safe?" She giggles at the hamzilla routine by Ben even though she doesn't get it. "If you go on I'll just watch."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's safe, it's been around for like a hundred years with no serious injuries..." Kimmy's eyes sparkle as she falls into step beside Abigail, as the group starts moving towards the pie stall.
"So I feel like we haven't talked much, do you prefer we call you Abigail, Abbie... Gail? Umm Abs?"

She laughs, patting her belly. "Abs of Steel, ha! Abbie is fine, thanks, but most I've just called Abigail. I've been around adults more than kids, you know? So formal."

"ABS OF STEEL!" he shouts with laughter, eliciting a couple of sidelooks from people. "I love it!" He genuinely enjoys the joke.

He offers a raised hand for Abbie to high-five, grinning in admiration. "You're funny, Abbie-not-too-shabby!"

She smiles, instantly ruing this nickname, but going along with it. "Up high!" she claps his hand with hers.

"What about you? Benbo is a nickname, of course, but is Kimmy short for Kimberley or you actually a Kimmy? Or Ethan, or Zane?" She puzzles over the last two, wondering if there are longer form names. "Ethaniel? Nathaniel? Zane.... I've no idea."

"Ethanovich. Ethantotélēs" he threw in a couple more conjugates that Benbo graced him with in the past "I prefer Ethan. It's not a short for anything. That I know of"
He was happy to have an opening into the conversation. Abigail seemed cool, and he now regretted not trying to approach her earlier at school.