#molly bates

A collection of intricately painted backdrops were scattered at the edge of the path, each depicting a different scene. One showed a sweet looking mermaid in an underwater paradise, one pale hand extended toward the viewer. Another showed a large castle, edged by a wide moat rippling with ominous shadows. A dragon hung in the sky above it, jaws parted to release a wave of flame upon the highest towers of the building.

The one that pulled at her was neither of these, but a depiction of a circus. The backdrop was in the shape of a sprawling tent, coated in thick layers of bright colors. Molly reached for the scene, letting her fingertips dance across the rough surface of chipping paint spread over splintering wood.

"Attending the circus?" A voice drifts from behind her, low and edged with a hint of teasing laughter. Molly spun to face the speaker and found herself meeting an almost familiar gaze. He was tall, though nearly everyone was compared to Molly. Strands of shaggy black hair spilled across his features, almost obscuring his eyes before being shaken away with a toss of his head.  She had seen him before, but she couldn't quite place where. A smile spread across his face as he spoke again. "Can I ask you a question?"

Molly found herself nodding before she could stop herself. Her gaze tripped across his features, taking in every last detail of his face as he parted his lips to speak again. Perhaps it was his proximity or maybe it was just a lack of sleep, but Molly suddenly felt a bit light-headed.

"You're at a festival, right?" Another nod from her, this one a bit slower as a faint hint of confusion spread across her face at the question. "What are you doing over here in a dark corner in front of a picture of fun instead of actually partaking?"

A blink, and then Molly gave a shrug of her slim shoulders. Her gaze drops away from his, returning to the circus beside them. She stayed silent despite his question, her shrug her only response to his banter.

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. You just looked so… I don’t know. Forget it.” For a moment his confident expression faltered, giving way to one of embarrassment as he began to turn away.

“Wait, no, I’m sorry.” Molly reaches to catch him before he turns, fingers wrapping gently around his wrist to stop him from moving away. “I was just heading home, and the pictures distracted me. That’s why I’m over here.” She tacked a smile onto the end of the sentence, the faint curve holding a hint of apology.

It takes a only a moment for a forgiving grin to break out across his features and he turns to face her once more as she releases her grip on his arm. “Headed home so early?” His gaze flicks to the still darkening sky and then back Molly as he waits for an answer.

“I was supposed to meet some friends but they bailed. I enjoyed the activities, I ate the food, I’m going home.” Sarcasm tinges her voice as she rattles off her list for the curious stranger. His face cracks into a grin at her words before he barks a laugh. “Can I convince you to do one thing, at least?”

Molly felt an eyebrow rise at the question and she took a slight step back from him. Her arms lift to cross defensively over her chest as she narrows her eyes into a sharp glare. “What do you want, exactly?”

“Wait, no. Nothing like that, I swear.” His own hands lift, though his gesture is one of protest. “I just want to show you something. It’s known to make even the roughest days better.” He offers a reassuring smile to Molly as his voice tapers off. He reaches out a hand to her, stretching towards her without actually making contact as if to leave the few final inches up to her.

Molly wandered through the grounds of the Summer Festival aimlessly, thick-soled boots carrying her slowly past the booths promising the best snack this side of wherever and activities surrounded by laughing people, eager to get in one last game or last spin around the rink before the festival closed for the night.  The smiles of those running the booths were starting to falter, pushed away by the heavy exhaustion of a long day serving people much more excited to be there than them.

The teen side-stepped an interlocked couple in the middle of the path, flicking a narrow-eyed glare their way before stepping off the path. There were too many people clustered along the stretch anyway, loud and tottering with full cups that threatened to spill their frothy contents to the ground with each drunken sway.

A flat smile tugged at Molly's lips as she turned away, ducking past a reaching branch of a sprawling tree. As she snuck behind the booths a bright glare of neon caught her attention and she turned to peek at it. There were too many trees scattered between her and the object though and she couldn't quite make out more than the smear of light. With a slight shrug of her shoulders, she headed toward the beacon to see what it could be. Curiosity propelled her forward but she soon came to a stop as she got closer to the object. Far from being anything compelling, it was simply a photobooth. Lit up with a flood of colorful lights, it stood alone just outside the ring of the bustling crowd.

The glaring light of the photobooth bled into the settling darkness around it, almost gaudy under the remnants of the sunset high above it. After a moment of hesitation Molly headed for the booth, reaching a hand to tug back the thick, silky curtain and slipping inside.

She fell onto the bench inside with a low sigh as her gaze lifted to the camera in front of her. A smile stretched across her features as she waited for the click that would tell her to switch to another pose, but nothing happened for a long moment. Molly blinked and her smile faded slowly as she leaned closer to the camera.

She reached a hand towards the bulb, intending to tap it, but it chose that moment to go off. The bright flash flared in the small space and Molly let out a soft squeak of surprise as she fell back from the light. "Shit!" She gave a quick shake of her head, trying to dislodge the circles of light now imprinted on her vision as she slipped into another pose. Clicks followed more quickly this time and soon the machine was coughing up her photos.

Molly stumbled from the booth, hands coming up to grind against her eyes for a moment before she snags the pictures from the little cubby holding them patiently. The strip of photos was tucked into the back pocket of her jeans without a glance as she back towards the crowd. That was enough. She had come here to meet friends who had never bothered to show. While she had rather enjoyed a funnel cake earlier, being temporarily blinded by the booth was enough to make the night a lost cause. She'd just head back the way she came and go home.

The prospect carried her forward through the clumps of people still lingering at the festival and she soon made it to the opposite side of the large park. As she was nearing the street however, another splash of color caught her eye and paused her in her tracks.