he remembers when he was a child and would

ride the carousel. every time it spun around, there

was his mom -

watching and waving and smiling.

it's like that, but darker.



he thought he was on a real horse. all stamping hooves,

taught muscles, flowing mane. but the creature he

finds himself astride is just plastic. there's a shine in

its eye, but it's just the gleam of polished artificiality.

the horse is hung on a pole and it's fitting because

he's been impaled too.



so they gallop their laps in a gentle cresting and

falling in time to the lullabies and every time they

pass by the streetlamp, he can see the sadness

waiting for him -

watching and waving and smiling