Lost But Not Forgotten

The sights and sounds of the carnival were almost too exciting to handle for the children who approached the entrance.

The carousels, the helter-skelter, the sideshows and the giant Ferris Wheel that towered above everything, it was the perfect picture of childhood fantasy.

Fluffy pink clouds of candyfloss and soft, furry teddy bears were in the hands of the children who ran slightly ahead of their parents, eager to see absolutely everything.

People bustling about in every direction, nudging each other and pushing in front, made it easy to slip out of sight.

Mr and Mrs Johnson wouldn’t have turned their backs for a second if they had known what would happen, if they had known there was a stranger, lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. They weren’t to blame for their curious young boy, eyes filled with wonder at the colours of carnival, wanting to explore.

They didn’t realise he was out of sight until it was too late. They’d only had their back turned for a few minutes at most.

But it was still much too late.